Special Constabulary and farming community thanked after assisting with a fire in Baldock 

Hertfordshire's Special Constabulary and local farming community have been thanked for the role they played in assisting the fire service with a large fire in Baldock.

At around 6.15pm on Tuesday 11 July, police were called by Herts Fire & Rescue Service to reports of a large fire at Baldock Industrial Estate, off London Road, Baldock. 

Three out of the five Special Constables who were on shift that day, were first on scene to support the fire service, evacuating anyone near the premises and put road closures in place. 

As the situation became resource intensive, a call was put out for any additional Special Constables who may be able to assist at the scene and support our Intervention teams with other calls they were responding to. 

A further 12 Special Constables responded to the call and were deployed at the scene of the fire or with other officers on duty across the county, committing to staying on until the early hours of the morning.

Special Constables are volunteer police officers. They come from all walks of life and give up their spare time for a minimum of 16 hours a month. Highly trained, with full policing powers including the power to arrest, they play an essential role in preventing, reducing and tackling crime. 

Local farmers also supported the fire service at the scene, responding to a call for additional water. 

Chief Inspector for North Hertfordshire Hannah Treadwell said: "I would like to say a big thank you to all the Specials who provided their support during this incident and who also assisted our Intervention colleagues respond to other jobs across the county. Being able to rely on the Special Constabulary to provide additional support in times of need was a great help and I'm extremely grateful to all involved.

"This incident also shows how the community comes together. I was amazed by the response from our local farming community who came out to support the fire service following concerns that the water supply may be interrupted. Farmers were contacted and within hours, arrived at the scene in their tractors with bowsers and assisted the fire service. A great example of the community working together, and I'd like to extend my gratitude to the farmers that offered their resources and time to help."

Special Superintendent Jo Reay said: "I would like to say thank you to all the Specials who gave up their evening and presented themselves to help, providing urgent resilience, with many staying on into the early hours of the morning. The support was well received by local officers and showed the value the Special Constabulary adds to policing in Hertfordshire and keeping our communities safe."