Fire Service Seeks Working Mums to Teach Safety in Schools

Published on: 3 Jul, 2019
Updated on: 4 Jul, 2019

By Rebecca Curley

local democracy reporter

Working mums could be the answer to recruitment problems at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS), Tory county Cllr Tina Mountain believes.

She told a council committee meeting on Monday (July 1, 2019) that she visited Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and was impressed by their use of working mums to perform the prevention and safety work in schools and businesses.

“Using working mums lends itself to going into schools to speak to the children to talk about fire safety and training to prevent fires rather than having to deal with them,” she said.

Cllr Tina Mountain

Cllr Mountain (Con, Epsom Town & Downs) said she had noted the working practice of Surrey with eight-day shift cycles – four days on and four days off – meant sometimes the firefighters were working 28-hour days.

She said: “The [Hampshire] chief firefighter said he had included the firefighters in the changes so as the changes came into fruition they weren’t complaining because they had made the changes and I think that’s needed in Surrey.”

Women who work or live within four minutes of a fire station are now being targeted in a social media campaign to boost firefighter numbers. The SFRS aims to transform the struggling service, and is encouraging recruitment.

Retained firefighters play a voluntary role and they must live or work within four minutes of an on-call fire station. They can choose the hours they can work and perform duties similar to those of a full-time firefighter, but without a salary. A fee is paid for certain functions such as call-outs

Cllr Mountain said mums could dictate the hours to fit with the school day.

SCC recently had a consultation on changes proposed to the service, which includes closing some stations at night.

Surrey’s chief fire officer Steven Owen-Hughes said the changes were not being made to save money. He told a meeting this week: “We have been really clear this is not about cuts. It’s about changing the way the fire service works. If that delivers greater economies then that’s great.”

But firefighters themselves are leading the objections to the changes. They are concerned they will not be able to work properly under the planned closures and changes to working practices.

A petition objecting to the plans to leave seven fire appliances unmanned at night has now reached nearly 12,000 signatures.

The service was heavily criticised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) at the end of last year. They found “serious concerns” with its effectiveness and efficiency and demanded improvement on how it responds to and prevents fires.

The working group on the report gave its first update at the communities, environment and highways and select committee on Monday (July 1). Proposals include spending more time on prevention and educating residents and businesses about the risks of fire.

The service also wants to make changes to Banstead, Camberley, Egham, Fordbridge, Guildford, Haslemere, Painshill, Walton and Woking stations with night cover being provided by neighbouring stations.

It is also wants to “recover costs” from non-emergency call-outs such as freeing trapped animals and answering persistent false automatic fire alarms.