Harrold Fire Station, serving and protecting over 30 villages in the north of Bedfordshire, urgently needs retained firefighters. The station needs more firefighters to provide life-saving cover during the day.  

Harrold Watch Commander James Bayliss is hoping that a recruitment drive at Harrold Lower School held today [Thursday 28 February] will attract people in the local area to think about joining up:

"We are down to minimum numbers now and desperately need more recruits. We especially need people to help us during the day that could be farm hands, home workers or mums who have children in school. Anyone who works or live within five minutes travelling time of Harrold Station, which includes the villages Carlton and Odell.

We cannot turn out the fire engine without a crew. Please remember it could be your family or friends who need our help one day."

As a retained firefighter you can choose when you are on call, and are able to book off via your mobile phone if, for example, you need to collect children from school.

You will be paid a retainer of £2,719 a year in addition to an hourly rate for attending weekly training sessions and incidents. Retained firefighters also qualify for a pension scheme.

Applicants must be physically fit but the role is not exclusively for men, Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service currently employ 18 female firefighters. The role is not just about putting out fires, retained crews help to prevent fires in the first place with educational school visits and home fire safety checks.

Harrold Fire Station provides cover for over 30 villages in North Beds, spreading from Oakley to Wymington. They are supported by appliances from Bedford if required, but a matter of minutes can be the difference between life and death at some fires.

"The crew from Harrold were first at the scene of a house fire in the village last December where two people were rescued from their bedroom window by ladders. It is essential that we reach fires quickly and Harrold is always growing with more houses being built so there is a greater need than ever for a local crew," added James.

Retained firefighters are employed at many stations across the county. If you would like to learn more about the role please visit our recruitment pages or call 01234 351081 and ask to speak to Retained Recruitment Officer Ian McLaren.