Category: Shouts

I was quite looking forward to an evening in last night. After four nights out on the trot, the thought of slobbing out in front of the box seemed most appealing.

So, having tweeted for the last time, I was about to head for my hot date with the sofa when my little friend let loose and had me heading for the door instead.

Mel was already opening up the station, doing a fine impression of a caretaker, having been literally driving past the fire station when the alerters went off.

I was driving and we were being tipped out to reports of a fire in a tumble drier at an address in Seago Street. With a crew of six and Dennis in charge I pulled out on to Normanston Drive and set course for Seago Street, barely a mile away.

As we entered from the top of the road we could see Ladder 1 from Lowestoft South approaching from the bottom end. We met in the middle outside the affected property. Initially it didn't look like much was happening, then came the shout, "It's a job!".
Red Watch had already got two of their crew starting up in BA and Mel and Cheesey from our pump got ready to follow suit.

I ran back to our pump and brought the BA Entry Control board over for Shambles who was taking on the BAECO role. Then back to the pump to move it forward a few feet and then run a length of 70 from us to Ladder 1 (LS01), ready to supply them with water if they started to eat into their 1800 litres.

By now, both BA teams had been committed into the house, each with a hosereel jet. A 45 covering jet had already been placed just outside the front gate.

And then one of the BA wearers appeared at my side holding a grubby, bedraggled cat that was fighting for breath. With the cat laid on the pavement I rushed to get the first aid kit off the pump. Now I've seen this done on TV but now was my chance to administer Oxygen therapy to an animal. I soon had the mask held over the cats face, hoping that it was now getting a good dose of Oxygen. Stroking the cat seemed to calm it down and gradually its breathing got easier and I was able to remove the mask. It opened its eyes and slowly moved its head to take in the scene around it. Then it looked me straight in the eye and let out a plaintive meow…

While this was happening outside the BA teams had extinguished the fire which had spread from the tumble drier to an adjacent TV. They were also searching for a dog and another cat. It seems the cat made a sharp exit out of a broken window while the BA team were hitting the fire. The dog was found behind the front door. He wasn't there when the BA teams entered as they'd done the customary sweep behind the door. I think he saw the door was open and made a dash for it only to be caught behind the door as the BA teams came in. Luckily he must have been getting a blast of fresh air from the outside and, bizarrely, he came out on his lead, as good as gold, with one of the BA team looking like he was off for a walk in the park!

So, my quiet evening in didn't happen. But it felt good to see that almost lifeless cat pull through and be able to return it to its owner…

I am proud to say that stroking a lifeless pussy and bringing it to life isn't a bad way to spend a Friday evening. However, I should have called it a cat before saying the above to the present Mrs C!!

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Talk about omens… The sky turning black, the wind howling around the bungalow, the rain lashing down, hailstones rattling on the windows, a plague of locusts, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was bad but not quite up to the last two!

All of this should have made me think that my peaceful Saturday morning was about to be shattered. No sooner had the thunderous pelting of the hail stopped than my own purveyor of noise joined in the fun.

So, shoes on and a dash across to the fire station just as the rain and hail eased off.

With the builders now moved in at Normanshurst we are all having to park on the front apron or use the new drive-thru in Bays 4 and 5. So, as first in, I had to open the small door in the appliance bay doors, crack open the bay doors in front of Ladder 1, unlock the door into the kit room and finally unlock my locker to kit my fire kit out! I don't think Normanshurst has ever had so many locks on so many doors…

Anyway, tip sheet says we're off to a car that has been struck by a tree and that there are two people trapped. In the back of my mind was an incident of a few years back where two people had been killed when a tree had fallen on to their car. Hopefully the outcome of this incident wouldn't be such a tragedy.

We were off to Denmark Road, barely a mile from the fire station. As we neared the incident we could see a trail of damage stretching from the roundabout near the Lake Lothing pub all the way to where the fallen tree lay across the road. Road signs had been bent over by flying debris, fencing and advertising hoardings had been scattered across a childrens play area.

I pulled up about 50m short of the tree where the road widened, leaving space for a paramedic or ambulance to get through. From here the car was barely visible amongst the mass of branches, the tree having fallen across a cycle way, two lanes of Denmark Road and just brushed the cars parked on the far side of the road.

With Jason I set about cutting back the branches with a bow saw, clearing an area around the drivers side of the car. Meanwhile Gary and John were setting up the Powershore on the passengers side to support the weight of the tree, stopping it from further crushing the car.

White Watch were busy with casualty care (one female passenger) and starting to remove the tailgate and seats, ready for a longboard extraction.

We were joined by a paramedic who took over casualty care and, by now, the tailgate was off and the back seats had been removed. Then, carefully, the passenger was moved on to the longboard and out through the open rear of the car.

Job done…

Just tidying up to do, cutting gear and hosereel away and leave the tree removal to the experts from the council.

And an hour and a half after tipping out we were back on station, unlocking this door, opening that one, then locking another – you get the picture…

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I had just managed to last the morning at work and was contemplating food and the afternoon when my plans were hurriedly altered by the strident calling of my alerter.

Traffic, for once, didn't hold me up getting to the new slim-line Normanshurst Fire Station and I was able to grab the drivers tally. The tip sheet showed we were off to a factory fire at Birds Eye in Lowestoft.

We pulled up outside Denes IV barely a minute after White Watch who had had to negotiate the lunchtime traffic in their dash from the new Lowestoft South Fire Station.

An Assistance Message had just been put in as two people were unaccounted for – so we'd now be getting a third pump crewed by the retained firefighters of Lowestoft South (the old Clifton Road crew). Thankfully the two people were found outside the building and the added urgency of searching for casualties removed.

  BA teams were being committed in to the roof space to check the ducting - looking for fire, smoke, overheating ducts. Because of the distances the BA teams were having to travel they were sent in as teams of four taking hosereels extended to 120m.

Our pump from Normanshurst and Ladder 1 from Lowestoft South were the firefighting appliances so Mel and myself stood by the pumps, like coiled springs (!?*), ready to deliver water to the BA teams.

And that's about as exciting as it got for us. We were joined by pumps from Beccles and Bungay, the Command Support Vehicle from Beccles, the Operational Support Unit from Ipswich and the Hydraulic Platfrom from Yarmouth accompanied by three Norfolk pumps.

All that kit and firefighters may seem like overkill. But if the fire had developed it would have spread quickly and its no good deciding then that you need extra resources. Get everything rolling, you can always turn it back…

And the highlight of the whole job…

Being well fed and watered by the catering staff at Birds Eye. Thanks guys – firefighters are a happy bunch when they've had food and drink and your hospitality really hit the spot!

The last car had literally just left the fire station after having a make over at our charity car wash when the bells went and my alerter followed suit.

Car on fire in garage at Dell Road in the south of Lowestoft.

As we already had four retained firefighters on station we just had to wait for Dennis Newton to arrive and we were heading through the Saturday afternoon traffic towards Dell Road. The Stop message went in just as we rounded the corner into Dell Road.

Back to Normanshurst and finally get the brew that was promised half an hour back. With the tea quaffed I made my farewells and headed out of the appliance bay and home. Bells go and two seconds later my alerter can't resist joining in.

This time it's a fire in a bedroom of a house in Colville Road.

The first floor bedroom of the property had been well alight when Ladder 1 arrived with a BA crew using a hosereel jet to knock the fire down. Two BA from Ladder 2 were also used to help ventilate and search the property.

We then had a few hours gap in which to down meals and watch either X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing before the alerters called us yet again. Getting anyone to admit that they watch either of these fine pieces of televisual entertainment is unlikely but I know what they're like…

And just after 9pm we get called to an AFA at Birds Eye (Ladder 1 was already at a shout) and then the ERT gets tipped out to another AFA at a sheltered housing complex.

So, that's 10 shouts this week, four of them on one day. And yet sometimes we can go nearly two weeks without a shout. Explain that one to me if you can…

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With a freshly made mug of tea plonked on my desk, it was asking for trouble.

And there it was – literally right outside my window. I looked out to my left across Alexandra Road to the main road that's about 150m away. How come there was thick fog on the main road but Alexandra Road was fog free?

Perhaps it's not fog – my razor-sharp detective mind started to see other possibilities here! What if it was smoke? That would make it a fire just a few hundred metres from my office. Nah, can't be. If it was a fire then my trusty little alerter would be playing merry hell by…

And we're off! My alerter kicked into life and I was out of the office like a scolded cat. As I ran towards my car I could see the smoke getting thicker. Arriving at my car I looked down the side of the Doctor's surgery and could see flames licking out of the roof of Anchor Fisheries.

This seems odd. I'm at the fire but have to drive to the fire station to come all the way back again! Meet Ladder 1 coming in the opposite direction and me thinking that they'll have their hands full for a few minutes waiting for us to back them up.

Multiple calls had been made to Control who had now made the decision to send the ERT too.

So, three fire engines all approaching the building from a separate side and getting plenty of water up into the open roof. Three hydrants were used so each pump had plenty of water, if needed.

Then it was up onto the roof for myself and Gary, wearing BA. We worked from a narrow valley in the roof, stripping off tiles and giving the seat of the fire a good drink.

And apart from making the remainder of the roof safe – that was it. Back to the fire station to service our BA sets and then home for a shower. It hasn't done much good – I still smell like a kipper!

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It's been absolutely ages since we've had a night time shout. Months in fact.

But at 2.20am this morning that little record went out of the window as I went out of the door!

Two pumps to a caravan on fire, next to derelict shop at the bottom of The Ravine – at least that's what I think the tip sheet said! It wouldn't be the first time that someones read one thing but the tip sheet, on closer inspection and by someone who is more awake, has actually said someting completely different…

Plenty of smoke wafting about in the sea breeze as we pull up behind Ladder 1. Cheesey supplies them with our tank of water as I head off in the direction of the nearest hydrant. Thankfully, we have done a number of drills in this area so the hydrant was easily found. This hydrant is at the end of the line which, quite possibly, also supplies the Birds Eye factory. My kitchen tap has got more pressure behind it than this hydrant. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers…

It's actually a motor home that's been completely burnt out. Tad suspicious as to how an unattended vehicle can spontaneously combust. But this is Lowestoft and strange things do happen in the wee small hours.

With the wind and spray whipping in off the North Sea which is only 100m away I'm glad this is September and not January…

Back to the fire station an hour after leaving and me heading for a snooze on the settee.

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Do you know, there is a direct correlation between me having food in front of me and my alerter going off… It's true.

This morning, with the weather feeling particularly Autumnal, I wandered round to Tesco's and bought some fresh milk and a bag of jam doughnuts. I looked upon the doughnuts as something that, with all that sugar, would get me through the day.

So, coffee made and me just reaching for the doughnuts is guaranteed to get my alerter agitated. And there it goes, didn't even get a taster of the sugar coating. Bugger!

On my way to the fire station I met Ladder 1 going in the opposite direction into town. I'm second in and get the drivers position and see that we're off to a house fire just north of Lowestoft town centre. Even as I'm getting on to Ladder 2 the bells go again. The job is now Make Pumps 3, so must be a working job.

We book mobile with a crew of four to ensure there are enough to crew the now needed ERT. As we neared Dene Road a fair amount of smoke could be seen, blowing across Corton Road by the strong Westerly breeze.

Jason and Ben made their way to the BA entry control, ready to be tasked with a job or act as Emergency Team to BA team already committed. Meanwhile, I started to pump my water over to Ladder 1 until a hydrant could be found.

Shortly after our arrival there were assistance messages for the Hydraulic Platform from Great Yarmouth as well as Make Pumps 4 – bringing Clifton out to play too.

By now the fire had spread from its original seat (in a cupboard) up into the loft and from there was spreading right and left into the adjoining properties. BA teams were committed into all three premises and, through their swift and decisive actions, prevented the fire from taking hold in these other properties.

The Hydraulic Platform arrived and was sited ready to work at removing tiles on the roof of the affected property.

And while all this is happening you can't but help notice little things going on around you…

The police have been called to close off roads but are the first to get a cup of tea… Made me smile as I darted here, there and everywhere, getting ladders, running out more hosereels, setting up a BA area, etc.

And what about the good old British postie. The mail will always get through! So, as mayhem reigns around him he is depositing his deliveries into open doorways even as smoke is still billowing out! He even handled a bundle to a surprised firefighter and said, "Could you make sure they get these, please?" And this was for the house that had had the fire!

Then, with all the excitement over, it was time for the tidy up. It always amazes me the complete and utter buggers muddle that hose and hosereel seems to get itself into. All that away then a human chain removing buckets of charred remains from the house…

Back on station and the cooks rustled us up double egg, bacon chips and beans – bloody lovely! And I still forced down a jam doughnut when I got back to work.

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If not perhaps they do the breast stroke or should it be the udder stroke?

Anyway, Friday morning and I just about made it into work but found myself retracing my steps to the fire station at the behest of my alerter.

The tip sheet said 'Cow in 6ft of water'. Silly cow – should have used the shallow end!

So we now found ourselves in Ladder 1, following the Water Rescue van and with the Unimog trailing behind, as we headed off to Barsham, near Beccles. Unfortunately, the location we had been given was slightly out. We were on the south side of the River Waveney and we needed to be on the other side. So our little procession went to Bungay and doubled back along the Bungay bypass and then through the country lanes to Geldeston. We finally ended up at a small boatyard where Plan A and B were formulated.

As it turned out Plan A worked. The water rescue team, fully suited and booted, went up the river in a pleasure boat, lassooed the cow and escorted it to a muddy slipway where it waddled up on to dry land.

Job done.

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting about this RTC. It happened over a week ago but, what with one thing and another, I never got round to tapping away on the old keyboard.

Anyway…

Last Saturday evening I had just about managed to stay awake through the latest Indiana Jones film only in the vain hope that a bloody big marble would roll down a cobweb shrouded tunnel and run poor old Harrison Ford over… Sadly, I didn't make it and was woken from my slumbers by my little black number – that's my alerter and not the little black number that I wear on special occasions and at weekends (joking, honest!).

Over at the fire station and it's a full house of lights up – the ERT (NT06) is already gone with the Watch onboard, next to go will be Ladder 1 (NT01) and finally Ladder 2 (NT02).

The incident is barely a mile from the station, single vehicle totally demolished a section of 6 foot high wall before ending up across the road.

The car is stabilised, glass managed and an equipment dump set up. While the cutting starts I put back an informative message to our Control and ask for an ETA of the ambulance.

Once they've arrived and the paramedic is happy, the roof comes off and the young lady is removed on the long board. While being assessed on the ambulance trolley one of the firefighters covers the casualty with one of our ancient grey blankets. She is then wheeled away to the waiting ambulance.

Then its packing all the gear up and also time to retrieve our blanket. The following conversation is real and I can only assume that the ambulance technician is very new or, indeed, still in training:

Firefighter (after knocking politely on the ambulance door): Could we have our grey blanket back please?

Technician: We're using it.

Firefighter: Could you not swap it for one of yours?

Technician: But we don't carry grey blankets.

Firefighter: What have you got then?

Technician: Just these white hospital blankets…

Firefighter: Any chance of swapping our grey blanket for one of those then?

Hmm…

We had taken what seemed an age to line up three fire engines, the Unimog and the Water Rescue van in front of the Fire Station.

Everything had to look just right. The pumps had been washed, tyre black had been applied and the Union Flag was flying dutifully at half mast.

Normanshurst was preparing itself for the funeral cortege of Keith Boyce to pass the station. And, as Sod's Law predicts, the bells went with about 10 minutes to go. Blue Watch, with our own Dennis Newton in charge, were off to Great Yarmouth to a Make Pumps 5 incident (subsequently went to Make Pumps 9).

As they disappeared off in the direction of Yarmouth we repositioned the vehicles to fill the gap that the departed Ladder 1 had left.

And, as mentioned in my previous post, just as the 'stand at ease' command was given the bells went again and our alerters sprang into life too.

We were off to Gorleston to an AFA at a sheltered accommodation complex.

A slight stand off occurred between that nice Irish Lady who resides in our SatNav and Al, who lived in Gorleston, over the best route to the incident. We duly followed Al's directions, did three sides of a square and popped out on the road we had crossed just a few hundred metres back!

Nice Irish Lady 1 – Al 0

Seems that the culprit was a burnt piece of toast. If I didn't know better I'd think my mother-in-law had popped over to Gorleston for a visit! She is the only person who burns toast in our toaster, swears blind it's the toaster's fault and makes me consider having a BA set 'ready to go' at home!

I'd just put in the Stop message when Control asked if either us or Clifton (they'd been sent to the same piece of toast) were now available. We were and they asked Clifton to standby which normally means they are about to get a Fire Priority. Then our mobile rings and its Control asking if we want to go to an RTC in Gorleston. I said that we'd love to go. So, all on board for a dash through some of the back roads of Gorleston. This time Al was determined to win in the fight with the Nice Irish Lady who lives in our SatNav. Al's instructions weren't quite as precise as that of the Nice Irish Lady and she definitely doesn't use as many expletives as him, but we got there just fine.

So, via the back door we arrived at the RTC – two vehicles with one female casualty medically trapped. A pump from Sprowston was there, probably already on standby in Yarmouth what with the Make Pumps 9 still ongoing. It looked like no cutting was needed as the ambulance crew didn't want the roof removed. The ERT from Normanshurst was on its way but was turned back as it was no longer required.

And so ended yet another drought of shouts and we had to send everything we had into Norfolk to get these…