Press Release from Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service
Gearing up for retained firefighter roadshows
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service have launched a drive to find new retained firefighters.
Roadshows are taking place across the county for the next few weeks and if you have spare time on your hands, GFRS is inviting you to come along.
People from all walks of life are needed to join the ranks of the county Fire Service, which has recently been revealed as one of the most improved services in the UK.
Retained firefighters make up the backbone of the county fire service with more than 80% of cover provided by them.
The unsung heroes lead everyday lives with jobs or duties of their own. But they double as qualified firefighters and help save lives by attending emergency incidents including fighting fires, chemical spills, road traffic accidents and rescue of animals.
Retained duty fire fighters are "on call" from home or work rather than on duty at a station and retained stations respond to emergencies 24 hours a day.
They are also trained in other specialist skills such as cliff and water rescue, breathing apparatus support, damage control and can be called upon to provide these skills at major incidents anywhere in the county.
Kevin Pottinger Group Manager for Retained Duty Stations in Gloucestershire said: "Anyone interested should come along and see what we are all about as being a retained firefighter can be very rewarding.
"We would particularly like to see people who live and work in these areas who can respond to their local station within five minutes.
"People working in shops within the town or village would be ideal, as on most occasions they would not be away from work for more than an hour.
"We are also keen to meet people who can offer daytime cover, but if you think you can help at anytime of the day you should go along to your local roadshow and have a chat about what the job involves."
The roadshows start on Tuesday (February 12) and continue until March 6.
Sessions at every station taking part begin at 7pm.
Attendees should wear suitable clothing to take part in a few practical tests if desired, but this is optional.
During the evening there will be a short informal interview with GFRS retained Duty Support Team who will be explaining the role and commitments.
They will give details of what cover would be required and people attending should be able to provide detail of their availably to respond to calls.
Depending on the station staff are working from, and the number of incidents staff attend, monthly pay could be between £300 to £600 plus.
Roadshows will take place at the following fire stations:-
ENDS
8th February 2008
Contact:
Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service 01452 753333
Issued by Lisa Bonnell, Gloucestershire County Council Media Team, 01452 425226
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