Bev Bridgwater - Being on-call in Bolsover

My name is Bev, and I am an On-Call Firefighter based at Bolsover fire station.  Being a Firefighter had never been anything I’d ever thought about or even considered, especially as for the last 13 years my employment has been office based.

I saw a post on social media from my local station advertising a recruitment evening, thought ‘why not’ and went along. From that evening, I knew it was something I would enjoy and love to give back to the community I live in.

All the crew on station were lovely and very supportive throughout the application and training process; which despite pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I thoroughly enjoyed. It was all really rewarding and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the course was immense.

The role of being an On-Call Firefighter means that I can respond from home, which works great around my family life and my kids. I love all aspects of the job, the fire calls, the community work and just being part of a crew who all support and encourage each other; not just on station but the whole brigade.

The opportunities that have since opened to me are amazing, my favourite so far has been teaching CPR to secondary school pupils. It’s a career move I never expected to make but it’s one I’ll never regret.

I only started with the Service in June 2019, but already know that this is something I really hope to do for many years to come – with a strong desire to progress to a Wholetime Firefighter.

Interested in becoming an On-Call Firefighter? Read more about the role here