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Welsh Recruitment Meets, Christine Green, a firefighter

(Picture: South Wales Fire and Rescue service logo)

(Picture: Photo of Christine Green in her uniform)

Christine Green is a Fire fighter working under the retained duty system at Monmouth Fire Station. The Retained Service forms an essential part of the emergency network, and Fire fighters working this system provide cover that also fits around their other jobs and commitments. They are alerted to emergency incidents by a ‘bleeper’ that they carry with them. Christine is a 37 year old mother of two.

Welsh Recruitment: Aside from fighting fires and rescuing stranded cats from trees, what other duties do Fire fighters have to perform?

Christine Green: Other duties may include attending road traffic collisions and cutting casualties out of wrecked vehicles, attending chemical spills, and flooding and other water related incidents. Contrary to popular belief, fire fighting does not take up as much of our time as it did some years ago. That’s because as Fire fighters, we spend a lot of time in our local community educating people about how to stay safe from fire and stopping fires happening in the first place. We visit people’s homes to give advice on fire safety, educate children in schools about the dangers of fire and many other community activities. That is an extremely important part of our job.

Welsh Recruitment: What does your typical day involve?

Christine Green: Because I work under the retained duty system, I only attend incidents when my pager goes off. I carry it with me, and am prepared to rush to the fire station when an emergency occurs. There is no ‘typical day’, although the whole team attends the Fire Station for two hours one night a week, where we catch up on training and any other operational issues that are important for us to do our jobs effectively.

Welsh Recruitment: How did you get your job?

Christine Green: A friend of mine worked wholetime for the Fire and Rescue Service and told me that the Service was looking for more women to join. I found out about the selection process, which meant passing a series of written and physical tests. I enjoy keeping fit, but found I had to improve my fitness in order to pass the physical tests. It wasn’t easy but I did it out of sheer determination.

Welsh Recruitment: What motivated you to apply for a job as a Fire fighter?

Christine Green: When my children were little, I did secretarial work, but decided that it wasn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t know then that women could join the Fire Service. However, a friend of mine told me that the Fire Service was keen to recruit women, and because I was looking for something exciting and different, I applied.

www.southwales-fire.gov.uk
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