DEVON and Somerset Fire and Rescue held a series of ‘have a go’ days recently, with six people from the Holsworthy area attending their local session on November 2 despite the wet weather conditions.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has a large number of on-call fire stations, the largest number in England. 

Stations like Holsworthy’s are crewed by people who do ordinary jobs every day and yet are skilled firefighters offering daytime, evening or weekend cover. The role of a firefighter calls for determination, courage and commitment but most importantly a desire to serve the community in which they live and work.

On-call firefighters have the same training as wholetime firefighters and will when required respond using the latest equipment and techniques, attending a wide range of incidents such as domestic or commercial building fires, road traffic collisions, water or animal rescues, gorse fires or floods.

Many on-call firefighters respond from a place of work with the agreement of their primary employer. The service works in conjunction with many local businesses where staff respond to emergencies when their pagers sound.

The have a go days aimed to give people the opportunity to see if they ‘have what it takes’ to become a firefighter. They took part in three activities and spoke with current serving firefighters about what it means to be an on-call firefighter.

Speaking about the day, Holsworthy Fire Station manager Owen Ravenscroft said: “The weather wasn’t the best on the day but we did have six in total.

“There was an initial introduction to the service and the role of an on call firefighter and then three activities to include a BA [breathing apparatus] experience, a guided tour around the appliance and an opportunity to try out the equipment carry test that recruits take part in at the practical assessments. This also gives an opportunity to chat with our fitness advisors about strength and fitness expectations.”

More information about becoming an on-call firefighter is on the website www.dsfire.gov.uk