7 May 2008
Could you be a part-time firefighter in Amersham, or do you know someone who would be interested in becoming one?
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has launched a recruitment campaign to fill a number of vacancies for Retained Duty System (RDS) firefighters in the town.
Watch Manager Tony Whiting, who is spearheading the campaign, said: “In Buckinghamshire, part-time firefighters mainly provide cover in rural areas. Some units in the busier urban areas provide fire cover alongside wholetime colleagues, and Amersham comes under this category.
”Ideally, we want to have a pool of up 12 people so that the station’s RDS fire appliance is available to attend emergency incidents in Amersham and the surrounding area 24 hours a day. At the moment we only have 10 people, which means we sometimes have to send in appliances from further afield.”
RDS firefighters are paid staff who do the same job as full-time firefighters. Many of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service's 214 RDS firefighters combine this work with their day job.
Tony said: “We are hoping that people who haven’t previously considered applying will stop and ask themselves whether they can, in fact, provide cover at critical times of the day or night.
"We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from the widest cross-section of our community.
“For example, someone who can be on call for the six hours between the morning and afternoon school runs, coupled with some evening and weekend hours, can make the difference between Amersham’s RDS firefighters being able to respond to a call for help, or a possible delay while firefighters from another station are mobilised.”
Amersham’s RDS firefighters are led by Watch Manager Paul Lillycrop, who joined when he was 18. He has just celebrated 40 years with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and earlier this month was named "Amersham Citizen of the Year, Mayor's Special Award" by Amersham Town Council.
Like their full-time colleagues, RDS firefighters are trained and equipped to deal with a wide range of incidents and situations, including protecting the community through fire safety work. The difference is that RDS staff are not based in a fire station - instead, they are on standby waiting to be called out. They may be at home, working for themselves or working for a company that allows them to leave work to attend an emergency call.
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 a retained 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 Amersham, or if you are an employer interested in allowing your employees to participate, ring the information pack hotline on 01296 744670, ring Tony on 07796 941341 or email rdsrecruitment@bucksfire.gov.uk
Click here to see Amersham Fire Station's home page.