In this second part of our conversation with Jim McParland, we move from the technical to the deeply personal. Jim opens up about the emotional weight of a career spent on the front lines of disaster — the moments that stay with you long after the noise fades, and the quiet burden carried by those who’ve seen the very worst of human tragedy. From the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes to the heartbreak of lives lost despite every effort, Jim shares what it truly means to live with the memo...
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In this second part of our conversation with Jim McParland, we move from the technical to the deeply personal. Jim opens up about the emotional weight of a career spent on the front lines of disaster — the moments that stay with you long after the noise fades, and the quiet burden carried by those who’ve seen the very worst of human tragedy. From the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes to the heartbreak of lives lost despite every effort, Jim shares what it truly means to live with the memo...
#413 INCIDENT DEBRIEF: The Woolworths fire - Manchester - May 8th 1979
Firefighters Podcast
12 minutes
1 week ago
#413 INCIDENT DEBRIEF: The Woolworths fire - Manchester - May 8th 1979
In May 1979, a fire tore through the Woolworths department store in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens. A blaze that would change British fire safety forever. What began as a small ignition behind a furniture display grew into a full-floor inferno within minutes, fuelled by polyurethane foam and toxic smoke that trapped shoppers and staff on the upper floors. This episode revisits the incident through modern eyes, unpacking the science, the tactics, and the courage of those who faced the unimagi...
Firefighters Podcast
In this second part of our conversation with Jim McParland, we move from the technical to the deeply personal. Jim opens up about the emotional weight of a career spent on the front lines of disaster — the moments that stay with you long after the noise fades, and the quiet burden carried by those who’ve seen the very worst of human tragedy. From the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes to the heartbreak of lives lost despite every effort, Jim shares what it truly means to live with the memo...
