A fresh appeal for firefighters
Call to fill part-time ‘on call’ positions at stations across the Moorlands
MORE people are being urged to come forward across the Moorlands to become ‘on call’ firefighters.
Vacancies for both men and women over the age of 18 are available for part time ‘on call’ positions at stations across the Staffordshire Moorlands – particularly in Ipstones and Longnor – to help to give more cover in the rural areas.
Speaking at last week’s meeting of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s community overview and scrutiny panel, Rob Barber, who has recently been appointed chief fire officer for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said one of the top priorities for the service was to build strong relationships with communities.
He said: “Staffordshire
Moorlands has had wild fires at the Roaches which affected local communities. We have also had flooding issues in the Staffordshire area.
“There is an ageing population and risk of poverty. One of our top priorities is to build a strong relationship with communities.
“The last two years have been difficult, but Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has adapted.
“We have supported vaccinations at stations and have not sat back, to give residents a better service.
“There has been an increase in demand due to climate change. There are a lot of retained ‘on call’ firefighters in the Moorlands and it is difficult to keep the numbers.
“It is a massive issue but we are committed to try and recruit people.”
Dermot Hogan, the fire and rescue northern service delivery group lead, also spoke to councillors on the difficulty in recruiting ‘on call’ firefighters.
He said: “We are trying to recruit to give us better cover. It is better in Cheadle, but significantly less in Ipstones and Longnor.
“There are six firefighters at Longnor and nine at Ipstones. We are looking to see how we can attract people. People who already give us cover we cannot fault.”
Councillor Joe Porter said they were more than happy to help the service reach out to people.
He said: “There are huge challenges in rural areas as people have to live within five minutes of a fire station. This does create a challenge.”
Mr Barber said that more community relationships would be accepted with open arms.