JonathonMarshall
08-09-2008, 10:45 PM
At midday on Saturday 6th September we were put on Standby by Northern Doctors Urgent Care due to the flooding. This was upgraded to a full callout and we were mobilised at 1400, initially there were 6 vehicles there by 1600 with a further two turning up in the following hours.
Callouts varied in distance and location from local, Tyneside, South Shields to further into the worst hit areas such as Morpeth, Ponteland and further up into Northumberland. As night fell we were also given green lights and we worked on till 0200 solid by which time callouts had subsided enough for us to let two vehicles leave. The remainder stayed on till 0600 at which point we were stood down as it was thought we may be needed later that day.
That call never came however there is more to come so it remains to be seen as to what will happen later in the week. All in all another successful callout - we have been used by them on several occasions now. The feedback has been very good and, after talking to the drivers (NDUC's own who accompany us in the vehicles along with the Doctors) they were initially sceptical but are now happy to have us on board. Only dramas being one of the lads handbrakes failed and he'd put it in 3rd not 1st and he rolled into one of our other vehicles, no damage - land rovers :roll: and my wiper arm flew off never to be seen again, swapped for the passenger side and went all night without issue.
Callouts varied in distance and location from local, Tyneside, South Shields to further into the worst hit areas such as Morpeth, Ponteland and further up into Northumberland. As night fell we were also given green lights and we worked on till 0200 solid by which time callouts had subsided enough for us to let two vehicles leave. The remainder stayed on till 0600 at which point we were stood down as it was thought we may be needed later that day.
That call never came however there is more to come so it remains to be seen as to what will happen later in the week. All in all another successful callout - we have been used by them on several occasions now. The feedback has been very good and, after talking to the drivers (NDUC's own who accompany us in the vehicles along with the Doctors) they were initially sceptical but are now happy to have us on board. Only dramas being one of the lads handbrakes failed and he'd put it in 3rd not 1st and he rolled into one of our other vehicles, no damage - land rovers :roll: and my wiper arm flew off never to be seen again, swapped for the passenger side and went all night without issue.