Vicki has worked at Wychavon District Council in Pershore, as a graphic designer, for 15 years. There have been a few of Vicki’s colleagues over the years who have worked as On-Call firefighters, and she was used to seeing their alerters going off and the staff members leaving to go to a shout. So, when she saw a HWFRS flyer on the noticeboard looking for more firefighters, she wondered if she could do it too, even though she perhaps wasn’t necessarily the perceived stereotypical firefighter.
Vicki has now been in the On-Call firefighter role for over six years, providing day cover at Pershore Fire Station, responding from work, on a 40 hour contract. Her employers are very supportive of her role, using flexible working hours to make up the time, and special leave for training.
“I enjoy the variety of work, not knowing what I am going to be called out to. It is completely different to my day-to-day desk job. I have responded to so many different incidents such as flooding rescues from the ford and RTCs, as well as supporting the ambulance service when an elderly person has fallen in their home. I have recently completed an animal rescue course and am looking forward to putting these new skills into action when needed.
“I would highly recommend joining the Service. It builds your life experiences and is not all about physical skills – it definitely helps to develop thinking and planning ability. I’m very lucky to work with such a great team in this rural community. We all get on well, support each other and have built very close bonds.”
To find out more about becoming an On-Call firefighter: