Special Services Firemen (1960)
Special services firemen in Watford, Hertfordshire demonstrate their latest equipment.
C/U of a young boy, Steven Guyton with his head stuck through some railings and looking left and right for help. M/S of the boy as he stands stuck at the fence by a field as a man appears and tries to help him, then beckons to the right. M/S of a fire engine coming along the road by the field; it mounts the pavement and comes to a halt. C/U as four firemen jump out of the door and one runs to the back of the engine to take out some equipment.
M/S of the railings and stuck boy, with the firemen crowded around him and the engine in the background. C/U of the firemen forcing the railing apart with some metal plier-type release equipment attached to a pump, then of the railings opening enough to free the boy. M/S and C/U as the boy is lifted out and up into a fireman's arms (Alan Ward), as another one removes the boy's scarf to check that he is all right and gives him a sweet.
C/U of the top of a red London Transport double-decker bus (number 11 to Liverpool Street), tilt down to show that a man is trapped against a wall by the bus, being attended to by the bus driver. M/Ss as the fire engine pulls up next to the bus, and the four firemen leap out; one of them goes to the trapped man while the other three start to unload the jack. M/S of them wheeling the jack under the bus and starting to raise it.
C/U of top of ladder, bell and flashing light at the front of the engine. M/Ss and C/Us of the jack being levered up and down, then M/S of a fireman turning the front wheel of the bus to show it is clear of the ground. Top shots and C/Us showing the men pulling the bus round and clear of the trapped man. M/S of firemen carrying the man away from the scene on a stretcher, panning right to show equipment in side of the tender. M/S of the inside of the tender; a fireman walks through and opens a drawer, good C/U of screwdrivers and various tools inside.
M/S of Fred Caldwell with oxyacetylene burner equipment and Len Davis with an electric drill jumping from the tender. FC lights the burner then C/Us as he puts on goggles and burns through some metal. C/U of electric drill going through some metal; tilt up to show LD using it. The commentator tells us that the drill is powered by the tender's generator. M/S and C/U of Tony Pusey taking an inventory of various equipment and tools, including shovels, mops, dustpan and brush, brooms.
M/S of two firemen carrying out a collapsed man; two others are placing some blankets on the ground which they place the man on. C/U of a box of breathing equipment being opened, pan to left as the breathing mask is attached to the man's face. C/U of two of the firemen.
C/U of an electric cable being unwound. C/U of three firemen running towards the camera carrying three lit flood lights powered by the tender's generator. They stop and show the lights towards camera in C/U.
Note: there are two newspaper cuttings on file about the Watford brigade and equipment.
FILM ID:101.28
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES.
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website.