Over 300 emergency calls received by Dorset Fire during peak of Storm Eunice

OVER 300 emergency calls were received by Dorset Fire Services at the height of Storm Eunice.

Between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Friday February 18, more than 300 emergency calls were received by Fire Control, many reporting fallen trees, downed electrical cables and damage to buildings.

In the same period, there were 22 storm-related incidents involving fire crews in Dorset. Five other incidents were witnessed by a single officer in the county.

The service thanked residents who heeded the plea not to call 999 for damage caused by the general storm.

Group director Wayne Jones said: ‘Firefighters can only help when people are in danger or when electrical devices are involved and create a potential fire hazard. Also, if our operators answer calls to 999 for things we cannot help with, it could delay answering a call where the situation is life threatening.

“Although there was an exceptionally high number of calls received today (Friday), we believe that people have responded to our requests and we thank them for that. Although the worst of the time is hopefully over – le, we always urge people to consider whether there is a real danger before calling 999 – fallen trees should be reported to the local authority – and damage to your home should be resolved with a contractor and your insurance.