Fire Service launces recruitment drive

The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) has launched a recruitment drive for Community (part-time) Firefighters in 16 Fire Stations across Northern Ireland, including Larne.

As part of the process, Larne Fire Station will host two public information nights on April 6 and 13 (7pm - 9pm).

NIFRS wants to recruit men and women who can respond to their local fire station within five minutes of being alerted by pager.

Community Firefighters help protect the local community and respond to emergency incidents including fires, road traffic collisions and other specialist service calls such as chemical spills, collapsed buildings and other types of rescues. They also play a crucial role in providing safety advice and assistance in the local community.

Gary Thompson, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, explains: “Simply put, NIFRS could not operate without our Community Firefighters as they provide the emergency fire and rescue services to local towns and villages across Northern Ireland.

“It is an extremely rewarding and interesting job. Community Firefighters must be able to quickly respond to emergency call outs by making their way to the fire station within five minutes, where they will meet the rest of their crew.

“Local employers have an equally important role to play in the success of the Community Firefighter system by allowing their employees to become Community Firefighters. Hundreds of local employers across Northern Ireland employ Community Firefighters, benefiting by having someone on site who has developed a wide range of skills and experience including the ability to work as part of a team. NIFRS greatly appreciates the support of local employers in helping provide the best possible fire and rescue service.”

He added: “Community Firefighters are paid a retaining fee, emergency call out payments and a payment to attend a weekly drill night which is two hours per week in the evening. Community Firefighters are trained to the highest standards and take part in 12 days training each year to ensure we have the most highly skilled Firefighters to help protect our local communities.”

Other local fire stations recruiting new Community Firefighters include Antrim, Carrickfergus, Whitehead and Glengormley.

Application packs can be downloaded from the NIFRS website – www.nifrs.org/careers

The closing date for applications is Friday, April 22 at 3pm.