An open day, held at Westbury Fire Station to give local people the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes, has raised over £1,000 for The Fire Fighters Charity.
The event, held on Saturday 6th September, saw the Westbury crew carry out a road traffic collision demonstration, a ladder and pumping demonstration whilst visitors were able to try out some of their equipment. Refreshments, a barbecue, games and stalls from local businesses were also available at the site in Meadow Lane.
Crew manager Martin Waker said, “There hasn’t been a community event like this at the fire station for a number of years, so it was great to see the station buzzing with people enjoying the demonstrations and having fun with the activities available.
“I would personally like to thank the staff of Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, the local businesses that attended and those that donated raffle prizes, and finally my friends and family who have been a pillar of support, Without them, the event would not have been the success it was. With the support of our community the event raised in excess of £1,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity.”
One of the main aims of the day was to try and attract new people into Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service as on-call firefighters. Martin explained, “On-call firefighters make themselves available to respond to emergencies and, in Westbury, we really need more people who can give cover during the working day.
“It was positive to have several enquiries from members of the public about becoming a retained fire fighter. Should anyone else have been inspired but didn’t get the opportunity to chat with us, please do get in contact with Wiltshire Fire and Rescue service.”
Contracted hours for on-call firefighters can vary, but personnel usually make themselves available for between 48 and 120 hours per week. Between them, each fire station team will provide cover for weekdays, evenings, nights and weekends. In order to be on-call, you will need to be able to respond to the fire station within five minutes or so when your pager goes off. This can be from home or work, and employers can benefit from a firefighter’s training – such as first aid, manual handling, a greater understanding of health and safety in the workplace, and enhanced team spirit.
If you would like to find out more about being an on-call firefighter, visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk/workingforus
