Page 18 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

POMPIERS
The Pompiers or Firemen in France are the No 1 emergency service. They have accident
vehicles with accommodation for injured patients as well as all the normal Fire fighting
vehicles.

Within just a few minutes the Pompiers arrived and took full charge. The doctor explained
the situation and while some coped with the traffic, the others loaded the old gentleman
into their vehicle on a stretcher.
There was an old lady too who was unhurt but dreadfully concerned for her husband,
calling him Papa constantly.

By now the Chief Fire officer had arrived in his van.

There was a third passenger in the damaged estate car and he was my charge, an elderly
Golden retriever who had been in the rear and was just concerned for what was happening
to his family.

The Fire Chief quickly absorbed the situation and as his crew were about to leave for
Soissons hospital with “Papa”, the old lady pleaded to him for help for her old dog.

He bundled them both into his van, telling the Pompiers crew that he would follow to the
hospital with Madam, as soon as he had taken the dog home.

That was about it, the estate car had been pushed to the side of the road and the doctor
made his way to his initial destination with a somewhat battered but still drive-able auto-
mobile.
Why was his car still drive-able, it was a Mercedes saloon, somewhat more solid than the
old estate car!

I can not remember there being any Police, but perhaps there were.

We continued to Soissons market and found the most amazing cheese stall to fill our
freezer box for the journey home to the UK.

During the whole short holiday, the Dyane never missed a beat. Never very fast but most
dependable.