Two new firefighters at Berkhamsted

Herts Fire and Rescue Service has seen its newest recruits officially pass out from their basic training.

In a ceremony at Longfield Training Centre, Stevenage, 15 retained firefighters were formally welcomed into their new roles by Chief Fire Officer Darryl Keen.

They will now be on call to deal with emergencies alongside their normal jobs, responding to alerts within four minutes.

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Among the new firefighters were Tom Burger, 26, a network engineer from Berkhamsted, and Chris Pocock, 30, also from Berkhamsted.

They will both be posted to Berkhamsted Fire Station.

During the course the trainees worked hard to achieve the high standards of skills and abilities necessary for the role. The course covered essential subjects such as firecraft, breathing apparatus, fire behaviour and tactical ventilation, road traffic collision, first aid and trauma care.

Their training will now continue at their individual stations where they will maintain and develop these skills.

Terry Hone, cabinet member for community safety at Herts County Council, said: “I would like to congratulate all the new recruits and welcome them to their new roles. They stand at the threshold of a unique career which offers them an exceptional range of opportunities and experiences.

Herts Fire & Rescue Service new recruits July 2017Herts Fire & Rescue Service new recruits July 2017
Herts Fire & Rescue Service new recruits July 2017
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“Being a retained firefighter is one of the most exciting and rewarding jobs you can do and provides a valuable service to the community, helping to keep them safe.”

Retained firefighters need to live or work within four minutes of a fire station and be on standby to attend emergency incidents. In return we offer full training and a basic annual retainer as well as payments for call-outs to incidents. They are required to attend the station for training with colleagues for three hours one evening per week for which they will also be paid.

To find more about being a retained firefighter and express an interest in the role you will need to complete an online form at www.hertsdirect.org/rds

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