Our Community Volunteers make a vital contribution by helping us provide fire and road safety information and practical support to the local community.
We are looking to encourage more volunteers to support our already successful teams active throughout East Sussex and the City of Brighton & Hove.
We have various roles available so, if you would like to find out more about how rewarding being a volunteer can be, please see the Role Descriptions and information on the links below. Alternatively, please call us on:
01323 462438or e-mail:volunteer@esfrs.org
You can also find out more by looking on:
www.facebook.com/esfrscommunityvolunteers
The Community Volunteers’ Scheme has just celebrated another successful year of providing volunteer support to the Fire Service.
The scheme was created to support the Service’s work in achieving its vision of ‘safer and more sustainable communities.’ Volunteers make a vital contribution by helping ESFRS to provide fire, road and water safety messages, as well as supporting the local community and participating in initiatives, as well as local campaigns.
Some of the targeted activities Volunteers have completed in the last year are:
- Community Fire Station Open Days – helping to run stalls, such as; the Black Museum, badge-making, Fire Fighters Charity, coaching for a safer community goal nets, refreshments, helping operate seatbelt machine, assisting on the interactive activities (e.g. children dressing as firefighters, looking around the fire station, working the fire hose), as well as generating referrals for Home Safety Visits (HSVs)
- Coaching for Retained Duty System (RDS) applicants – two volunteers with teaching background, coach RDS applicants who have previously failed the test to increase their chances of passing. Another volunteer who is a retired firefighter uses his experience to illustrate scenarios for potential recruits
- ESFRS Campaigns - electrical appliance safety, fireworks safety, cooking safety – distributing information to libraries, schools, community centres and doctors surgeries
- ESFRS presence at community events (e.g. Older People’s Conference, Heathfield Farmers’ market) – have a stall with fire and road safety information and generate HSV referrals
- Intelligence gathering - acting as eyes and ears in their local communities, identifying fire and road safety issues and reporting them to ESFRS to investigate (e.g. fire exits blocked in local shops, petrol cans stored outside)
- Pride/Carnival – walking with fire appliances, handing out leaflets, collecting money for Fire Fighters Charity
- Assisting with fire and road safety awareness-raising activities such as Community Safety Awareness Day, Safer Wealden Partnership Away Day
- ESFRS Recruitment Campaigns – distribute recruitment materials in relevant areas (e.g. if looking to recruit in Burwash, place leaflets in the library, community centre, employers’ premises, a stall at a local event)
- Operation Quality Street (community safety initiative, joint agencies target a residential area with a particular problem and spend the day in the area, talking to residents) – generate HSV referrals from residents
- Safety in Action Weeks - assisting school children to move around the site, acting out fire safety and electrical safety scenarios
