Hero fireman in rescue bid
Friday 9th April 2010, 3:34PM BST.
A hero firefighter made a dramatic bid to rescue a man trapped in his burning car after a head-on smash in Telford today.
Ally Martin, who was stationed metres away from the accident in Stafford Park, doused the flames with an extinguisher as his colleagues raced to help him.
The victim, who has not been named but who was in his 30s, was trapped in his burning Ford Escort car by his legs.
He was cut free and taken to the Princess Royal Hospital by ambulance where he was treated for leg lacerations.
The collision involving a Renault van happened outside Bookers Cash and Carry, Stafford Park 13, just before 11am.
Telford Central watch manager Gareth Walker said the man was lucky not to suffer more serious injuries.
He said: “One of our firefighters ran round from the station with a dry powder extinguisher and started to put the fire out.
“The engines arrived pretty much straight after but his actions certainly helped to deal with this a lot more quickly.
“The man was trapped against the dashboard and the car had caught fire as a result of the collision.
“It was lucky we were as close as we were to the incident and it could have been a lot worse. He is very lucky.”
Mr Walker said a male passenger in the Ford Escort managed to get out before it caught fire and suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the Renault Kangoo, a man in his mid-20s, also escaped unscathed.
Meanwhile, earlier today a cyclist was taken to hospital suffering from serious head injuries and a suspected broken leg after he was in collision with a car while riding at a roundabout in Telford.
The man, who has not been named but was aged in his mid-20s, was injured at the roundabout in Oakengates. The incident happened at the junction of New Street and Lion Street at about 7.20am.
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Wr all need to praise and thank are firefighters, all over the world. They risk there lives every day, making sure we are rescured from fires, accidents etc. My daughter, Tracy Elson Killoran, 35, was born in shifnal 1974. I came to Canada with my 3 children, hoping for a better life for them. They did me proud, all of them. Tracy became a firefighter when she was just 21, a captain.Life changed for Tracy, her 2 children and her family after onroute to an accident in her fire truck 9th sept 2007. Tracy fell out of the front seat onto her head as the truck raced around a corner. Firefighters save people,Tracy almost died trying.The Dr’s told us she was not going to make it, her head injuries were not compatible with life.Her arm was mangled, she was degloved but. Six months in hostpital, many, many surgeries,she made it and now she begs them to let her be a firefighter again, don’t tell her, but it will never happen. Take your time to thank a firefighter, a doctor, you will never no when you will need them, they save lives.Ally Martin, I thank-you.
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Well done but with one proviso, isn’t that what we pay fire fighters to do?
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Hardly a “hero” , I would have done just the same if I was at hand with a fire extinguisher and wouldn’t have thought anything of it…hardly “heroic”!!
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I wonder what Simon does for a living, my guess a nice safe job. Yes we pay firemen to do whatever they have to, but too many people, (like Simon), seem to take for granted the risks they take just doing their jobs. How often I wonder does Simon risk his life in the normal course of his daily employment, yes, I thought so. They do a very dangerous job for not a fantastic wage and comments like his must rankle. A simple rule Simon, please engage brain before operating mouth.
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Could I draw Simons attention to the tragic case of the 2 fire fighters killed in Southampton this week. How much more can they give? If they were paid a wage linked to the risk involved the UK would not be able to afford a fire service.
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As above….shouldn’t headline be “Firefighter does his job” no disrepect but come on…lets have some less dramatised reporting please! And before anyone says it YES I AM A FIREFIGHTER TOO.
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Colin, keep your shirt on. We all take some sort of risk with our jobs and that level of risk is usually known when you take the job on, whether it be cleaning windows or driving or working on a building site. Firemen know the risks they take and are trained and paid accordingly, just as you are I would gues. Firefighting isn’t at the top of the list of riskiest jobs , some very mundane jobs have higher death rates but they just aren’t “glamourised” by the media, that’s the only difference.
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Roadrunner, I can assure you that my shirt is well and truly on. I just appreciate the job that firemen do. I have a friend who has just retired from the service and come to live in Greece and 2 years ago 2 members of his watch were killed in action. The effect on their workmates and families was devastating, understandably, but, the death and serious injury rates in the fire service are much higher than any of the professions mentioned by your good self. I have worked on building sites and also as a HGV driver in the past and I would prefer either of those jobs to what the fire service have to face. I retired 5 years ago at 65 years of age and was then employed as a fabricator in an engineering works. At the time of my retirement I was being paid more than my friend in the fire service so don’t tell me they are “paid accordingly”. Yes they know the risks, and choose to take them and I for one am very grateful to them for that, I would not do their job for twice their wage. Maybe if you ever need their help in an emergency you might change your opinion.
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It’s less about them doing the job they are paid for and more about them having the guts to do it! Unless you can categorically say you’d throw yourself into a fire to save someone else (and no one can claim that until they’ve actually had to do it) you are in no position to ask questions of Firefighter Martin’s actions. Nobody should be having the gall to ask ‘Well isn’t this what he’s paid to do?’
And if you think so little of it as something you would quite happily do yourself without a second thought RoadRunner I take it your application to join the fire service is in the post today?
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Me, yes I love a safe job, I managed 27yrs in the police before being pensioned off for receiving an injury protecting a member of the public, before that 5 yrs as a retained fire officer, is that good enough for you Colin D.? Thought not.
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Colin, the link
http://personal.rhul.ac.uk/uhte/020/Labour%202005/Most%20Dangerous%20jobs.pdf
Doesn’t even list firefighters in the most dangerous list for UK jobs…unlike construction workers….of which, I’m not by the way.
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Another one here, Colin.
http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/Article/CB-127-Job-Search-Britains-Most-Dangerous-Jobs/?ArticleID=127&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=80ad07d0f7c94ff6b45be512ce6ae528-324392503-wj-6&ns_siteid=ns_uk_g_dangerous_jobs
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Suellan, I’ve put out fires with fire extinguishers before now, it’s no big deal, believe me.
As for joining up, I’m past retirement age for them now.
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