British Pathe

Special services firemen in Watford, Hertfordshire demonstrate their latest equipment.

C/U of a young boy, Steven Guyton with his head stuck through some railings and looking left and right for help. M/S of the boy as he stands stuck at the fence by a field as a man appears and tries to help...

Special services firemen in Watford, Hertfordshire demonstrate their latest equipment.

C/U of a young boy, Steven Guyton with his head stuck through some railings and looking left and right for help. M/S of the boy as he stands stuck at the fence by a field as a man appears and tries to help him, then beckons to the right. M/S of a fire engine coming along the road by the field; it mounts the pavement and comes to a halt. C/U as four firemen jump out of the door and one runs to the back of the engine to take out some equipment.

M/S of the railings and stuck boy, with the firemen crowded around him and the engine in the background. C/U of the firemen forcing the railing apart with some metal plier-type release equipment attached to a pump, then of the railings opening enough to free the boy. M/S and C/U as the boy is lifted out and up into a fireman's arms (Alan Ward), as another one removes the boy's scarf to check that he is all right and gives him a sweet.

C/U of the top of a red London Transport double-decker bus (number 11 to Liverpool Street), tilt down to show that a man is trapped against a wall by the bus, being attended to by the bus driver. M/Ss as the fire engine pulls up next to the bus, and the four firemen leap out; one of them goes to the trapped man while the other three start to unload the jack. M/S of them wheeling the jack under the bus and starting to raise it.

C/U of top of ladder, bell and flashing light at the front of the engine. M/Ss and C/Us of the jack being levered up and down, then M/S of a fireman turning the front wheel of the bus to show it is clear of the ground. Top shots and C/Us showing the men pulling the bus round and clear of the trapped man. M/S of firemen carrying the man away from the scene on a stretcher, panning right to show equipment in side of the tender. M/S of the inside of the tender; a fireman walks through and opens a drawer, good C/U of screwdrivers and various tools inside.

M/S of Fred Caldwell with oxyacetylene burner equipment and Len Davis with an electric drill jumping from the tender. FC lights the burner then C/Us as he puts on goggles and burns through some metal. C/U of electric drill going through some metal; tilt up to show LD using it. The commentator tells us that the drill is powered by the tender's generator. M/S and C/U of Tony Pusey taking an inventory of various equipment and tools, including shovels, mops, dustpan and brush, brooms.

M/S of two firemen carrying out a collapsed man; two others are placing some blankets on the ground which they place the man on. C/U of a box of breathing equipment being opened, pan to left as the breathing mask is attached to the man's face. C/U of two of the firemen.

C/U of an electric cable being unwound. C/U of three firemen running towards the camera carrying three lit flood lights powered by the tender's generator. They stop and show the lights towards camera in C/U.

Note: there are two newspaper cuttings on file about the Watford brigade and equipment.