Meet the on-call firefighter who juggles full-time work and on-call shifts

An on-call firefighter juggling a full-time job in manufacturing is urging other people to consider a career with the fire service.  

Recruitment for on-call firefighters is now open across Staffordshire, and we've spoken to Matt Shenton, who juggles his own job alongside serving local communities in Longnor.

Matt works as a Production Operative at Altrad Belle, a nearby manufacturer of light construction equipment, while also serving as an on-call firefighter. 

Matt said: "I had worked on-call at Ipstones for around a year before starting my role in construction, so I considered the option of doing it at Longnor whilst at work.

"I mentioned in my job interview that I also work as an on-call firefighter to see if I'd be allowed to be on-call whilst at work and thankfully they allowed me to do so”.

Matt has spent the past 18 months developing his skills and assisting with incidents in the local area, something he has wanted to do since a child.

He said: "I joined the fire service because it's something I've wanted to do since I was young. One day I got chatting to people in the village who work in the fire service, and when I saw that applications were open, I went for it.

"One of my most memorable moments so far is when I was at work, then got a call to assist in a large fire just up the road.

"I had to drop everything at work and go; it was nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time."

Sonia Hicks, from Altrad Belle, said: “Supporting an on-call firefighter demonstrates our commitment to social responsibility within the local community.

“We gain employees with transferable skills such as first-aid, leadership and emergency response which can all be applied in the workplace to improve our own safety policies and hazard mitigation”.

The role of an on-call firefighter is exactly the same as that of a full-time firefighter but with one difference – on-call firefighters aren’t based at the fire station all the time, they have an alerter and they only respond when there’s an emergency.

Anyone over the age of 18, who lives or works close to an on-call station can apply to become an on-call firefighter, and all applicants will go through the same recruitment and training process.

On-call firefighters receive the same training as full-time firefighters - but without the 16-week time restraint - which involves a number of different aspects such as working at heights, breathing apparatus, road traffic collisions and first aid.

Matt continued: "To anyone considering joining the fire service as an on-call firefighter, I'd recommend doing some research or just popping into a station for a chat.

"It's a great feeling being able to go out and help people in your local area."

To find out more about the role and to apply, visit On-call firefighter recruitment.