Appeal for new recruits to strengthen village's firefighting crew

AN appeal has been made for new recruits to bolster the crew at Hythe fire station.

The request for more people to provide daytime cover as on-call firefighters was made by parish council chair Cllr Malcolm Wade

He told the A&T that local officers had said that although the brigade still had a big enough team to carry out its duties, it needed strengthening in the longer term.

Cllr Wade said: “They have still got cover but you need more than enough to man one fire engine, in case some people are on holiday and so on. It also takes time to train and some people retire.

“They have enough to do what they need to do, but they could do with a few more.”

The appeal by the parish council was for people living or working within four minutes of the fire station in New Road.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Fire and Rescue said the recruitment drive follows four new additions to the crew in nearby Hardley.

He said: “We are always actively seeking more on-call firefighters as retained recruitment is an ongoing process in not just Hampshire but throughout the country.

“On-call firefighters are a key part of the fire and rescue service in Hampshire and they come from a real cross section of our community. They are trained and paid for responding, and do the same job as whole-time firefighters.

“It is only with the help of communities like Hythe that this essential life-saving capability can be maintained.”

Full training is given, as well as remuneration for hours worked. To find out more visit the station on Monday evenings between 7pm and 10pm or visit www.oncallfire.uk or careers.newjob.org.uk.