Blog archive winter 2008

Manchester Central firefighters who are attempting the charity bike ride from London to Paris

Tour 24th - 27th February – Fundraising, automatic fire alarms, a threatened suicide attempt and a skip fire…
After a nice relaxing 18 days off, it is time to return to work. However because I swapped my leave, this tour I'm working with Blue watch. Again a very quiet tour, we do seem to go through quiet periods - it tends to be an all or nothing situation for some reason.

Blue Watch are going to do the London to Paris bike ride in May in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity (formerly known as Fire Service National Benevolent Fund). So, in between training and home fire risk assessments they have been planning fundraising events. There have been collections at various supermarkets, the main event is on 8th and 9th March at Manchester Arndale Centre. A firefighter experience is being set up for children up to the age of 16 where they can experience what it's like to search a premises to locate a fire and a casualty.

We were called to a lot of automatic fire alarms, which is usual. However, none of which were actual incidents and generally people setting off a fire alarm by accident.

We were called to a large skip fire in Cheetham Hill. On arrival, we used two hosereels to put out the fire.

We also went to a threatened suicide at Barton Bridge near the Trafford Centre. We stood by just in case we were needed but thankfully the incident was brought to a speedy and safe conclusion with the gentlemen deciding that jumping was not the answer.

Tour 31st January – 6th February – A fire breaks out in a city centre office building, we carry out training in chemical incidents and line rescue plus I cook for the watch…
Firefighters in Greater Manchester have been working a new shift system since January 2006. We have gone from the normal four watch system (Green, Blue, White and Red) to a five watch system (Amber). The pattern is pretty much the same working two days, two nights and four days off. However with the introduction of Amber Watch this means we work less hours in a year so we therefore have to work extra days during our time off – this is known as Rostered Reserve. We are called into work to cover shortfalls on any given watch across the brigade.

This week saw my turn to have two Rostered Reserve days and I was called in to work both. One at Phillips Park White Watch and the second again at Philips Park but this time on Blue Watch.

It gives the opportunity to work at different stations and work with other firefighters away from your own watch but the downside is it can be tiring.

Incidents were very quiet on both watches but we did use the time to train, not in Breathing apparatus this time but in Line rescue. This is when we use a system of lines and pullies to help rescue people who may have fallen over an edge.  We have to be prepared for any potential terrorist incidents so we trained on procedures for a terrorist incident involving chemical agents. This training involved how we would decontaminate the public on a massive level. And I bet you thought firefighters just put out fires!

Office fire
On Saturday 2nd February, my role on my first day back on Green Watch at Manchester Central Fire Station involved being the emergency response driver. We had only been on station about 30 minutes when we got our first call of the day to a fire alarm at a hotel on Blackfriars Street in the city centre. We were met by the manager who informed us it was a confirmed fire in an office. The Breathing Apparatus (BA) teams – Rob H, Rob C, Martin and Dave made their way to the office to locate and fight the fire whilst myself and Craig the driver of the first appliance dealt with issues of water and equipment. The cause of the fire is believed to have been down to a faulty light fitting which had set fire to some paper and carpet. Fortunately the building has a sprinkler system which suppressed the fire and the BA teams were able to deal with it easily. The sprinkler system undoubtedly saved the room from being completely destroyed.

Road traffic collision training
On Sunday 3rd February, we spent the bulk of the day on road traffic collision (RTC) training. It’s very difficult to train for RTCs as everyone is different. There are different impacts, casualties trapped by the vehicle and trapped due to injuries so we train for these different scenarios.  We tried varying techniques in vehicle stability, glass management, casualty handling, roof removal using heavy cutting equipment (this allows extra space to enable us to deal with and extract a casualty) and door removals. Again this is where liaison with outside agencies come in, as a local scrap yard supplies us with the vehicles to practise on.

Cooking for the watch and Car fire
On Monday, it was my turn to cook – Lasagne and jacket potato was the meal of choice! Most watches cater at night as it’s a good time for the whole watch to sit down together and chat over the evening meal. The downside obviously is sometimes the bells go right at the point when you sit down to enjoy your food. Fortunately this didn’t happen. The main incident of note tonight was a car fire on Tibb Street in the City Centre. Contrary to what American movies show, cars do not explode apart in a fire.  There are two possible exceptions – LPG fuelled vehicles (if not correctly fitted they can get a build of pressure when heated) and vehicles carrying gas canisters.
 
I’m off to enjoy one of the perks of the new shift system 18 days off – My family and I are going to Essex for a few days to visit my mum and dad.

Tour 25th – 28th January - A disused building fire poses hazards...
Sometimes as a firefighter you are put on relief duties. This is when other crews take over from previous crews at an incident because their shift has ended. On Monday 25th, I was a Breathing Apparatus (BA) team member on the second fire engine and we went to relieve a crew at a health centre on Stamford Street in Stalybridge. There was a fire in a disused building that had been used by rough sleepers. The blaze had taken hold in one of the rooms and spread to the roof. Most of the fire was out but our job was to remove the roof and check for fire spread along the wooden beams and areas that can't be seen by naked eye. Incidents like these can be just as dangerous as the initial fire. There are many other hazards to contend with on incidents like this such as unsafe floors and ceilings, discarded hypodermic needles and even excrement.

The rest of the tour went without incident we attended a few automatic fire alarms and carried out further training and home fire risk assessments.

It’s the current aim of the fire service to make sure each home in Greater Manchester has at least one working smoke alarm. To ensure this, we carry out free fire safety checks and fit free smoke alarms. Fire crews carry out home fire risk assessments everyday whether you have a smoke alarms or not so we can check if there is anything in your home that is likely to cause a fire. Book one now by calling 0800 555 815 or by visiting fire.gov.uk.

Keiran (far right) with fellow members of Green Watch at Manchester Central

Tour 17th - 20th January - A lift rescue, flat fire and training... 
This tour I have enjoyed a diversity of roles - I have been Officer in Charge of the Hydraulic Platform vehicle. My main role was to operate the platform from the cage. I was also the emergency response driver of both 1st and 2nd appliances (fire engines) and Breathing Apparatus team member.

Training
This tour has been very quiet in respect of actual fires but we have had various turnouts and carried out some training with breathing apparatus.

Most stations have their own breathing apparatus facility (e.g. smokehouse) but firefighters soon become used to this scenario so it is good to train in different locations. Most commercial building owners are pleased to help and this is the case with the Venue nightclub – obviously when it is shut!

Although it's difficult to recreate the heat and fire we do have obscurity masks on our BA face mask to give the effect of smoke and drill dummies are used to practice rescues.

Incidents
Here is a summary of incidents I was involved in: -

Lift rescue
On Sackville Street City Centre, eight people were stuck in lift car.  Lift rescues are common place in the City. Generally electrical faults cause lifts to stop but on this occasion it was because too many people tried to get into the lift and overloaded its safe working limit.  We used lift keys and lift winding gear to move the lift to landing level and allow the people to get out. 

Road traffic collision 
Two people had become trapped in a vehicle collision in Ancoats. We gave first aid to three walking wounded and used cutting equipment to free the trapped occupants. Fortunately both only had minor injuries. All five casualties were later taken to hospital for precautionary checks. 

Flat fire
We were called out to an automatic fire alarm in building in Beswick. On arrival, we could smell smoke in a flat. Breathing apparatus team Andy and Rob (our probationer) gained entry into the flat and found a man overcome with fumes from cooking. He was removed to safety and our Trauma Technician John administered first aid and oxygen until Ambulance crews arrived.

Andy and Rob then went in to find the cause of the smoke. A pan had been left on the cooker but luckily it hadn't developed into a full fire at that stage and the pan was removed from the heat and allowed to cool. This incident clearly showed the importance of a fire alarm.

If the alarm had not activated the cooking could easily have developed into a fire and the fumes would have got worse that the man could quite possibly have died.

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