More Fire Fighters Needed

FIREFIGHTERS in the east and south of the county are appealing for both men and women in the area to join them in a bid to ease the strain at Thame and other stations across the area.
More retained (part-time) firefighters are needed to reduce the burden on existing staff at the stations.

Although retained firefighters between the ages of 18 and 55 years are still needed in all areas of Oxfordshire, these stations are desperate to boost crew numbers to support existing firefighters and to help safeguard the local community.

County Councillor Ray Jelf, Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: “Recent recruitment drives have resulted in some new retained firefighters being appointed across Oxfordshire.
“However, there are still around another 40 vacancies so I would urge anyone living or working within 1.5 miles of their local fire station to consider becoming a retained firefighter so as to help with the safety education and protection of their local community.”

Retained firefighters are professionals who respond to emergencies and are on call some parts of the week. They can work the hours that suit them and that fit around their home and working lives.
They are trained by the Fire and Rescue Service to do the same job as their whole-time counterparts, but on a part-time basis ? they are the backbone of the fire service. They are ordinary people doing an extraordinary job.

The message from the Fire and Rescue Service is clear – if you?re reasonably fit and healthy, aged between 18 and 55 and want to earn extra money ? mums going back to work or shift workers – or just want to make a difference to the local community, then please call the recruitment hotline on: 0800 587 0870.

If you have any doubts about your ability to do the job but would like to try, just ring the hotline and talk it through with the professionals. You might be surprised!

NB Oxfordshire County Council?s fire crews are now trained and ready to launch their new, high volume pumping vehicle as it goes into operation across the county.

The Fire and Rescue Service received the new equipment, which will be based at Banbury fire station, as part of the Department of Communities and Local Government?s New Dimension programme.

Capable of pumping 7,000 litres of water per minute over a distance of 3km, the new vehicle can be used to reduce the effects of flooding or to provide water for firefighting. It is similar to the pumps that were used so successfully in the Carlisle floods and the major fire at the Buncefield oil depot.

The council?s fire crews have been trained over many weeks. One of the training days took place at Blenheim Palace, where water was pumped from the Queen?s Pool through 500m of hose and then recycled back again by a 3,000 litres per minute jet, so that no water was lost.