IT never ceases to amaze me what sterling work our emergency services do.

They put their lives on the line on a daily basis because they care about their community and want to keep it safe.

When I arrived at Rotherwas on Wednesday morning to report on the fire at Bathgate Flooring, there were already around eight fire engines on site, with more arriving within minutes.

A number of police and paramedics were also there and it turned out to be a great multi-agency operation.

Whether it was tackling the fire itself, or evacuating nearby residents, in my opinion the emergency services did a fantastic job and they should be praised for their actions.

It frustrates me when I hear people criticising the work that they do.

Of course, they try to deal with every call as quickly and efficiently as possible, but their resources are restricted.

There was no doubt that the fire on Wednesday morning was severe, but thankfully it was brought under control quickly and there were no injuries.

The reassurance that police officers gave to nearby residents should also be praised because it would have put their minds at rest.

Hereford is a small place, so whenever something major happens, people start talking.

Social media is a perfect example of this.

You only have to cast your minds back a couple of weeks when two people were stabbed in the city.

The rumour mill went into overdrive, so it's imperative that accurate information is relayed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In my opinion, the police did a great job then in letting people know what was going on and they and other emergency services did likewise on Wednesday.

Never forget the role that they play in our society.

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