Page 11 - link magazine

See us on the net @ www.swindonlink.com The Link Magazine • October 1998
11
Special operations
in the fire service Discover the Magic

Sub Officer Martin Lloyd from Westlea fire station describes
of Autumn at Stone
some of the specialist equipment available for use in emergencies.

Lane Garden Centre

Full range of Unwins spring flowering bulbs in stock

OC&AM Sfte€ opw,

* Bone Meal 4kg
Rec. price 549
Our price £3.49
* Mixed Daffodil/Narcissi Bulbs
50 for only £3.49
Posing with road traffic accident extrication equipment carried on the emer- * Snowdrops
gency support unit vehicle, Group I firefighters, from left, temporary leading Only 99p for .10
firefighter Tim Elliott, Simon Owen, Sean Dunham, Andy Mangnell, sub-
officer Perry Payne. Front, Justine Thomas, leading firefighter Ian Jeary See our winter flowering hanging baskets
plus planted up terracota tubs and bowls;
During the past month the sta- procedures have been adapted to
or bring your own baskets to be planted up
tion has been fairly busy attending enable the extraction of trapped
its usual number of calls: 34 fires casualties. In conjunction with this
and 23 road traffic accidents. we have to practise with the am- At Stone Lane, we have it all:
The number of automatic fire bulance personnel so there is close * The largest range of quality * Everything you need to
alarms has dropped off signifi- co-operation between all three plants - bedding plants, shrubs, make your garden a success
cantly due to a project set up by emergency services at road acci- roses, conifers and trees - tools, fencing, compost,
Wiltshire Fire Brigade which ad- dents. chemicals, bulbs, seeds
vises on how to prevent them be- The application of different ma- * Large pet & aquatic department
ing accidently triggered. Also the terials, technology and design in
unusually wet summer has pre- the motor industry has reduced
vented many of the grass, hedge the number of fatalities in acci-
and field fires that we have to be dents. The fire service developed
prepared to attend during the mid- procedures accordingly and as the
dle of year. materials become stronger, tools
Everybody is familiar with the of greater capacity have had to be
ordinary fire engines, but there are placed on appliances to cope. We
specialist appliances spread have taken delivery of new equip-
throughout Swindon and Wilt- ment for just this reason.
shire. For instance, at the Central However, we would far rather
Station there is a 30 metre aerial not use the equipment at all. So
appliance that can be used for high take care and drive carefully.
level rescue and at Stratton there is
a fire engine that is used for envi- Chip pan ban
ronmental control/ hazardous
material spillage. Chip pan fires are the greatest
At Westlea we have what is fire risk in the home. In 1995 * Open 7 days a week * Plenty of free parking * Coffee Shop
called an emergency support unit, there were 10,000 fires across Brit-
which has specialist equipment to ain caused by oil overheating. 3thn
DDWT&
support the normal fire engine. It Thirty people died and 2,000 were j
has large fans to allow us to re- injured.
move smoke from buildings, spe- In October, firefighters at
cial suits to deal with chemical Westlea station will be promot-
spillages and it also houses spe- ing a Home Office initiative to
cialist cutting equipment for use at banish the old fashioned chip pan r
road accidents. from the kitchen and replace it
The fire service generally only with thermostatically controlled Stone Lane, Lydiard Millicent, Swindon
attend two types of road accidents: deep fat friers. Tel: (01793) 771766
where there is a spillage of fuel Electrical retailers Tempo and
and a danger of fire, or where a Curries are taking up the chal- From a0se 4,
person is trapped in wreckage. lenge by offering £10 cashback Purton Purton Road Haydon t1jiAtá'
Wick &
a4C4'fr
This type of incident is a steadily for your old chip pan. Stone Lane Abbey 6
growing role for the fire service Campaign organiser, fire- Garden Centre Peatmoor, is Meads
Sparcells
and over the years new types of fighter Simon Owen said lives Lyduard Nine Elms
equipment have had to be devel- will be saved and injuries avoided Millicent & Shaw
oped. if people traded in their old chip
Obviously there is no point in pans and invested in deep fat fry- Middleleaze
& Shaw
having the kit if you don't how to ers which keep fat at the correct Westlea, Freshbrook, Grange Perk, Toothill
use it, so many different types of temperature.