Dedication and hard-work the key for Netherton's fire-fighting family

by Sarah O'Rourke

Fire-fighters Peter Drury and Chris Moran gave me a flavour of their working life during a guided tour of the station. The equipment used by the fire-fighters is expensive and hi-tech, but the staff themselves are afforded only the basic home comforts. One thing that was noticeable about the station, though, was how well laid-out it was to enable fire-fighters to move quickly in an emergency.

Much of the fire-fighters work at Buckley Hill is spent on routine maintenance of the equipment and practice drills. This is very different from the popular opinion that fire-fighters spend their day just waiting for incidents to happen. All the equipment has to be meticulously checked. The breathing apparatus is often their lifeline - the difference between life and death. Before modern equipment was introduced many more fire-fighters died of smoke inhalation.

A lot of our time was spent being shown the equipment needed to fight fires. There is no such thing as a fire engine - its real name is an appliance. Some of the equipment which is carried on all appliances is at the cutting edge of technology. Thermal imaging cameras help to save lives in dense smoke but have only recently become part of the standard kit.

The fire-fighter’s uniform is made to very high standards from fire retardant materials. Breathing apparatus is fully adjustable so that it can be worn comfortably over the uniform.

Whenever breathing apparatus is worn by the fire-fighters a warning unit is in use. This device consists of a small electronic box being positioned on the shoulder. A key with a tally on it is removed from the box as a fire-fighter goes into a burning building. Written on the tally is the level of compressed air in the tank and the amount of time left before it runs out. This key is left in the breathing apparatus board with a member of the appliance crew who will monitor the BA wearer’s progress.

Another function is that the unit will sound an alarm whenever a fire-fighter stops moving for a certain amount of time. If the alarm goes off, this alerts the other fire-fighters to a potential problem.

Buckley Hill’s fire-fighters are called out between 1,500 and 2,000 times per year. Their busiest period is between four pm and 10pm. The station was built in 1978 to replace the Park Lane fire station and to serve the residents of Netherton, Maghull, Lydiate, Thornton, Litherland and parts of northern Bootle.

The Buckley Hill fire-fighters are dedicated and hardworking with Peter O’Donnell describing them as a ‘family’. He explained that in such a job you become very close to work mates - a lot of trust is needed as the fire-fighters often work in dangerous situations and need to rely upon each other.

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