Volunteers Week 2022: Meet Marley, a home fire safety volunteer with us

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has 16 dedicated home fire safety volunteers that give their time to help give home fire safety advice across Essex.

Our service offers free home fire safety visits to all residents in Essex and our volunteers play a vital role in keeping people safe in Essex.

Since December 2021, our home fire safety volunteers have visited 108 homes in Essex and have fitted 213 smoke alarms.

Marley, a builder by trade, joined our home fire safety team in April 2022 and has volunteered his time giving advice door to door across Essex. He’s also volunteered his time with our Road and Water Safety team and Community Safety team at events across Essex including the Essex Young Farmers Show.

Marley said: “It’s changed my outlook on volunteering to be honest. I love volunteering and my kids love that I volunteer. I love it that much that I hope for a job with the Service.”

During his two months with our Service, Marley has taken the opportunity to learn more about how he can support residents in Essex and has completed a number of training courses with our Service. He’s undertaken a first aid course, red dot sensory course and will soon complete a dementia awareness training course.

His advice for anyone thinking of becoming a volunteer with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is: “Go for it! It’s rewarding and you gain a lot of knowledge.”

If you want to volunteer with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, we have a number of different roles available.

Find out more at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/jobs/volunteering/