Bugler’s Editorial Comments:
The reference to ‘Firemen’ in the original documentation has been amended to ‘Firefighters’ to reflect the advance in the late 1980’s in recruitment of female Firefighters to the Rank.

This commemorative narrative has only been possible with the generosity of Free Lance Journalist ‘Angelica’ ~ all her rights are reserved ©.

This narrative is a lesson for the Young Firefighters of today called ~ FORTITUDE.

Now read on…

Tuesday the 5th of May 2020 is the 30th Anniversary of the death in Service of Firefighter John Singleton.

‘In the morning mists of Sunrise and at the going down of the Sun we shall remember him’

‘There but for the Grace of God go I’

THE DEATH AND MAIMING OF TWO FIREFIGHTERS

NATURE OF INCIDENT:

FIRE AT TALBOT SHOWROOMS,

TALBOT ROAD,

BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE, UK

DATE OF INCIDENT:

Saturday 5^th May 1990.  

TIME:

17:58hrs (BST)

SUSPECTED CAUSE ~ Arson.

VICTIMS STATUS:

FIREFIGHTER JOHN SINGLETON PERISHED IN THE FIRE 

HIS REMAINS RECOVERED

at

06:18 hrs on Sunday the 6th May 1990.

Identified by the remains of his breathing apparatus set.

Requiescant In Pace

FIREFIGHTER GLENN WILSON SURVIVED

WITH 30% 3^rd DEGREE BURNS

AND

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISABILITIES

He was compulsorily retired from the Fire Service.

 Noblesse Oblige

Glenn Wilson was born on Thursday, 4th February1954 in Liverpool.Thursday’s Child has far to go…

He moved to Blackpool in 1969 with his parents and siblings. Glenn had been a serving Firefighter with Lancashire County Fire Brigade at Bispham Fire Station A31, Blackpool, for 12 years prior to this life-changing, critical incident. He was 36-years-old at the time of the tragedy. In his spare time, he was studying for his first psychology Degree.

A substantial fire broke out at the Talbot Road Showrooms in Blackpool on late Saturday afternoon on the 5th of May 1990, shortly after Glenn had started his duty that evening. Forest Gate Station A30 (Central Blackpool) were en route to the incident and witnessed large volumes of black smoke rising in the distance. As they continued to the incident, the Officer-in-Charge initially requested the attendance of a further four appliances to assist.

Glenn, John Singleton, and his colleagues were the sixth appliance to arrive at the incident where the buildings were clearly ‘well alight’.

Forest Gate’s crews from two appliances were tackling the fire from the outside at the back of the commercial property. Glenn and John Singleton were ordered to enter the building in breathing apparatus which they were already wearing. They were the first two Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus at this initial stage, who penetrated into the building. There were other Firefighters assisting by advancing the single (charged with water) hose(main jet) who were rapidly lost to sight as they advanced into the deteriorating conditions.       

Eventually the fire required the attendance of a total of 20+ appliances, in the region of 120 Firefighters.   

A catalogue of blunders happened once inside the incident. This was a fully stocked retail carpet and furniture store open to the public – with highly flammable and toxic foam based materials; reaching the fire on the first floor proved difficult with the large jet. By the time they got to the first floor, their water supply for firefighting had been  interrupted several times, leaving both men highly vulnerable. The hose got wrapped around several large pieces of furniture.

It is difficult to describe the circumstances that Firefighters’ regularly meet, but like the accomplished Firefighters they were on their way into the first floor through the smoke they identfied a window that might become their means of escape should they need it.

Due to the heavy disruptive sounds of combustion allied with the sounds of water jets striking the contents which were falling over or down inside the burning building, communication with colleagues outside was, as usual, troublesome.   

Although all the signs were there to professional external observers outside they were unaware of the conditions inside on the first floor, when without warning, a classic ‘flashover’ occurred on the ground floor beneath both Firefighters. In micro seconds, which is usual, both experienced Firefighters immediately knew what was happening; perhaps they saw the rolling wall of flame advancing towards them, the fireball,  as the large mass of distilled gases from the heated furniture and carpets instantly ignited.

Both Firefighters instantly knew they were in mortal danger.

In that instant their PPE, tunics, and equipment, although flame proofed, started to ignite as they began to experience the appalling temperature of the ‘fireball’ usually in such circumstance, in excess of over 1500⁰C degrees; even their very perspiration in their uniforms turned instantly into scalding steam; it was also at this point that their communication failed completely.

Only seconds before, as the smoke cleared momentarily as the air/oxygen was being back drafted, sucked into the ignited ‘fireball’, Glenn and John had once more observed the window they spoke of using as their means of escape if the fire became any more aggressive than it already was. The window had already fallen out due to the intense heat and this left a clean exit hole.

Both Firefighters abandoned their jet and stumbled to the window crying for help and one of the two of them had the presence of mind, as training kicked in, to activate his Distress Signal Unit which both had permanently attached to their breathing apparatus.

Despite their joint calls for assistance and with numerous Firefighters and Commanders in the vicinity, they still could not be heard.

They were both experiencing the physical effects of being incinerated and were in horrific and unimaginable pain. In similar circumstances surviving Firefighters have spoken of being completely immersed in purple and red flames.

Both Firefighters continued to cry for help at the window but by now they could not be seen due to the thick black dense smoke returning after the ‘flashover’ ignited; smoke  which surrounded the building especially where they were; nor could they be heard against the noise of the burning building, falling glazing, collapsing ceilings, and the appliances pumping in the immediate vicinity.   

At this point Firefighter John Singleton inexplicably turned away and stumbled into the smoke leaving the relative safety of the window. It can only be speculated that John had gone to try and seek out another exit to save them both, believing that if they remained where they were, they were both inevitably going to die.

Glenn stayed put, hoping someone would soon see him, or come to their rescue. He curled up in a foetal position on the floor, it is always a little cooler there, as he had been taught and knew from training, but he also believed he really was going to die as he felt his clothing, skin, and flesh burning.

It seemed only seconds later, that a jet of water came through the window and Glenn put himself in its way to cool his burning body down whilst continuing to cry for help. Despite the water coming through the window he believed that he had still not been heard. At that point he put his foot and hands on the window frame and his boot over the window cill, and his boot was immediately seen.

He was rescued seconds later though subsequently the aluminium ladder head he was rescued from melted in the intense heat.

However, he was severely burned with his uniform and gloves and equipment melted down onto his skin.

Glenn’s close friend and colleague Firefighter John Singleton did not come out of the building alive. He perished in the fire. His charred remains were found later the following morning.

John left a wife, his Widow, with two young children.

As one might imagine Glenn suffers inexplicable ‘survivor’s guilt’ and immense sense of bereavement as a result.

Glenn suffered 30%, 3^rd degree burns including additional scarring later from the skin graft operations covering both his quadricep muscles, one gastrocnemius muscle and his gluteus maximus muscles; debilitating respiratory injuries, which remain with him today, with both his lungs and bronchii severely damaged, allied with physical and psychological disabilities, as he now reaches State Pension age.

For many years he remained undiagnosed with PTSD.

He was placed in Intensive Care in the ‘Burns Unit’ at the Royal Preston Hospital for 7.5 weeks where fought for his survival. He had two skin graft operations, each involving 350 – 450 staples, which was excruciating for him when they were removed.

The following two years Glenn spent convalescing, during which time he had to wear an upper torso, arms and hands – 600 denier pressure suit, which was unbearable for him and very uncomfortable most of the time.

Glenn learned he had disabilities with his back, shoulders, arms and hands. Furthermore, he continues to suffer bouts of acute breathing difficulties and unbeknown to him at the time, he was suffering from full blown PTSD.

Glenn was on full pay during treatment for his burns for two years. But, despite the extent of Glenn’s injuries, he wanted to return to work.

The Fire Service refused to allow him to return and he was forced to leave his beloved career by being compulsorily retired; a career in which he had planned to climb the promotional ladder before he was struck by this personal tragedy.

Glenn had been studying for a Degree in Psychology to enhance his career opportunities and chances of promotion within the Fire Service.

His PTSD was not diagnosed during his rehabilitation. He is both sympathetic, understanding, and realistic that very little was known about this medical condition at the time.

Glenn managed to continue studying for his Psychology Degree. It was during his studying that he recognised his poor mental health was due to PTSD.

It took a few more years of self-treatments which he had learned during his studying and qualifying for his Degree to enable him, to help himself to recover some measure of reasonable mental and emotional health.

Nevertheless he still suffers bouts of depression as a result of the fire compounded with survivors’ guilt which as you might expect he recognises but can do little about.

His maltreatment about his pensions from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service commencing in 2007 have not been either helpful or sympathetic.

Glenn was paid his full salary for two years after which he was compulsorily retired.

Under his 1992 Pension Scheme he was informed he was entitled to and was informed he would receive enhanced pensions which in reality was far lower than his Fire Service salary, and what he expected to receive.

His employment options were quite pitiful due to his disabilities and the intimidating physical appearance of his scars.

Other prospects, in other careers which he would like to have applied for, were simply out of the question and beyond reach given the nature of his disabilities. Glenn loved animals and would love to have retrained as a vet. Unfortunately, his burn injuries, meant he simply had not the manipulative skills to hold surgical instruments in his hands and this ruled this opportunity out.

In the meantime Glenn succeeded in obtaining his first Psychology Degree. Notwithstanding, the only job out the hundreds of jobs he applied for, who were happy to employ him in the future, were those who stated that if he went did another degree , a Masters, they would consider employing him.

So undaunted, Glenn went on to get a second Psychology Degree , his Masters Degree with Honours and then undertook numerous post-graduate courses to support his work; all eventually paid for by himself and his meagre pension.

However, the role in which he was eventually to be employed was to write psychological reports for prisoners. Due to the burns and depth of disabilities in both hands, Glenn was not able to type or write his own reports for Court as he could not grasp a pen. All prisons only allow see-through biro pens and a two-hour slot for taking briefs. Even if Glenn could have used a thicker set pen, he still could not write at speed.  Despite his obvious disfigurements the prison service refused to allow him to use a Dictaphone.

Accordingly, to enable him to continue with his employment, Glenn had to pay for an assistant to travel to prisons and write his interviews for him and then type up his reports after as well. He needed someone else to be ‘his hands’ for his career, which was not cost effective and prevented Glenn from receiving an income that another psychologist with his extensive qualifications could have gained.

This arrangement was not well received by prisoners who were required to disclose private and personal matters, such as past sexual, mental, or physical childhood abuse they had suffered, or past traumatic incidents which were paramount for their psychological reports.

Having two people interviewing prisoners over such issues can be regarded by prisoners and their representatives as non-intentional intimidation.  Therefore, solicitors who employed Glenn only gave him work that would have avoided these issues and as a consequence he could not work full time.

Some weeks he did not get any work or income. The enhanced Fire Service Pension and Injury Award  Pension he trusted he was correctly receiving simply did not cover the cost of living. At times in his struggle back to self-respect it meant he had to do without the basic necessities.

During that period, Glenn was providing for his ex-wife and two children, his marriage a collateral victim of all this tragedy; and also for his second wife with two children (his stepson and another son with her). His stepson was severely handicapped and needed 24-hour care. This meant his second wife could not work to supplement their income.

Glen had no quality of life whatsoever during this period of his life but his sense of duty to those he loved continued to drive him foward.

Glenn contacted the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service(LFRS) a few years later when he was by then a fully qualified psychologist with several post-graduate qualifications. He saw a position advertised for a therapist to work with Firefighters of all ranks who had suffered trauma or PTSD.

Glenn was told he was the ideal candidate. An ex-Firefighter who had survived a serious fire incident and who had gone on to become a psychologist, specialising in trauma. The LFRS put Glenn on their books, which gave him a huge lift in morale foreseeing that he would be back working with the career he truly loved.

Despite being on their books for several years, they never used him once. As one might imagine this rejection was a huge personal disappointment and a set back to his overall recovery. He felt he was being intentionally excluded by the LFRS but he could not understand what he had done wrong, other than to survive.

Glenn’s first wife with whom he remained in constant responsible contact developed Motor Neurons Disease when his eldest two children were teenagers. Sadly she died after 8 months and his daughter and son came to live with him.

The house, which he had bought when married to his first wife, was left in her will to be sold and the money was put into trust for their two children when they reached maturity.     

Glenn’s second marriage also broke down soon after, once more an indirect consequence of all this tragedy complicated by his second wife’s affair with her eldest son’s carer. Later she moved in with the carer taking her eldest son with her and leaving Glenn with their youngest son and his two children from his first marriage.

Glenn generously gave his ex-wife the 50% equity from their home so she could buy a home with her new girlfriend. It was agreed by the courts that neither had to pay the others maintenance as Glenn had the youngest son and two children and she had her eldest son. Despite his divorce settlement from her, he still also generously provided her with maintenance to support her eldest son and youngest son when he visited her. He often gave her extra money at times when she demanded it and he could ill afford it. Glenn did not want to see his stepson go without those items necessary to a young person advancement in life.

Later Glenn,14 years ago, met his third wife Angelica, a journalist and voluntary crisis negotiator and suicide intervention specialist. She moved into Glenn’s home with her children and contributed generously towards its complete modernisation.

Angelica would attend the prisons with Glenn to take his notes and she would type up the reports afterwards. It was during these prison visits she recognised prisoners with suicidal PTSD and would volunteer their joint services to help them recover. Many prisoners were seriously abused in their childhoods and many were veterans in prison having suffered PTSD or C/PTSD (Complex PTSD after suffering abuse in their childhoods too and then military trauma).

Notwithstanding, the government several years ago, stopped payments for psychologists travelling time and expenses which was Glenn’s primary paid work and income. This meant Glenn would have to subsidise out of his own pocket the joint cost of the travelling.

Quite often they visited prisons 200 to 400 miles away. Once arrived, they would sometimes be told the prisoner had misbehaved and was in isolation, or unwell that day, or had been moved to another prison, or the prison was on lockdown for another crisis. This was happening quite often. It was impossible to claim for the loss of travelling expenses and the days missed work or indeed the whole case.

Prisons do not have a system to inform professional visitors or indeed the prisoner’s families and friends beforehand to prevent wasted journeys. Next, they reduced the cost of a psychologist and then finally Legal Aid stopped altogether about 7 – 8 years ago when Judges were allowed to sentence prisoners without a psychological report.    

Glenn found it extremely hard to find new work. He had applied for hundreds of jobs. Most never replied.

The few that did, made an excuse why they could not employ him. This was because Glenn by this time was in his 60’s. A few jobs that he did take, such as driving and carrying parcels, or building work, were too painful for his mobility difficulties, but he struggled on.         

Despite all this Glenn and his wife Angelica still provide voluntary work with suicidal people regularly. Ironically some of those have included Fire and Rescue personnel.

Before the tragedy, Glenn had been enthusiastic about life. He thoroughly enjoyed his years in the Fire Brigade (as it was then called) and was close friends with all of his colleagues. He enjoyed the strong sense of camaraderie. He had the upmost respect for the whole of the Fire Brigade. At the time he saw it as a vocation that would continue with him for life.

Glenn had done incredibly well at school with his exams, including A-levels. He totally appreciated his career as an operational Firefighter, yet, he was exceptionally ambitious with significant plans to gain promotions to take him through to the highpoint of his career. A feature of his strategy was to further educate himself and he chose to do a Degree in Psychology. He judged, even before the disaster, the Fire Brigade would eventually require such skills, due to the large number of traumatic events Firefighters continue to deal with on a daily basis.

Once Glenn had his Degree, he planned to submit applications for promotion. Thereafter, he would continue studying to perfect his growing roles within the Service. Glenn’s senior officers were aware of his plans and had encouraged him to study.

After the fire, Glenn still believed, because he was still in the Fire Brigade, that he would still be eligible to engage with work within the Service once he recovered. He fully understood his injuries probably would not allow for the continuance of the operational side of his work anymore.

Therefore, whilst convalescing, despite the pain he continued to suffer, he was mentally driven to complete his first Degree in Psychology which he did shortly after. He was equipped and available to explore new opportunities within the Fire Service. He was ready to challenge the disabilities with his hands and seek roles that could still lead to a senior position.   

The Fire Brigade paid Glenn a full wage for two years and he expected he would be able to return to work albeit in a new role. He was shocked and bewildered when not only did they refuse him another position within the Fire Brigade, but they immediately stopped his salary, compulsorily discharging him, and gave him Pensions which were meant to be ‘enhanced’ which in reality were far below his normal standard of living.

This caused a huge disturbance in his life, as he had two families to support and it caused him to suffer additional anxiety and depression and set back his recovery for many years. His first wife stopped him from seeing his children as a result and the small amount of compensation Glenn had been given went on court costs and paying more finances to his ex-wife.  

Whilst working for the Fire Brigade for 14 years, Glenn had trusted they were good employers. He felt at the time they were a band of brothers who looked out and took care of each other. He felt the Fire Service would honour those who had fallen in Service, especially those who had risked their lives and who had even saved lives by doing so.  He felt betrayed and powerless to do anything about it. He believes he was deprived of not only the quality of his life but his career and promotions too, had he been allowed to stay in the Fire Service in a new role. He knows he has lost continual earnings, promotion, and potential promotion earnings too. It has been a bitter blow to all his dreams and hopes.

As a consequence of the disaster and the appalling way Glenn was treated by the Fire Service during his injuries and afterwards, he felt extremely suicidal and had a plan to end his life. Glenn truly believed his loved ones would be better off without him. He often went without meals; did not go out or socialise unless he had to, and even if he did have to go somewhere, especially hospital appointments, he would do  his best not to use the car to save on costs and fuel.

Holidays and breaks did not happen for many years. When they did, he could only afford cheap UK breaks. Even now, in the last fourteen years, Glenn has only had one holiday, which was only possible due to a small sum inherited after his mum passed away.

Glenn made several consistent and repeated sacrifices to keep both families afloat.

Whilst studying for his second Psychology Degree, Glenn ingeniously opened up a pet shop to create an income, which would make sure he could securely pay maintenance to his ex-wife, support his new family, provide him with his hobby of animal care; additionally it would finance his Master’s Degree and all subsequent post-graduate courses.

Despite his love of animals and the business just providing the essentials, which he was happy to do, Glenn’s breathing difficulties often arose. Eventually he had to sell his business. Unfortunately, another pet shop had opened up within 40 meters of Glenn’s shop, which put potential buyers off. Therefore, he had to reluctantly sell it at negative equity.

Nevertheless, by this point Glenn had gained his Master’s Degree with Honours and several post-graduate course Diplomas. He was optimistic regardless of having to sell his pet shop and believed he would soon be able to make up for the money lost.

Glenn was a successful psychologist for the psychological company which he worked for. Unfortunately, due to the extent of his injuries, he has other expenses which he has to pay for. He has to pay for an assistant.

Frequently, if a prison over 50-80 miles away gave an early morning appointment, Glenn would have to pay for two hotel rooms. This was never taken into account when it came to paying tax as it was not seen as a requirement. His disability provided numerous trials, tribulations, and discriminations, which he has had to face – alone.

Glenn had to wake several hours before work, to get his circulation and muscles ‘warmed’ up. He has several exercises he has to do daily to move his arms and hands. It became simply impractical for him to get up so early just in order to arrive on time at the prisons.

In addition he had to keep up with his psychology studying, and his course work was expected of him. Quite often, when he was doing research, he would have to pay companies to write his work via a Dictaphone to permit him to submit his work on time.  All of this came at an extra high cost. He entirely loved his work, yet he was not earning to his true potential.

Glenn does not hold any animosity towards his Fire Service comrades.  He prefers to remember the good times he had when serving and there are numerous happy memories and  the phenomenal support he had from the grassroots. His colleagues/friends from that time are still in touch with him and he has socialised with them many times since.

By contrast, however, he feels his rejection in employment by the LFRS is not just an accidental failure in support by the Fire Service hierarchy, but rather a deliberate act of ostracisation.

Immediately after the disaster happened Glenn was rushed to The Royal Preston Hospital, an Assistant Chief Fire Officer(ACO) called Livesey ordered that no other Firefighter could visit Glenn, stating it was now a legal matter.

The same ACO came to see Glenn in hospital shortly after the disaster to inform him he was not permitted to have Firefighters come to see him due to the investigation into the fire.

Ultimately ACO J.Livesey became the author of the Fire Investigation.

Glenn was beyond anguish when eventually he learned that John had died. He felt the system he had faith in was suddenly rejecting him just when he needed it most, especially when they told him he was not allowed any visitors who worked for the Fire Brigade.

He was also warned not to speak about the fire to anyone and ‘what really happened’ which had caused him to suffer such horrific life-threatening and life changing burns.
Incidentally, all of his colleagues/friends ignored the order to refrain from visiting his bedside and they all visited daily. This helped Glenn enormously with his recovery.

Not too long after, Glenn was made to sign an Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). He was gagged from talking about the fire.

All these years later Glenn has felt obliged to hold his own council. He was worried talking about the truth, despite it being of public interest.  He feared a heavy fine, disciplinary action, or even a prison sentence might follow if he was to reveal the truth of what had actually happened on that fateful day.

Furthermore, he was fearful of losing his pensions as he was informed at the time that he would only receive his pensions if he abided by the NDA.

Glenn and all the other Firefighters know exactly what caused the fire to suddenly roll over into a ‘Flashover’; a ‘Flashover’ which put him and John in mortal danger, and which ultimately led to John’s death which widowed his wife and left his children to grow up without a father; and in the process very nearly cost Glenn his life also.

A young and inexperienced middle ranking officer, an Assistant Divisional Officer, who was at that stage in charge of the incident ordered windows in the building to be broken to ventilate the building including, unusually, the use of the head a turntable ladder.

However, in doing so, he introduced fresh oxygen into the fire which was drawn into the building, in particular into the well-established fire on the ground floor, and as a consequence this caused the initial ‘Flashover’ in the ground floor above which on the first floor both of the Firefighters were working.

It is a historical and sad statistical fact that in almost every occasion when Firefighters are unwittingly put in hazard over a well established fire beneath them, the results are usually predictably fatal to those Firefighters.

Film footage originated at the time has been located; evidence which confirms other Firefighters statements concerning this ‘ventilation’ and which has been documented and commissioned for a feature length book featuring Glenn’s life story.

Glenn feels he was cruelly treated and his survival meant nothing to the Service he loved when the disaster happened. He was utterly despondent when he lost his career when it was confirmed that there was no possibility of re-instatement even in a changed role.

He felt abused and deliberately misled when they accepted him back to work expecting to work with Firefighters suffering trauma but over time they failed to use his expertise once.

He believed this was just a deceitful act  which was meant to just pacifying him because they did not want him near any other Firefighters who might want know how he got his injuries and his PTSD in the Service. He knows now they deliberately misled him into believing he was going to work with Firefighters again just to keep him silent.

Glenn, once a week receives, an industrial disability injury benefit. Several years ago in 2007, the LFRS deducted it from his injury pension which they were entitled to do but they insisted that he pay back £7000.0 because they said he had not informed them that he was receiving this DWP benefit.

Glenn wants to know how could they not know given the nature of his injuries which were all recorded in his Personal Record File? A question to which he has never received an answer.

This setback has caused Glenn to suffer extreme financial hardship for several more years.

Furthermore, he has only been able to afford the interest payments on his mortgage, due to the ‘enhanced’ pension, which in fact he is not receiving, having just learned recently that his pension has been underpaid all these years; a pension which does not allow him enough money to pay off the equity due either.

In a few years his mortgage will end and there is no lump sum to pay off the mortgage.                

Glenn painstakingly accepts he lost his beloved career. However, due to his significant visible and non-visible scarring, lifelong physical injuries that still cause him pain, poor physical health, stress, and inefficient mental health as a result  all this left him still struggling to financially survive.

He knows that he could have been treated with more respect, opportunities, and understanding.

His injuries will continue to affect him for the rest of his life. At 66-years-old when everybody else has retired long ago in the Fire Service, he is still fighting to try and survive day-to-day. His wife Angelica gave up her career to help Glenn with his and it has led her into working voluntary with suicidal people up and down the country. This is an area they have tried to get funding for and been told they cannot have it  because they set this up as a private voluntary organisation.

Even though, regardless, that initially it was only setup to help out the local people and some prisoners, Angelica is now sought throughout the UK and internationally, giving advice to several other services, including the military, prisons, and emergency services.

Glenn provides all the treatments and therapy free. Due to the nature of suicide, it cannot be morally justified to charge for a service which is by its nature life saving.

Therefore, as a writer, journalist, and investigative journalist too, she is incorporating all their knowledge into a book. Furthermore, she is writing the book about her husband, Glenn.

Nothing will compensate for what Glenn has suffered all these years, but the truth will help. He needs justice, fair play, and to be paid a pension which he paid for in every sense.   

Glenn feels betrayed and wholly disappointed that he risked his life and John lost his.

His pension was supposed to mirror the benevolent aspect of the police services pension schemes. They get what they were promised and retired disabled Fire Service Veterans, their Widows, and Beneficiaries are cheated.

Before the Fire Service, Glenn had worked at a wide range of occupations and found them to be tedious and unchallenging. He felt he had found his calling when he joined the Fire Service. He enjoyed going to work, it was adventurous and stimulating. Even without the excitement of being operational turning out to incidents there was variety and new challenges every day.

The bond between his friends at work is unbreakable and he is thankful for their friendship right to this day. 

***********    

Assistant Chief Fire Officer John Livesey.

Livesey very early in his colourful career had earned the sobriquet ‘Knuckles’ from the rank and file. Some said that this was because his family had run boxing booths on the Golden Mile in Blackpool, others, that he had a novel way of enforcing his questionable orders with his fists at the back of the proverbial Drill Tower, a favoured spot in the UK Fire Service for settling disputes or personal disaffection…

At one point in his service the Bugler was his ‘boss’ and on one notorious occasion on an international rescue mission in Armenia, Livesey was allegedly the Bugler’s boss, but that must keep for another day but centres around a musical instrument ‘liberated’ in Armenia by ‘The Knuckles’ himself …clearly having a great accord with ‘foreigners’ he thought that permanently borrowing an accord-ion would help entent cordiale disregarding that fact for all of us under Soviet martial law that it might end at dawn in front of a row of Kalashnikovs…

The Chief of day was, in the Bugler’s hearing, heard to comment how puzzled he was with the amount of Armenian cigars Knuckles he seemed to smoke on his return, adding rather acerbically that he seemed to smoke them from ever natural orifice, and then some…

Of course, his advance or ‘leg up’ , or ‘show a leg’ quite literally, as you prefer, was assisted by his membership of the ‘family’ a chummy description of being a Freemason where in reality all his orders and promotion actually came from.

Knuckles was a natural fit for the role of Fire Investigator in

this horror at Backpool because in addition, if an incentive was needed, the Officers who created this fateful debacle were all members of the ‘family’ which brings a clarion call of a ‘Mason in distress’, not for the dead or wounded mind, but the ‘surviving’ Officers and their careers…

The Bugler had discussed with the Chief the probability of him, from another Division, doing the investigation but the Chief’s spluttered response and ashen glance was lost  in the ether, and it never happened.

In point of fact the Brigade, no Brigade, ought to ever investigate itself in such fatal circumstances.

But all that having been said let LIvesey’s Report speak for itself with it unsigned addendum from a chappy called McMillan a HQ wallah, who it is believed returned to his native Belfast on retirement …now the Bugler wonders what if some fine day in the fair city…

Should disabled FSV-GW, who was recently informed by the LFRS that they were going to deduct his State Pension from his underpaid Injury Pension, become thoroughly disillusion by this totally unlawful act, he might be prepared to release unpublished videos of this incident to the Morning Bugler encouraging his former colleagues who have continued to suffer from undiagnosed PTSD to sue, because as we all know there is no time limit on a criminal act called ‘arson’, or for that matter fraudulence, in knowingly failing to pay the correct pensions from any pension fund.

 Now for these great works of fiction and literary art, as art goes, Go Here , to the TMB Library Year 2020.