Stuart works in the agricultural industry, which he thoroughly enjoys, but he always wanted to do something for his local community. When Stuart left school over twenty years ago, the opportunity to become a firefighter didn’t arise, but later, having spoken to a firefighter in the village, decided to apply. He was successfully appointed as an On-Call firefighter in 2020. Stuart said “I fell in love with it straight away, I look forward to drill night as it’s a chance to see all the crew and train to improve our skill sets.”
Stuart is contracted to work from home, rather than being office based, and days are spent out on farm visits, meeting customers. Stuart said “My employer, Agrii, is very supportive of my role and are fully aware of the necessary commitment. My brother Mike is also an On-Call firefighter, a Crew Commander at Kington Fire Station, working for the same company.” My wife is incredibly supportive and the decision to become an On-Call firefighter was made together. We work as a team and I couldn’t do it without her.
Stuart’s in-depth knowledge of farms helps hugely, with Fownhope being a rural Fire Station. There are situations where he has been able to act very quickly in order to stop escalation. “There was one particular incident at a farm, where Fownhope was supporting another station. My knowledge of a baler’s mechanism meant that I personally asked to step in and help. Knowing how to get the bale quickly out of the baler, meant we could stop the fire from developing. At the hot debrief afterwards I was formally thanked, as my knowledge had helped to contain the situation.
“The Service offers their staff many excellent opportunities. For example if you would like to progress through promotion, they are very supportive. The training standards are excellent, and I enjoy every part of the practical training very much.”
Stuart is very grateful for the backing of his family, and of course his full-time employer, as without them working as an On-Call firefighter would not be possible. “There are hard times, you can’t get away from that, but the rewards far outweigh these. It took me a long time to see being a firefighter as a second occupation, I was just doing it to give something back. My children regularly proudly say my daddy is a firefighter, which makes me stop and think! It is great having a sense of being here for the community.”
To find out more about becoming an On-Call firefighter: