Station officer David WardFears that the Marlborough fire station has not been able to turn out during daytime recently because of a lack of drivers have been allayed by a senior officer.

A source within the brigade told the Gazette that on several days two weeks ago the Marlborough appliances could not have turned out because no drivers were available.

Several members of the public have expressed concern that the town notorious for major blazes in its historic wooden-framed buildings had been left without day cover on occasions.

Fire engine drivers have to hold HGV licenses because of the size and weight of the appliances. Only a percentage of fire fighters are trained drivers.

In recent years the Marlborough Fire Station has been struggling to find enough part time retained fire fighters.

This has been a particular problem for day cover because so many eligible young people work away from the town.

At evening and at night when day-workers are back at home, the station has been able to muster full crews.

The desperate need for more volunteers from the town has eased following a successful recruitment exercise recently. The station now has a complement of 17, headed by station officer David Ward who has 30 years' experience, although some of the newer recruits are still undergoing training.

Some of the new recruits can provide day cover and two of them are waiting to be trained as drivers, said the Wiltshire brigade's assistant chief officer (operations) Peter Baxter.

The Gazette understands that two weeks ago on some days the Marlborough appliances could not have turned out in an emergency because of a shortage of trained drivers.

If there had been 999 calls on those days then incidents normally attended by Marlborough crews would have had to be covered by neighbouring fire stations including Pewsey, Ramsbury, Devizes or Swindon.

Previously the Wiltshire brigade paid for trained brigade drivers from other parts of the county to provide day cover at Marlborough.

That arrangement has been discontinued, the Gazette has been told, leaving the town fire station with no drivers during the working day on several occasions.

However, Mr Baxter said last week that an experienced driver had become available to provide day cover.

He said eight of Marlborough's retained firefighters were available to provide day cover with the other nine available at all other times.

"Things are getting better," Mr Baxter assured, adding: "We have one of the highest levels of recruitment for retained firefighters in the country and we, in fact, buck the national trend."

Mr Baxter said that currently Wiltshire had more than its required complement of 303 part timers.

Only about one third of Wiltshire firefighters are full-timers and operate from three stations, Swindon, Salisbury and Trowbridge.

He said the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister had been concerned about falling recruitment levels nationally and set up a special retained fire fighter review team last year. The Wiltshire brigade had already covered most of the review team's recommendations even before they were made.

Mr Baxter said the Wiltshire brigade was confident that Marlborough now had full 24 hour cover.

"The message is that there is a vastly improving situation at Marlborough which will improve even more with the other drivers coming through," the assistant chief said.

He said more new recruits would be welcomed at Marlborough.

Any men or women 18 aged or above interested in becoming part time retained firefighters should go along to the fire station in The Parade to the Monday drill nights, from 7pm to 9pm.