Hi, I’m Vicki. After school, I completed a degree in Sports Studies at the University of Southampton, followed by a PGCE in secondary education. Having assessed my career options, I chose to join the fire service.
I started as an on-call fire fighter at Amesbury fire station in 2007 and subsequently took on a role at Fire Control, where we handle emergency calls and mobilise our appliances. This variation in jobs allowed me to witness first hand all aspects of being a firefighter.
In 2012, after five years, I transferred from on-call to a wholetime position in the Swindon area. This involved me working on the 2-2-4 shift pattern (two days, two nights, four days off) and three years later I moved to working on a weekday pattern.
Since then, I have been working as an on-call support officer, which has involved various elements of the recruitment process, including community engagement.
In my spare time, you can normally find me on the hockey pitch representing my local club or with the UK Fire Service team. I also take part in middle distance triathlons. I am married to Sally, a teacher in London, and I am mum to a tweenage daughter, Penny.
If you relate with any of my experience and think I can help support you in deciding whether firefighting is for you, I’d be happy to help.