WATCH manager of Bradford on Avon fire station, Sean Gerrish, paid thanks to his full time employer for his on-going support in his role as a retained firefighter at the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service awards.

Mr Gerrish, who has been an on-call firefighter for more than 30 years, nominated Andy Redhead, plant manager at Sun Chemical in Yate, near Bristol, for Employer of the Year and at last week’s ceremony, Mr Redhead was presented with the excellence award.

Mr Gerrish has worked at Sun Chemical for 12 years and said: “Andy is understandable regarding the commitment and he likes to offer as much as he can back to the community. He is accepting that from time to time I will be a little late for work if I’m doing a call-out.

“When he found out he won he was a bit overwhelmed by it all and he makes the job much more worthwhile.”

Despite the impact on his own business, Mr Redhead has allowed Mr Gerrish to take time off for training and has understood if he had been late for work due to fire calls on evenings.

Previous winners of the employer of the year award have been given to Christ Church Primary in Bradford on Avon and Cereal Partners in Staverton.

More than 60 per cent of firefighters in the Wiltshire fire service are retainers or on-call and many have full-time jobs.

Wiltshire Fire aim to recruit a minimum of 10 retainers at every fire station in each town in the county and Mr Gerrish hopes the public take notice of the importance of on-call firefighter.

“It is very important that people sign up to be a retainer firefighter. I don’t think the public realise how much the fire service is made up of retainers and what it does for the county,” said Mr Gerrish.

“We are struggling for personnel to be available day and night and the more people we have, the easier it becomes.”

The next recruitment event will be held on June 22 from 7-9pm at Bradford on Avon fire station. For more information, visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk/workingforus.