County under fire

YOUR county needs you to help save lives - Cheddar Fire Station is looking for more retained firefighters to help in emergencies. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service group commander Philip Martin said: "We are looking to employ additional firefighters from the community. Retained firefighters are people who live or work in the Cheddar area and are able to go to the fire station when required for an emergency."Full training is provided and the firefighters are paid an annual retaining fee and receive payment for emergency call outs, pre-planned community safety work and weekly training.Applicants must be aged at least 18 and physically fit. They also need to be available Monday to Friday, but different contracts may be negotiated. Successful applicants will also have a chance to take first aid and driving courses. Mr Martin added: "We think there may be people that might want to be firefighters who are reluctant to put themselves forward because of their perception of what they have to achieve in terms of entry requirements. "We do have some basic but essential standards but anyone who is interested, in what can be an extremely rewarding and essential role in the community, is urged to contact us."We would particularly like to hear from people in those groups who are currently under-represented in the service. We are keen to increase the numbers of female, black and ethnic minority candidates. Also, living with a particular disability is not a barrier in applying to be a firefighter." An opening evening with more information will be held on October 8 at Glastonbury Fire Station in George Street at 7.30pm. For more details call 01392 872331.