Alerter

Fire on Corton Cliffs, Lowestoft - 2nd July

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...

Combination Drills interrupted...

It seemed like every man and his fire engine was at Normanshurst last night.

Beccles and Bungay crews were there for a risk critical BA session - simulated dwelling fire, persons reported, plus the added bonus of gas cylinders involved.

Meanwhile Clifton were dealing with an RTC involving two cars in the fire station driveway.

And finally two retained crews from Normanshurst were starting combination drills with confined pitches of the 135 ladder.

Each crew took a different face of the drill tower for their pitch followed by getting water to work from two lengths of 45 from the head of the ladder. Then we advanced into the tower, sending cascades of water down the inside of the tower to avoid soaking everyone else on the drill yard!

Not long after I'd hauled myself into the third floor of the tower, the station alarm sounded. Hoping for two lights up as I was on the next pump after the Watch. No lights so not sure what was going on. Carry on with the waterfall effect in the tower.

The bells go again just a couple of minutes later but it's only for Ladder 1. Then, over the handheld radios, the first retained crew is being called to crew Ladder 1. Pete Brown, Shambles and I do a nifty descent down three sets of vertical ladders, getting soaked by the remaining water on its way down...

We were off to M&H Plastics in Beccles for an AFA. Thankfully no fire as it would have had a chance to get a good hold in the time it took us to get out to Beccles.

Our arrival seemed to be the highlight for some of the ladies on the evening shift. Never really understood this 'thing' that certain ladies have for firefighters. It's just the uniform and the idea of being 'saved' - it certainly isn't about what or who is inside said uniform. If the ladies that go weak at the knees at the sight of a firefighter could hear the dawn farting chorus when we're all together at five in the morning, they'd soon go off the idea...

Anyway, a slow drive back from Beccles was called for and, with any luck, all the gear and ladders would have been made up.

Then we hear Ladder 2 book mobile to an AFA at Birds Eye which, like ours, is nothing to write home about. Still, they should be back before us, so we should be OK for missing out on the make up.

Just heading back through Worlingham and we get a Fire Priority to a garage fire in Spashett Road, Lowestoft. Pete picks up the pace and we race off back to Lowestoft, hearing Ladder 2 book mobile to the same job.

We make it all the way back to the Shell Garage in Oulton Broad before the Stop message goes in.

It seems it wasn't a garage on fire, just a very small pile of rubbish that succumbed to two buckets of water!

And all we had to do back at Normanshurst was get the two 135 ladders down.

Our night of combination drills is now being rescheduled...

New pictures added to alerter.co.uk

Take a look at some new pics I've added to www.alerter.co.uk.

They're in the Image Gallery and provide a brief 'behind the scenes' look inside Normanshurst Fire Stationin Lowestoft.

Coming soon... more pics, this time from up in the drill tower with 'stunning' views over the whole of Lowestoft.

That sinking feeling...

Eleven days without a shout... That's a record in the seven years I've been at Normanshurst.

And, of course, the drought came to an end on Saturday - right in the middle of a family get together for my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. I was digesting my main course and psyching myself up for a large slice of Black Forest gateau and cream when that little black thing with cobwebs on it kicked into life. Bugger! "Got to go, sorry..." as I leave the family to divvy up the dessert without me in the reckoning for a piece...

Animal rescue - horse in a ditch at Uggeshall, just off the A145 between Beccles and Halesworth.

Green Watch get dressed in their water rescue gear as Mel finds the van has a flat battery - again. Jump leads on from the mains battery charger, stand clear and off she goes... I think Workshops need to take a look at that!

Billy and I set off on the Unimog while phone calls are made to make up the crew for Ladder 1.

By the time we were nearing Uggeshall Ladder 1 has caught us up and they follow us in, relying on my Boy Scouts map reading skills. And, as luck would have it, we hit the spot and were met with the site of a horse laying on its side in its very own mud bath.

Ladder 1 pulled up behind us but the Water Rescue van was nowhere to be seen. They'd taken a different route and arrived from the opposite direction.

I took a line and edged round the muddy ditch and into the corner of the field into which we were hoping to pull the horse. I took a step closer to the horse to tie the line to its halter when my left foot just kept going down. Down to the point where mud went up between my leggings and my boots and over the top to, quite literally, fill my boot. Bugger, for the second time!

After a couple of failed attempts the line was tied directly around the horses neck and we started the tug-o-war. Surprisingly the horse came free with just six of us pulling on the line. And after a short breather the horse was on its feet and wondering what all the fuss was about.

Now for a clean up - disinfectant spray, high pressure hose over my firekit, outside and inside my boot and a soggy left trouser leg that gradually seeped mud down my leg all the way back to Lowestoft. And does that stuff stink? Not only that, you can't get rid of it either.

Hose down again at Normanshurst, showered left leg and back home for a general delousing.

And finally, a large chunk of Black Forest followed by a similarly large chunk of anniversary cake. Never let it be said that the Fire Service or the pungent aroma of ditch water ever spoils my appetite.

 

Flamin' June...

It's now been a week since my last post and that's down to one simple reason... we haven't had any shouts.

This year we've been getting around 18 shouts a month except for June, flamin' June. We're literally half way through the month and we've had just two shouts!

Everything has just come to a resounding halt. This always makes it worse when your alerter does go off next. You've start to forget that little appendage, clipped to your belt, and are lulled into a false sense of relaxation.

Of course, I'll talk it up now. Just as I nod off on the settee, all hell will break loose and I'll be careering around, Zombie-like, as I head for the exit...

Flamin' June, my arse...

If you're still here and still awake, head over to the new image gallery at Alerter.co.ukfor some pics of the pumps at Normanshurst.

Rushmeres DIY, Lowestoft - Fire, Make Pumps 6

There I was, trying my best to look as if I was enjoying a spot of gardening, all for the benefit of the onlooking Mrs C, when the station alarm sounded. I froze in anticipation, waiting to see if my pocket started to vibrate - my alerter going off, not me getting excited at the bells going down! But nothing. Ladder 1 left the fire station and headed into town.

Bugger! Looked like I'd have to keep up the pretence of enjoying doing the garden...

And then, barely two minutes later, just as I'd resumed the weeding position, the station alarm went again followed hot on its heels by my alerter.

Take a look at some images from the fire at Rushmere's DIY in Lowestoft

What to do first? Wheeled Karen indoors at lightening speed, coat off, telly on and phone on her table. Change from my shorts into jeans, out the front door, pile all my gardening tools and the wheelbarrow under a bush and legged it across to the fire station.

Just one light up - Ladder 1's job was now Make Pumps 2 at Rushmere's DIY on Newcombe Road, Lowestoft near to the Birds Eye factory.

Even as we were piling onto Ladder 2 the bells went again for the ERT. It seems that Jim Parsons on Ladder 1 was putting in assistance message before even getting to the job and we could see why. As we turned out of the fire station towards town we could see a huge plume of smoke billowing into the sky. Th assistance message had been Make Pumps 4 so Clifton were on their way to. This would also mean that the Command Support Vehicle (used to be FCV) from Beccles plus their pump would also be mobilised too.

We pulled up just past Ladder 1 to hit the fire from the south side, having gained entry into the yard of the neighbouring business, Star Frost. Two 45's and a hosereel were run out in short order, stopping the fire spreading into an area were numerous cylinders were stored. Early and prompt action to remove two Acetylene cylinders from immediate danger meant that these potentially lethal 'bombs' were out of harms way.

One more assistance message went in - Make Pumps 6 - for personnel, bringing two pumps over the border from Norfolk.

With three hydrants being used we gradually won the battle of having sufficient water to fight the fire, which had totally destroyed the wood store that was attached to the rear of the DIY store.

Once our sector was closed we helped other crews to clear the burnt wood as damping down continued. Small seats of fire kept appearing as the heat held within the wood piles was not being reached by the hosereels. This meant the entire burnt and charred contents of the wood store had to be removed through the black morass that was the gloopy mixture of charcoal and water, and piled up in the yard.

Pumps from Wrentham and Southwold arrived as relief crews and we headed back to Normanshurst to get everything cleaned up.

Needless to say, the garden didn't get finished last night. Shame...

New features on firefighter website

Head over to www.alerter.co.ukand take a look at the new image gallery.

I've taken it upon myself to put together a photograhic record of Normanshurst as it is today - still going strong but with the end of its 35 year service in sight.

First up in the gallery is a set of images of all Normanshurst's appliances and Specials - most of them taken on a gloriously sunny day in May.

I'll start adding more images soon and will hopefully end up with a reasonably good look at Normanshurst - inside and out.

If anyone has got images of the station from when it was built, right up to date, I'd be grateful for a copy to add to the collection. If you can, send them by e-mail to ian [at] alerter [dot] co [dot] uk. All donations gratefully received!

Firefighters rescue some real crash test dummies...

It's funny how you find your self 'volunteering' for something. Sometimes you don't realise that you've done it and other times you're sold a pup. I think my 'volunteering' fell into the second category...

In the wee small hours of last Sunday morning we were getting ready to pull a rather large horse out of a rather muddy ditch. My brain was still mush and trying desperately to get itself in gear, when Gary Smart sidled up to me and asked if I'd like to be a casualty in an RTC district exercise. At that time of the morning it sounded more appealing than running around, sweating your bits off, cutting casualties from cars - so I said 'yes'...

And that's why I found myself and three other 'willing' helpers across at the fire station, an hour before drill, getting made up with all manner of wounds. Mine was a head wound with a lump, a cut and some blood.

The drive up to Jeld-Wen drew some odd looks from anyone who happened to catch sight of these four battered and bruised individuals being transported in the back of a Fire Service minibus!

The RTC involved three cars - one on all four wheels with two female casualties (the driver had been drinking...), another on its side with its roof up against a skip (Richard Belsey was in this car with a badly broken leg) and finally me, in an upside down Peuguot.

I'd picked the car on its roof because, being a lazy git, I thought I'd be able to make myself comfortable on the roof liner and have a nice little doze - keeping in the character of being semi-conscious. But when I looked at the car I couldn't believe the amount of crap that was in it. I think someone had been using it as a skip! So I got in and laid with my head just resting in the open window, trying to nestle down in all the rubbish that was all over the place.

First pump in was Wrentham and I could hear them surveying the scene, checking on the vehicles and the state of the casualties. I was deliberately incoherent and slipping in and out of consciousness, gradually giving information to the firefighter and then to the St Johns Ambulance staff. Could detect a rise in the voice as I slipped away - 'Ian, Ian, wake up!'

And so followed an award-winning performance as the car was dismantled around me and we waited for a long-board to become available. As time wore on I was getting more and more uncomfortable and started to kick out - hopefully emulating the effects of a head injury - while trying to get some feeling back into my legs!

I've decided not to 'volunteer' to be a casualty again. Sweating your bits off as a firefighter has got to be so much better than lying, helpless, having a car cut from around you - especially for Richard who had Al cutting a post just an inch or so from his head. I know the sound cutters make, the sound of glass being managed and the sound of a Remsaw. But, even so, it was unnerving being on the receiving end.

So, when volunteers are called for again, I shall be taking three steps back...

Firefighters 'tug-o-war' rescues horse...

It seems like I've hardly been in bed above five minutes when my little noisy companion kicks off - that's my alerter and not the present Mrs. C.

Sluggishly I get dressed, really not wanting this at all and jog up the road softly effing and blinding to myself.

Blue Watch, with only a crew of four, have mobilised to a horse stuck in a ditch at Camps Heath, about three miles from the station. The Unimog is required too and goes mobile with a retained crew of Mel Buck and Ben Horne.

The rest of us plonk ourselves down expecting a long wait. But, by now, Ladder 1 has arrived at the incident and its obvious they'll need a bit more muscle... So the bells go for Ladder 2 and, with a cheery wave, we wish them well as they head for the entombed horse.

However, our smugness doesn't last as the bells toll again, this time for the ERT. Very audible effing and blinding now... That's our cue to head off towards Camps Heath.

We arrive at Dairy Farm and can see, in the distance, the lights surrounding the spot where the horse is stuck. More lighting is taken from the ERT as well as a host of other gear that may come in useful for unsticking the horse.

Mel and Dennis try to find a safe route for the Unimog to get across the muddy pasture / marsh and decide to give it a go. Mel reversed the Unimog through the gateway but, almost immediately, the drivers side started to sink rapidly into the soft ground. It was now the case of rescuing the Mog as well as the horse!
We attached the winch cable from the front of the Unimog to the front of Ladder 2 and Mel was able to winch himself back on to a firmer footing.

The only option open to us now was a manual extrication. A line was tied around the horse's neck and around 12 of us set to in giving gentle but firm pulls. A change of direction saw the horse start to come free of the mud and eventually fully clear. She looked and sounded in a sorry state - laying very still and snorting quietly. She was given a few minutes to regain her composure as we started to make up all or gear. And a short rest was all Shannon needed. I could see her and her stable mate being led across the muddy ground towards the farm, with Shannon not looking too worse for wear.

And that was that. Back to Normanshurst to clean all the gear and head off home - over two hours afterbeing so rudely awakened...

Medical - apparently I'm still alive!

Is it really three years since my last medical for the Fire Service?

Well, here it was again... I'd dried myself out, weaning myself off the daily diet of 10 pints of Guinness and two Babycham chasers. I'd even gone a couple of weeks without a Tesco's blow-out fried breakfast. I was determined to be at my peak for the medical!

Mel was ahead of me and was already making the ladies from Occupational Health wish they'd stayed in Ipswich. In fact the team had to confer over the strange sightings witnessed when peering into Mel's left ear. It seems that all they could see was a big red fire engine. Fire Service to the core is our Mel. Sad to say this isn't the case. They were actually looking straight through and out of his right ear and could see Ladder 1 in the drill yard beyond!

Being as blind as a bat I had to do the eye test with and without my specs. This was all taking a long time and the nurse was definitely getting confused. She couldn't work out how my eyesight was deteriorating right before her eyes. Luckily she realised that a bit of finger trouble on her part meant that I was viewing the slides out of sequence. Once that was sorted I was able to read the name of the makers on the bottom of the slide.

After a few big puffs into the Vitalograph blowing thing it was off to provide a urine sample. Thank God for that. I'd been hanging on to this bladder full for the last hour and was relieved to hear that I could get some relief... A tad concerning when the nurse came into the Officers toilet with me but by now I was ready to go. Seemed she wasn't planning on staying just pointing out the little cup that was standing on top of the toilet cistern.

"I'd like you to give me a sample of your urine in that small pot. When you've finished just leave it where it is". And with that she turned and left.

Bugger me, I thought. I know I'm desperate to go but there's no way I'm gonna be able to fill that pot from here.

Well, I tried my best. A quick apology to any Officers that may use that toilet in the next day or so. I'm sure the toilet seat, cistern, walls and floor will dry out soon...

So now my pee gets checked... Are they looking for traces of performance enhancing drugs (on my performance you'd have to look very hard) or are they checking to see if I'm pregnant? No, it seems that all they do is hold my sample up to a Dulux paint colour chart and note down the nearest colour. Mine matched most closely with Hint of Straw - would look nice in our hallway...

That's stage one complete. Now off to the Officers' Dorm for the auditory test and the step test.

I slip on the 70's style headphones and am given a button to press each time I hear a sound. Left ear first and all's going well until someone fires up Ladder 1 outside the window, in the drill yard. Now I've got a low rumble in my ears as I try to pick up sounds that only a pack of dogs could hope to ear. After what seemed an eternity the test was complete and a remark was added to the test form - 'Loud fire engine in drill yard!'

And now to the Grand Finale - the Chester Step Test. Step up, step down in time to the beeps on the tape. The speed of the beeps increases every two minutes and at the same time my heart rate is checked and I have to give an assessment of how diffcult I'm finding the task - Very, very easy to F**k me, I'm shagged out!

Time to stop and have a graph drawn of my efforts. Good and only one point from being Excellent. Not bad for a 40 something...

Seems only right and proper that I should celebrate tomorrow with a Tesco breakfast and a bag of five custard doughnuts!