Retained firefighters
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has approximately 25 retained firefighters in the brigade based at Littleborough, Ramsbottom and Marple fire stations. Many retained firefighters have full or part time jobs in a variety of different sectors but work close to the fire station and are on call via a radio alerter to go to the fire station to respond to emergencies.
Here we interview Dominic Bowler (pictured right), who has been a retained firefighter at Marple Fire Station for 10 years as well as being a full time teacher up until last year. He now works in Community Fire Safety at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service headquarters as well as still serving as a retained firefighter at weekends and evenings.
First of all, what is the difference between a retained and wholetime firefighter?
The main difference for a retained firefighter is that we turn out (respond to an emergency) usually from home in response to an alerter. Therefore we must live near the station and stay within turn out distance while on call. We all live in the community we serve and so often know the victims of the emergencies we attend.
How long have you been a retained firefighter and what station are you currently based at?
I will have been a retained firefighter for 10 years this October. I operate out of Marple Fire Station as I live nearby. Two years ago I was promoted to Crew Manager.
For most of the time I have been a firefighter I have worked as Head of Science in a local secondary school. I now work at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters in Community Fire Safety but still work as a retained firefighter at weekends and evenings.
Why did you decide to become a retained firefighter?
My wife tells me it was in response to a mid life crisis! I thought it was because I wanted to do something for my local community that was also interesting, developed new skills and could be exciting.
How are retained firefighters trained?
Retained firefighters are mainly trained on fire stations with their peers and at Marple with the whole time firefighters. The formal training includes one week of working with ladders, pumps and theoretical issues at our brigade training centre followed by two weeks of Breathing Apparatus (BA) training usually done over seven weekends. The BA training is the same as the wholetime and the same standard is required to pass this course. Training is continued with a minimum of three hours a week on station and several whole days at training centre or other training venues each year.
How do retained firefighters respond to emergencies?
Retained firefighters need to stay close to their local station when on call and are called to attend by a radio alerter. We don’t know what we are turning out to until we get to the station. We regularly manage attendance times less than seven minutes in Marple even when we turn out from bed.
What do you enjoy most about being a retained firefighter?
I enjoy the opportunity of working with people from all walks of life and operating effectively as a member of an efficient team. I get a feeling of great satisfaction when we complete a difficult job well, especially when it involves saving someone’s life. I also enjoy the work we do in our local community, especially open days and the annual carnival. The firefighters in Marple are at the hub of the local community and are very well regarded.
What is the most demanding aspect of being a retained firefighter?
The most demanding part of being a retained firefighter is being tied down to being in Marple for 70 hours a week, especially at the weekend. At the moment we are short staffed and getting time off is difficult. This can be very demanding on the family.
Of the incidents you have attended which stand out in your memory?
I will always remember my first rescue. An elderly gentleman was trapped in his burning flat and had to be rescued. We were called out at 11pm. I had gone to bed early as we were going on our family holiday to Cornwall the next morning at 5am. As we arrived at the incident flames were clearly visible through the windows and a small crowd made it very clear that someone was in the flat. After the rescue we cleared out the flat and made it safe. I eventually got home at 4am. We have quite a variety of incidents in Marple due to its rural nature. I will always remember carrying a wet sheep back to its field after we rescued it from the river where it had been chased by a dog. Other animal rescues have included several horses, dogs from the canal, a pigeon from netting and a small deer from a canal lock.
Have you got a question for Dominic? Email us now!