PROSPECTIVE MP SPENDS DAY WITH FIREMEN

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 17th Nov 2008

Stephen Gilbert tries out the latest rescue equipment at St Austell Fire Station

Prospective local MP Stephen Gilbert spent the day [Friday 14 November] with St Austell Fire Brigade's "Orange" watch and got an inside view of the local crew in action during an emergency call-out to a chimney fire in St Austell's Alexandra Road.

The Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate was with the 5-man St Austell crew to find out more about the work of the modern fire service.

As well as getting a tour of the station and equipment, the Lib Dem candidate went out with the crew when they gave a talk on fire safety to the Friday Club at St Blazey's Burrows Centre, got first hand experience of the rescue equipment used in car accidents when he cut-off a car door and went with the team when they answered a 999-call to a chimney fire in St Austell's Alexandra Road.

Stephen Gilbert said: "More and more demands are being placed on the modern fire service and it is vital that the budget is there for them to meet these demands. As well as the traditional fire-fighting, today's fire brigade play a vital role in educating people about fire safety, preparing for major incidents, like terrorism, dealing with road traffic accidents and, in St Austell's case, are fully trained in water rescue techniques as well."

In addition to the two major fire appliances based at St Austell, the station is also the base for an Operational Support Vehicle (OSV) that can tackle any incident requiring a water rescue capability or where additional breathing apparatus support is required.

Talking about the 999 "shout", Stephen Gilbert said: "I was literally just about to be dangled from the third-floor of the station's practice tower and shown the latest in rope-based rescue techniques when the 999-call came in."

"The crew's response was fast and immediate. Within a minute we were all in the appliance and on the way to the scene. Although it was only a chimney fire there was a lot of smoke across the street when we arrived and the guys quickly set to work dampening down the chimney stack and bringing the fire under-control. While that is the work that the public sees, there is a huge amount that goes on behind the scenes."