Burning desire to dowse fire fear

If you were a fan of the television drama series London's Burning you'll have heard of Blue Watch. You may also have heard of Green Watch and Red Watch - the colour codes given to different firefighters' shifts.

But it's a fair bet you won't have encountered Pink Watch . . . unless you happen to live in the Oswestry area, that is.

There appears to be only one Pink Watch in the UK and it's right here in Shropshire.

What's more they're not firefighters but firefighters' wives and girlfriends . . . or Fire Service 'wags' as they like to style themselves.

The nine members of Oswestry Pink Watch are pioneers and they believe it's an idea that could, if you'll pardon the pun, spread like wildfire.

The group was formed out of a desire to socialise and bond, brought on by their rather exceptional - and often lonely - role. It occasionally throws up some bizarre circumstances, which sees them with a lifestyle that many might find disorientating.

"We can be sitting in a restaurant having a cosy meal for two, Ade's bleeper will go off, he'll have to rush out straight away and I'll just be left sitting there, waiting to pick up the bill," says Pink Watch secretary Louise Corfield of life with her long-term partner, leading firefighter Adrian Bowen.

"You can be in the supermarket wheeling around a trolley full of shopping when the call comes. He rushes out suddenly and you are left on your own with people wondering what's going on and whether you've had an almighty row and he's left you," she adds with a grin.

All that might be inconvenient and, occasionally, embarrassingly quirky.

More tellingly, there is the fear factor. The uncertainty whether, when your husband, partner or boyfriend 'deserts' you in Sainsbury's, you will ever see him again.

That might sound melodramatic but as Louise points out: "When Ade rushes off I don't know whether it's to a blazing factory or to rescue a cat up a tree. The stress, really, is caused by the fact that you just don't know and so your imagination can take over."

Fire service 'wags' are not alone in this, as the partners of those in the armed forces, police, lifeboat service and on oil rigs can testify.

That doesn't make the waiting any easier.

However, Louise and the other Oswestry 'wags' now have Pink Watch for support.

"We can call each other up to see if anyone knows what's going on and we are there for one another," says Louise.

The idea for Pink Watch came about at a social event in Oswestry, explains the group's treasurer Lita Williams, who is married to leading firefighter Kevin Williams.

"We were up at the station having a barbecue. We started talking, saying that we should have more functions and it sprang from that. The idea is to have functions that everyone can afford to go to, that let us get together either just as a group or with our families as well, and to raise money for charities," says Lita.

So far the women have raised more than £1,300 for good causes. That includes a New Year's Eve party and raffle which raised over £750, a pub crawl around Oswestry which brought in £310, and £277 from a race night.

It will go into a charity fund to be added to throughout the year. Then the accumulated sum will be split between the Firefighters Charity (until recently known as the Fire Service Benevolent Fund) and Hope House children's hospice, where Louise is appeals team secretary.

"Most people think of the Firefighters Charity as providing bereavement counselling and support and, of course, it does. But it also gives support in less tragic cases," explains Claire Rogers, who is married to leading firefighter Terry Rogers.

"On one occasion Terry had a broken leg and had to have three weeks off work, and got help from the Benevolent Fund during his recuperation."

Claire believes firefighters' partners across Shropshire - indeed across the country - could benefit from following Oswestry's lead.

"It can be difficult enough when your husband disappears off into the night and is gone for hours, without the added anxiety of worrying about his safety. His night's sleep is disturbed and so is yours.

"If anything did happen it's nice to know there is this local support network of people who will rally around and help you try to get through it."

A recent initiative by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service means partners are not quite as in the dark as they used to be, provided they have access to the internet.

A Retained Firefighter web page, that can be accessed by families and employers, contains information about the type of incidents being attended by stations, so viewers can identify where their family members or employees have been sent.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, though, is full of praise for the initiative shown by the Pink Watch 'wags'.

North district group manager Glenn Holloway says: "The Fire Service is historically a close-knit community and this is particularly so of retained duty system firefighters because of the support provided by their families and employers.

"This is crucial to ensure that local communities continue to receive the best possible service from firefighters.

"The initiative introduced by the Oswestry wives and partners demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that happens, and they are to be congratulated on their fundraising activities which will benefit the people of Shropshire."

Pink Watch members are more than happy to help encourage similar groups to set up in the county and beyond.

"If any other Fire Service wives or girlfriends want to come along to any of our meetings to see what it's all about they are more than welcome. It would be great to have other groups to network with," adds Claire Rogers, who can be contacted on 07800 936107, or by e-mailing claire@hotmail.co.uk.

Aside from the support, the girls are keen to stress the fun element. Pink Watch is busy organising its next big event, with the 'wags' set to put on their posh frocks and 'glam up' just like their football counterparts for a grand summer ball at The Venue in Oswestry.

It promises to be a night to remember . . . provided those blessed bleepers don't go off!

By Neil Thomas