Fighting fires a ‘certain thrill’

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 1

Fighting fires a ‘certain thrill’

-■ i J' ! ' il -I- I Fighting a “decent-sizeld” fire held a certain satisfying thrill, said a Christchurch! fireman, Mr Danny O’Brien, who will retire on Saturday after 32 years. j _.i • ’ I “I like. a decent-sized j fire. I particularly enjoy a good factory fire;" said Mr O’Brien, who will retire as the brown (watch station officer at the Harewood Fire Station, in Wairakei Road. | “There is something satisfying about getting stuck in and seeing what you can do.” j He hastened to add that saving people and property j was a priority that involved plenty of compassion and sensitivity in a lire-fighter, he said. ! I Mr O’Brien said fighting a big fire at the D. A. Lewis furniture manufacturing compariy in Manchester Street in 198j>[“took a bit pof a save” but it was satisfying to have been able to salvage some of the building. [ He recalled attending the call to a burning grandstand at Addington Raceway Tn; 1961 when the last race featured a horse by the name of Smoke Away. That horse lost to the legendary Cardigan Bay. ; J Pay,.working conditions, and the onset of technology had greatly improved the lojt of a fireman since the I days Mr O’Brien joined the Christchurch j service in 1956.