Skip to main content
Home
  • Home
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Community conversations
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Smoke alarms
        • Home safety visits
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for carers
        • Advice for parents
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
        • Farms and agriculture
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom

    Latest news

    Firefighter demonstrates chip oil pan fire
    News
    24 Nov 2023

    Live fire demonstration highlights risk to residents

    A red and white wind sock blows out in front of a stormy sky
    News
    31 Oct 2023

    Storm Ciarán - how you can stay safe

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Primary school fire safety visits
        • Great Fire of London
      • Secondary schools
      • Safety resources for children and young people
        Back
        Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire and road safety resources
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
      • Young drivers
      • Work experience
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires

Contact

  • Contact us
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Laura wanted to help people and have a worthwhile job
FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsappMessenger Share
Staff story
15 Jun 2021

Laura wanted to help people and have a worthwhile job

Laura at a train exercise
Laura at a train exercise

"I’ve always wanted to help people and have a worthwhile job. I thought the fire service was a write-off for me, as I’m tiny (five foot four inches at a push) and I hadn’t seen any female role models in the fire service at the time. I was encouraged to take a corporate job, which is what I did, but it never satisfied my desire to help others. After I had children, I was looking for an inspiring career path and by chance took the kids to the open day in Torquay, which reignited my desire to join. Immediately, I got the firefighter ‘bug’ and signed up!

Being a firefighter is like being in a family. There’s a lot of camaraderie and we can really count on each other. There are 21 firefighters on our station (18 men and three women) and a mix of wholetime and on-call staff from a range of backgrounds. There’s a carpenter, baker, builder and engineer to name a few. It’s great because everyone brings their different skills to the table.

The job itself gives me so much on a daily basis. You’re dealing with people on the worst day of their lives. It’s nice to be able to talk to them and help calm them after a fire or road traffic collision, even if it means I’m there to hold their hand while someone is being cut out of a car. It’s the most rewarding moment when you hear they’re okay.

Before joining the Service, I didn’t appreciate how much personal time and effort people put in to keep our pumps and units on the run. Our Watch Managers and crew give so much, making personal sacrifices to serve the community. It’s opened my eyes to just how much goes behind the scenes.

To anyone thinking of joining the fire service; go for it! Sign-up to the Have-a-Go days and have a chat. Just make that first step, because it’s a lot easier than you might realise.

If I can do it, you can too."

Become an on-call firefighter

Find out more

Supporting women in the Service

Find out more

Our fire stations

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Fire Authority
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
  • Safety advice
      • Safety at home
      • Business safety
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
        • Young drivers
        • Work experience

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo Armed Forces Covenant