FIREMAN Dave Exley has felt the heat many times in his 32-year career. But the worst incidents, he says, have been in the last 12 months.

He retired this week following a long career at Barnsley Fire Station.

In the last year, he battled to save a Doncaster family trapped in a house fire, help a tree surgeon who had slipped and cut his throat with his chainsaw and got stuck in a cavity wall engulfed in a fire ball.

The most tragic was the house fire which killed the parents, two young children and an unborn baby. Dave, 50, said: “No matter how much training you have had, when you get a job like that your heart is banging and protocol goes to the wall.

“The heat was ferocious. It was like a smash and grab, we got in so quickly and got them out so quickly but it was horrible. There must have been 150 people out on the street screaming ‘get the kids out’.”

Now he has retired, Dave hopes to develop Barugh Juniors FC where he is secretary. He says he will miss the camaraderie of the fire service the most.

He added: “Other than the armed forces there is no other job like it. We work, eat and sleep together going through the stress and the funny things.

“I couldn’t have had a better job. I feel proud to have been a fireman for 32 years and have done a good job serving the people of Barnsley.”

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