IT’S DANGEROUS SOMETIMES I B FAMILY...BUT I L EXHAUSTING AND RELY GET TO SEE MY OVE EVERY MINUTE
Even after an exceedingly busy week, one on-call firefighter remains dedicated... which is just as well, with 36 of North Wales’s 44 fire stations unmanned and hotter, dryer weather ahead
MUM-OF-THREE Emma Pritchard always has three items close to hand – keys, phone and her alerter. Usually, there’s a fourth too. “You always need to have a pair of thick socks handy,” she smiles. “Otherwise your boots are going to rub.”
The socks have been a lifesaver in recent days.
As an on-call firefighter, the past week has a hectic, frenzied whirl of smoke, heat, rushed meals and fleeting chats with husband Dylan at their Porthmadog home.
Her alerter has been sounding almost constantly as reports come in of yet more wildfires on Gwynedd’s hills.
On one day, its telltale siren went off seven times – which can be tricky for someone who manages Y Banc restaurant in Porthmadog.
“The staff are very good; they pick up my work if I have to leave,” said Emma, 30.
“As the alerter siren is quite loud, when you go out you can sometimes hear diners wondering if the fire alarm has gone off!”
The past week has been the busiest since Emma joined North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) three years ago.
Usually, she would expect to respond to seven to 15 call-outs each month: in March just gone, she was out 34 times. Sixteen of those were in the final week, when it seems half of Gwynedd’s mountains were ablaze.
On the face of it, reconciling fire service commitments with work and a busy home life ought to be fraught, but Emma has found a balance.
If she has to drop everything, and find someone to look after her three children, aged nine, 10 and 14, she can call upon her parents-in-law: it helps that her father-in-law, Martin Pritchard, used to be watch manager at Porthmadog fire station.
The station lies within sight of Emma’s home, which means she runs rather than drives when responding to her beltclip alerter. Latterly, she’s been running rather a lot.
“On some days I was coming home, saying ‘hi’ to the family, then dashing straight back out again,” she said. “I didn’t get to bed for three days.”
Of the 11 major wildfire incidents declared by the fire service in late March, Emma was at eight of them. It was exhausting work.
“We’re lucky in Porthmadog in that we have a Pinzgauer narrow access appliance that allows us to use water lances on difficult terrain,” she said.
“But for much of the time, accessing water is difficult and so beating the flames is the only option. In the heat, it’s physically demanding, made worse by the sun that was out for much of the week.
“It can be quite intense and you have to have eyes in the back of your head: gorse fires can switch direction quickly, and flames you’ve just beaten can suddenly reignite.”
Emma (pictured right) was at Y Fron, Gwynedd, when, for the first time, NWFRS called for helicopter support from Natural Resources Wales, with whom it has a contract.
“It made a big difference,” she said. “I was underneath when it began dropping water on the hillside. We would have been there for many more hours without it.”
RESOURCES STRETCHED
Five appliances, two Pinzgauers and two wildfire vehicles were dispatched to Y Fron – but worse was to come that weekend.
Paul Scott, senior fire safety manager at NWFRS, reckons last Sunday, April 27, was one of the organisation’s busiest single days of recent years.
In the space of seven days, the service responded to 11 “significant” fires – incidents requiring at least three appliances – and this had stretched resources in a way that was “entirely preventable”, he said.
He praised the professionalism of his staff, especially callout staff – those who have other jobs and family commitments, and who comprise a significant proportion of the firefighting front line.
As the region is mainly rural, it is hugely reliant on part-time firefighters who, when alerted, have just minutes to report for duty.
Of the 44 fire stations in North
Wales, 36 are unmanned and rely on on-call personnel.
“They may have worked an eight-hour day before getting the call to go out again,” said Mr Scott. They might be drivers, farmers, factory workers, parents and the self-employed.
“I saw these people at three or four of the recent fires I attended, and it can be exhausting work. We needed to swap them out [with replacement teams] and send them home to get some sleep.
“During such incidents, we
routinely rotate crews to ensure their welfare.
“This places huge logistical challenges for the control room. Behind the images of fire and smoke that people see on their screens, are backroom teams trying to sort out cover for these large wildfires while also ensuring day-to-day cover is provided for road traffic accidents, house fires and so on.”
This was graphically illustrated during a seven-hour period last Sunday afternoon when three serious wildfires took hold simultaneously in South Gwynedd and Conwy.
The biggest was a blaze in Tanygrisiau involving 10 appliances and three “specials” – offroad vehicles carrying water and high-pressure lances.
Another five appliances and two specials were also needed in Trawsfynnydd, while three appliances and a special were sent to at Llyn Elsi, Betws y Coed.
“These three incidents tied up 18 appliances and six specials,” said Paul.
“At the same time, two crews were also needed at a kitchen fire in Wrexham.
“To ensure ongoing coverage of the region, the control room moved appliances from area to area. It was because of their professionalism that we still had pumps available in all parts of the region.”
CONCERNS OVER CONTROLLED BURNING
Between 8am on March 25 and 8pm on March 27, control room staff handled 364 calls, 31 of which were grass fires.
However, pride in their efforts is tinged with frustration, knowing that some callouts were unnecessary and many were unavoidable.
Arson was suspected at Tanygrisiau, but the majority of fires were thought to have been caused by controlled burns that got out of hand.
Over the winter, farmers and landowners are allowed to use fire to remove heather and moorland vegetation, freeing up the land for grazing or conservation.
On occasion, the practice is used to reduce fuel loads on mountains in the event of an uncontrolled fire caused, for example, by lightning strikes or discarded cigarettes.
Anyone undertaking a controlled burn must abide by the Heather and Grass Burning Code.
This involves giving at least 24 hours’ notice of a burn, having enough people and equipment in place and drawing up a Burning Management Plan.
Years of messaging by the fire service have improved adherence, but there remains an element who fudge the rules.
This year, during the late March spell of dry weather, there may also have been a last-minute rush to set light to moorlands before the March 31 deadline, after which it becomes an offence.
While the fire service believes in education rather than enforcement, the recent spate of wildfires stretched its patience to the limit.
“Tying up our resources at a wildfire can have a knock-on effect on our ability to swiftly react to other emergencies,” said Paul.
A number of Facebook users suggested offenders should be charged for wildfires. Others want the practice banned altogether.
One person said: “Seeing the fires in Beddgelert last spring threaten houses was so frightening – how can they keep getting away with putting lives at risk?”
COME AND JOIN US
Despite the commitment of being a call-out firefighter, Emma loves every minute of it.
At times it can be hot, sticky and uncomfortable but this not typical of the job and Emma is enthralled by the camaraderie and professionalism of her colleagues.
“Sometimes the adrenaline kicks in, but there’s always the sense of a job well done,” she said.
“Everyone looks after each other, we have good PPE and we’re all really proud of what we do.
“It’s a job anyone can do, irrespective of background or gender. I really enjoy it. Every day is different and you never know what you will be doing.
“A lot of the work involves home safety visits, such as fitting a smoke alarm.
“I actually get more satisfaction from that than I do from tackling a mountain fire, as I know I’ve helped keep someone safe.”
Remuneration is available. To find out more, visit the NWFRS recruitment page.