IF you live or work in Ludgershall and are interested in becoming an on-call firefighter, then Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service wants to hear from you.

A special open evening is being held at the fire station in Castle Street on Tuesday 9 September between 7pm and 9pm, when firefighters will give potential recruits the chance to have a go at a range of activities.

More people are needed to provide fire cover for Ludgershall and the surrounding villages. On-call firefighters respond to a pager when a 999 call is made locally, and cover is needed at all times.

Contracted hours can vary, but on-call personnel usually make themselves available for between 48 and 120 hours per week.

Between them, each fire station team will provide cover for weekdays, evenings, nights and weekends.

Ludgershall firefighters drill at the fire station every Wednesday evening and, as well as firefighting, the crew also provide a ‘coresponding’ service to local communities, supporting the ambulance service by attending medical emergencies ahead of a paramedic arriving.

Watch manager Conrad Jordan said: “We’ve got a great team at Ludgershall but we do need more people to get involved and help us to protect our local communities.

By coming along to this open evening, you can have a chat with the crew and try your hand at different things – for example, you can take a look inside the fire engine, and use kit such as hoses, hydraulic rescue equipment, breathing apparatus sets and even gas tight suits.”

“On-call firefighters receive the same training and development as wholetime colleagues, and we can be called to all manner of emergencies, including fires, road traffic collisions, animal rescues and flooding.

“The pay does vary, depending on how much cover you give, but it is fantastically rewarding to be a part of your community and to be in a position to help people.”

In order to be on call, you will need to be able to respond to the fire station within five minutes or so when your pager goes off. This can be from home or work, and employers can benefit from a firefighter’s training – such as first aid, manual handling, a greater understanding of health and safety in the workplace, and enhanced team spirit.