Eight new firefighter apprentices welcomed to Northamptonshire

Eight new recruits have joined Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service – and have started their journey to becoming wholetime firefighters.

The new intake was officially welcomed to the Service recently and undertook a three-week induction at HQ at Darby House in Wellingborough.

They are now spending several weeks at the Fire Service College in the Cotswolds, where they are training how to use breathing apparatus, put out different types of fires, deal with hazardous materials and administer first aid.

Once they have finished the intense training course at the College, they will have a Passing Out Parade before returning to Northamptonshire – where they will then be posted to a Watch at one of the stations around the county.

For the next two years, they will also work towards achieving their Level Three Operational Firefighter Apprenticeships.

One of the new recruits is Jake Brown, who has been an on-call firefighter at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for the last two years. He has enjoyed it so much that he wanted to make it his full-time career.

Jake said: “My mum has a picture of me jet washing in a firefighter’s hat when I was younger, and wanting to be a firefighter has stuck with me since then.

“The opportunity to go the Fire Service College is exciting, and I wanted the chance to progress and become a better firefighter.”

Lizzie Edmunds has also joined the Service after encouragement from friends, as she knew she wanted to make a difference to people’s lives.

She said: “For the past seven years, I’ve worked in insurance where I worked with farmers and rural communities to process claims beyond the other side of an emergency.

“My former job piqued my interest in what the Fire Service does, and I can’t wait to get stuck into wearing the uniform.”

Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson added: “It’s fantastic to be able to welcome our new wholetime firefighters, and I look forward to seeing them progress both in their careers and as people during their time here.

“Becoming a firefighter is an incredibly fulfilling role. Every day I hear about the positive impact our crews have, and I am sure all our new recruits will play a vital role in keeping our communities safe.”

The full list of new recruits is: Jake Brown, Lizzie Edmunds, Jake Snedker, Sabina Novotna, Liam Parker, Jack Riley, Matthew Wood and Joe Elsome.