Wycombe Hospital among flood call outs for fire crews (From Bucks Free Press)

Wycombe Hospital among flood call outs for fire crews

4:30pm Monday 13th February 2012 in News By James Nadal

FIREFIGHTERS were called to various parts of the county due to flooding over the weekend – including Wycombe Hospital.

Since the cold snap began, crews have been dealing with numerous call outs as icy conditions lead to water pipes freezing and then bursting.

On Saturday at 10.45pm High Wycombe fire station was called to Wycombe Hospital where there had been flooding in the lower basement of the main building.

Two crews from High Wycombe attended and dealt with the problem in about 15 minutes.

Hospital spokesman Richard Burton said: “We can confirm that there was minor flooding to the basement area of the tower block on Saturday due to a frozen pipe.

"This resulted in minor damage which is currently being repaired.

“It was not in a patient area and did not affect clinical services.”

There was also a false alarm at the hospital the same night, about 9pm, due a build-up of humidity in a room on the third floor of the BMI Shelburne Hospital.

Firefighters were called out due to flooding several times this weekend, including in Iver, Beaconsfield and Chesham.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service said it responds to 999 calls where there is a hazard from flood water affecting the electricity supply or where vulnerable people are at risk, but it cannot fix burst pipes.

Community safety manager Chris Bailey said: “With an increasing demand for help during snowy and icy periods, it’s essential that residents only call us when there is a genuine risk to life.

“We strongly recommend residents know where to locate and how to isolate their water and electrical supplies so that we don’t divert valuable resources from our primary functions - fighting fires and responding to collisions and other life-threatening emergencies."

Residents affected by these problems are advised to isolate their water or electrical supply where possible and to contact a local trader to fix the leak.