Firefighters Prepare For New Station

When the fire brigade moves from its existing site in Market Street to the new building in Charlotte Street, they face delays getting to the station because of the busy traffic in that part of the town.

Although the traffic will not affect response times, the firefighters also lose out financially because they only get paid if they get there in time to get on the fire engine.

Fire station manager Ally Macdonald said: "There are only six seats in the fire engine, so if you happen to be stuck in traffic and you live the furthest away you may end up always being the seventh or eighth person to arrive and then you don't get paid.

"I am looking at a range of ways to help firefighters get there quicker and one of the ideas I have had is to ask the fire service for some funding to buy them all bikes.

"I think it would make things easier because they could cut through the traffic and it would be more environmentally friendly."

Ally is also hoping to recruit a couple more members and is planning a big recruitment drive in the High Street in Crediton in the near future.

He said: "We have always been lucky in having lots of volunteers, including four or five members who are teenagers or in their early 20's, and that is great because we enjoy having their youth and enthusiasm.

"But we don't care what your age is, if you are interested in joining we would like to hear from you."

Building work is due to start on the new station in a couple of weeks, and it will also be the new base for the town's army cadet force.

The former site will be demolished to make way for Crediton's town square project.

Ally said: "We will have much better training facilities at the new site, and also an extra appliance bay, so we may be able to get another appliance there in the future."

The town's firefighters have got together with Crediton Drama Centre and will produce a show in November celebrating the life of the old fire station.