Date: 15th October, 2018
A ‘have a go’ event is being held at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s training centre at Hopton Industrial Estate, Devizes on Saturday 20 October between 10am and 3pm to encourage local people to become on-call firefighters across east and west Wiltshire.
New on-call recruits are needed to provide fire cover at locations including Devizes, Melksham, Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon, Calne, Corsham, Chippenham and Malmesbury.
Contracted hours can vary, but on-call personnel usually make themselves available for between 48 and 120 hours per week. Between them, each fire station team will provide cover for weekdays, evenings, nights and weekends.
On-call support officer Paul Vickery said: “The easiest way to see if being a firefighter is for you is to come along, have a chat and try your hand at different things. There will be opportunity to cut up a car, try on breathing apparatus, climb a ladder and do the national firefighter selection test for carrying equipment.”
He added: “On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as wholetime colleagues, and we can be called to all manner of emergencies, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues and flooding. The pay does vary, depending on how much cover you give, but it is fantastically rewarding to be a part of your community and to be in a position to help people.”
To be on-call, you will need to be able to respond to your local fire station in around five minutes once your pager goes off. This can be from home or work, and employers can benefit from a firefighter’s training – such as first aid, manual handling, a greater understanding of health & safety in the workplace, and enhanced team spirit.
If you are interested in being an on-call firefighter but can’t attend this event, visit www.dwfire.org.uk/be-one-of-us for more information.