In some ways it is a relief to escape from the blistering heat of the last few weeks and the rain is certainly welcomed by farmers and gardeners. Last week I spent the afternoon with the West Sussex Fire Brigade who have been kept very busy with field fires as the very dry conditions meant that fires started and took hold very quickly. We saw this with tragic consequences in Greece however luckily all incidents locally were contained and not a threat to life. There were no field fires during my visit, but we did attend an incident where a fire had started in a kitchen when the fridge caught fire. Again a poignant reminder of how seemingly small incidents can rapidly turn into tragedy. The family were in the house at the time and the smoke alarm alerted them to the fire, so they were able to get themselves and their pets out safely. The fire crew arrived within minutes of the incident being reported and got the fire under control so there was no damage to surrounding houses. As is often the case the smoke caused a lot of damage and it will be a while before the family can return home. I learnt that in these circumstances there is an amazing charity, The Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service who turn up and help with accommodation and emergency supplies.
Obviously, our firefighters are trained to deal with heat but on a day which brought record high temperatures it was tough wearing the equipment you need to attend to emergency situations. The training includes dealing with everything from floods to fires and includes rescuing people involved in major road traffic accidents. I was given the task of cutting the roof off a car as part of the training exercise which was made easier by the “jaws of life” equipment and the expert advice around me.
Like many people I have no personal experience of a fire or a flood, however in the last financial year our fire service in West Sussex have attended over 9000 incidents, and seeing up close the dedicated people who train day in and day out to ensure they are ready to deal with every type of emergency was truly humbling. We have a great team at Chichester fire station and even spending a few hours in their shoes (boots!) was an eye opener and such a great experience.