Do you live near Waltham Abbey Fire Station and think you could be a firefighter?

The fire station in Sewardstone Road is recruiting on-call firefighters; people who live or work within five minutes of the station and are paid to respond to incidents when called upon.

Steve Wintrip, Station Manager, said: "During the ongoing pandemic we've seen a real shift in community spirit - people are continually asking how they can support public services and make a difference to where they live.

"The message is simple - if you live close enough then please consider applying to be an on-call firefighter, and if you don’t live close enough, then show your support by sharing our recruitment messages.

"And please, keep that community spirit and positivity going. The Thursday night clapping may have finished but you can still show your appreciation for our crews by simply recognising the time and commitment they give to keep you safe."

On-call firefighters are paid a standby rate and an additional hourly rate for attending incidents and training. They can earn anywhere between £4,000 and £8,000 a year.

To become an on-call firefighter, you’ll need to pass a fitness test and spend two full weeks training followed by a further evening session for 10 weeks.

Sean Goodchild, one of Essex’s 500+ on-call firefighters, said: "I enjoy that I pick the hours I wish to cover and although 90 hours a week sounds a lot, it is easily managed - I even get to do the school runs most days.

"I get satisfaction knowing that my crew and I are helping the community, nearly every shout is something different and I feel a sense of pride to know that we’ve helped."

Visit essex-fire.gov.uk/wa for more information.

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