Date: 11th December, 2020
Firefighters in Maiden Newton are looking for new recruits to join their ranks and keep the station operationally available.
A fire engine needs at least four riders (a driver, an officer in charge and two trained firefighters) to ensure it can go out the door to emergencies. The on-call fire station at Maiden Newton has struggled to recruit and currently only has three members of staff, which means they are unable to attend incidents. The area is therefore being covered by firefighters from Dorchester, Beaminster and Yeovil.
Area Manager Seth Why said: “Firefighters at Maiden Newton are keen to support and keep their local community safe, but they are currently unable to attend incidents due to lack of available firefighters. We have and continue to try to recruit on-call firefighters across Dorset and Wiltshire, but particularly in Maiden Newton. Currently Dorchester and Beaminster fire stations provide cover to keep Maiden Newton and surrounding communities safe. Clearly it would take them longer to arrive at an incident in the village. If Maiden Newton is available, this response time would be cut dramatically.”
He added: “We are ramping up efforts to recruit in the village, including talking to parents at the local school, leaflet dropping the village, social media advertising and engaging with residents. I would strongly encourage anyone who might be interested in joining the Service to contact us.”
On-call firefighters are paid members of staff who respond to their local station when they are required to attend incidents and help their local community. They receive the same levels of training and support as their full-time colleagues.
The Service is particularly interested in hearing from females or those from underrepresented groups. If you are interested in becoming an on-call firefighter, please find out more on our website www.dwfire.org.uk/on-call-firefighters