Fire Service this week.

Lord Waddington was given a guided tour of Hamilton Fire Station and was shown various pieces of equipment vital to the job of fire-fighters when they are saving lives.

The Fire Service is constantly looking for new ideas to improve the safety of its crews, the speed of its response and how it deals with incidents.

It can then provide an effective service to deal with fires, floods and accidents throughout the Island.

The Governor was shown the latest fire appliances, chemical protection uniforms and the proximity suit which means fire-fighters can get close to certain blazes.

But it was also explained how new technology was being used in the control room for quick responses to incidents. A fax machine has recently been added which is a particular help in chemical incidents when details of substances involved need to be known.

At present four new forms of breathing apparatus from England, Canada, the United States and Scandanavia are being tested for future use.

Lt. Jon Thompson said: "We have to keep up with technology. It is easy to fall behind.'' The Governor was shown how to use hydraulic and cutting gear and he was able to use the gear to cut into a vehicle and hydraulically move a steering wheel from a dummy trapped in the car.

PLUMED FOR FUMES -- The Governor of Bermuda gave up his official plumed hat to try on part of a fire service proximity suit used for close-up firefighting.

He is helped by Firefighter Theron Smith.