Why Rasen's on-call fire fighters need you

If you are over 18, physically fit and live no more then five minutes away from your local fire station, you could be the person to help keep the Market Rasen community safe in all kinds of emergencies.

John Cook, Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said on-call fire fighters are ‘ordinary people who are doing something extraordinary’.

He said: “We have over 400 retained or on-call firefighters in Lincolnshire.

“They provide an essential service to the community, responding to all kinds of emergencies.

“These include road, rail or air crashes, responding to floods, fires or rescuing people trapped in confined spaces.

“Our on-call firefighters are ordinary people with normal jobs doing something extraordinary.

“They are from all walks of life, all with different careers.

“We have on-call fire fighters who are electricians, hairdressers, cooks, factory workers, teachers, officer workers and Health and Safety officers, to name just a few.”

Mr Cook also explained that becoming an on-call fire fighter entails learning new skills.

Some of the skills firefighters acquire as part of their training include advanced first aid.

Firefighters will be trained to deal with major trauma, will learn CPR theory, casualty care and much more.

As you might expect, new firefighters will also be fully trained in fire safety and will be taught enhanced driving skills, which are similar to advanced driving level.

Mr Cook explained that becoming a firefighter and learning these new skills can also benefit the new recruit in their own jobs, as many of the skills they learn are valued by employers.

Mr Cook said: “Training to become a firefighter is an opportunity to learn new skills, many of which benefit their existing employer.

“A trained firefighter learns to work well in a team, is encouraged to think quickly, take responsibility and use their initiative, to communicate fast and accurately and to remain calm in a crisis.

“ All these are excellent skills to have in the workplace.

“Firefighters’ work is vital to the safety of people and property in Market Rasen.”

To find out more about becoming a firefighter, contact Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue on 0800 3580 204, email [email protected] or visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lfr.