ON-CALL firefighters are “a massive benefit to their workplace”, according to the Station Commander at Minehead Fire Station.

Station Commander Chris Jones says the training an on-call firefighter undergoes is of benefit to employers.

“Having someone in the office who is first-aid trained and constantly developing these skills is a real benefit to an employer,” said Chris.

“And an employer will find it rewarding that they are helping protect their community.”

Minehead Fire Station is currently looking to employ two on-call firefighters who can offer some cover during the working day.

“Sometimes people are put off applying to the on-call firefighter roles by their employers,” said Chris Jones, Station Commander at Minehead Fire Station.

“Their employers fear they will constantly be leaving their desks for long periods of time and it’s just not like that.”

On-call firefighters are required to respond to an alert by a pager calling them into action by Fire Control operators when they receive a 999 emergency call.

Someone on-call is likely to be called out two to three times a week for one to two hours.

“You choose the hours in the day that you are available to be oncall,” said Chris.

A firefighter responds to a number of jobs, including fires, floods, road traffic accidents, chemical spills and talking to the community about fire prevention.

Applicants must be able to live and respond to the firestation in Hopcott Road, Minehead, within five minutes of receiving an alert.

To apply for the role visit www.dsfire.gov.uk