Name: Gary

Role: Firefighter

A little bit about my role: I am a Firefighter based at a day crewed fire station.

Within this role, I am also a line rescue instructor, I  mentor for apprenticeship programmes and I am the Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator for the station-based courses.

What activities do you do on a typical day? I try and fit in a fitness training session before work.

I then move on to the day to day duties – these include inventories, standard testing and vehicle checks.

On a typical day we also undertake community safety work, undergo training and respond to incidents as required.

What do you enjoy about your job? Everyday is different. Working as part of a team and responding to incidents.

I also particularly enjoy running the Duke of Edinburgh sessions and delivering line rescue courses.

Why did you choose this career? I wanted a challenge and a career that would keep me active.

What qualifications or experience do you think are necessary to do this job? As many qualifications as possible with some practical skills and life experience  - plus being open minded, flexible and having a positive outlook. A sense of humour also helps …

What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue this career? Never stop learning and developing (every day is a school day!) Have an openness and willingness to take on challenges.  Ask for help or assistance if you need it. Enjoy the journey that you are about to take!