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Q&A Session 2 - Alex Hughes
Retained Firefighter
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Question 1
What made your join as a retained firefighter?
Answer
There are a few reasons for me. I’m very fortunate to have made good progress in my
initial career, and I’ve always believed that once you are secure at an individual level,
there is a duty to look for ways to contribute to the world beyond yourself.
Although my day job is pretty academic, I’m certainly the kind of person who needs a
much more physical outlet. I always feel I’m at my best when things are happening fast
and especially when there’s an element of pressure!
The Fire Service was never on my radar because I just didn’t realise that oppertunity
even existed. Looking back now, it makes perfect sense as a way to combine an
opportunity to serve with the outlet I needed beyond my day job!
A chance conversation with a coleage at work brought up that he had previously been a
retained firefighter at the station only 2 minutes from our work. That conversation really
connected the dots for me and highlighted the FRS as exactly the opportunity I had been
looking for.
Question 2
Within your role, what mixture of training do you part-take in?
Answer
iInitially, there are 4 main skill aquisition courses; Basic Skills, Road Traffic Collisions,
Breathing Aparatus and Trauma Care. Between these courses, new recruits gain all the
skills they need to be a fully functional member of the crew.
There is then a 2 year development period where those skills are built upon,
consolidated, and reassessed periodically. At the end of those 2 years, there is a final
full day assessment where on-call firefighters have the opportunity to gain the same full
qualification as our whole time counterparts.
After the development period, qualified firefighters take part in regular refreshers,
weekly drill nights and annual breathing aparatus requalifications. We also have the
opportunity to qualify in any additional skillsets our individual stations cover eg. Water
rescue, or go on to train as drivers and Incident Commanders.
Question 3
Have you specialised in any areas since joining?
If so, what?
Answer
Depending on the station you are based at, there are often additional specific skills to specialise in, or strategic national resilience assets assigned.
At one of my stations, we are trained to offer water rescue level 2 capabilities (due to historic flooding and a large river through the town). This involves the use of additional kit and specific training sessions for our station every year.
A personal goal was to really develop my medical competence and then pressure test that learning. Through the Fire Service and our partnership with the Ambulance Service, I have been able to attend category 1 medical jobs (immediate threat to life) as a regular
First Responder. I attend several jobs per week, acting as first person on scene to heart attacks, asthma attacks, strokes and many more complex situations.
Being able to develop so much in this area was a huge life ambition and not something I would have found an opportunity for without the backing from our Fire Service.
After our development period, we also have the opportunity to get additional training as a blue light/LGV driver and/or incident commander.
Question 4
What are you most common call outs since joining?
Answer
It’s been a real mix since I’ve joined, and I love the variety of what we attend. When the pager goes off, it’s really hard to second guess what is coming!
Different seasons and weather’s also bring different types of jobs. Through the summer, you can be sure there will be a few wild fire call outs. Long hot days working in the sun!
Then winter will bring the chimney fires, flooding, and more RTCs on the little local lanes.
Question 5
What is your most memorable memory since joining?
Answer
There’s been some incredible experiences, and fire service really opens up a whole band of experiences that just wouldn’t be possible without it. Working with 2 great crews always has moments of teamwork, and friendships become much stronger when you realise you can rely on people in a dangerous, pressured environment.
For me, I’m a bit of an adrenaline junky and so the opportunity to do something that requires competence to mitigate an element of risk is irreplaceable.
My favourite job that springs to memory was a house fire caused by a lightning strike. We needed to get water into the roof space, so my other Breathing Aparatus teammate gave me a boost up through a tiny loft hatch and passed up the hose reel jet. Laying in the insulation, fighting a fire so directly, feeling the heat, and gradually turning the situation around is an experience and feeling that will be hard to beat!
Question 6
How can the members of the public support the Fire Service?
Answer
I think the single biggest thing is having conversations about the role of retained firefighters and building a wider awareness of the role.
Retained stations typically have a hard time recruiting the kind of people who suit the job and can commit to protecting their local communities.
I often wonder how many people there are like me out there. People who would thrive in it, but just don’t know the role exists and can work alongside another full-time career and a family.
The more people find out about their local stations, talk about retained roles, and share that awareness, the better! If you know someone you think it would suit, plant the seed and suggest they drop the local station a message. We love the job we do, and always enjoy sharing it with people interested to learn more!
