Retained (part-time) firefighters fully crew 19 of the 28 fire stations in West Sussex and more are needed. These personnel are vital to the delivery of the county's fire and rescue service and West Sussex Fire Brigade currently needs to recruit retained firefighters to serve at most stations in the county.

"Retained firefighters are notified by a pager if they are required to respond to an emergency incident and there are a variety of different types of cover that they can offer.

This can be during the day, night or at weekends, to fit in with their lifestyle, for example, a shift worker or a mother whose children are at school during the day," said Roger Wood .

He added: "Alternatively, many employers operate a flexible approach to work, allowing their employees to respond to emergency incidents during working hours and make-up any time lost at a later date." Retained firefighters receive regular training in firefighting, rescue and extrication techniques enabling them to deal with a wide range of emergencies including fires, road traffic accidents, chemical spillages and animal rescues. "It is a rewarding job, which involves working closely with other crew members as part of a team and gives you the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the community.

You never know what you are going to be called to next, every incident is unique," said Station Officer Roger Wood.

Retained firefighters receive an annual retaining fee, a set fee for every call out and an additional hourly payment. They also need to live or work within 4 minutes of the fire station and should be aged between 18 and 55, be physically fit and in good health.

If you are interested in finding out more, you should contact West Sussex Fire Brigade's Personnel Services Unit on