THE economic squeeze is hitting the ability of many of Devon’s fire stations to recruit people willing to be on-call to respond to emergencies.

Coupled with fears about job insecurity meaning more individuals feel like they wouldn’t be able to leave their place of work at short notice to attend a shout, there’s a dearth of new applicants.

However, a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was “always recruiting on-call firefighters”, particularly in more rural areas.

Anyone considering becoming an on-call firefighter can stipulate at the outset the times and days they would be available for shouts, meaning the person and their employer would know when that staff member could be called.

They would undertake some written, medical and physical tests, including a bleep test – which involves running between two points 20 metres apart and reaching level 8.6 – equivalent to a distance of around 1.2-1.3 kilometres.

An induction day and basic training, as well as some other courses, would follow. But proximity is key.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “We’re always recruiting for on-call firefighters across Devon and Somerset, with recruitment particularly important in our more rural and remote areas.”

The spokesperson added that the pay structure for on-call firefighters was called Pay for Availability – often referred to as P4A.

“The method has been developed over several years and through various trials,” the spokesperson said.

“Under P4A, on-call firefighters are paid by the hour for each hour they commit to be available.

“Depending on their personal circumstances, individuals can choose to be available for anywhere between 30 and 120 hours a week.

“This provides a great deal of flexibility on the hours firefighters need to commit to and gives them a better work-life balance.”