The most common perception of the Fire and Rescue Service is one of firefighters riding in fire engines and fighting fires.

This is true, but in today’s modern Fire and Rescue Service the role of a firefighter is much more varied.

A firefighter can expect to not only fight fires but to also attend road traffic collisions, provide assistance with flooding and rescue both people and animals. Equally important is the proactive approach to community safety - explaining the risks of fire, fitting smoke alarms and preventing fires and accidents from happening in the first place.

In the current climate firefighters face all kinds of challenges, such as unpredictable environmental hazards like floods and storms, major transport incidents and unforeseen events like oil and chemical spillages. There is also the ever increasing threat of terrorism.

The role of a firefighter is to protect the community they serve, they give advice to businesses, risk assess properties and help people to plan escape routes. They raise awareness throughout schools and teach about the dangers of playing with fire. They encourage fire safety initiatives and inspect buildings to make sure they meet fire safety regulations. A firefighter is at the heart of the community.

It’s not just about the firefighters though, control room operators and and support staff are key to the success of the Service and work alongside firefighters to ensure Staffordshire is kept safe.

Control room operators take all emergency calls and work under extreme pressure to ensure the right the people and vehicles are sent to the right place to deal with incidents.

Support staff form the backbone of the Service as they deal with the day to day running of operations. Among other things they ensure the right people are recruited, everyone gets paid, fire safety is promoted and health and safety is followed!