Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) as part of a national campaign encouraging people to become on-call firefighters.
The ‘Need More’ awareness week runs from January (7) and aims to highlight opportunities available in the fire service, while busting myths about what it takes to be a firefighter.
Promoting fire safety
The campaign is supported by a national website which encourages people to get in touch with their local fire service, in January or anytime throughout the year. On-call firefighters come from every walk of life, they may be at home, working for themselves or for a nearby company, or out in their local community (staying within a five-minute travel time of the fire station). They carry a pager and respond to emergency incidents as and when they happen, as well as promoting fire safety to the community.
Full training is provided on an ongoing basis, therefore previous experience is not needed
Full training is provided on an ongoing basis, therefore previous experience is not needed. The on-call hours are based around people’s availability and other commitments. To be an on-call firefighter, users must have a strong desire to support the local community, be enthusiastic about working as part of a team, have a reasonable level of personal fitness. Users must also live or/and work within five minutes of their local fire station.
Community safety topics
Head of On-Call for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Group Commander Karl Bowden commented, “On-call firefighters are a vital part of our service and community. They respond to a wide range of incidents, from fighting fires, attending road traffic collisions, animal rescues to supporting other emergency services.”
“In addition to responding to emergency incidents, our on-call firefighters support their communities by providing information and advice on a range of community safety topics. It’s a hugely rewarding role, and we hope to encourage members of the community from all backgrounds to get in touch and find out more about becoming an on-call firefighter.”
Medical response training
There's lots of flexibility to work around other commitments such as family, studying or work"
Terry McDermott, NFCC On-Call Lead and Chief Fire Officer for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "If being a firefighter is something that appeals to you, but you already have a career or other commitments, now is the chance for you to find out if you can still make it happen.”
“On-call firefighters are crucial to the work of the fire and rescue service, and we want to make sure our fire services reflect all local communities. So, if you want to receive world-class training, work as part of a fantastic team and help your local community, we need to hear from you. There's lots of flexibility to work around other commitments such as family, studying or work, but if you don't get in touch you'll never know."
The website also gives advice to employers and how having on-call firefighters within their business can bring advantages. These include health and safety and medical response training, as well as developing situational awareness, leadership skills, and the ability to work under pressure.
