Pair honoured after 30 years fighting fire (From Salisbury Journal)

Fordingbridge firefighters tackled major blazes

10:30am Friday 10th February 2012 in News By Karen Bate

TWO second generation Fordingbridge firefighters have been honoured after notching up 30 years of service.

Derek Jones and Mark West have received the Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service Meritorious Service Medal for fighting fires and saving lives since joining Fordingbridge Fire Service on February 1, 1982.

Both men have carried on the firefighting legacy as they followed their fathers Len Jones and John West into service.

Mr Jones said: “I am very proud. When I joined my father, Len was the officer in charge and served Fordingbridge for 24 years. Mark's father John also served for almost 20 years.

“I joined because I wanted to serve and look after the people in my community. It has taught me a lot about life and working together as a team. When you work with a bunch of guys as tightly as we do, they become like family and that is what they mean to me, family.

“I think the biggest incident I dealt with was the Maltings Shopping Centre fire in Salisbury in the 1980s. It started in a fruit and vegetable shop after an electrical fault.

“The fire spread through the shop, through to the adjacent shops and then to the upstairs flats. The blaze was so massive that we could see Salisbury Cathedral glowing at Britford. Fortunately no one was hurt but it was the biggest blaze I have had to deal with in my time in the service.”

Mr Jones is a retained fireman and when he’s not fighting fires he is the groundsman at Fordingbridge recreation ground. He added: “My employers at Fordingbridge Town Council are fully supportive and let me down tools if I get an emergency call-out during the day. It is so important that local employers support our retained firefighters.”

Mr West is also a retained firefighter and is a self-employed gardener and tree surgeon.

During their service, both men attended a major fire at Alderholt Surplus Stores, a huge forest fire on the A31 at Bratley Arch, a devastating blaze at Loaders Mill and a fire at The White Hart Hotel in Salisbury.

Last year the pair rescued a shire horse from a swollen stream in Godshill.

Fordingbridge crew manager Pete White said: “Mark and Derek are invaluable. They are always available for emergency call-outs and community events. The experience they have gained over three decades, they are now passing onto the next generation.

“Thirty years is a long time and I am very proud to be able to honour them.”