A day in the life of a retained Firefighter


"A day in the life of a Retained Firefighter"

My name is Andy Nathan Other and I work as a machine operator for a local engineering firm in our small market town. I am 30 and married with one small child. This all sounds fairly normal – however I am also a Retained Firefighter at our town Fire Station. What does this mean exactly? Perhaps I should explain a recent day…

		Its 0700 hours and on the way to work I call into the Fire Station to book on call. This means I am making myself available to respond to emergency calls. I was unavailable last night due to attending a family function. Should our fire appliance be needed today my pager will activate and I will respond to the station. I have been in the Fire Service for five years and have attended various training courses to qualify me to use all of the firefighting and rescue equipment on the fire appliance. I am also a fire appliance driver.

My working day starts at 0730 hours. I am in the fortunate position to have an understanding employer who releases me to attend emergency calls from work. At 1130 hours the routine of the day is disturbed by my pager operating. I immediately respond calling to a colleague to supervise my machine as I leave work on my bicycle and pedal furiously towards the station. On arrival at the station I am told by one of my fellow crewmembers that we are responding to a road traffic accident.

There are five of us on call today and when we are all dressed in our firefighting uniform we mount the appliance and make our way to the accident. It has taken four minutes from time of call to our fire appliance leaving the station. On arrival we find a two-car accident with one person trapped inside their car. We immediately protect the scene and begin to stabilise the vehicle and casualty.
		We then work with our Ambulance Service colleagues to free the casualty in a safe and controlled manner using our powered cutting equipment. The casualty is released and on the way to hospital within thirty minutes of the call. Following the casualties’ departure we begin to collect our equipment, place it back on the fire appliance and return to station. Then it's back to work.

Its now 1630 hours and my main job finishes so it’s off home for a shower and a meal. Obviously I still have my pager and must be ready to respond at any time. Tonight, being Wednesday is our weekly Retained training night. This means all Retained Firefighters gather at the Station for a joint training session. Training night begins at 1900 hours with our Officer in Charge (also a Retained Firefighter) briefing us on current Brigade publications and notices. We then set about testing various items of equipment as per the set down programme issued by the Brigade. It’s then time for a quick lecture on decontamination procedures – a topical issue at the moment. We then get dressed in our Firefighting uniform to take part in a practical session which involves two members wearing breathing apparatus sets, the pitching ladders and use of hoses to deliver water into our training tower. At 2100 hours the training session finishes with the Officer in Charge asking for volunteers to take the fire appliance to the local primary school fete on Saturday. This is an opportunity to meet people and spread the fire safety message. I arrive home at 2130 hours and finally get to put my feet up!

		2330 hours and I am being awakened by my pager sounding on the bedside cabinet – so it’s a quick dress, down the stairs and onto my bike for a quick dash to the Station. On arrival the crew assembles again and the six members get dressed in Firefighting uniforms for the third time today. The job is a car fire in a surrounding village.
Within ten minutes we arrive at the scene of a car on a farm track blazing away. Two of the crew wear breathing apparatus to protect their lungs from the smoke, while the rest of the crew prepare hoses and lighting. The fire is under control within ten minutes. Unfortunately the car is stolen and our colleagues from the Police are notified by our Fire Control.

On return to the Station we wash the Fire Appliance and equipment used and prepare the breathing apparatus for its next use. Its then off home again for what remains of the night! What will tomorrow bring….?

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