Fire Service welcomes five new firefighters

Five new on-call firefighters have been welcomed into Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after completing their basic training course at the Service Training Centre in Witham. 

The new recruits all live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station and will respond to incidents when paged. They will be heading to Rochford, West Mersea and Witham fire stations.

The team completed their two-week intensive training course on Friday 27 October and will continue their training at their home stations. 

Rick Hylton, Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive said: 

“A big thank you to our new on-call firefighters for their commitment to their local communities. Being an on-call firefighter is a huge commitment and is a very demanding yet rewarding role. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for each and every one of our on-call firefighters and the support they have from their loved ones, employers and colleagues to help keep their communities safe. Good luck with the rest of your training at your fire stations and I look forward to working with you throughout your careers with us.”

More than three quarters of fire stations in Essex are staffed by on-call firefighters. They all live or work within five minutes of the fire station and are paged when there is an incident. This means they can go about their daily business working or spending time in their community while helping to keep the fire station available when needed. 

As well as responding to incidents, on-call firefighters also carry out home fire safety visits, attend community events and visit community hubs like schools and care homes to give safety advice. 

If you live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be paid to protect your community as an on-call firefighter. 

Find out more by searching “Join Essex Fire”.