AFTER a record-breaking summer of call outs, local Wellington Fire Station is on the hunt for new recruits with a very important provision - you need to live within five minutes of the station.

With 12 needed for cover at any one time at the North Street station, the recruitment drive is looking for future firefighters who need to be able to drop everything to respond to a call.

“When the alerter sounds we drop what we are doing and respond to the station, don our equipment in the kit room, mount the appliance to respond in under five minutes” explains Ben Woollaston, on-call firefighter at Wellington.

Requirements for applying aren’t as comprehensive as you might think; over 18 years of age, a driving licence to be able to attend training away from the station and the ability to pass the 8.8 Bleep Test - running back and forth on a set 20-metre track between audio sounds designed to measure aerobic capacity.

Everything else can be trained, says Ben, but what it does it take to be a good firefighter?

Training on the high volume pump (HVP) which was used to tackle open countryside fires in Hampshire and South Wales.
Training on the high volume pump (HVP) which was used to tackle open countryside fires in Hampshire and South Wales. (Wellington Fire Station)

“A willingness to learn, an eagerness for a new challenge,” says Ben.

“There's no amount of bravery because we are a job that through our safe working procedures make a naturally dangerous area safer, but it's never without risk.”

And ideally, applicants need to be team-oriented, able to follow instructions and somebody that will thrive on the pride of the job they are doing.

Ben added: “When you take the uniform off, you are still associated as a firefighter within the town and the community, and therefore, a person of responsibility and trust.”

Applications are being accepted from men, women and gender neutral people at the station which is already home to three female firefighters. As long as they are capable of doing the job, the service does not discriminate, adds Ben.

Training is given before a recruit can qualify to go ‘on the run’. Two weeks of core skills covering pumps, ladders, road traffic collisions and well as a second course on breathing apparatus and live fire.

Wellington firefighters at the scene of a devastating fire this summer in Oake.
Wellington firefighters at the scene of a devastating fire this summer in Oake. (PHOTO: Wellington Fire Station)

Only then can the recruit, classed as a development firefighter, be attached to a seasoned pro who ‘show them the ropes’.

This last summer has tested the local fire service more than any other.

In July they responded to more than 5,300 calls; 500 more than the busiest month on record.

And the type of fires are changing too from the more routine ‘compartmented’ fires and traffic collisions to fighting fires over vast expanses and for days at a time.

During this summer’s heatwaves, teams were out for 48 and 72 hours at a time helping out as far away as Hampshire and South Wales with the high volume pump.

Ben added: “When we go through our really busy periods, it becomes really challenging. So it's finding those that have the flexibility within their schedules to be able to accommodate it.”