SLIT LAMP FIRE SEES NUMEROUS FIRE CREWS MOBILISED TO ST MARY'S HOSPITAL

Jun 14, 2023

Several fire crews were called to St Mary’s Hospital earlier this morning (Tuesday) after a piece of medical equipment started emitting smoke.

Firefighters from Newport, Ryde and Freshwater were called to the hospital in the County Town at around 09:55.

The clinic affected – believed to be the out patient unit – was evacuated as crews arrived to discover a small item of electrical equipment – a slit lamp – smouldering.

Smoke was cleared using ventilation fans before resources from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service stood down from the scene at just after 10:00.

Island Echo understands that delays to appointments are currently being experienced as a result.

Don’t miss another story! Get the Island’s latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Hope the managers were safe, oh yes of course they are, all locked up cosy in their offices. Well done to the fire service, efficient unlike the bosses at St Marys.

Small electrical fire easily extinguished by un plugging and moving outside,are there no fire marshal’s in St Mary’s – 3 fire appliance’s.!.

Don’t think people know what a slit lamp is ?.

Lighting up slits ..!

No fire marshalls, really? surely that’s illegal then.

Maybe they are working from home.

Obviously the Fire Services have nothing better to do.

All monumentally trivial stuff which in a former age would have been swiftly dealt with by people of intelligence and presence of mind at the hospital. But that age is long gone. An infantilised citizenry now calls the mechanised hi-vis establishment out in force for the slightest thing. Surprised to see that the air ambulance wasn’t scrambled.

Won’t be long before fire brigade are called out to someone who’s mouth is emitting smoke from a glowing roll of paper and tobacco!. The time they waited for fire appliance’s could of seen a bigger fire. I often catch small things on fire as am a bit neglegnt when welding, filling lawn mower or bonfire,but I make sure I have extinguisher or hose ready and quickly eradicate and carry on. A slit lamp is usually portable and easy enough to move don’t think anything explosive once power turned off.

Don’t forget the Coastguard and Lifeboat.

I feel this ‘former age’ as you put it is somewhat gone because of the ‘where there is blame there is a claim’ culture that exists these days.