While he was in the fire brigade in Meppel, he responded to the major fire at De Bonte Wever in Slagharen in 2001, and he was at the fireworks disaster in Enschede. “That was very impressive. We had some time to walk through that neighborhood. Then you see half bottles of beer on the table in the garden, because it was a very beautiful day. You won’t soon forget that.”
It was early 2007 when he had to move to Bedum (Groningen) for work. It also means his end at the fire brigade in Meppel, but he will continue for a few more years in the north of Groningen.
The fire has now spread to his son, Gerard-Jan. “I didn’t push it, but I always said that it could be something for him,” says Wout. “He didn’t persuade me, but he did infect me with it,” Gerard-Jan responds. “The contamination is the assistance. That is the best part. But the sensation is also partly important.”