FIREFIGHTERS in Ramsbury are holding a number of events during October in a bid to attract new recruits.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service needs more people to provide fire cover within the village and its surrounding parishes.

Anyone interested in joining the crew in Ramsbury can attend one of two ‘have a go’ evenings, which are being held at the fire station in High Street between 7pm and 9pm on Wednesday 7 October and Wednesday 14 October.

The fire station will also throw open its doors between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 10 October.

On-call firefighters respond to a pager when Fire Control requires their attendance at an incident – contracted hours can vary, but personnel usually make themselves available for between 48 and 120 hours each week. Between them, each fire station team will provide cover for weekdays, evenings, nights and weekends.

Watch manager Chris Martin said that Ramsbury needs new firefighters who can provide cover at all times, but especially during the day.

He said: “To be on-call, you need to be able to respond to the fire station in around five minutes once your pager goes off, and this can be from home or work. Our crews can be called to all sorts of emergencies, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues and flooding.

“On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as wholetime colleagues, and employers can benefit from those skills, which include first aid, manual handling, a greater understanding of health & safety in the workplace, and enhanced team spirit.

“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.”

If you are interested in becoming an on-call firefighter but can’t attend one of the recruitment events, you can find out more at wiltsfire.gov.uk/workingforus