Thoughts from Facebook

[velbert]

That Fire Engine you saw for a fleeting moment yesterday, as it sped sirens blaring, blue lights flashing to wherever and for a second you thought to yourself, where, what, why? The Firefighters on board, the only ones knowing the reason for their haste, their destination, what may be required.

There were four Firefighters on that fire engine, the crew. The minimum riders by law, but due to cuts,sadly, now nearly always the norm.
Between them, those four Firefighters had over one hundred years of combined experience.

Two of those Firefighters, before joining, had seen action as soldiers in the first Iraq War, one had served six years in the Royal Navy on Submarines, both diesel and nuclear. The other had joined at eighteen, a future of 9 - 5 routines not for her.

All four had commendations, for their actions at incidents where lives had been saved. Something they would never tell you. Any talk of actions being heroic, met with an embarresed "we were only doing our job!"
All four, have trained since their first day at training school and will continue until their last day of service.

They are all Firefighters, but have specialist qualifications. Two are trained in Urban Search And Rescue, their skills called upon where buildings have collapsed, workmen trapped in excavations etc. One having been abroad, part of a team assisting with international rescue efforts, during times of Earthquake. One is trained in Swift Water Rescue, these skills being put to the test more and more, during these times of flooding. The other, part of a Lines rescue Team, called on for persons trapped at heights.

When they started their careers, they had it drummed into them, the importance of rapid response times. The difference that literally seconds could make. Now! Since the continued cuts, they pass Stations closed. In the early hours, staring out at the black lifeless windows of these stations, as they pass, convinced they will see the ghosts of many, hopelessly staring back in disbelief, as properties easily reached before closure, now taking up to fifteen minutes.

Attendance times! Now seeing the lives of those involved and attending put more at risk. Fire being given time, along with oxygen, the two things it craves most in its destructive quest.

So! Next time your Texting, Instagram, Facebook or mobile chats are interrupted by that Fire Engine, as it passes on its way to wherever, please remember those Firefighters don't just fight fires. They are highly trained, skilled professionals, from all walks of life, attending every type of emergency conceivable, and those that aren't.

They continue to do this, but for how much longer?

KJW