Featherstone Fire Station has gained a new on-call fire fighter all the way from Australia following the latest pass out ceremony at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s HQ in Birkenshaw.
Toby Farmer, 25, has followed a family tradition as he joins Featherstone Station as an on-call firefighter after relocating from New South Wales Australia, where both his father and grandfather have spent their working lives in the fire service.
Firefighting equipment
Toby and his 11 fellow graduates are the latest to join the service following a 14-week training course
Toby Farmer, who settled in West Yorkshire after meeting his fiancé in Japan, said: “For me, it was never a case of ‘if’ I’d join the fire service, but ‘when!’ I always wanted to give something back and look after people, and to be able to do this in the community that is home to my extended family is great.”
Toby and his 11 fellow graduates are the latest to join the service following a 14-week training course, where they learn skills including rescuing casualties, using firefighting equipment and working as a team.
West Yorkshire’s newest firefighters
Chief Fire Officer of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, John Roberts, said: “We are all very proud and impressed with West Yorkshire’s newest firefighters and I am delighted to celebrate their graduation from the 203rd trainee course."
He adds, “It is extremely encouraging to observe the attitude, determination and dedication of our trainees, as it is across the whole of the service. I wish every graduating firefighter a very long, happy and safe career, and that they rightly get the appreciation from the communities of West Yorkshire that they deserve.”
On-call firefighters
Featherstone Fire Station is staffed by on-call firefighters. On-call firefighters are skilled people from all walks of life who offer daytime, evening and/or weekend cover at on-call fire stations in addition to their normal, day-to-day commitments.
Just like their wholetime counterparts, they work on the front line protecting their community. On-call firefighters are not based at station, but when on-call, individuals must be able to reach their station within five minutes of their pager going off.
