Become a hero!

HARWORTH residents who live or work within five minutes of the fire station are being urged to become an on-call firefighter.

Applicants could find themselves responding to fires, car crashes or flooding among other emergencies within minutes of the alarm being raised.

Notts Fire and Rescue Service is offering training as well as an hourly rate between £9.66 and £12.88 for all those who sign up.

Retford, Tuxford and Misterton fire stations are all offering nearby residents the same opportunity, as well as the Scrooby Road centre.

The appeal comes three months after it was announced Retford Fire Station was to remain a whole-time service 24 hours a day.

“This is a flexible, exciting and rewarding job and a wonderful way to be right at the heart of a community,” said Notts station manager Phil Revill.

“We have vacancies at most of our stations (around the county) and would welcome applications from men and women who would be interested in accepting the challenge.” Retained firefighters need to be on-call and ready to respond to emergencies within five minutes of a retained fire station, whether that’s from home or a place of work.

They need to be available for at least 12 hours in a 24-hour period, and be able to attend weekly training and some weekend courses.

Applicants will also need permission from their employer if they plan to respond during normal working hours.

A NFRS spokesman added: “Being a retained firefighter often suits people who are self-employed, in education, shift-workers or parents who are free during school hours.”

“A pager will alert them to an emergency call and they could find themselves responding to fires, road traffic collisions, trapped people and animals, flooding and other water rescue incidents.” Firefighters will also be expected to take part in fire prevention activities, helping to promote fire safety in the community.

Those interested can attend a meeting at their nearby station to find out more.

Visit www.notts-fire.go.uk for details.

Related topics: