Date: 30th June, 2023
A ‘have a go’ event is being held on Saturday 8 July for anyone interested in becoming an on-call firefighter for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The fire stations in Cricklade, Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon and Stratton have 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 close to their local fire station and are paid to respond to emergencies during whatever periods of cover have been agreed. They work alongside their wholetime colleagues to support their community, and also those 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.
Two ‘have a go’ sessions will be held on 8 July at Westlea fire station (The Chesters, Stonehill Green, West Swindon, SN5 7DB), one at 10am and the other at 11.30am.
Potential candidates are asked to arrive in time to register for their preferred slot, during which they will be able to meet both wholetime and on-call firefighters, 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.
If you would like to book onto a session in advance, please email [email protected] with your contact details and the time you would like to attend.
Group Manager Neil Tidball said: “We need new on-call firefighters across the Swindon and north Wiltshire area, so this ‘have a go’ event is a great way for anyone interested in joining the fire and rescue service to come along and find out more.
“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 for more information.