Natalie Dodd
Firefighter
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
I like to think of myself as a person who loves working with all different kinds of people, who wants to make a difference and is determined to get the most out of life. I get immense satisfaction from working hard and enjoy making the most of the people within my community. So I decided the Fire Service would be my ideal career!
Prior to joining the Fire Service, I worked as a lifeguard and was a musician in the Territorial Army. I didn’t realise that women could join the Fire Service and if I had known sooner I would have applied back then.
I joined a Scottish Fire and Rescue service in June 2005 and completed my training at the Scottish Fire Service College, Gullane. I had to pass a variety of tests and interviews.
I found the whole recruitment process intense and I was nervous but I also found it extremely satisfying (especially when I was getting closer and closer to achieving the goal!). I was determined to get into the Fire Service.
In 2006 I transferred into Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue service. I completed a number of weeks training at TWFRS Training school to ‘synchronise’ the skills I had learned with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service. I was posted to Gateshead Community Fire Station. Working here gives me greater contact with members of the public I am serving.
There are a lot of different aspects of the job that I enjoy and find stimulating. Although we have a day to day routine, you can be ‘called out’ at a moments notice and never know what to expect. One minute you could be putting smoke alarms up and giving fire safety advice the next you could be running into a burning building trying to rescue someone!
There’s a lot of training involved but attending incidents and gaining experience is probably the best training there is. Our main duty is to carry out preventative work, which means stopping the fires before they start.
One of the most appealing aspects of the job, for me, is the shift system (2 day shifts following by 2 night shifts). A typical day shift involves- Parade at 0900, check the appliances and equipment, training (drills),community work (Home Risk Fire Assessments, inspections etc), gym time, general jobs, clean appliances and finish at 1800.
Although I’m really enjoying my role as a Firefighter at the moment, I look forward to taking on more responsibility as I progress through the service. The Fire Service has been a lifestyle change for me, not just a career.
Stephen McCarten
Acting Station Manager
Cleveland Fire Brigade
Before joining the fire service I worked as a joiner in Smiths Dock Shipyard for 8 years. I was looking for a new direction and spoke to a couple of friends who were firefighters, the physical and challenging nature of the job and working as part of a team were particularly appealing so I decided to apply.
I was 27 years old when I joined the job and following my Trainee Course I was posted to Grangetown Fire Station where I worked for 7 years attending a variety of incidents such as chemical incidents, house fires, RTAs, lift rescues and the odd cat trapped under the floor boards, you just didn’t know what was around the corner!
I was then promoted to Leading Firefighter and moved to Stockton Fire Station for 6 months then back to Grangetown. 2 years later I moved to the training department at Brigade Headquarters where I worked for 5 years, during this time I was able to appreciate other aspects of what makes the fire service ‘tick’. It’s not just about fire engines going out the front door to attend incidents! There is equipment to research, cost, test and maintain, training to plan, legislation to adhere to, uniforms to buy, Personnel to manage and wages to pay.
I came out of Headquarters as a Sub Officer and was stationed at Middlesbrough where I spent a further 5 years during which time I was promoted to Watch Manager. I am currently acting up to Station Manager at Billingham Fire Station, which is an area with predominately chemical risk.
The role of a firefighter has changed since I joined the job from reacting to incidents and interacting with the community on a limited basis to focussing on prevention and protection as well as responding to incidents. Firefighters now provide Home Fire Safety checks to home owners and fit free smoke alarms, they also deliver fire safety and road safety education to schools and colleges on how to prevent fire.
The Brigade also identify vulnerable groups in the community and employ specialist personnel such as bi-lingual advocates to ensure we provide a service to all parts of the community, including hard to reach areas.
In my opinion being a firefighter is more than just a job, there is definitely a family/team atmosphere amongst the workforce which is essential when attending incidents as we have to rely on each other. It is an opportunity to serve the community and put something back and it is not just 9 to 5. There are ample opportunities for development and career progression and no two days are the same.
Outside of the job, the Fire Service also has excellent sports and welfare club providing opportunities to partake in local, national and international events such as football, cricket, athletics, fishing, cycling, walking and many more. I have had the pleasure of playing at Anfield, Liverpool in the British Fire Service cup final and have also represented the Fire Brigade Athletics team in the European Championships in Germany.
The job is challenging and rewarding and I would recommend it to anyone.
Tony John
Station Manager
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service
I left school after completing my A Levels at sixth form and I joined an Infantry Regiment in the British Army. After 4 years as a Lance Corporal in a rifle platoon I decided to leave the Army and try something different, I was new to County Durham and was not sure what I should do with myself. A friend of mine who had left the Army at the same time as me was undertaking entry tests to join the Fire Service and suggested that I should do the same. I took a combination of psychological and physical tests which eventually led to an interview at Fire Service headquarters in Durham.
I was successful at the interview stage and went on to do the 13 week recruits course as it was at the time. Even though I was used to strenuous physical work in the Army, I found learning new technical skills, fitness training and frequent written examinations a demanding combination! However these challenges during basic training really got us working together as an effective team and was an immensely enjoyable time. The course culminated in a passing out parade when family and friends were invited to come and see demonstrated some of the skills and knowledge we had gained and I was very proud to receive the “Silver Axe” award.
My first position was as a probationer Firefighter on White Watch at Darlington fire station. As a probationer I spent the next 2 years consolidating the skills and knowledge from my basic training and really learnt all the different aspects of working as a Firefighter. Everyday our work could include, conducting training exercises, working in the community, talking in schools or visiting people in their homes to give fire safety advice. We would also inspect high risk premises and of course respond to emergencies!
During this time the Service and my colleagues supported me in completing my statutory promotion exams and I was promoted to Leading Firefighter (later Crew Manager), which meant being responsible for a crew on a fire appliance. Following this I moved to Newton Aycliffe fire station and became part of a smaller Watch which gave me development opportunity and experience of acting in the role of Watch Manager.
Having spent a number of years on the operational side of serving the community and always being open to a new challenge, I decided to look at changing my role within the Service. I applied to become a Trainer (Watch Manager post) at the Service’s Learning and Development Section based at Durham and discovered a new range of skills, knowledge and opportunities open to me. I greatly enjoyed becoming a Breathing Apparatus and Road Traffic Collision Instructor and developing and teaching training courses to other members of the Service.
During this time I was supported again by the Service as I studied for a management qualification at the local college and then onto a management post graduate degree course at Durham University. Using my new skills I was able to expand on my role as a Trainer and contribute to the implementation of modernisation within the Service, particularly the Integrated Personal Development System.
In 2006 I was successful at a Middle Managers Assessment and Development Centre that led to me being promoted to Station Manager. I’m now the Assistant Manager in Learning and Development and my role is completely different again! My normal work activities now include progressing workforce development policies, developing regional partnerships in Learning and Development, budget monitoring and review, just to name a few!
To date I have had a fantastic time in the Fire Service, I have learnt an incredible amount and met people who have encouraged and supported me in realising my career aspirations. All this and I can honestly say I have enjoyed every challenge so far. I look forward to what is next around the corner, in the full knowledge that by working together as a team we really are making a difference in the community.
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