Parish Cake - Winter 2018

feature
Tinker, Tailor,
Soldier –
Firefighter!
Our parish’s firefighters are a closeknit
team. Trisha Fermor reports
THE ROLE of firefighters has
changed dramatically since
the days of horse drawn water
pumps and hand-rung brass
warning bells.
Cranbrook Fire Station has
been in the town more years
than anyone can remember –
once housed in what is now the
parish council’s office at the
Vestry Hall. Then there were
moves to sites at Baker’s Cross
and the Regal Car Park.
Since 1988, the 13 men who
make up the team have had a
purpose-built station to house
the appliance at the top of the
High Street. It carries all the
latest equipment to tackle jobs
from fighting fires to cutting
crash victims out of vehicles
and saving heart attack victims
with a defibrillator.
According to Andy Parkes,
watch manager, between 1
April and 2 October this year,
the crew has been called out
323 times, the majority of calls
having nothing to do with fires
or car crashes.
He said: “Seventy per cent
of call-outs are for medical
problems. It is not uncommon
for us to turn up at someone’s
house before an ambulance.”
This new role as first
responders has helped
numerous
people
throughout
a wide area
covered by
Cranbrook
to be treated
quickly especially
when an ambulance with
paramedics was too far away or
already treating someone.
Mr Parkes was keen to stress
that the crew was a closeknit
team with the emphasis
on supporting each other
particularly after incidents
involving fatalities.
“If someone is a bit down or
very quiet after an incident we
support them. There is good
camaraderie and much more
support now than before about
mental illness and trauma
training,” he said.
Tuesdays is training night
and jobs can include cutting up
cars with the latest equipment
or covering the high tower in
foam.
The crew all live within
five minutes of the station
and there is always room
for more to join. The latest
recruit is Scott Spencer, 27,
who said: “Being a firefighter
was something I have always
wanted to do.”
The
team at
Cranbrook
ranges
from a
butcher
to a window
cleaner and a
transport manager to
FurGet Me Knots
Nail clipping spa treatments hair styling bathing
teeth treatments and hand stripping.
Christmas
GIFT VOUCHERS
AVAILABLE
DOG GROOMING
a shop manager. They are Phil
Gower, Scott Spencer, David
Howell, Steve Mummery, Paul
Munday, Ben Neal, Mike Bailey,
Fred Lineham and Tom Snell.
Anyone wanting to become a
firefighter can go to the Kent
Fire and Rescue website (www.
kent.fire-uk.org) and apply.
2b Carriers Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JU
07596 911331
furgetmeknotsgrace@gmail.com
Parish Cake • Winter 2018 27