Herts welcomes new recruits

The newest members to join Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have officially passed out from their basic training at Longfield Training Centre, Stevenage.

Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher formally welcomed 21 trainee firefighters into their roles following 14 weeks of intensive training, watched by proud family and friends at a ceremony earlier this month [3 Oct].

"We are pleased to welcome these new recruits into the fire service," CFO Wilsher said. "They have completed all areas of the course and we hope that they will continue to play a key role in their stations across the county to help keep the people of Hertfordshire safe."

The new recruits will be stationed at Hertford, Royston, Cheshunt, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn, Garston, Borehamwood, Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield.

Richard Thake, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, who presented certificates to each trainee, added: “The pass out parade was a very proud moment for all the recruits who have completed this challenging training, proving their dedication.

"Each one of them has gained an essential grounding in the diverse range of skills needed to be an effective firefighter. These include both operational work and fire prevention, as they will spend a lot of their time in the community, educating members of the public about fire hazards as well as fighting fires."

After developing a wide range of skills, including fire-craft, crash rescue, and community safety, the new recruits will now seek to apply these to real life emergency situations - find out how they get on by following @HFRS on Twitter.