It's funny how you find your self 'volunteering' for something. Sometimes you don't realise that you've done it and other times you're sold a pup. I think my 'volunteering' fell into the second category…
In the wee small hours of last Sunday morning we were getting ready to pull a rather large horse out of a rather muddy ditch. My brain was still mush and trying desperately to get itself in gear, when Gary Smart sidled up to me and asked if I'd like to be a casualty in an RTC district exercise. At that time of the morning it sounded more appealing than running around, sweating your bits off, cutting casualties from cars – so I said 'yes'…
And that's why I found myself and three other 'willing' helpers across at the fire station, an hour before drill, getting made up with all manner of wounds. Mine was a head wound with a lump, a cut and some blood.
The drive up to Jeld-Wen drew some odd looks from anyone who happened to catch sight of these four battered and bruised individuals being transported in the back of a Fire Service minibus!
The RTC involved three cars – one on all four wheels with two female casualties (the driver had been drinking…), another on its side with its roof up against a skip (Richard Belsey was in this car with a badly broken leg) and finally me, in an upside down Peuguot.
I'd picked the car on its roof because, being a lazy git, I thought I'd be able to make myself comfortable on the roof liner and have a nice little doze – keeping in the character of being semi-conscious. But when I looked at the car I couldn't believe the amount of crap that was in it. I think someone had been using it as a skip! So I got in and laid with my head just resting in the open window, trying to nestle down in all the rubbish that was all over the place.
First pump in was Wrentham and I could hear them surveying the scene, checking on the vehicles and the state of the casualties. I was deliberately incoherent and slipping in and out of consciousness, gradually giving information to the firefighter and then to the St Johns Ambulance staff. Could detect a rise in the voice as I slipped away – 'Ian, Ian, wake up!'
And so followed an award-winning performance as the car was dismantled around me and we waited for a long-board to become available. As time wore on I was getting more and more uncomfortable and started to kick out – hopefully emulating the effects of a head injury – while trying to get some feeling back into my legs!
I've decided not to 'volunteer' to be a casualty again. Sweating your bits off as a firefighter has got to be so much better than lying, helpless, having a car cut from around you – especially for Richard who had Al cutting a post just an inch or so from his head. I know the sound cutters make, the sound of glass being managed and the sound of a Remsaw. But, even so, it was unnerving being on the receiving end.
So, when volunteers are called for again, I shall be taking three steps back…