I'd booked myself off the run for most of today. For once my day job was going to take precedence over Suffolk Fire and Rescue. With a couple of the guys travelling from as far afield as Manchester and Gloucester I didn't think it would be too polite to dash off on a shout in the middle of our meeting!
Within minutes of getting back from the railway station and seeing off the last of my colleagues, my alerter had me dashing for the exit.
Ladder 1 had gone to a fire in undergrowth on Corton Cliffs and had just put in an Assistance Message – Make Pumps 2. As I was well ahead of anybody else I thought I might take a precautionary wee just so I wouldn't have to expose myself on Corton Cliffs – not a good idea (if you know the area you'll know what I mean!).
Now why is it that when you're in a hurry you can't pee? Is it the added adrenalin? Perhaps I didn't really need a wee after all. Matters weren't helped by the bells going again and there being one of the station alarms just feet behind me! I get there in the end and make sure all equipment is stowed safely.
By now others are arriving from all directions and we need the Unimog too.
We head for Ladder 1 on Corton Road and get ready to dump our tank into theirs. Plenty of time because around six lengths of 45 were run out along the narrow cliff path with three lengths of the hosereel attached to this.
I then acted as water shuttle in Ladder 2, filling up from the hydrant that was a few hundred metres back up the road.
As usual there's always one of our number that just has to talk to the girls. This time it was a diminuitive (Dobbie sized) WPC that got the full attention of this particular firefighter. I'm not naming the individual as to do so might result in his bits being cut off with a rusty cheesewire, popped into a Jiffy bag and posted through his door!
And that was that. Plenty of hose to make up, hosereel to wipe clean and lay flat delineators (cones) to be removed from the vicinity of our very compact WPC. No prizes for guessing who volunteered for that task…