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11 September 2007

Saturday’s open day at Bletchley Fire Station raised £1,581.14 for the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund.

The day had a fire safety and road safety theme and featured a number of demonstrations by the station’s wholetime and retained firefighters. Highlights included:

• Demonstrations showing how quickly a fire can spread in a typical living room, and how dangerous it is to try to tackle a chip pan fire with water.

• Two displays by Kerry Burns, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service's fire investigation dog handler, and her dog Barney.

• A demonstration by firefighters showing how they release someone who is trapped in a vehicle following a crash.

• A chance to soak a firefighter with wet sponges.

• A demonstration by firefighters showing how they rescue someone from an upstairs room using ladders.

• A mobile community safety activity centre for children, called the Firefighter Experience.

There was also a bouncy castle, face painting, fairground rides, a barbecue, refreshments and a raffle.

The show went on even though two of the crews on duty were called to an emergency incident - a cooker fire in Empingham Close, Bletchley - at 3pm, an hour before the open day was due to finish.

The Fire Services National Benevolent Fund is a national charity which provides assistance to serving and retired fire and rescue service staff, their families and dependants.