Nottinghamshire Fire Service recruit on-call firefighters

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Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service are recruiting on-call firefighters - do you have what it takes?

The service said on-call staff are trained to the same high standards as full-time firefighters.

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They commit to being on-call for an agreed number of hours each week and must live within a five-minute travelling distance at normal road speed from either Retford, Worksop, Misterton, Ashfield, Warsop, Southwell, Tuxford, Newark, Bingham, East Leake, Stapleford, Eastwood, Harworth, Blidworth, Hucknall or Collingham fire stations.

Despite not serving communities full-time, on-call firefighters are given the same training as wholetime firefighters and attend the same kinds of incidents, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues, rescues from height and water and chemical incidents or flooding to name a few.

They are alerted to these incidents by a pager that they carry with them whenever they are on-call. When alerted, they stop whatever they are doing and immediately travel to the fire station to join their colleagues and drive to the incident.

Applicants must be able to provide 84 hours of on-call cover per week and live or work within a five minute drive of an on-call station.

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On-call firefighters get paid a yearly 'retainer fee' - this is regardless of how many calls they attend.

They then get an hourly rate for the attendance of calls and training (at least two hours a week after the development stage) - which differs depending on which rate (trainee, development or competent) they are on.

Regardless of pay rate, all on-call firefighters get paid a £3.90 disturbance fee everytime they are paged and attend the station.

Firefighter Jonathan Redmile is an on-call firefighter in Collingham and told of how it was a lifelong dream of his to become a firefighter.

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He said: "My dad was in the fire and rescue service for 30 years and I saw how much satisfaction it gave him. After moving to a village where there was a retained fire station I was able to apply and was thankfully successful.

"To be able to save and help people is a real morale booster. Being a firefighter gives you great life skills that you are able to use in other parts of your life. It's also great being part of such a good team at Collingham as it enables us to work together as one when training and attending incidents.

"The job can push you to your limits, both physically and emotionally, but the rewards far outweigh it. I have a young family and also work in the construction industry, so balancing everything is of course a challenge but it helps that I have a really supportive employer and a really supportive family.

"Covering up to 84 hours a week might seem like a daunting prospect, but it can definitely work, and with the help of your colleagues and managers it really is possible. "If you are thinking of applying to join the Service, I would say definitely do it. From the moment you walk into training school on your first day you realise how much of a positive experience it will be for you.

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"At the age I am, personally I didn't think I would be successful but age is just a number if you are physically and mentally ready for the challenge in front of you.

"It is without a doubt one of the most demanding and emotional experiences I have had to go through but the end result is so worth it and I wouldn't change a thing. I have never felt as proud of myself as I did on my Passing Out Parade in front of my family."

Applications are open until January 21.

You can apply here