‘Marvellous’ volunteers respond to fire emergency
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13 June
When a pensioner couple’s house was badly damaged by fire, the caring support provided by two Red Cross volunteers made all the difference.
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On the fateful morning, David Robinson (74) from Stafford set out for work leaving his wife Helmi – who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome (M.E.) – reading in bed. A mishap with a bedside scented candle led to a blaze that quickly caused widespread damage to the house.
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David rushed back home to find five fire engines, an ambulance, the police – and volunteers Debbie Hackett and Bernard Perry from the Red Cross’ fire and emergency support service.
Marvellous support
Looking back, David commented: “I can’t speak too highly of how Debbie and Bernard handled the situation – they were marvellous. They sat with us in their vehicle, made us drinks and helped us to calm down.
“By this time, Helmi had gone to hospital with minor burns but my daughter was there and she’d found it all quite traumatic. They both stayed with us until the middle of the afternoon.”
He added: “After the fire, Debbie said I could call her at any time if I needed help and advice. Now, two months on, she’s still helping me to sort out the insurance. It really is a first class service.”
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