Welcome to our new recruits – will you be next?

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is pleased to welcome its new on call firefighters, who had their Core Skills Pass Out Parade on 23 February 2024.

They’ve learnt and applied a wide range of practical skills including hose running, pumping from both pressure fed and open water supplies and safely pitching a variety of fire service ladders.

They have also had input in First Aid, Manual Handling, and the safe operation of fire extinguishers. In addition to the practical aspects, our trainee firefighters have had to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through a sequence of written assessments.

They have reached the halfway point in their training and will now be trained in road traffic collision, working at height, water safety and culminating in a two-week breathing apparatus course.

It takes a huge amount of commitment and effort to get this far. The firefighters who are passing out should be proud of their achievements and will be an asset to the Service and their local communities.

• Burwash - Firefighter Alisha Boast
• Heathfield - Firefighter Joel Bandle and Firefighter Sam Winter
• Pevensey - Firefighter  Barrie O’Neill
• Rye - Firefighter Cindy Bridges
• Uckfield - Firefighter Stephen Knights and Firefighter Jordan Thompson

Will you be next?

The Service is looking for more people to join our on crews. Find our more at www.esfrs.org/oncall

An On-Call Firefighter could be called out two or three times a week, for a few hours at a time. The on-call hours are based around people’s availability and other commitments. To be an On-Call Firefighter, you must : 

• Have a strong desire to support the local community.
• Be enthusiastic about working as part of a team.
• Have a reasonable level of personal fitness.
• Live or/and work within 5 minutes of your local fire station.
• You will be required to be clean shaven for Health & Safety reasons, to ensure your Breathing Apparatus has a complete seal.

These are our current needs as of February 2024.