Fire service welcomes new on-call firefighters
THE latest on-call recruits to join Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) were recently recognised at a passing out parade.
During the parade, the firefighters showcased the skills and techniques they learnt during their comprehensive training course which covers all aspects of firefighter training. They were then officially welcomed into the service by assistant chief fire officer Rob Allen.
Nine new on-call firefighters have completed the recruitment process and joined their local fire stations across Warwickshire. These on-call firefighters will be serving at Stratford, Bidford, Wellesbourne, Bedworth, Coleshill and Polesworth.
Station manager at WFRS, Martin Swinden, said: “We’re delighted to welcome nine new on-call firefighters who will be able to support the communities of Warwickshire.
“These new recruits will play an integral part in enabling our service to protect our communities and respond to any emergencies that may occur. We wish them all the best in their new and rewarding role.”
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking all Warwickshire residents to consider whether they could become an on-call firefighter.
On-call firefighters dedicate an agreed number of flexible hours each week where they are available to attend incidents. They are paid a set wage for being available and an additional wage for any hours worked attending call-outs or training.
On-call officers play a vital role in ensuring WFRS can provide fire cover in all areas, respond to emergencies quickly and keep communities safe.
To be eligible to become an on-call firefighter, potential recruits must either live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station. There is also the opportunity for those who are self-employed or working remotely to do their jobs from one of the fire stations in Warwickshire, in which instance they would be eligible despite living further away, including outside of the county.
Councillor Andy Crump, portfolio holder for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service at Warwickshire County Council, said: “In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a shift to much higher levels of remote and hybrid working. This can go hand-in-hand with becoming an on-call firefighter, allowing applicants to combine an office job with an opportunity to get directly involved in their local community and help others. We hope people will take a bit of time to learn more about this opportunity and find out if it could be right for them.”
While the on-call role can be challenging, it also offers many benefits.
On-call firefighters are given the same training as wholetime firefighters and learn many new, transferable skills; they meet lots of new people and become part of a welcoming, close-knit team and, most importantly, they get the chance to give back to their community in one of most meaningful ways possible.
If you think you could have what it takes to become an on-call firefighter there’s an online question and answer session taking place on Tuesday 10th January where you can learn more about what it’s like to be an on-call officer and how you can apply.
You can sign up for the session here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-call-firefighter-qa-session-tickets-466252322247
To find out more about on-call opportunities with Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and how you can apply, visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/oncallfirefighters.
