Crisis appeal nets fire recruits

Fire chiefs who appealed for help after revealing that the number of retained firefighters had hit "crisis point" have been inundated with new recruits.

More than 100 people came forward after fire service bosses said 17 of Oxfordshire's 24 stations were in dire need of more part-time personnel.

They said the appeal had been a success because of coverage in the media.

But they warned that there was still a "desperate need" for the retained firefighters across the county.

'Crisis not over'

The ongoing shortage, caused by people moving out of the area and retirements, means appliances cannot be manned locally and response times are slower.

John Farrow, the county council's executive member for community safety, said: "The crisis isn't over yet.

"We are still in desperate need of retained firefighters in Deddington, Watlington, Wallingford, Woodstock and Bampton so I would like to encourage anyone living in those areas to think about applying and making a difference to their community."

The service is looking to raise the current number of retained firefighters from 304 to 350.

The county has six stations crewed by a mix of retained and full-time firefighters and 18 with just retained crews.