Press Release - 5 August 2013
Kent Fire and Rescue Service is launching its largest ever recruitment campaign for on-call firefighters by urging residents to consider whether they could join one of 27 stations across the county.
Recruitment is now underway until 30 September at New Romney, Cranbrook, Tenterden, Wye, Charing, Hythe, Dymchurch, Lydd, Hawkhurst in the south of the county, while Headcorn, Borough Green, Southborough and Tunbridge Wells are looking for new staff.
There are also vacancies being advertised in west Kent at Sevenoaks, Swanley, Swanscombe, Westerham and Edenbridge with on call posts at Hoo, Sheppey, Sittingbourne and Eastchurch available in the Medway/Swale areas. And in the east of the county, new firefighters are needed at Whitstable, Wingham, Sandwich, Ramsgate and Margate.
On-call firefighters are paid to be available for an agreed number of hours and during that time they can go about their normal life at home. However, if they are called, they must be able to drop what they are doing and get to the station, to be ready to respond operationally within five minutes. The contracted hours KFRS will offer will be based on what the station needs to deal with the risk in the area.
All kinds of people can be on-call firefighters. Most have other jobs, so it may appeal to men or women who are looking for extra shifts, want to take on an extra challenge, or perhaps want something to fit in with childcare.
Requirements include being over 18, physically fit, with good levels of reading and writing and candidates must be able to be operationally ready within five minutes. Full training is provided. Anyone interested can find details of the stations, hours needed, recruitment criteria and a film showing the fitness tests on http://www.kentfirejobs.info/
Sean Bone-Knell, Assistant Director at KFRS said: “We want to challenge the stereotype that only a certain sort of person can be an on-call firefighter; this could be a great job for all kinds of people. So if anyone is looking for extra shifts, or perhaps an additional challenge over and above the day job, then this could be for them.
“Over the last couple of years we have made major changes to the Service to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. We are now able to recruit on-call firefighters to work exactly when and where we need them, based on local risk in individual areas. This not only applies to time of day, but also the time of year, for example busy periods such as a dry summer when there are traditionally more fires.”
Details of any information sessions or open evenings will be posted on the KFRS Facebook and Twitter sites. Become a Fan of KFRS on Facebook www.facebook.com/kentfirerescue or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kentfirerescue
