Date: 16th July, 2018
A ‘have a go’ event is being held at Westbury fire station on Saturday 21 July between 1pm and 4pm to encourage local people to become on-call firefighters.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service needs new on-call recruits to provide fire cover for Westbury and its surrounding villages.
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.
Station Manager Darren Nixon said: “The easiest way to see if being a firefighter is for you is to come along, have a chat with the crew and try your hand at different things. On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as wholetime colleagues, and 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 part of your community and in a position to help people.”
To be on-call, you need to be at least 18 years old, although you can apply once you are 17½, and be physically fit. You will need to be able to respond to the 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/westbury or call into the station in Meadow Lane any Monday between 7pm and 9pm.