Date: 20th March, 2023
A ‘have a go’ event is being held this Saturday (25 March) for anyone interested in becoming an on-call firefighter for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in Christchurch.
The fire station on Fairmile Road has opportunities for anyone who could provide availability during the week and/or at weekends, with flexible contracts on offer for those who work shift systems in their primary employment or have childcare responsibilities.
On-call firefighters live and/or work within the local area and are paid to respond to emergencies during whatever periods of cover have been agreed. They work alongside their wholetime colleagues to support the community of Christchurch and further afield.
When the pager goes off, an on-call firefighter can be called to a wide range of incidents, such as commercial and domestic fires, road traffic collisions, rescues from height or water, animal rescue or flooding – to name a few.
Potential candidates are welcome to pop into the fire station between 11am and 1.30pm on Saturday to meet the crew, ask any questions, try out wearing a breathing apparatus set, and have a go at running out hose.
There will also be a couple of the tests from the selection process set up for people to try – a dummy drag, and climbing a 13.5m ladder.
Station Manager Martin Charles said: “We’ve just opened up recruitment for new on-call firefighters at Christchurch, and this ‘have a go’ event is a great way for people to find out more about what’s involved. Being a firefighter is very rewarding, and successful candidates become part of a well-trained workforce, earning additional income, and gaining transferable skills such as first aid, driving qualifications and health & safety knowledge – which can also benefit them in their primary employment.”
If you’re interested in applying to be an on-call firefighter – or you’re a local employer with staff who may want to offer availability – please visit www.dwfire.org.uk/on-call-firefighters, email [email protected] or leave a message on the 24-hour recruitment line, 01722 691444.