Two periods of strike action by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) at either end of the weekend have passed relatively quietly for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.
During this morning's two-hour strike (6 - 8am) firefighters were called to attend just one incident in Morley, which was an automatic fire alarm that turned out to be a false alarm.
On Friday night, FBU members were on strike between 6.30 and 11pm and during this time the fire service were required to attend three incidents. Firefighters assisted police at the scene of a road accident in Marham shortly after the strike began and later attended an alarm activation in King's Lynn which was a false alarm. At 10.42pm a crew from Mundesley were called to deal with a petrol leak following a road collision in Trimingham. The fire control room received one further call during the period of the strike but the fire service was not required to attend.
David Ashworth, Area Manager at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: Â "With bonfire events and some wet and windy weather over the weekend, this could have been a tricky time to not have the fire service at full strength. We had plans in place so that we could respond in any eventuality but it seems people really helped us by being careful and keeping safe during these times and these plans weren't really tested."
Dan Roper, Cabinet Member for Public Protection at Norfolk County Council, said: "Thank you to everyone who helped make these strike periods pass quietly. If their services are needed the fire service always wants to get a call and get out to an incident as quickly as possible. However we'd all much rather emergency situations didn't arise in the first place so that people's safety isn't put at risk.
"We're just heading into winter and the season poses its own set of challenges to the public and the fire service. I'd ask people to continue to help our emergency services and make their own safety, and those of the people around them, a priority."
The Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service website has lots of advice on how to reduce fire risks and keep safe both in the Your Safety section and the Business Safety section
