My first shout!

 A new life at Totnes Fire Station.

December 8^th 2017 – passed my Recruits Course.

December 9^th 2017 – My first Fire Station social event, our Christmas meal.

I was suitably excited, having just passed my course, and we headed out to a local pub we had booked for our Christmas meal. Being self-employed I don’t tend to go on many social occasions, so this was a rare treat, actually being surrounded by my new work colleagues.

The meal was great and a few of us that weren’t on call that night, headed out into town for a couple more drinks, it was great to finally feel part of something special, part of the team, and as the months progress, I am to integrate further with them on long shouts and standby duties.

December  11^th 2017 – My first day as an ‘On Call’ Firefighter.

December 21^st 2017 5am – My First Shout!

Nothing can prepare you for this moment, and I'm sure everyone deals with it in different ways. Mine was at 5am, I was in a deep sleep, it was dark out, and my allerter went off on my bedside table.

People ask me, ‘What if you don’t wake up?’ seriously, that thing is loud, and it’s even louder in a quiet house at 5am!

I flew out of bed, put my clothes on, ran down the stairs, put my wellies on the wrong feet, (it was dark) I couldn’t do up my jacket, grabbed my bike lights and peddled off down the road as fast as my little feet could move.

I spotted Claire running along the path towards the Station, this would be a frequent thing on future shouts.

Fire kit on, suspected flat fire, hopped into the Fire Engine and off we went.

Again, nothing can prepare you for your first shout, I was sat in the back of the Fire Engine, thoughts rushing through my head.

I can’t believe I’m in a Fire Engine……

Wow! The blue lights are lighting up the houses either side of the road……

Everyone is really quiet! (This isn’t always the case, but I have since realised it’s the early morning shouts that are like this)

I’m really quiet……

Oh, we’re here, I have to get out and do fire stuff!

The rest of the team were awesome. Simon let me shadow him and everyone kept me involved explaining things that I needed to know. I felt completely involved, and had my first taste of what it’s like to deal with some burnt macaroni. The life of an ‘On Call’ Firefighter is varied, to say the least, and this first experience was in no way and anti-climax, but part of the full learning journey.