Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 22/03/2005 19:00

Penzance Fire Station is holding a ‘retained roadshow day’ on 22nd March 2005 at Penzance Fire Station, St Clare. The session starts at 7pm and will end at approximately 9pm.

The aim of the evening is to allow anyone who would like to consider becoming a retained firefighter a chance to sample some of the physical fitness and practical tests that all potential recruits must undertake. These include the bleep test and hose-running, as to be a retained firefighter you need to be physically fit. You should also be at least 18 years old and live /work close to the fire station.

“We hope the evening will encourage men and women from any background to come and experience a job that is vital to their community. Retained firefighters are paid volunteers who do the same job as full-time firefighters. The difference is that they are not based on a fire station waiting for an alarm, they are on standby waiting to be called out” said Public Relations Officer Davinia Grist

She cont: “They may be at home, working for themselves or for a company that is committed to helping the community. On average they may be called out two or three times a week for a couple of hours. Employers will benefit from having employees who are professionally trained to deal with emergencies and provide first aid”
Retained firefighters, like their full-time colleagues, are trained to deal with a wide range of situations and incidents. These include fires, road traffic accidents, dealing with hazardous materials and floods, and protecting the community through fire safety work.

Other training includes Large Goods Vehicle Driving (LGV), Emergency Fire Appliance Driving (EFADS), First Aid and Co-responder training.

Retained firefighters are paid a basic annual payment (a retainer) and fees for emergency response, fees for training sessions and for duties like equipment maintenance.

Davinia Grist added: “We do not expect anyone to pass the tests first time around. We hope the evening will identify potential recruits that, through mentoring with existing retained firefighters, will pass the official recruitment process later this year.”

“Anyone interested in finding out more, and having a go at the fitness tests for retained firefighters, should turn up on Tuesday at 7pm. They should wear clothing suitable for physical exercise and bring a form of identification”.