A special recruitment evening is being held at Corsham fire station on Monday 7 September to encourage people to become retained firefighters.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service needs more men and women to come forward and help provide 24-hour fire cover for Corsham and its surroundings - anyone who lives or works near the fire station has the potential to become a firefighter.

Corsham Watch Manager Martin Hancock hopes the recruitment evening will bring forward some willing volunteers.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to give something back to the community. If you work in Corsham, it would be worth asking your employer if you could provide stand-by cover in the day.

"We need people to provide all levels of cover, but particularly during the day from Monday to Saturday.”

The recruitment evening starts at 6.30pm, and the Corsham crew will demonstrate how casualties are cut free from their vehicles following a road traffic collision.

Potential recruits will be able to chat with the firefighters and find out more about what is required.

Retained firefighters are hugely important to Wiltshire FRS, totalling 60 per cent of all firefighters in Swindon and Wiltshire.

From a total of 24 fire stations, 18 stations are crewed only by retained firefighters, covering 830 square miles, or 60 per cent of the county, and attending over 3,000 calls a year, or 40 per cent of all incidents.

For more information about retained firefighting opportunities throughout Swindon and Wiltshire, telephone 01380 731144 or visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk