By Greg O’Keeffe
Liverpool Daily Echo
A Liverpool family whose lives were torn apart during a fire strike today begged crews: “Don’t risk more innocent children”.
Elaine Johnson watched helplessly as her father and two young children died inside her blazing home during the 1977 national walkout.
She said soldiers covering for firefighters at the time were unable to carry out a proper rescue and when non-striking firefighters arrived her loved ones were already dead.
Ms Johnson’s 42-year-old father Ron rushed into the house in Bulwer Street, Everton, in a bid to rescue his grandchildren Paula, two, and Michelle, 15 months.
But he died when a roof in one of the bedrooms collapsed on him and the children also died.
Ms Johnson, 48, from Norris Green, was 19 when the tragedy struck. She had been with relatives at her mother’s house next door while her brother looked after the children.
Today, she pleaded with fire fighters not to go ahead with a third strike on Wednesday. She said: “I have never blamed the firefighters for what happened that night.
“They shouldn’t have had to go on strike at the time and they had a different reason from today.
“I know the strikers today are saying they are doing it for us, but I’d rather have a smaller service that works than a bigger one that goes on strike so often.
“I’ll never forget their slogan about dealing with a fire was’ if you smell smoke, get out, stay out and call us out. But when I needed them they were already out.”
Ms Johnson has three children’ Maria Cooper, Debbie Ventre and David Miller, and three grandsons’ Terrance, eight, Joel, three, and Stephen, four months.
She said: “My dad was a young dad and always said he couldn’t wait to go for a pint with his son and watch his daughters grow. He never got that chance.
“A day doesn’t go by without me thinking of my girls or dad. I miss them most at Christmas and when I see my grandchildren I wonder what Michelle and Paula would be like now.
“I think the fire fighters do a good job and they save lives, but when they go on strike it feels like innocent people are being held to ransom.
“When they went out in 2002 it upset me, but when it happened again this year I couldn’t get over it.
“I know all too well how much a life is worth. I lost three precious lives and I don’t want someone else to suffer like that because of a strike.”
On Friday, members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) marched through the city before a rally at St George’s Hall.
Talks between managers and local FBU officials resumed to try to find a resolution as national fire service negotiators joined the talks as the strike over proposed job cuts entered its 11th day.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has said it needs to make savings of pounds 3.5m, partly through voluntary retirement while some posts will not be refilled.
The FBU said 120 jobs will be lost, but managers have disputed this.
Firefighters are scheduled to walk out again at 10am on Wednesday, as soon as the current strike ends.
A spokesman for the fire brigade union was unavailable for comment.