How can we thank the Fire Service?

Chestnut. I totally agree. Such bravery and tireless devotion to duty are greatly appreciated by us all. Maybe a work bonus so they can have a social event to celebrate the end of the fire season?

This has reminded me to send a Thank You card to our nearest Fire Station. My husband had a second stroke at end of June. He was face down on the floor and we were unable to rouse him. I rang 999 and next thing I knew I had 6 firefighters in our lounge! I think they arrived in less than 10 minutes.

They dealt with the situation very professionally until the paramedics and ambulance turned up.

I didn’t request the Fire Service but apparently these days they are sent out as they get here faster than Ambulance service.

We had a large fire next to homes, but luckily the river was nearby. Thanks to our firefighters and farmers we lost just one field and no buildings. However the crews remained for 3 more days to make sure it did not flare.

However, we have a major fire on a local nature reserve and mature trees are still warm and peat underground is still burning. We had crews from as far as Scotland with round the clock for many days and we have 2 crews still on watch weeks later. The whole area is devastated including ancient woodland. Local farmers were delivering water from nearby rivers.
The community rallied around and food stations were set up by the East Coast mainline, and people brought drinks and food to keep them going. I believe there is a GoFundMe page.

We cannot thank them enough for keeping it contained, as open land of trees and crops could have spread it to nearby villages and towns if not for their efforts

This was the mid Wales fire service, so the fireman who lost his home was one of those battling the many wildfires in this area, which were covered in the article I posted earlier in the thread. There is local fundraising taking place too. They are out there still, and a new wildfire near Builth Wells has started now. We have still had only a minute amount of rain here, hopefully this week there will be more.

Sometimes a story just gets to you, doesn't it? I've been feeling such sympathy for the firefighters this summer anyway, and then to hear about this man, well it really was too much.💐

How awful. Poor soul. What a nightmare

Oh good grief, just read this sad story of a firefighter in Wales who has been battling fires all summer and whose house has now burned down.😢
www.dailymail.com/news/article-16076333/Firefighter-fighting-summer-wildfires-lost-home-devastating-blaze.html

That is so tragic. There is a fundraiser here and I have donated. Hope you can help too. 💐
www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/donna-and-phillip-morris

Just for clarity, retained firefighters are not volunteers, they are paid a retainer, an hourly rate and a disturbance allowance.

I'm not in anyway diminishing their role.

icanhandthemback

Also, retained firefighters do everything a full time fire fighter does and yet doesn't receive the comparable wages or all the perks the full-timers get. If they are on call 24/7 it dictates they have to be within 4 minutes of the fire station which means their families either have to go further without them or stay close to home. I can't count how many times I have been getting ready to go out for the evening or even at the venue and found myself sitting alone. I really didn't mind but the notion that, "well, they get paid don't they," doesn't even cover it!

Gosh that is incredible. What decent kind people volunteers are, but fire fighting volunteers must take the prize for dedication and self sacrifice. 🥇

icanhandthemback

Also, retained firefighters do everything a full time fire fighter does and yet doesn't receive the comparable wages or all the perks the full-timers get. If they are on call 24/7 it dictates they have to be within 4 minutes of the fire station which means their families either have to go further without them or stay close to home. I can't count how many times I have been getting ready to go out for the evening or even at the venue and found myself sitting alone. I really didn't mind but the notion that, "well, they get paid don't they," doesn't even cover it!

'Scuse the grammar in that post! I was in a hurry.

TillyWhiz

I pinned this to the top of our hospital radio station's Facebook page and people have been donating. We are in the area of the New Forest wildfire.

We would all like to do something for those incredible men and women who are out in this heat fighting one fire after another - and all with such professionalism and bravery.
DWFireRescue's partners support them on the sites of these fires.

What we can do is donate to www.firefighterscharity.org.uk - set up to support every single firefighter throughout the UK.
Let's show them how much we thank them. Just click the link.

Donated. I am very grateful to all who have been fighting the wildfires.

Also, retained firefighters do everything a full time fire fighter does and yet doesn't receive the comparable wages or all the perks the full-timers get. If they are on call 24/7 it dictates they have to be within 4 minutes of the fire station which means their families either have to go further without them or stay close to home. I can't count how many times I have been getting ready to go out for the evening or even at the venue and found myself sitting alone. I really didn't mind but the notion that, "well, they get paid don't they," doesn't even cover it!

Really? Am I actually reading trite comments like "they get paid"? Of course firefighters get paid, they are doing a job, and yes they have a good idea what that will entail when they sign up for the training BUT of all the emergency service providers firefighters risk their lives the most. They go into burning buildings wearing equipment that is heavy, that reduces their vision, and that makes normal movement less easy. And they do it relentlessly when the situation demands. I recommend a revisiting of the tv footage of the firefighters at Grenfell for those who just want to say "they get paid".

Of course there should be enormous recognition from the government and public wherever possible of their work.

The fire service responded to do their duty as police and paramedics do every day and the farmers helped enormously …
This idea of vouchers : days off .,🤷‍♀️

Sparky51

Its their job..what they get paid for.Like police..all the other services

That is true Sparky51 however this summer has seen conditions which are way out of the ordinary and have stretched the emergency services far beyond normal. In particular the firefighters who have struggled to control wildfires in extreme heat etc.

Gannet, that sort of behaviour should be reported. The fire service have a code of conduct and the way they spoke to the farmers was way out of line.

Absolutely the volunteers. We had several farmers helping around here. Unfortunately the firefighters were quite curt with them. Many had been containing the fires before the fire service arrived. One fireman, referring to a local farmer said ‘get that old fool off the hill before he breaks his ankle’. The two female firefighters weren’t tall enough or strong enough to lope the branches off so the ‘old fool’ had to lend them his truck and he then he cut the branches for them.

Our local pubs and restaurants have been cooking meals and making sandwiches for our local fire station, all delivered and all free of charge.
Also local people have been dropping off much needed wipes for their hands and faces, cakes, biscuits crates of water.

The fires have been quite prolific in this area with the loss of homes too, every donation however small has been gratefully given and received.

We clapped the NHS workers during Covid as we all recognised they went over and above their normal duties, as have firemen and women in the recent wildfires. I agree it would be good to show them our recognition of their efforts. We can't give them a clap, but perhaps they could be given a special public mention by The King or Prince William - prefeably broadcast on TV

Maybe should receive some kind of bonus payment. Shopping / Holiday vouchers. Extra days off?

I do hope that they are also be paid overtime, For all the extra hours they have put it working in such dangerous conditions and putting there lives at risk.

Thank you to our Fire Service. You are immense.

🇬🇧🧑‍🚒🚒⭐
X

But not the volunteer ones!!

Its their job..what they get paid for.Like police..all the other services

I think all they want is for us to be their ‘ears & eyes’. To educate people into how easy fires start and get out of control. But another form of recognition would be lovely (ex ambulance here)

It's great that you want to support firefighters. My husband was one and there were lots of calls where the public were, quite frankly, vile. Retained Firestations have "drill nights" for training so you can always drop things in at that time. Many areas have Facebook pages so you can always post on there. And finally, there is a Firefighters Charity where you can donate. This serves ex-firefighters and current firefighters. The link is here where you can read about what they do. www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/about-us

And if you feel the urge to give a donation, you can give here:
www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/give-support

Many firefighters not only do a day job and fight fires but they also raise money for this charity in their spare time.

Amongst all the recent demabds on the fure service I ended up phoning my local station as I was at a complete loss as to which wires,plugs, I could disconnect in preperation of hall and upstaurs landing being decorated. Dh was deaf abd fire service installed alarms everywhere in the new build for us moving in. Phoned in morning for advice. Visit arranged for 2 pm. Time came and went wuth no visit. Understood, probably dealing with a serious event. 3.45 doorbell goes and 3 officers at door and fire engine end of drive. Couldn't believe it. In they came, one decuded what needed doingvabd the three of them set about pulling out cables from walls, cutting cables, disconnecting sockets and tested what they felt should be kept, even burglar alarm as that had fire alarm cabling in same tubing. Just about fitting covers back on alarms when driver on fire engine blasted the horn. The 3 officers moved so fast they were out the door in seconds calling apologies for not finishing the job but all safe. I was stunned to say the least. Anout 7.30 pm I had a phone call apologising for leaving the covers off two alarms and that an officer could pop out to fix. Explained I had managed to get them back on myself with no problem. Next day I called at the station (2 miles) parked round the back and the same 4 officers were washing a fire engine. Left them a variety of biscuits and chocolates with a Thank You card for their Outstanding Service. Don't think I'll ever forget that day.