Category: Shouts

At 4:22am this morning I was fast asleep, pushing out the Zzzz's and dribbling into my pillow. Not a pretty sight I know but I bet you don't look any better at that time of the night either!

And at 4:23am I'm up and swearing like a trooper at that f***ing, p***ing alerter, trying to avoid getting two legs down the same leg of my jeans and fumble for the key in the front door.

As I open the front door the rush of cool air does little to rouse me from my semi-comatose state. With any luck the jog across to the Fire Station will wake me up. And if that doesn't then dodging the early morning traffic normally works a treat!

Ladder 1 with Blue Watch on board had already left the building when I arrived bleary-eyed in front of the turnout printer: Doorway – Fir Lane, Lowestoft.

As the guys start arriving in numbers the bells go for the ERT – our doorway on Fir Lane has now been escalated to Persons Reported.

I drive the ERT (my first shout as driver on NT06) literally just around the corner into Fir Lane. Two of the crew make their way to the BAECO board to join the BA team from Ladder 2. The door is causing some problems even with the best efforts of 'Cheesey' and the door enforcer. Mel got the Remsaw off Ladder 1 and started to cut at the transom. Then some gentle persuasion from me and the middle of the door was out of the way.

The BA team quickly made their way up to the first floor flat and were able to report that there were no casualties inside.

Now can anyone explain to me how a uPVC door can spontaneously combust at 4 in the morning? Or should I be a tad more suspicious and think that a person or persons unknown had helped the door in its quest to catch fire by adding some form of accelerant and then providing an ignition source!
That wouldn't be the first time it's happened and it won't be the last…

And a big "well done" to the driver of the double decker bus, enroute to Bernard Matthews, that squeezed his way past Ladder 1, Ladder 2, an ambulance and a police car. Rumour has it that the bus driver asked a firefighter if he could get through. The helpful firefighter replied, "Course you can mate. You could get a bus through there!"

When I went to bed last night I had a feeling in my water… Hopefully the antibiotics will sort that out…

No, honestly, I had a feeling in my water that we would have a shout last night.

And at 3.25am my waterborne premonition came true. My alerter shattered the peace and saw me fumbling my way into my clothes and heading out of the door, eyes still barely open.

As I ran across Normanston Drive I could see two lights up – Ladder 2 and the new ERT were required. Once in front of the turnout printer and with my eyes now starting to focus, I saw we were off to a Make Pumps 5 house fire on Kirkley Run, in the south side of Lowestoft.

Being first in meant I had the drivers tally for Ladder 2 and we booked mobile with a crew of five: Dennis Newton (OIC), me driving and Andy 'Cheesey' Armes, Greg Osborne and Peter Read in the back.

A couple of minutes later and the ERT followed with Gary Smart as OIC, John Hubbard driving and Simon Reeves, Pete Brown and Mark Saunders making up the crew. I'm not sure that John was too impressed at having to drive the new ERT, especially in the middle of the night when you're fumbling for switches and buttons that, in the dark, just never seem to be in the right place!

We arrived in Kirkley Run to find that the property in question was the same one that we'd been to on the 25th February. Again the fire was not confined to just one area – it was on the ground floor and in what was left of the roof. Swift work was needed by Green Watch and the Clifton Road crew to stop the fire from spreading to the adjoining properties.

Access via ladders was somewhat hampered by the all embracing scaffolding that had been erected after the first fire. This scaffolding went up the front and the back of the house and then right over the roof to provide a degree of shelter from the elements. Firefighting and roof tile removal was carried out from the scaffolding.

On Ladder 2 we got ready to supply water to Ladder 1 even though thet were already being fed from a hydrant. The ERT then connected to us, ready to dump their tank into us. It's a bit of a belt and braces job but, if the hydrant failed, we would be ready to supply 800 gallons straight to Ladder 1.

We extended our hosereel, allowing the full 120m to be fed around the back of the property and up on to the scaffolding at the rear of the house.

At 04:27 the incident was made Make Pumps 7 – bringing the Southwold and Beccles retained pumps to the incident. The ERT was made available from the incident so its crew were withdrawn from an direct involvement so that they could be ready to mobilise to another incident.
We also saw the arrival of a Yarmouth pump followed by its Hydraulic Platform and a support pump.

Seven pumps sounds a bit like overkill for a house fire but there was a continuous requirement for BA teams. They were working on the roof, on the scaffolding, in the property and the neighbouring ones too.

And that was that. Back at Normanshurst before 7am with BA sets to service and a nice cup of tea!

Having been up since the wee small hours, it now feels like it's time to go to bed. Must be getting old…

Tuesday turned out to be quite hectic… And it's always on the days when you seem to have tons of 'day job' things to do!

We kicked off at 12:15 with a small fire in Cambridge Road, Lowestoft – 2 pumps but nothing for us to do.

Back on station, we were on standby waiting for Ladder 1 to return. As we waited the light came up for Ladder 1 meaning they had been proceeded on to another incident – an AFA at CEFAS in Lowestoft. Yet more delay till I get my dinner.

Not long after this and the bells go down for Ladder 2 and the PRT – it's now a confirmed fire at CEFAS and the full PDA (pre-determined attendance) is being mobilised. That sees Clifton on its way with the Hydraulic Platform and support pump from Great Yarmouth.

Driving Ladder 2, I take the lead heading South through town. Within a matter of minutes we pull into the gates of CEFAS, past the evacuted mass of workers. I'm directed to reverse down a gap between two parts of this large Government building, towards the seat of the fire. We get ready to haul aloft a hosereel but find that the BA team – Dave Ives and Ben Horne of Green Watch – have dealt with the fire using an extinguisher and Size 10 boots!

As we wait for ventilation to take place, the PRT books themselves available from the incident. Within a matter of minutes they receive a Fire Priority message to proceed to an RTC on St.Peters Street in Lowestoft – back to the North side of the river.

Knowing that an RTC gets a PDA of the PRT plus the two nearest pumps, we checked to see if we could be made available. At the same time we called up Gary Smart, Ladder 2's OIC, to let him know what was happening.

We got the all clear to make ourselves available and I got straight on to the radio to inform Control. No sooner had they acknowledged my message and they were calling me up with a Fire Priority. And within a minute we were making our way back through Lowestoft's traffic, heading for St.Peters Street.

When we pulled up at the incident it appears that it was very low speed impact. But, despite of this, the female passenger in the front vehicle was medically trapped. It's basically an injury or risk of injury that is keeping them in the car and not them being physically trapped. The lady had got a history of neck problems, so the paramedics took no chances and asked us to get the roof off.

The Yarmouth HP and pump made their way past us only for the pump to be sent back to us as the third appliance. Everything was in hand, so their services weren't required on this occasion.

So roof off, casualty out on a long board…

And all this time my stomach is rumbling (it's now well over two hours since I was going to eat) and there we are, right oustide Domono's Pizza, and not freebie in sight!

Just before midday last Tuesday and my alerter signals yet another house fire in Lowestoft.

This confirms Lowestoft’s number one position for the most dwellings fires in Suffolk.

I was driving Ladder 2 as we headed into town via Norwich Road. As we progressed towards Stanley Street we could see a pall of smoke marking our destination.

As we turned the corner we could see smoke issuing from the broken front door and the upstairs bedroom window. Ladder 1 was round the corner in Wollaston Road, tackling the fire from the back of the house. We pulled up outside the house with Simon Reeves and Al Soards donning their BA sets. Richard set about opening up the front door with the door enforcer while I ran out the hosereel followed by a covering 45.

Simon and Al entered through the now smashed front door, with the remainder of it crashing down on Al as he made his way into the front room.

The fire was in the centre room of the groundfloor, caused by a heater.

As driver of the second pump I seemed to spend most of the time chasing my own tail… Getting equipment off the pump as and when its needed – short extension ladder, thermal image camera, wrecking bar, etc. Help to close off the road, put messages back to Control, liaise with the Police and a few other things besides.
And then it’s all over… A few minutes of frenetic activity and then pack everything up and book mobile returning.

Straight back to work and another missed lunch as I plough on with my day job. I’m sure the lack of food won’t do me too much harm.

In this last few weeks we seem to keep picking up shouts between 1630hrs and 1800hrs and yesterday was no exception.

I’d left work a few minutes earlier than normal and saw Ladder 1 leave the fire station on blue lights. Just a minute later, as I put my key in the door, my alerter springs to life. Indoors, say “Hello and Goodbye”, and back out of the door and jog over to the station.

No lights were up and a copy of the tip sheet showed that Ladder 1 and Clifton were going to a garage fire in Kirkley Run, Lowestoft. However, to be on the safe side, I always call Control just to get confirmation that we are in on standby – and this was the case. Control were on the ball in calling us in as they will usually wait 15 minutes before calling in the retained firefighters on standby.
But, just as we got a crew, the bells went for Ladder 2 – the job had now gone to Make Pumps 3.

I was driver for Ladder 2 but hit a problem when she wouldn’t go into gear. This normally signifies that the throttle lock is still in but we checked this and all was OK. After a few failed attempts we transferred onto the PRT and Gary called Control to inform them of the situation. And as this was happening the bells went again – now it was Make Pumps 4.

Because of the problem with Ladder 2 Control alerted Wrentham instead, mobilising them to the job.

So, now on the PRT, we headed through the heavy traffic on Normanston Drive – the tailback was nearly up to the Normanston Park roundabout.

It never ceases to amaze me how people drive. I’m sure it’s with their hands over their eyes, cotton wool stuffed in their ears and the roadsense of a three year old! We’re driving 14 tons of red and yellow that is flashing blue lights from all corners and is making enough noise to wake the dead, yet they still seem surprised when you hove into view.
They pull out of junctions without really taking in what’s coming, or pull out across the road before their way is clear making me drive as if in a slalom. And on last nights drive they were coming at us thick and fast!

We pulled up at the incident to see flames licking from around the roof tiles and a fire still going well in the integral garage.

Mark Saunders and Greg Osborne were needed immediately as BA wearers, going into one of the two properties affected. The rest of the crew – myself, Gary Smart (OIC) and Peter Read pitched a 9m ladder to the left of the dormer window. Gary and myself then donned BA and climbed this 9m ladder, transferring onto a roof ladder. Gary was removing tiles, sliding them down to me and I dropped them over the edge of the roof. The fire in the roof space and been largely dealt with by the BA teams that had entered the house on the groundfloor and then worked their way up two flights of stairs.

After about 15 minutes we had removed enough tiles and retired to the ground. After ditching the BA sets, myself and Mark were up the ladders again. This time I was first, carrying a hosereel. I removed more tiles, sliding them down to Mark and also giving the roof space a good drink.

Back off the roof and our crew were tasked with continuing the removal of debris from the top floor bedroom.

And that was about it for us.

Red Watch and Clifton had done well to hit the fire hard, stopping it from spreading to adjoining properties.

The Hydraulic Platform from Great Yarmouth and its support pump were made up for but not required, so were able to get themselves back off home.

So, having been putting my key in the door at just before 5 and my alerter going off, I was able to re-enact the door opening ceremony just after 8!

This incident in the news:
Lowestoft Journal

February is getting to be a busy month for the retained firefighters at Normanshurst. We haven't seen this rate of shouts for a number of years, possibly back to the days when we used to attend more two pump AFA's.

We've had 16 shouts so far this month ranging from non-events to the full-on RTC a week ago with four persons trapped including two police officers…

Yesterday saw my alerter summon me at around 1640hrs. When I got over to the fire station I could see that none of the turnout lights were up so it looked like a standby for us. The Watch had tipped out on the PRT but the tip sheet said NT01 going to an RTC in Beccles. I thought the printout was in error and that Blue Watch had taken the PRT instead, given the nature of the incident.

So straight on the blower to Control just to check that we were on standby. I've done this countless times and always get the same reply, "Yes, you're on standby". But not this time. "No, you're not on standby, you're going".

With no lights up anyone arriving for the shout just tends to amble in, assuming that we're not going anywhere. The turnout lights can be operated manually from above the printer and this is where I headed after my call to Control.

I'd got the drivers tally for Ladder 1 and we made our way out into the early evening traffic.

As we approached the railway crossing in Oulton Broad the barriers were coming down ready for the arrival of the Norwich train. Thankfully the signalman was on the ball and raised the barriers for us to proceed.

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It's a decent drive out to Beccles giving the driver the chance to get into the swing of things. Our normal turnout is to within a mile of Normanshurst, so you're there before you know it…

We arrived to find a car that had collided with an electricity supply pole. It looked like the car had been exiting a driveway and accelerated into the pole (possibly an automatic and the wrong pedal being used!). Our services weren't required as paramedics and the Beccles crew removed the driver through the doorway – no cutting being required.

And that was that. Just a slow, leisurely drive back to Lowestoft in time for tea and medals…

I had just left off work and was driving home when I felt that familiar vibration on my left hip, accompanied by the persistent, shrill call that signals another shout.

Even though I’d got a head start, it still seemed to take an age to get to the fire station.

I was actually second in behind Ballsy who was surprised at being in first. In six years that’s got to be a record. He was literally driving in to the station yard to book off when the alerters went off, so he couldn’t have failed to be first in!

We were off to Berkeley Gardens which isn’t far from Normanshurst to reports of a fire in a tumble dryer.

Green Watch already had two BA in the house and had dealt with the fire, situated in the utility room.

It seems that the fire was discovered when the home owner and her children arrived back home. They were very obviously distressed and were being cared for by neighbours.

The utility room was well and truly smoke blackened, with smoke damage also to the rest of the property.

Unfortunately the two pet cats succumbed to the smoke and were found in separate parts of the house.

And, having seen the devastation caused by a relatively small fire, it’s worth remembering to close all doors and I, personally, wouldn’t leave a tumble dryer, washing maching or dishwasher on when going out.

It could have been far worse though. There were no fatalities (except the cats) and the arrival home of the house owner then and not later meant that the fire didn’t get a chance to develop further…

A shout in the early hours of Valentines Day proved that my alerter was still working… In my haste to get to an earlier shout I had dropped the alerter into a cup of black coffee and watched as the red lights continued to flash from the murky depths. A change of battery and all was well. Perhaps Datanet have actually made a firefighter proof alerter.

Anyway, back to the story.

Just before 2am I was hot footing it around the hall trying to dress as my alerter did its very best to wake the neighbourhood.

As I legged it out of my driveway I could see that the doors to two of the bays were open and two pumps had already mobilised. Even to my half awake brain I knew that I hadn't taken more than a minute or so to get out of the house. How on Earth could one of the retained pumps have made it out before I even got out of my front door. As I was getting dressed I heard a pump leave the station and assumed it was the Watch. This would have been quick for them too as I am normally heading up the road as they pull away.

I ran in to find Cheesey there speaking to Control. It seems that there had been a problem with the alerters meaning that only half of the retained firefighters had got the first shout, probably ten minutes before my alerter had gone off. Control must have wondered what was going on because we always ring them when we have another crew on station and available. This hadn't happened because those arriving in the first wave had all gone out on Ladder 1. Cheesey got Control to activate the alerters again, just in case, and to ensure that we got enough crew to mobilse.

The PRT with Green Watch on board had mobilised with a retained crew on Ladder 1 and Clifton Road to an RTC on Tom Crisp Way on the south side of the bridge. The alerters had been set off again at 01:57 (when my alerter went off) as the incident had gone to Make Pumps Four.

The tip sheet notified us that it was a two vehicle RTC (one of which was a police car) and that there were four persons trapped.

When we arrived at the incident we were greeted by the sight of feverish activity around the two cars. We were tasked with setting up an equipment dump near to the car that was situated in the middle of the road. Cutting gear, GlassMaster, DP extinguisher, teardrop, half-sheets, goggles, combi-tool, ram, generator, lighting and all the other paraphenalia that may be needed.
We worked on this car, along with the Clifton Road crew - stabilising, managing the glass, getting the roof off. A paramedic, myself and several police officers did our best to persuade the driver to leave his car. He wasn't trapped, didn't have any signs of internal or external injuries but refused to leave the car. He said he was in pain and we told him that this could be dealt with when he was in the ambulance. We also told him that it would make it easier for us to deal with his passenger if he was out of the way.

Once the driver was out of the way we were able to get the long board down behind the front seat passenger and begin to slide him onto it. He was then strapped on and removed over the back of the car.

Focus for us now shifted on to the police car. Green Watch plus the first Normanshurst retained crew had been working their socks off to release the two Special Constables. Their car was positioned rather precariously on the grass verge, leaning over to its left on the edge of a fairly steep embankment. Stab-fast was in use to prevent the car slipping or rolling down to the cycle path, 2 metres below. The officers had been very lucky that the car hadn't rolled down the slope as a direct result of the side on impact from the other car.

By the time we moved over to the police car, the driver had been released having suffered injuries to one of his legs. Gaining access to the other officer was proving more difficult. His door had been stove in by the impact of the other car. In fact you could make out the shape of the nose of the car in the passenger door. The officer had taken the full force of the impact and was in considerable pain.

It was impossible to get the long-board down his back so the decision was taken to try and remove the passenger door even though it looked too mangled to budge. However, after some delicate work with the spreaders we were able to swing the door open just enough to give us room to work.

The long-board was put up to the door opening, not forgetting that we're all working on a steep slope, as the officer was gently laid on to the board. He was secured to the board and then carried down the slope to the waiting paramedics and their trolley.

Then just a case of making up all the gear and returningto Normanshurst. Finally got home at about 04:40 and, knowing how long it takes me to get to sleep, I stayed up! Sad git…

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Other links…

EADT – Man bailed after police smash horror

BBC – Injured police still in hospital

So, without a chance to digest our Christmas dinner, we found ourselves jumping on the PRT for a little jaunt over to Great Yarmouth.

All our tip sheet said was that we were attending a ‘Helicopter, persons reported’.

Gaz asked me if I wanted to drive and so with me at the helm, Mel in charge and Gary, Al and Ben in the back we headed off towards Yarmouth.

Even as we headed out of town we were fully expecting to be turned back, but we heard nothing from Control so continued on our way. Traffic heading into Yarmouth was starting to get heavy with the normal choke point around Gapton Hall taking a while to negotiate. It was only as we were within a few hundred metres of the Heliport that Control informed us that we were no longer required.

As we drew level with the entrance to the Heliport we could see a number of Norfolk pumps leaving the incident, some towing their foam-carrying trailers. So, round the roundabout at the Greyhound Stadium and a nice steady drive back to Lowestoft.

It was like waking the dead when my alerter went off at 1am this morning. I'm normally out of bed like a shot, going through the well practised routine of dressing in a hurry before legging it over to the station.

This morning I must have been in a really deep sleep because when I did fall out of bed it felt like I was wading through treacle. I careered into furniture, tripped over my own feet and finally struggled into my clothes.

I must have been slow off the mark because I was third in, behind Cheesey and Mel.

It was a while before I realised we weren't off to back up White Watch but that we had our own shout in the south of Lowestoft. Maps out to locate Briarwood Road and Cheesey took us on our way.

The tip sheet just said 'Shed', which isn't much to go on but as we neared Briarwood Road we could see an ominous orange glow lighting up the night sky. As we pulled up there were a few pops and bangs – either petrol cans or paint tins.

We had to extend the hosereel to its full 120 metre length as our only access was via a track leading round to the back of the houses.

Rounding the corner we got a fullview of the fire. It had well and truly taken hold and was well on its way to spreading to the boundary fences to the left and right of the garden.

With the hosereel run out. Mel and I donned BA and, under Rapid Deployment rules, made our way round to the branch to start tackling the fire.

The volume of water from the hosereel just wasn't making an impression on the fire at all. The shed had been up against the back fence (which was burnt away by now) and must have stretched the full width of the garden (maybe 30 feet). After just a few seconds Mel spotted a couple of Propane cylinders close to where we were working. While he tried to keep the flames at bay I reached in and removed the cylinders, placing them out of harm way further up the track.

By now Cheesey had set into the nearby hydrant and Ben had run out a line of 45 to give us a bit more welly.

Dennis had already put in an assistance message of Make Pumps 2 and we were soon joined by the Clifton crew.

By now the fire had destroyed the fence at each side of the garden, warped the metal framed green house and had started to take hold of another shed nearer to the house.

With the excitement over, the ruins of the shed were turned over revealing yet another Propane cylinder and a petrol generator.

Then it was make everything up and back to Normanshurst and service our BA sets.

Finally got home sometime after 3am for a cup of tea and some shuteye.

Forgot to mention earlier that just as we were booking mobile, the bells went for the PRT. White Watch had now made up at their job – a polytunnel containing a tractor and other machinery at the local council nursery.

Busy old station. Well, for a few days anyway!