Firefighters save suicide man and help at blaze

Firefighters have left an Essex picket line to aid police and Green Goddess crews at a house fire.

And in an incident in Surrey, two firefighters left the picket line to help resuscitate a man who had attempted to commit suicide in a department store.

The Essex fire crew rushed to the incident in Southend but were not required to assist in dealing with it.

Two police officers had already kicked in doors to save an unconscious woman from a blazing flat at the top of a block.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was carried out unconscious suffering from smoke inhalation.

She was taken by ambulance to Southend General Hospital for emergency treatment. Her condition was not thought to be life threatening.

The two police officers on routine patrol were at the flat just two minutes after a Green Goddess crew - which later arrived with a police escort - had been called.

The actions of the fire crew which turned up later were praised by FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist, who said: "This is a further example of the fact that our members are the ultimate humanitarians, whether on duty, off duty or on strike."