Three firefighters from the Chichester area have been welcomed to the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service after successfully completing their initial retained course.
They joined seven colleagues to mark the accomplishment in style with an outstanding pass-out parade in front of proud family members, friends, officers and colleagues.
Following a rigorous two-week training programme, the recruits (Stewart Ellaby, Chichester, Dominic Royffe, Selsey and Matthew Cayford, Midhurst) delivered an exceptional display of their newly learned skills during the parade at Worthing Fire Station.
Gavin Watts, Chief Fire Officer, presented WSFRS’s newest firefighters with their certificates, adding: “Welcome to the fire and rescue service family. You are a credit to the training you have undertaken. We recognise the commitment you are giving us and the support you will be receiving from your families. Our retained firefighters provide us, and the communities of West Sussex, with an invaluable service – so thank you.”
The firefighters will now be posted to their home stations to respond to emergencies when needed and to continue their professional development.
Retained firefighters are men and women who combine their day jobs or duties with being “on call” for the fire service, ready to respond to emergencies when they are needed. They also play an important role in community engagement activities.
They are vital to the delivery of the county’s fire and rescue service and receive regular training to equip them with the skills they need to deal with fires, road traffic collisions and a wide range of other emergencies. Retained firefighters receive an annual retainer fee as well as additional payments for any incidents or community safety events they attend.
