Two on-call firefighters share their experiences to encourage others to come forward and join the Abbots Bromley crew

An on-call firefighter with more than 40 years’ experience and a new on-call firefighter have shared their experiences of the role.

We are currently recruiting new on-call firefighters across Staffordshire and we've spoken to Sam Wilson and Ellie Kibbey, who both serve communities in Abbots Bromley.

Sam has been an on-call firefighter for 42 years, and he initially joined the service after he was inspired by his brother who also worked on-call.

He said: "My brother would always tell us what he’d been up to, and when the alerter went off you’d see him jump up and disappear. It seemed really exciting and I wanted to be a part of it.

"I am also self-employed and the idea of being part of a team really appealed to me."

Ellie joined the service only one year ago, also because she wanted to be part of a team.

She said: "I'm also self-employed, I work with horses, and I wanted a role where I saw other people, worked as part of a team and got off the yard for a while! I saw the on-call role advertised and thought it fit perfectly with my lifestyle."

Despite having differing experience levels, Sam and Ellie say they've learnt a lot from each other.

Ellie said: "It’s really beneficial to have people as experienced as Sam here, it’s not just official training, we learn all the little tips and tricks along the way."

Sam said: “They certainly keep me young! The enthusiasm spreads when you’ve got younger people on the team and it’s really inspiring, and they give you a fresh outlook and perspective on things too."

As both Sam and Ellie juggle on-call shifts with other jobs, they both enjoy the flexibility of the role and the teamwork element.

Abbots Bromley fire station is also home to the only gym in the village, something which Ellie says really motivates her to keep fit. She said: "It reminds you that you do need to be fit and strong for the role. I’ve always liked running and never used to lift weights, but nowadays I prefer to lift weights over run!”

Sam on the other hand, prefers cycling and using the rowing machine over running and lifting weights.

Speaking about their current recruitment drive to increase the crew at Abbots Bromley, Sam said: "Anyone who is considering the role should just come down and chat to us, just give it a go!"

Ellie added: "I wholeheartedly agree with Sam, just come along and have a chat with someone. That's actually how I got started, I just turned up one night, knocked on the door and got stuck in!"

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.

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