CREWS at Bradford on Avon fire station are urging local people to ‘come and have a go’ at becoming on-call firefighters.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is looking for new recruits to provide fire cover for the town and its surrounding villages.

Potential recruits are being invited to visit the fire station in Station Approach, Bradford on Avon, on Monday evenings between 6.30pm and 9pm to meet the crew.

They will be encouraged to ‘have a go’ at using some of the equipment carried on a fire engine.

Station Manager Andy Green said: “The easiest way to see if being a firefighter is for you is to visit the fire station, have a chat with the crew and try your hand at different things.

“We’re inviting potential recruits to come along, take a look around, and try out some of the equipment.”

He added: “On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as whole-time colleagues, and we can be called to all manner of emergencies, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues and flooding.

“The pay does vary, depending on how much cover you give, but it is fantastically rewarding to be a part of your community and to be in a position to help people.”

On-call firefighters make themselves available to respond to a pager when a 999 call is made, and cover is needed at all times.

Contracted hours can vary, but on-call personnel usually make themselves available for between 48 and 120 hours per week.

Between them, each fire station team will provide cover for weekdays, evenings, nights and weekends.

In order to be on-call, you will need to be able to respond to the fire station in around five minutes once your pager goes off.

This can be from home or work, and employers can benefit from a firefighter’s training – such as first aid, manual handling, a greater understanding of health and safety in the workplace, and enhanced team spirit.

If you are interested, you can call into the station on any

Monday evening or get more information from www.dwfire.org.uk/bradford-on-avon