Fire stations in rural Northumberland facing recruitment challenges

Fourteen of Northumberland’s 15 fire stations operate with retained firefighters, who play a critical part in how the fire service keeps the county’s residents safe.

Figures in a report presented to county councillors said the number of on-call firefighters had fallen under expected levels, with the service being 45 personnel short at the worst point.

Coun Colin Horncastle, who chairs the fire authority, said: “In Northumberland, we have an absolutely wonderful fire and rescue service made up of two different types of firefighter.

“There are full-time jobs which are very easily filled because it’s a job everyone wants to get into and people can come in and move up the ladder. The vast majority are staffed by our retained firefighters who are fully trained.

“Where it differs is the retained firefighters are on call from their home or workplace. You’re actually giving up an awfully big part of your life. You could be at home having a family dinner or a barbecue and you can’t have a drink.

“We’re also hamstrung by the fact that you have to live within five minutes of the fire station. These are the sorts of things that have been making it really difficult to get these rural fire stations staffed.”

The report explained that trainee courses had been increased, with 40 new on-call firefighters recruited since the changes. Candidates are also now offered an “enhanced disturbance fee” and “more flexible and attractive on-call employment contracts”.

Furthermore, the catchment area around the station has been increased from five to eight minutes.

Jim McNeil, assistant chief fire officer at NFRS, stressed that his retained colleagues were just as important as those who were full time firefighters, citing the fire at Haltwhistle Working Men’s Club in December as an example..

He said: “The first crews to respond were from Haltwhistle and were retained crews. They were there within 10 minutes, they could have been in bed, but they were now putting their lives at risk.

“I don’t see a difference between our on call and our full time firefighters in terms of risks they’re exposed to. They should be applauded.”