A fire, a grand prix and a trapped bird...

Date: 13th May 2008
Time: 1030
Type: Smoke issuing from roof
Address: London Road South, Lowestoft
Initial Attendance: Normanshurst 01, Clifton 01
Final Attendance: Make Pumps 6 - Normanshurst 01, Clifton 01, Normanshurst 02 and 05, Beccles 01, Wrentham 01, Forward Control Vehicle, Operational Support Unit and support pump from Ipswich, Hydraulic Platform and support pump from Great Yarmouth, a sprinkling of white helmets and, finally, me in the station van!

I nipped into the station this morning to sign myself out for a couple of hours - 0900 - 1100 - that's all. I just needed to nip over Great Yarmouth to see a customer of mine. I had just left their office on the Harfreys Industrial Estate when my alerter went off (this was actually the second time it had been activated, the first time I didn't get the signal). Anyway, it's into Lewis Hamilton mode (although sticking to all relevant speed limits) for the drive back over to Lowestoft.

By the time I arrived the place was deserted except for the normal jumble of cars in the drill yard.

The incident had escalated to persons reported and because the fire was on the third floor, additional resources were mobilised. The Hydraulic Platform from Great Yarmouth is automatically mobilised to any fires in roofs, especially on buildings this tall.

There was just myself and Richard Belsey left on station to mind the shop. Richard rang Control and asked if we should act as guides on any Norfolk pump that was coming to standby at Normanshurst. After a short silence Control said they'd be getting a pump from Norfolk to standby at Normanshurst. A cynic might think that this had got overlooked in the excitement.

Sure enough, in time, a retained crew from Gorleston arrived and started to make themselves at home.

I then got a call from the incident to take the station van and collect BA cylinders to bring back and charge. After a few shortcuts around Road Closed signs and a few one-way street negotiated the wrong way, I made it to the job. I collected 13 empties and headed off only to see, in my rear view mirror, the Operational Support Unit (OSU) and its support pump arrive. I pulled over and rang Control to see if I should return to the incident and allow the OSU with its mobile compressor to charge the BA cylinders. After a few minutes I received a call back from Control to say carry on back to Normanshurst. It transpired that the OSU and its pump literally arrived and then they were sent back to Ipswich - nearly a 100 mile round journey for nothing. It would have been good to use this resource instead of sending me back through all the town traffic to then charge the cylinders and then, possibly, to drive all the way back again. As it was, by the time all the cylinders were finished, pumps were coming back on station and collecting their cylinders.

But not to be outdone by this six pumper I did get a turnout of my own with the PRT crew - to rescue a seagull trapped in netting on the roof of the telephone exchange! Very apt considering tonights lecture is Rescue at Height...

Oh, and the Gorleston boys got a shout whil ehere on standby - back to Great Yarmouth for a gas leak!