I was a Firefighters daughter/ helper!

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None of you would know that I was brought up in a firefighters family. I think my Father joined the firebrigade not long after I was born. We lived in an industrial city in the north with a population of around 13,000 at the time. The firebrigade there, although considered a metropolitan fire service, was voluntary. Most firebrigades that are run by volunteers are country fire services. My Father was in the Firebrigade for 28 years. For 10 of those years he was the Officer in Charge. When I was in primary school, the only way fireman could be contacted to say there was a fire to urgently attend, was to have sirens put up in various locations around the town. They were very loud, so it was hoped that the firemen were in a job where they could hear the fire siren. The town dogs heard it too. Everytime the siren went off, most of the dogs would start off their howling!In our home, we had a large, loud, bell system. This would alert us at night if there was a fire. Of course, we would all wake up, not jut my father. When my Father became officer -in charge, the fire phone was put in our house. So, at all hours of the day & night, I would hear the fire phone ring. I could often tell by my Fathers tone how urgent the fire was. When a fire call was received at our house, a handle could be turned so that all the other firemen would be alerted by the bells & sirens. In my teenage years, My Father taught me how to answer fire calls & alert the Firebrigade to a fire. This would enable my parents to go out occssionally, to meetings or to socialise. So I took firecalls for a number of years. I can tell you it was quite exciting. If there is enough interest in this, I will do a further report in a few days on what happened when I took firecalls.