Alerter
All you ever wanted to know about
being a retained FireFighter in Suffolk

Emergency, which service?

Well, that’s a first…

There I was, wandering through Lowestoft town centre, heading in the general direction of the bank when a familiar smell assailed my nostrils. No, it wasn’t the smell of alcohol on someones breath or the tang of an unwashed body but something that I felt I should instantly recognise. Bugger, what is it?

Smoke, that’s it!

Right in front of me were wisps of smoke wafting up from a bin. A man was slowly circling the bin with his mobile pressed to his ear. He then stood in the doorway to Clinton Cards looking at the bin.

“Have you called the Fire Brigade?”, I asked the man.

“Don’t know if it’s worth it”, he replied.

“Well I think I’d better call them”, I mumbled as I tried to remember the number to call (only joking!).
9-9-9.”

“Emergency, which service?”

“Fire, please.”

“Fire Service”

“Er, hello, it’s Firefighter Carter from Normanshurst. There’s a fire in a bin outside Clinton Cards in Lowestoft”, I stumbled through, feeling slightly odd being on this end of events.

“Rubbish fire outside Clinton Cards in Lowestoft… What road is that on?”, queried Fire Control.

Bloody hell! That was like the £1m question on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire… What road is that? It’s not even a road, it’s a pedestrianised area… Is this a trick question?

“Er, erm… London Road North”, I blurted with complete conviction (!?*)

“And who did you say you were?”

How many more questions can there be?

“It’s Firefighter Carter from Normanshurst”.

“Thank you…”.

Phew, glad that’s over. And by now flames are licking out of the bin…

I then rang Ladder 1 and told them the best way to come into the traffic free area before ambling over to where they would appear.

“Bloody typical, just having me dinner”, was the only welcome I received…

– IAN CARTER (www.accessiblewebsites.co.uk)

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