It seemed like every man and his fire engine was at Normanshurst last night.

Beccles and Bungay crews were there for a risk critical BA session - simulated dwelling fire, persons reported, plus the added bonus of gas cylinders involved.

Meanwhile Clifton were dealing with an RTC involving two cars in the fire station driveway.

And finally two retained crews from Normanshurst were starting combination drills with confined pitches of the 135 ladder.

Each crew took a different face of the drill tower for their pitch followed by getting water to work from two lengths of 45 from the head of the ladder. Then we advanced into the tower, sending cascades of water down the inside of the tower to avoid soaking everyone else on the drill yard!

Not long after I'd hauled myself into the third floor of the tower, the station alarm sounded. Hoping for two lights up as I was on the next pump after the Watch. No lights so not sure what was going on. Carry on with the waterfall effect in the tower.

The bells go again just a couple of minutes later but it's only for Ladder 1. Then, over the handheld radios, the first retained crew is being called to crew Ladder 1. Pete Brown, Shambles and I do a nifty descent down three sets of vertical ladders, getting soaked by the remaining water on its way down...

We were off to M&H Plastics in Beccles for an AFA. Thankfully no fire as it would have had a chance to get a good hold in the time it took us to get out to Beccles.

Our arrival seemed to be the highlight for some of the ladies on the evening shift. Never really understood this 'thing' that certain ladies have for firefighters. It's just the uniform and the idea of being 'saved' - it certainly isn't about what or who is inside said uniform. If the ladies that go weak at the knees at the sight of a firefighter could hear the dawn farting chorus when we're all together at five in the morning, they'd soon go off the idea...

Anyway, a slow drive back from Beccles was called for and, with any luck, all the gear and ladders would have been made up.

Then we hear Ladder 2 book mobile to an AFA at Birds Eye which, like ours, is nothing to write home about. Still, they should be back before us, so we should be OK for missing out on the make up.

Just heading back through Worlingham and we get a Fire Priority to a garage fire in Spashett Road, Lowestoft. Pete picks up the pace and we race off back to Lowestoft, hearing Ladder 2 book mobile to the same job.

We make it all the way back to the Shell Garage in Oulton Broad before the Stop message goes in.

It seems it wasn't a garage on fire, just a very small pile of rubbish that succumbed to two buckets of water!

And all we had to do back at Normanshurst was get the two 135 ladders down.

Our night of combination drills is now being rescheduled...

– IAN CARTER (www.accessiblewebsites.co.uk)

www.alerter.co.uk