Category: Shouts

Incident No.
Date: 14th July 2007
Time: 1745
Type: Fire
Address: Sailors Home Public House, Kessingland
Initial Attendance: Two pumps from Wrentham and Clifton Road
Final Attendance: Eight pumps, Forward Control Vehicle and Hydraulic Platform (Great Yarmouth + 1 pump)

For once I got the timing of a wee just right! I heard the wholetimers go out and to say I had a feeling in my water is an understatement. The times you get a shout and you really wish you'd taken the time for a leak…

No sooner were my flies secure and the alerter starting singing its merry little tune.

As is normally the case, I was first in and saw from the tip sheet that we were off to Kessingland and its Sailors Home – I honestly didn't know they had octagenarian matelots living their lives out by the sea in Kessingland. Shows how much I know – it's a pub or at least it was!

We tipped out with a crew of four (Dennis Newton as OIC) and made our way through the early evening traffic and the five mile run to literally the beach in Kessingland.

As we got closer we could see the smoke billowing out from the pub. We pulled up in the narrow road amongst all the locals and holidaymakers who were making the most of this impromptu entertainment.
It was then a case of getting drivers to reverse their cars away from the scene to give us better access and to enable oncoming appliances to get in.

Initially BA crews were deployed within the building but were withdrawn as parts of the ceiling started to collapse.

Within a matter of minutes flames broke through the roof and it was all hands to playing 45's onto the burning roof.

One hydrant had been set into right oustide the pub but this was proving totally inadequate for the amount of water needed. I went back along Beach Road to locate another hydrant (missing one just up a dirt track). The Southwold appliance set into this and by the time they had run about six lengths of hose I had repositioned the pump to make way for the HP.

It was then a fine balance between giving the guys the water they needed at the branch, keeping Ladder 1 supplied and not running dry. We made it – just. Luckily both Ladder 1 and ourselves were able to fill our tanks prior to the HP starting to use water. In a very longwinded exercise we were taking water pumped from the hydrant by Southwold, I was giving water to Ladder 1 who was then pumping to the Yarmouth appliance. They in turn were supplying the HP!

By this time the whole roof and collapsed in leaving the four outer walls.

I think I can safely say that this incident had the highest crowd attendance of any I've been to. Some of the holidaymakers couldn't believe their luck. Sleepy Kessingland and all this drama – beats anything on the box!

Got home at around 2200 hours knowing that the alerter would be going of at 0045 for a retained crew to go back to the scene on fire watch. The alerters went off at 0015, half an hour earlier than planned. Luckily five others turned in that hadn't been on the shout, so they had the dubious pleasure or witnessing a grey 'sunrise' on Sunday morning.

Incident No. 2655
Date: 6th July 2007
Time: 2030
Type: Fire
Address: Commercial Road, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: Two pumps from Normanshurst plus Hydraulic Platform (HP) and pump from Great Yarmouth
Final Attendance: Four pumps (inc. Yarmouth pump) and HP

What is it with shouts and me only having just eaten! Hadn't long finished a Chinese takeaway when my alerter starting throwing a wobbly.

I think the call was to a fire in a derelict building. Anyone who knows Commercial Road in Lowestoft could point to quite a few properties that fits this bill!

The wholetimers pulled up round the back of Commercial Road while we went to the front entrance. We were greated by a well developed fire ina small, rubbish filled alley. One hosereel was got to work on this while we ran out the flaked lengths of 45mm to act as a covering jet.

BA teams were being committed at the front and back of the building with reports that the fire had spread to the first floor and possibly to adjoining properties.

An assistance message of Make Pumps 3 was made to ensure we had enough BA wearers available.

BA teams were extinguishing pockets of fire as they made their way through the building only to find new seats of fire erupting on their return route. Just goes to show that you should have your fire-fighting medium with you at all times!

One of the adjacent properties houses around 15 people – looked after by the Fyffe Centre in town. There representative turned up with all the spare keys and also informed us that 8 persons were still unaccounted for. So the incident now turns into Persons Reported – there are, potentially, people / casualties in the premises.

As usual with these incidents, everything is hectic for the first 20 minutes or so and then things settle down a bit. As pump operator I was massaging the water supply but also having to set into the nearest hydrant which was the best part of 100m away. I haven't done that much running of hose or as speedily since I was on my recruits course!

Looking that the properties around the area, it will only be a matter of time before more [word deleted…] get into the old Bar FM or another place and we'll be back again.

Back home by about 2315 for a shower and a nice, sweet cup of tea…

Incident No. 2210
Date: 22nd June 2007
Time: 1915
Type: RTC
Address: Stirrups Lane – A12, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: PRT (Pump Rescue Tender) and two pumps
Final Attendance:

I knew we were going to an RTC as the wholetime crew were pulling out of the pump bay in the PRT as I jogged across to the station.

Sure enough all three lights were up to indicate that all our pumps were being mobilised.

The were some Cubs visiting the station (from Mel Buck’s group – 2nd Oulton Broad). They couldn’t have timed their visit any better – not only had they seen fire engines close up, squirted some water and sounded the two-tones. And to top it all the whole place was alive with firefighters getting the PRT out and all the Retained descending on the station from every direction.

Mel was on station and was already aboard Ladder 1 and as I was next I took the drivers position. We tipped out with a crew of four because Friday night can often see us short crewed. Luckily, as we made our way out of town, we heard Dennis on Ladder 2 book mobile with a crew of six.

As we neared the incident on the southbound carriageway of the A12 just north of Lowestoft we were contacted by the PRT crew. They were dealing with persons trapped in two separate vehicles and we would need to use the combi-tool (cutting gear) off Ladder 1 on the second car.

We pulled up in the outside lane of the northbound carriageway in the fend-off position (at an angle across the road to give the crew a safe side to dismount and to form some sort of protection as the crews work. Using what cones we have on board we started to cone off behind our pump which was a good way behind the PRT to form the safe area. However our equipment was needed and I pulled up level with the second car (which was on the other side of the crash barrier). Ladder 2 arrived and its crew split up to work on both cars.

For the first 15 minutes or so my job was to make us as obvious as possible to the traffic that was still flowing. I raised the stem light and pointed it towards the oncoming traffic. I then positioned myself inside the coned area but some way behind the pump and tried to slow down the steady stream of traffic heading towards Great Yarmouth. Some drivers slow down as good as gold. Others still come through at 40+ and rubber necking!

The Police were able to close the road about 400 yards before our location freeing me up to get back to the vehicle that my crew were working on. As I approached the roof was coming off and efforts were being made to remove the driver side door.

Soon after this the female driver was removed on a spine board over the rear of the vehicle and away to one of the two waiting ambulances.

That was about it for us. Frenzied activity for 30 minutes or so as all the casualties were extricated and then it was packing up all the gear and a leisurely drive back to the station.

Standard tests on the cutting gear and a general clean up ended the evening before getting back home just before 2100.

Incident No.
Date: 10th June 2007
Time: 0422
Type: Fire
Address: Stanford Street, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: One Pump
Final Attendance:

Sod’s Law states that the one night of the week when I haven’t got all my clothes and shoes carefully arranged, we get a shout in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Normally, when the alerter goes off (I swear it could raise the dead!) I can be out of bed, in the hall, into my jeans, T-shirt on, shoes on, socks in hand and out of the door in about a minute – almost without waking up.

But last night was different. We’d been out to a 40th birthday party and so were later to bed than normal. I didn’t bother positioning my clothes as usual, instead relying on the hope that tonight would be shout-free. I should have known better. By the time I had rummaged for clothes, found my shoes and got out of the door it felt like an eternity had passed.

The wholetimers were out in the south of town accompanied by the Clifton Road pump (this is a one pump retained station in Kirkley, Lowestoft). The were three separate incidents within a few hundred yards of each other – someone stuffing lighted material or paper through letterboxes. What a nice wakeup call for those residents!

We were initially mobilised to that area but were redirected to a fire at the rear of a property in Stanford Street. I was driving and we got to the area pretty quickly but could see no sign of fire. The crew split up to search the area. A small fire was discovered in a back alley and was quickly extinguished with a few blasts from the hosereel. We had the police attend because of the suspicious nature of the incident – it’s not often that rubbish self ignites at any time let alone at twenty past four on a misty Sunday morning!

Back on station to the normal banter that surrounds life on a fire station. Even at that time of the morning wisecracks abound and no one is safe from some sort of jibe or indeed the fire service early morning chorus… that odour-laden symphony that is firefighters breaking wind!! Ah what a fine, dishevelled bunch we are…

Incident No.
Date: 9th June 2007
Time: 1242
Type: AFA
Address: Birds Eye, Whapload Road, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: One Pump
Final Attendance: Make Pumps 2

Just about to sink my teeth into a fishfinger sandwich and my alerter starts its merry little tune…

This time it’s a Make Pumps 2 to the Birds Eye factory in Lowestoft.

Small fire in one of their industrial size microwaves. Burnt, half-cooked and raw chicken does not give you much of an appetite for your cold fishfinger sandwich!

Incident No.
Date: 1st June 2007
Type: Fire
Address: Ferndale Avenue, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: Two Pumps
Final Attendance: Make Pumps 5 plus Forward Control Vehicle

Just dozing through the England – Brazil match when my alerter shatters the peace at around 2145hrs.

Shoes on and out the door to trot the 100 yards to the fire station. The wholetime crew are already out, so was expecting this to be a make-up (a make-up is where the Officer in Charge at an incident needs more resources and 'makes-up' for more appliances).

I had a quick shufty at the tip sheet and saw that it only had one pump listed (NT02 – that's the call sign of the appliance that the retained crew will most often take out). The message just said Bus and the address of Ferndale Avenue – about a quarter of a mile from the station.

Got my tally up in the drivers position and started to get my gear on. Others now arriving and we mobilise with a crew of 5 (Sub/O Newton in charge).

As we headed along Fir Lane towards the incident, we could see an ominous orange glow above the farm buildings behind a disused Esso filling station. There were plenty of members of the public already in the area and we were directed up a track to the rear of the farm buildings. As we rounded the corner we were met by the site of a 52 seater double deck coach ablaze from one end to the other!

Now, as a fairly recently qualified turnout driver, this was my first sizeable incident where we were first pump at the job.

It's right about now that you hope your training will kick in and everything will run smoothly.

So, I engaged the pump using the mode switch. This puts in the PTO (Power Take Off). Jump out and round to the pump bay. Already someone has grabbed the flaked length of 45 (this is two lengths of 45mm diameter hose with branch attached that we keep stowed in the pump bay for rapid deployment). I connected this to the first delivery, opened the valve, brought the revs up and got the first water on to the burning coach. Almost immediately a second line of 45 was being run out together with one of the high pressure hosereels. With no immediate access to more water it is my job to ensure that we don't drain the tank. We've only got 400 gallons and that can go in the blink of an eye when using main jets (45 or 70).

Luckily the wholetime crew (Green Watch) had been proceeded on to this incident from a previous job they had been at in the south of the town. They pulled up close to us and I was able to take water from them as well as a delivery being taken from their pump too.

The hydrant was about six lengths of hose away and was already in the process of being connected. Even with this supplying us we still had to be frugal with the amount of water we put through to the branch men.

The fire was now spreading to the old farm buildings and there was a van parked close behind the coach which, I was informed, had containers of petrol on board.

In rapid succession assistance messages were sent to Control in Ipswich till the last one which was for Make Pumps 5.  With four pumps and over we get the Forward Control Vehicle from Beccles which acts as a command post at the incident and relays all radio messages. With its arrival it is one less job for a harrassed pump operator like me to worry about!

Things soon came under control with the extra resources available tackling the blaze from three sides.

By the time we had finished at the incident, got back on station, serviced BA sets, washed all the hose, etc it was nearly 0030hrs before I got back home.