blog.gov.jeAs the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, we caught up with Jon and Matt Coote at JFRS HQ to find out more about their careers.
For father and son Jon and Matt Coote, firefighting is a family affair.
Jon, who retired as a postman at the end of March after 23 years with Jersey Post, served as an on-call firefighter at the Western Fire Station from 1996 to 1999. He recalled “I heard an advert on the radio asking for people to come forward and it seemed like something good to do, a community thing.” There was a geographical advantage too – at the time he lived at Don Farm, just around the corner from the Western Station.
Jon vividly recalls undergoing training, rolling out hoses, making air last and using a black out mask. He also clearly recalls being given his pager in case he was called out. “When I was given the pager, the first time I was on call I kept looking at it, waiting for it to go off, but it didn’t on the first night”, he said. “It felt like a big responsibility.”
The events which stick in his memory the most as an on-call firefighter is being called out to Bellozane scrapyard, which “went up in flames” and he was kept busy laying out hoses, as well as a bungalow fire at Mont Es Croix. “You don’t really think about events at the time, when you’re called out, it’s only after you think about it,” he said. “You’re busy getting out and getting your breathing apparatus kit on.”
He congratulated the JFRS on their 75th anniversary, calling it a “massive milestone” for the Service. In his retirement, Jon is looking forward to spending lots of time in Spain and is a keen runner.
Son Matt, who has been with the service for well over a decade, ensures that the baton is passed on for the Coote family at JFRS. He has been a Crew Commander since January 2022, first on Green Watch, now holding the same role on Red Watch.
He originally wanted to be a pilot but instead has followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the JFRS in 2013, finding out he had been accepted just days before his 21st birthday, moving through the ranks over the years.
“My dad definitely planted that seed there of being in the fire service,” said Matt. “I remember when he used to go out on jobs, and it was quite interesting. I was definitely proud of my dad for being an on-call fire fighter.”
He loves his role as a crew commander, achieved after completing a fit to command course and good experience through attending various incidents.
In his career, he recalls everything from attending house fires to leading a crew on a sea rescue, which stands out in his mind as a very dynamic incident, with lots of things to take into consideration. He was on duty for Storm Ciaran which he recalls as “a long shift” as well as the floods at Grands Vaux. “People are genuinely grateful when they see us turn up – they can relax a little bit,” he said.
“The firefighter job is brilliant in itself,” said Matt. You don’t think about the danger. It’s not really frightening because you’re trained so well, and at the time of an incident, you’re always thinking what are we going to do, and how to go about it, so it’s not really a worry at the time. But that feeling you have genuinely helped someone – you can’t beat that really.”
Speaking about the 75th anniversary and where he works, he said: “It’s a unique working environment. It’s a bit like a family, really, and the watches are even more like a close family – a great family. It’s nice to come to work. It’s the best job you can do. We’re all here for the same reason.”
Jon gets the final word. Looking at Matt, he smiles as he says: “My wife and I are very proud of how he turned out – a brilliant young man.”