Sawston Fire Station has released a new video to help recruit on-call firefighters to their station. Filmed by the crew themselves, the video gives a glimpse of life as an on-call firefighter, as well as showing different aspects of the role, from responding to incidents to developing skills and keeping the community safe.
On-call firefighters can be men and women that come from every walk of life. They may be at home, working for themselves or a nearby company, or even out in their local community.
They must maintain their availability to respond to emergencies by staying within five minutes travel time of the fire station. They receive an annual wage plus additional payments for attending incidents and drill nights. They carry a pager and respond as and when they are needed.
Learning new skills
On-call firefighters are a vital part of the service and the local community Speaking of his experience as an On-call firefighter, Alex Whitehouse, who’s the newest recruit at Sawston, commented, “I became an on-call firefighter two years ago after seeing a sign that they were recruiting. After speaking to a family member who was an on-call firefighter in a different county, I thought that it would be something that I would enjoy.”
“I’m so glad I went for it because I get to learn new skills that are transferable to my full time job, as well as give something back to the community I grew up in.”
“I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to come along to one of our upcoming taster sessions and see if you want to become a part of our great team at Sawston.”
Vital part of the service
The Station Commander for Sawston, Stocker Standen commented, "On-call firefighters are a vital part of the service and the local community. They respond to a wide range of incidents, from fighting fires, attending road traffic collisions, animal rescues to supporting other emergency services. Being an on-call firefighter is a hugely rewarding role.”
“It allows you to develop new skills and challenge yourself, and it also provides a second income As part of the role you’ll receive outstanding training, work as part of a team and help your local community. The best thing is that you can do it around times that suit you.”
Sawston fire station is hosting two taster session next month for anyone who’s interested in becoming an on-call firefighter.
