Alerter blog

Author: charley-farley-737

  • Electrical device designed to save children’s lives in house fires

    New Cambridge Start Up, Life Light Rescue, is set to launch ‘Life Light’, the biggest breakthrough in children’s fire safety since the smoke alarm.

    On average there is a house fire every 10 minutes in the UK. The fact is that in the event of fire children hide, they are usually found dead or alive, under the bed or in the wardrobe.
    For firefighters entering a burning building the priority is to find the child… find the child’s bedroom and you find the child. Every second counts.

    In dense smoke there is no way the fire fighters can know if the room is the parents' room, spare room, study, bathroom or even a cupboard. Every door must be opened and the space searched. The problem remains – which door is the child’s bedroom…?

    The life light device is mounted on the door frame of the child’s bedroom door and is triggered by the sound of a smoke alarm.  Once triggered it sends out an intense strobe light that penetrates the densest of smoke.

    Life Light has been hailed by Fire Chiefs and Industry Leaders as amazingly effective; Tom Carroll, past president of the UK Fire Chiefs Association and former Chief Fire Officer of Cambridgeshire stated: ‘It is to fire safety what cat’s eyes are to road safety’.

    Life Light reduces the time firefighters spend searching empty rooms by guiding them to where your child is most likely to be hiding… in their bedrooms.  Life Light also minimises  the risk to fire fighters, saving 3 to 5 minutes in an average house fire search and rescue situation.

    The Life Light was invented by founder Derek Wilson of Cambridge and has been almost 3 years in the development and patent process.

    Derek was advised by various dragons to licence his product but conventional retailing would have doubled the £23 purchase price to over £50. Derek himself, a father of 3 young children, felt that this product should be available to all and therefore chose the tougher route to market, direct online sales.

    Following this decision Derek took his business idea to Macintyre Hudson, 2 of their consultants liked it so much they chose to invest.

    Life Lights can only be purchased online direct from www.lifelightrescue.com. The unit price is £22.99 with 20 pence from each sale donated to charity (Children In Need and The Fire Fighters Charity).

    "This is a very interesting idea. One of the greatest challenges for firefighters is about rapidly locating and removing people from smoke filled buildings. Any device that will assist in this respect will be welcome in helping to address this challenge’”
    Andy Fry – Chief Fire Officer of Suffolk, Director of Public Protection, Social Inclusion & Diversity at Suffolk County Council.

    "Once crews enter a home which is on fire every second counts to save a life, and for fire fighters safety. Any device which can speed up the time taken to search for trapped people is vital."
    Craig McIntosh – Assistant Chief Fire Officer responsible for fire safety in West Yorkshire.

  • Flat fire – Commercial Road, Lowestoft

    Well that's the first shout we've had in daylight hours for what seems absolutely ages…

    I was at work, concentrating hard (as I do) when my alerter burst into life, sending me about a foot into the air!

    The traffic on the way to the fire station seemed to be going at a walking pace, with a line of cars stuck behind a frequently stopping bus.

    I was second in, picked up one of the BA slots and then quickly changed into fire gear. Close behind came Dennis, using Fire Service jargon, saying "It's going like a bastard". If you hadn't worked it out for yourself, this means 'there is a well developed fire'.

    Then Cheesey arrives giving us the same professional opinion of the fire.

    We're off to Commercial Road in Lowestoft to a fire in a first floor flat. Soon after getting mobile we hear an assistance message go in for 'Make Pumps 4, persons reported'. That last bit always tends to focus the mind, especially if you're a BA wearer.

    As we approached the railway station smoke was visible coming from the rear of the property and up over the roof from the front.

    We pulled up behind Lowestoft 01 and Mel and I made our way to the BA board. Gary and Rudi from Red Watch were already in the building attacking the fire with a hosereel.

    Mel and I started up and went into the building to assist team 1 in searching the property for any casualties, making our way up to the heavily smoke-logged second floor. We started opening windows to vent the property and could start to see a noticeable thinning of the smoke. We checked the second floor and were happy that no one was in there.

    By this time the fire was virtually out on the first floor and that was found to be clear too.

    And that was it for us. Out of the building, removed our sets, reported our findings to Rachael who was BAECO today. The BA board was set up in a rather unfortunate position – right outside the door to Lowestoft's only sex shop! And I didn't have my camera…

    Final inspections of the property were carried out, all the gear and hose made up and we were off back to the station to clean our BA sets and back to work.
    Which reminds me… I'm typing this when I should really get some jobs finished before the weekend.

  • Fire – Sunrise Inn, Corton Road, Lowestoft

    For the second time this week fire crews from Lowestoft, Beccles and Great Yarmouth have fought a blaze at the Sunrise Inn on Corton Road, Lowestoft.

    This morning our alerters rattled themselves silly at 0615 and I hot-footed it over to the fire station.

    When crews arrived at the scene they were met by a well involved fire and did well to contain it to the rear of the building. The incident was escalated to Make Pumps 4 plus the Hydraulic Platform and its support pump from Great Yarmouth.

    The fire was initially fought from outside the building with crews entering once the blaze was under control. The affected rooms were cleared of debris with parts of the roof removed also.

    And, as asbestos was found and exposed in the building we all have to be 'decontaminated'. Wash down fire kit at the incident, remove it and bag it for specialist cleaning. Then off to Lowestoft South to charge our BA cylinders, fill up with diesel and get some spare fire kit.

    Finally back to Normanshurst and home for midday and absolutely no enthusiasm for going into work now…

  • Fire – Rants Score, Lowestoft

    Firstly, an apology for the complete lack of posts on here… Life has been so hectic lately and the Fire Service has been quite quiet. Add the two together and you get nothing posted!

    As seems to be the norm these days, I'd nodded off on the sofa last evening. And with me well and truly in the Land of Nod I must have leapt about five feet in the air when my alerter went off!

    There I was careering around the house finding socks, shoes, alerter (that's the thing making all the noise and flashing like a set of demonic disco lights), mobile, cuddly toy, fondue set – try to focus my eyes a bit better… drop the cuddly toy and fondue set and make it to the front door. Could I get the key in the door to lock it? Could I f**k! Really must get these eyes open! Right, door locked and now the run (make that a slow jog) across the main road to the fire station. Luckily I made it across the road in one piece and got the station opened up before the rush and my tally up as driver.

    Tell myself that, as I'm driving, those bloody eyes really need to be wider than slits!

    Right, where are we going? Grab the tip sheet – fire in a flat at Rants Score, in the town centre. It's us and Lowestoft 01 going.

    Soon the place is swarming with bodies and we're out on to Normanston Drive. Within a couple of minutes we pull up at the top of Rants Score to see a BA crew committing and smoke coming from the open door and first floor windows.

    Gary and Jason don their BA sets and make their way to the BAECO board to form the Emergency Team

    Meanwhile I run out a length of 70 to Lowestoft 01 to keep them topped up while Shambles sets into a nearby hydrant to feed me. Next its deploy the two flaked lengths of 45 and branch we keep in the locker bay and charge this with water – a quick way to get a covering jet out and ready.

    And as second pump in we also tend to get tasked with putting back messages to Control. First message for me was an assistance message of Make Pumps 3 and that an aerial appliance was required (the hydraulic platform (HP) from Great Yarmouth plus its support pump). Requesting the HP was precautionary as the building was four storeys and the HP would be invaluable if the fire broke through to the roof.

    I also had to request the attendance of the Police as the fire was of a suspicious origin - multiple seats of fire don't usually happen by accident…

    Thankfully the fire was extinguished quickly with hotspots being checked for with the Thermal Image Camera.

    I got in just before midnight and off to bed. Why is it that two hours before I just couldn't wake up and now, when it's time for shut eye, I'm wide awake?

  • Firefighters tackle major blaze in Hereford

    Firefighters tackled a major blaze in the heart of Hereford yesterday morning.

    The fire involved many old buildings and businesses in the historic High Town area of Hereford.

    At its height the incident became 'Make Pumps 20' with over 100 firefighters involved. Specialists appliances from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue together with USAR teams helped to contain the fire.

    Over 80 BA wears were recorded in what was a difficult incident with many buildings adjoining and with poor access.

    To find out more head over to the Tenbury Wells Fire Station website – they were called in when the incident went to 'Make Pumps 16'.

    From all the media reports it looks like the crews did a great job stopping the fire spreading. Well done everyone!

  • Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are now Twittering…

    A big 'Hello' to Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service as they enter the Twitter world.

    You can follow SFRS and find out what's happening in dear old Suffolk.

    But not to be outdone, I'm still there on Twitter so don't forget to follow me too!

  • The Bluebeards Revenge set to help The Fire Fighters Charity

    Bbr-tin-open Here's some news from the makers of The Bluebeards Revenge™ which I've blogged about mainly because they'll be donating 50p from each tub sold to The Fire Fighters Charity and Operation Florian.

    "Millions of men all over the world share a common problem – they suffer from tough stubble that defies the attentions of every shaving cream or foam known to man, and blunts the edge of even the keenest razor. These men are known as "Blue-Beards". These testosterone filled men, with jawlines of sand paper tough stubble, have suffered for eternity down to their masculine beard growth, but they can breathe a (manly) sigh of relief, as there is finally a shaving solution that works!

    "Designed by a dyed-in-the-wool, real life Blue-Beard, who was bored to death with being a Desperate Dan lookalike, The Bluebeards Revenge™ is perhaps the world's finest shaving solution.

    "The Bluebeards Revenge™ is launched this summer after years of testing, where every existing product was tested and dispensed with in turn, before the perfect, final formula was settled upon. Concocted from the finest ingredients and manufactured in the UK – The Bluebeards Revenge™ is available now to make every alpha-male's life easier, featuring the secret ingredient, Decelerine™. 

    "This miracle ingredient is exclusive to this product, and is scientifically proven to actually reduce the growth of hair over a period of time, so every time a man shaves with The Bluebeards Revenge™, he is actively delaying hair growth. Over a 60-day period, this can reduce the growth of stubble by up to 40%, meaning a man can get on with what he does best – manliness – without sporting a 5 o'clock shadow by lunchtime.

    "Don't take our word for it. Try it and see the miraculous reduction in stubble over just a few weeks, and see for yourself why every man who wonders why he can never achieve the ‘close shave' that the glamorous TV ads talk about, can now realise this dream.

    "However, this luxurious shaving cream is more than just a miracle secret formula, and is a signature scent chosen by shaving enthusiasts, based on a fresh and classic English barbershop scent with a modern twist. The aroma and sumptuous thick lather makes shaving a genuine pleasure.

    "The Bluebeards Revenge™ is available exclusively at www.shaving-shack.co.uk priced £14.99.  A tub will last approximately 3-5 months."

  • New fire station opens in Lowestoft

    New North Lowestoft fire station opens for business There was no fanfare, no cutting of tape by a local celebrity and no champagne reception as Suffolk's newest fire station became operational today.

    Anyone passing along Normanston Drive can't fail to have noticed the new fire station taking shape over these last few months. And today we moved in. There are still some finishing touches to do as well as some other things I shan't mention but we're in and we're ready to go.

    And the fire station that has been known as Normanshurst for longer than anyone cares to remember, is no more.

    So we've got a new name to get used to now. We'll be known now as North Lowestoft fire station…

    The fun starts when we get our first shout at the new station. Everybody will be tripping over each other, heading in the wrong direction, trying to find something you know you used to have, like your fire kit! It's a bit like moving house except we haven't got time to rummage in boxes – there is normally a bit of a rush to get ourselves out from behind the big red doors!

    Hopefully sometime soon we may have an official opening ceremony. If we do, I'll get some pics added…

     

     

    Links:

  • Merseyside firefighters try out ‘fire bikes’

    Firefighters in Merseyside are now regularly attending small incidents like bin fires on one of two BMW 1200 Series motorbikes.

    Costing around £25000 each they have two 25 litre water tanks, foam and a thirty metre hose and lance. The bikes are also equipped with a BA set and a spare cylinder.

    Take a look at this video on the BBC News website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10716414

    So, in future, when Dennis tells anyone not lucky to get on the pump that they're riding the Station Bike, we know what to expect…

    Fire-bike

  • Fire at Wessex Foods, Lowestoft – part 3

    Wessex-foods-10 For the best part of a week we had a presence up at Wessex Foods, just in case things kicked off again.


    My last stint up there was last Tuesday, with my alerter having gone off just before 11am.


    So, with a crew of four, we positioned ourselves outside the now desolate reception and offices. We were relieving Leiston who had been dealing with some troublesome hotspots on the roof above the canteen.

    We took a proactive view on these hotspots and Mel with Greg forced open the fire door into the first floor canteen. This obviously introduced more oxygen and the smoke got thicker, rising from the roof edge. With the help of crowbars they were able to peel back some of the roof and direct a hosereel onto the smouldering interior.


    Wessex-foods-11 It now seemed as though more smoke was issuing from the front of the building. To combat this more effectively than what we could achieve, the Hydraulic Platform from Yarmouth was moved around to us with me supplying them with water. That’s the first time I’ve had to supply an HP as they usually get fed from their own support pump (which was still there). But as we were already set into the hydrant it was decided that we should do the pumping. It was now a juggling act between keeping enough water in our tank (not over-running the supply) and giving enough pressure to the HP crew some 50ft above us. With a bit of tweaking and cross-border co-operation we managed to get a good jet over the dilapidated roof.


    The HP crew suddenly headed for the ground at a rapid rate of knots having found themselves breathing in Ammonia that had suddenly appeared around them.
    A hasty conference with the refrigeration engineers ensued with one of them going up in the cage to try to identify the source of the leak.


    And before you knew it, our reliefs, in the shape of Aldeburgh, turned up.


    Wessex-foods-12 We then beat a hasty retreat to Lowestoft South Fire Station to diesel up and snatch a quick cup of tea… Just as the tea arrived the turnout alarm sounded – the first time I’ve heard it and boy, does it sound odd. It’s a cross between a ships siren, a cat with its head stuck in a door and a distressed cow!


    White Watch took out Ladder 1 and we heard them book mobile to Camps Heath, back on the north side of the river and our patch. With the nod from Dennis I radioed Control and booked us available, just in case White Watch wanted our help. Now for my cup of tea. As I savoured the hot, sweet brew, Neil Henderson’s voice cut across the airwaves with, “Assistance message from Lowestoft 01, make pumps two, thick smoke seen from Bridge Road”. So before they’d even got halfway to the incident and on seeing the smoke, Neil had, quite rightly, decided to get us rolling too.


    Back at Lowestoft South we jumped aboard our trusty steed and started to pull out of the yard, just waiting for the Fire Priority message to come from Control. And sure enough, within seconds Dennis was answering the Fire Priority and booking us mobile to the incident.


    It was now about quarter past four and the traffic was already busy, starting with the six-way roundabout right outside Lowestoft South. The roundabout was negotiated fairly quickly and then we headed towards Oulton Broad through the thickening traffic. Cotmer Road, running down to the Flying Dutchman pub was solid and so it was all the way down the outside before cutting in at the traffic lights. Now the traffic was backed up over the railway bridge and so edging forward on the opposite side of the road I was able to see the way clear and head around the queue to the Victoria Road roundabout. A few quick shimmies and we were through Oulton Broad and into Hall Road and ever closer to the pall of black smoke over Camps Heath.


    After slowly picking my way down a dirt track we pulled up behind White Watch to see a large metal tank with flames shooting out of every orifice… This had been used as a paint store and was now in the process of being cut up. Sparks plus fumes equals flames and black smoke.


    Andy Jackson on Ladder 1 got foam to work through the hosereels and I supplied our full tank to ensure they had enough water to finish the job.


    And now we get to go home, finally getting in the door at half five… Oh, but it’s Drill Night tonight so another two hours with the Fire Service cleaning the fire engine and making sure we’ve got all the kit we should have after what has been an eventful few days…


     


     


     


     



    Sponsored links: