After a busy week at work, with some momentous business decisions being taken, I was really looking forward to snuggling down in my pit and getting a half decent night's sleep.
And when you're looking forward to the Land of Nod it's guaranteed that someone or something will do its utmost to spoil things...
Last night just proved the point. Bang on 1am my little adrenalin enducing friend kicked off and had me spring from the warmth and comfort of my bed.
After struggling with clothes, door keys, alerter and trainers, I was jogging over to the station hoping that the chilly night air would raise me from the stupified state I found myself in!
First in, drivers tally up and then get the tip sheet to see where we were off to... Just a matter of a couple of hundred metres away from the fire station, on Normanston Drive.
Some of the guys coming in had had to pass the property but hadn't seen anything untoward.
Tipped out with a crew of six and seconds later pulled up outside the flat where quite a few Police officers had now arrived. Straightaway we could see thick black smoke billowing out of the front, first floor window.
Pump in, open the tank, turn on the supply to the hosereels and one hosereel is pulled completely out (60m) to cover the distance from the road to the flats. Then I pulled out our flaked lengths of 45 and charged this to act as our covering jet, should it be required.
By now our BA team of Mel and Gary had entered the front door and were making their way to the first floor to tackle the seat of the blaze.
I now needed to set into a hydrant and, unusually there was one right outside the affected property.
Now this has to be a first for me... Nine out of our full complement of 10 on call firefighters had turned in but, of course, we can only take a maximum of 6 on the pump. The other three, with the blessing of Control, jogged to our assistance - not quite Knights in shining armour but their arrival was very welcome.
Soon after we arrived the incident became Persons Reported which meant the on call firefighters from Lowestoft South and an ambulance would now be mobilised.
Red Watch put in a BA team, initially with a search and rescue brief and then to assist with ventilation of the property.
We put up a 9m ladder to the rear of the property to check the roof space for fire spread and hotspots. And, for the first time, our Safe Working at Height equipment was used operationally.
From the initial 10 minutes of manic activity we were suddenly at that point where calm has descended, pumps are leaving the scene, equipment is being made up and thoughts are turning to a cuppa and slipping back into a nice warm bed...
Perhaps a snooze is in order this afternoon.
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