He jumped out of his car and jogged barefoot to the station.  As he passed in front of me to open the station door, something seemed different but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  I myself had just rushed out of our local chemist shop, telling my younger son he would have to walk home alone.  “What is it?” I asked as I unplugged the truck?  “Car fire on the motorway” he replied putting on his gear… 

Returning to the station 40 minutes later, we now had the time to catch up and when I saw a little trace of shaving foam on his upper cheek, everything suddenly made sense.  When the siren had sounded he was shaving and had only finished one side of his face! Being a volunteer firefighter is being taken by surprise in your everyday life, night or day, whatever you are doing!!

The Christchurch earthquake certainly took us all by surprise.  As some stepped into their emergency service roles, others took up supporting roles but all of us reached out to the rescue effort in some way.  Community resilience and preparedness are key points to our dealing with such a tragic event.  Remember – emergency preparedness and you:

• Get kitted = gather emergency supplies 
• Make a plan = develop a family disaster plan
• Be informed = learn how to shelter and maintain a healthy state of mind

In brigade news this month...most Greenhithe residents are now on town water supply but there are still a few areas that are not.  Some of those living in these areas would have seen crews of two firefighters knocking on doors as part of our non-reticulated water supply project.  Visits will be carried out over the next months to all these non-reticulated properties, to ensure we understand any relevant risks, and where we might find water near your place if we need it in an emergency. 

Remember…the closer our fire appliance can get to your property, the more efficient we are at fighting fires.  Avoid overhanging branches and overgrown vegetation in your driveway, and around your water tanks. 

Concluding word…actions speak louder than words.

Firefighter Isabelle LARDEUX-GILLOUX