Dorset Fire Service (Volunteers).

[Stalker62]

Friends of ours migrated down to Dorset a couple of years ago.

Old thatched cottage, a wee bit of land, out buildings - happy retirement.

The lad is clever with his hands, converted one of the outbuildings into a rather stunning workshop; full of his extensive tool collection.

For reasons (as yet undetermined), last night it burned to the ground. It and the contents all lost.

Luckily the fire did not take onto the thatched cottage (just too far), and both our friends and their dogs are all safe.

He is devastated. She is remarkably calm. Both are alive, everything else is just 'stuff'.

Just a public acknowledgement of the efforts and humanity displayed by the Dorset Firefighters. Ladies and Gentlemen - I salute you.


Apropos this.

I have fire alarms (and carbon monoxide alarms) scattered thought my hovel. I test them every month, and I change their batteries every year.





Do you?

You just never know...

Stay safe out there folks.

 

[8x57]

Small technical point of order Sir, since amalgamation it's now Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service and they are not volunteers, they would be retained or on call firefighters.
Other than airfield volunteer fire services the only volunteer fire service that I can think of in the U.K. is Peterborough if that's still going as a volunteer service.

Very glad to hear that your friend's thatched cottage was not affected. Once a fire gets into the thatch you don't save many buildings without significant damage.

 

[finnbear270]

I shudder when the missus points out how agreeable a house (Thatched) looks, on those tv progs when people get taken around the preferred county viewing stuff.
Glad to hear the fire remained away from the thatched thing.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Here in Germany out of the cities it is very normal to have volunteer units in each small town or village that meet very regularly to train etc ie drink beers together.

 

[Stalker62]

Small technical point of order Sir, since amalgamation it's now Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service and they are not volunteers, they would be retained or on call firefighters.

I sit corrected.

My wife's friend just referred to them as 'volunteers'.

 

[PMA]

Always test mine , mains powered battery back up linked ( best way to go !) whole unit replaced every 10 years

 

[8x57]

Here in Germany out of the cities it is very normal to have volunteer units in each small town or village that meet very regularly to train etc ie drink beers together.

Yes in Germany and Holland it's pretty much only the cities and larger towns that have a full time fire service, relying on volunteer fire services in a large part of those countries for fire and rescue cover. Not that they are the only ones as huge parts of Australia and rural America are the same.

 

[8x57]

I shudder when the missus points out how agreeable a house (Thatched) looks, on those tv progs when people get taken around the preferred county viewing stuff.
Glad to hear the fire remained away from the thatched thing.

Thatched rooves look pretty especially on chocolate boxes, but I wouldn't have one for all the tea in China, far too many problems with them and not just fire (rot, mildew, pest infestation, re-dressing or replacement periodically).
They are not particularly common in my part of the country in fact I could name the three that we had in the whole county. Two of those had fires and lost the entire roof, the one it happened twice in my memory. One of the three buildings changed to a slate roof some years ago.

 

[Apthorpe]

Good point to include a reminder about smoke alarms on the end of a sad tale. You've prompted at least one person to make an improvement to fire safety.

 

[Milk no sugar please]

Fwiw it’s also good practice to check your carbon monoxide alarm too whilst you’re at it

 

[Stalker62]

Too soon?

 

[half-baked]

Yes in Germany and Holland it's pretty much only the cities and larger towns that have a full time fire service, relying on volunteer fire services in a large part of those countries for fire and rescue cover. Not that they are the only ones as huge parts of Australia and rural America are the same.

This applies to most of the countries on the European continent as well.

 

[KimE]

Most smaller countys here in the north of Sweden has part time employed Rescue/firemen, some volunteer firefighters groups in small villages. Cities have fulltime employed rescue/firemen not many part time employed has the right education to go into burning buildings. They do also do traffic accidents, medical emergency, drowning rescue, first responder.

 

[JTO]

My sister had a friend in Bridport whose husband was a part-time firefighter,

 

[alun1960]

Done my 30 and out , full time fire service opperational not desk jockey , loved the job but happy to retire as the job is going down the pan as the rest of the emergency services !

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Devastating news and very sad to hear, but what an important reminder to not only have fire and carbon monoxide alarms fitted but to also check them regularly! I am lucky as living in a Housing Association property we had always had both fire and carbon monoxide alarms fitted which are tested regularly and serviced at set intervals. They are worth their weight in gold as you can never put a price on a life!
It's good to hear that your friends and their house are OK even though your friend's workshop was destroyed - Property can be replaced (Even if it is soul destroying to have to do so), lives can't
I raise my hat to ALL Emergency Service Workers!

 

[Jagare]

Last week I changed all the batteries in the smoke alarms in the house. I think we have a volunteer fire service here in town. A new blue light centre has opened about half a kilometre from my house. It houses the police, fire service and ambulance all in one very smart building.

 

[8x57]

Done my 30 and out , full time fire service opperational not desk jockey , loved the job but happy to retire as the job is going down the pan as the rest of the emergency services !

I did 32 years, 28 of those fully operational plus four while still operational office based. I had some good times and many experiences that most will never encounter. There were also all too many bad times.
While I missed it for a time when I retired I can't honestly say I loved the job. In fact I often hated it.
I remember what one boss said when we were all feeling a bit down "There are some people walking down the street that wouldn't be doing so if we hadn't done our jobs".

With hindsight I wish that I had walked away on day one of my service when they said "we are probably going on strike in a few weeks time". Then followed 32 years all bar six months of one dispute after another.

 

[Stalker62]

Thatched rooves look pretty especially on chocolate boxes, but I wouldn't have one for all the tea in China, far too many problems with them and not just fire (rot, mildew, pest infestation, re-dressing or replacement periodically).

@8x57

When they bought the cottage it already had a thatched roof. They had it re-dressed (Father and son team), and (I think) some sort of fire prevention boards on the (obviously) inside. It was hugely expensive to do, and will need doing again every twenty or so years. Which to be fair, will not, in all probability, be their problem.

The cottage does look beautiful, but like any cottage, is quite small on the inside.

 

[Stalker62]

Done my 30 and out , full time fire service opperational not desk jockey , loved the job but happy to retire as the job is going down the pan as the rest of the emergency services !

@alun1960

I think my favourite comment from a recently retired colleague:-

"I don't miss the Circus, but I do miss some of the clowns".