News that a fire crew is under investigation for sleeping on the job comes as no surprise to Guru. After all, firemen have long been known for getting paid to push out the Zs, in between games of pool and attending discos with nurses and WPCs.
Oh yes, and tending to the odd fire or road traffic accident.
Of course, Guru only says this through gritted teeth as he is somewhat jealous of the exciting lifestyle and inherent dangers that these flamebusters face in the line of duty.
Yes, it’s a tough life they live, and Guru can only sympathise with the hapless Manchester Three who ignored the perfectly good reclining chairs that had been specially purchased to ensure they were at least in a semi-upright position when the alarm sounded.
It turns out the crew fell asleep on the floor, next to the chairs, in breach of health and safety regulations – a pile of sleeping firemen clearly constitutes a fire hazard.
In time-honoured fashion, and not wishing to inflame the situation, a spokesman for the Fire Brigades Union dubbed Manchester Fire Service bosses ‘the furniture police’, and accused the authorities of making a mountain out of a mole hill – or rather a sofa out of a deckchair.
However, Guru notes that the men had been told they could not use the new chairs until they had read through a four-page health and safety booklet. Four pages? That’s enough to send any public servant to sleep.
