Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service wants to recruit those who live or work in Pewsey to become on-call firefighters.

The crew in Pewsey needs more people to provide fire cover for the town and surrounding villages.

On-call firefighters make themselves available to respond to a pager when a 999 call is made locally, and cover is needed at all times.

Contracted hours can vary, but on-call 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.

Pewsey firefighters drill at the town’s fire station every Monday evening and, on 24 March, they will be giving potential recruits the chance to ‘have a go’ at a range of activities.

Station manager Jason Underwood said: “The easiest way to see if being a firefighter is for you is to visit a fire station, have a chat with the crew and try your hand at different things.

"At Pewsey’s recruitment evening, you will be able to look around the appliances based here – a fire engine and a water carrier – as well as use kit such as hoses, hydraulic rescue equipment, breathing apparatus sets and even gas tight suits.

“On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as their wholetime colleagues, and they can be called to all manner of emergencies, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues and flooding.

"The pay does vary, depending on how much cover you give, but it is fantastically rewarding to be a part of your community and to be in a position to help people.”

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 and enhanced team spirit.

If you are interested in being a firefighter in Pewsey and cannot attend the event on March 24, visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk/workingforus