Watch Manager Dave Reading is pictured centre holding the letter of congratulations, with the crew from Olney Fire Station, Area Manager Denis O'Driscoll (back row, far right) and Station Manager Ian Wilson (back row, far left).

Click the thumbnail above for a larger version of Dave and Denis.

6 November 2009

Firefighters from Olney Fire Station have been recognised for achieving a high level of performance.

The crew from the Retained Duty System (RDS) station were congratulated for exceeding a significant performance target, and were presented with a letter of congratulations by Area Manager Response, Denis O’Driscoll, at the station on Tuesday night.

Led by Watch Manager Dave Reading, the 10 crew members have achieved 96.8 per cent availability between April 2007 and April 2009, surpassing the target set in the Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management Plan for all RDS stations in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to achieve 95 per cent availability of RDS pumping appliances.

Station Manager Ian Wilson, who was also at the presentation, said: “RDS crews are paid staff who do the same job as full-time firefighters but are not based in a fire station. Instead they are on standby, waiting to be called out from home or work."

Ian provides training support to the firefighters at Olney. He added:”The crew do this job because they recognise the important role the RDS firefighter can perform for their community, however without the support and understanding of their families and friends this would not have been achievable – they are the ones who hold things together, pick up the pieces and carry on as usual when the crew have to rush out in response to an emergency call.”

 Area Manager Denis O’Driscoll said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the crew who, bearing in mind they work the Retained Duty System, have consistently reached and exceeded a very high performance target.

 “We recognise the commitment that our RDS staff offer and the support and flexibility that is also provided by many local employers in releasing their staff to support a vital community safety function.”

The station also prides itself on being aware of the local community, its opportunities, and any issues that arise in the area.

Councillor David Rowlands, Chairman of Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority, said: “I am very pleased that the RDS stations are being recognised for these achievements. The RDS crew is a very important part of our establishment, training during evenings and weekends to ensure they are prepared for any emergency call they are alerted to.

“The benefit of RDS crews is that living or working in the area, they have local community awareness. Not all of our RDS units are meeting this target, and that is primarily due to the vacancies we are currently experiencing at some of the stations.

Like their full-time colleagues, RDS staff are trained and equipped to deal with a wide range of incidents and situations. These include fires, road traffic collisions and protecting the community through fire safety work.

Their on-call time can be a combination of daytime, evening and weekend hours. They are paid for being on call and called out, and are entitled to paid holidays, sick pay and membership of a pension scheme.

There are benefits for employers who release staff to be RDS firefighters too. The employee will be professionally trained to deal with emergencies, and an RDS firefighter on the staff could help save lives and property in the event of an emergency. Staff can also be trained for further qualifications such as health and safety and first aid, which could help the business as well.

To be an RDS firefighter you need to be at least 18 years old, physically fit and live and/or work close to the fire station. Just as important are qualities like common sense, commitment, enthusiasm and the ability to work as a member of a team.

If you would like to find out more about working as an RDS firefighter in Olney or another of our RDS stations, or if you are an employer interested in allowing your employees to participate, ring the information pack hotline on 01296 744670 or email rdsrecruitment@bucksfire.gov.uk

Olney are one of five RDS units that have exceeded the target,
and are the second to be presented with their letter of recognition,
the others will receive theirs at a later date.