God yes Hands, yes, this :
"Nothing much to add really other than if you are an emergency services worker in this country, a volunteer or anyone else who works so hard for others, thank you from the bottom of my heart."
When my home was flooded (from a stoned wanker 3 floors above cutting the water main to his house), the fire service and police were amazing.
They helped save some of me and baby DS's most precious things when all they had to do was help me and DS.
But they did more, because that's what they do. Over and over again.
I remember how kindly one came to break the news that the water was coming down the walls now and nothing else was salvageable... and she was so kind as she thought I'd be upset but I wasn't because I was just so glad they were there and how much they helped already.
I wasn't even sure I should have called them but they were so lovely and reassuring. They even drove us to a hotel and argued with (bloody awful jobsworth) hotel staff for over an hour to get us in a room for the night, which lasted weeks in the end.
I feel duty bound to explain that I'm disabled, and had injured self trying to get help, and lived alone with a young toddler, as DS was then, so not quite the horrendous waste of resources you might be thinking. Hadn't even thought about electrics and water, in my panic, and was knee high with water running down onto me through the electric sockets (whilst carrying DS ffs) - A funny story nowadays but obviously could have ended very differently.
I remember saying for weeks and weeks after how amazing they all were, and how I'd never met anyone else that I'd rather have around in a (bigger) emergency.
I hope that some of the people have had that same feeling, even just a bit, though I know the situations aren't comparable.
Someone interviewed said a fire fighter was lying on the ground and still managed to guide him to safety, by gesture and touch.
I hope that firefighter is ok tonight. 