County suffering firefighter shortage

About 70% of the county's fire fighters work on a retained basis

Cornwall County Fire Brigade says it is witnessing one of the worst shortages of retained firefighters on record.

Retained crews are a vital part of the county's fire cover, forming well over two thirds of the service.

And officers say changing work patterns and reluctant employers are partly to blame for the drop in numbers.

Now a county-wide recruitment campaign has been launched to try and convince more people about the benefits of joining on a retained basis.

Essential skills

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Yates believes changing work patterns and reluctant employers are partly responsible for the shortage.

And he says far from being a drain, retained firefighters bring essential skills to the work place.

As well as a reasonable level of fitness, potential recruits need to live and work close to their local fire station.

There is two weeks initial training followed by a weekly drill night and occasional weekend courses.

Cornwall County Fire Brigade says it is hoping to recruit at least 30 firefighters during the application period.

But it says if numbers of retained crews continue to decline at the same rate, they will be looking for more.