Jon and I both needed to chill out last night, so I dragged Jon up to Senghenydd to slap some of the beef we bought the other day on the BBQ. I have to admit that the “steaks” were so thin it was more like bacon but made of beef. But very nice and with a bit of couscous it went down a treat. So sat there after food, chilling out, watching CSI….and the pager goes off. It’s been quiet recently, but tonight was going to make up for that.
So after doing some quick sums in my head about diesel costs, I call around to see if I can grab a lift, but there isn’t one available. After some discussion I decide to hang on until we know what it is. A few more minutes of CSI and the pager’s off again – it’s an area call for a person with leg injuries on the hill above Cwmbran. Mal and I agree to split the diesel, so I quickly change into my kit, grab Jon and we’re off into Cardiff. Mal’s waiting by the road in his hi-viz jacket and I beep as we approach, pick him up and head off again. Down Eastern Avenue and we’re on to the M4, with Mal and Jon passing OS maps, street maps and a road atlas back and forth trying to work out exactly where the RV is. We make our way up through Cwmbran to the farm where the RV is, spotting a helicopter on the way, and finally find some MR vehicles just short of the farm. I jump out and we quickly find out that Rescue169 is up and coming in. We park up and head up to control to sign in and see if they need anyone else.
Up at the farm, the farmyard is experiencing a traffic jam. Team vehicles, personal vehicles, ambulance officer’s vehicles – they’re all there jostling for space while the IC chats on the radio to the guys on the hill, just visible on the ridge above us. 169 is already in with them and as Mal, Jon an I stand there chatting, we watch as 169 takes off. We potter around for a bit, not really wanting to leave and enjoying the view across the Bristol Channel in they setting sun. A quick hand to sort out the parking situation and we’re about ready to head down.
That is until we hear a phone ring and the immortal words come over the radio “Stand by, stand by, we’re just taking details of another shout from the police.” A few minutes later, and we start heading down the road – it’s a search this time, for a missing 10 year old in Dyffrun. Looks like it’s going to be a long night for Jon. We head off from the briefing with Michael following us in his car, leaving the rest of the guys discussion options for this search. We haven’t even reached the M4 when the pagers go off again with the stand down – looks like the missing child had been found.
After a quick stop at McDonalds to rehydrate a little, we head home, an eventful night over and Jon’s first callout fresh in his mind. He seemed to enjoy it, so we may have a new recruit come January…