On Thursday night, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service welcomed businesses from across the county who support on-call firefighters.
Held at the service’s training centre in Chorley, eight businesses were recognised in the new employer recognition scheme. This is because they allow their employees to respond to fires and other incidents from their workplace.
The eight businesses recognised at the ceremony were:
- BAE Systems
- Bay Garden Machinery
- Carnforth Community Primary School
- Department for Work and Pensions
- James Alpe Ltd
- Lancaster Motorhomes and Caravans
- Mitie Emergency Response Services
- Silentnight Beds
On-call firefighters are members of our community living or able to work from Lancashire who often have another job but also provide emergency cover and respond to emergencies when needed. They are professionally trained firefighters who work alongside full-time colleagues to respond to a wide range of incidents from road crashes to floods, fires, chemical spills or rescuing people trapped in confined spaces.
On-call firefighters must live or work close to the fire station to respond to emergencies when alerted by pager.
Speaking at the presentation, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Steve Healey said:
“32 of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s 58 Fire Engines are crewed by on-call firefighters, who respond to emergency calls within their community from home or work.
“The contribution of on-call firefighters and the support of employers, particularly in Lancashire’s rural areas and small towns, enable the Service to respond quickly to fires and other emergencies, and keep people safe.
“There is great value in the skills and attributes our on-call firefighters bring to the Service and equal benefits to be gained outside the Service from the training and experiences they go through.
“On behalf of the whole Service, I would like to thank the employers here tonight and those who couldn’t make it for support you give to our service and the people of Lancashire.”
Working as an on-call firefighter means being involved in a wide range of activities in your local area, from responding to emergency calls to carrying out work in local communities to support their needs or providing prevention advice to help keep them safe.
An on-call firefighter brings many positive attributes to the workplace; they are used to working as part of a team to achieve an objective, have the ability to think fast while remaining calm in stressful situations and are self-disciplined.
They receive a variety of professional training and development in transferable skills that could benefit a business. These include certified training in first aid and trauma, LGV driving and basic health and safety including manual handling and risk assessments. Training is also given in hazardous materials, safeguarding and equality and diversity.
Recruitment is currently open for on-call firefighters until 5pm on Wednesday 8 November.
To learn more or apply, visit our website.