Call goes out for more volunteer firefighters

Fire crews from Wimborne and Ferndown were scrambled yesterday to various incidents in the area and had to call on Poole firefighters for help.

It was a rude awakening for Wimborne's retained firefighters - woken from slumber at 5am because a lorry had collided with a church in Stapehill. But the busy morning continued when at 7am a major fire broke out in Crydom Magnetics Ltd on the Ferndown Industrial Estate.

It is not yet known how that blaze began. Around 50 members of staff were evacuated as the fire ripped through the mezzanine ceiling and firefighters fought to contain it. The fire was out by 8.20am but has caused extensive damage to machinery and one room in the factory.

Later that morning a resident in Seville Court, a block of warden-assisted flats, left an electric kettle on the hob and sparked yet another incident for the Wimborne crew.

Ben Ansell, group manager for the fire and rescue service in East Dorset, said: "It was our busiest morning for months.

"It has highlighted the need for retained firefighters in this area. We are looking to recruit in three stations. We need to ensure provision of fire cover here."

Retained firefighters are needed for Cranborne, Ferndown and Wimborne. They must be able to respond to an incident within four minutes at normal road speeds.

Mr Ansell added: "Cranborne is a particular problem because there aren't many people around in the day to provide fire cover.

"Sometimes a fire engine there is not available because there aren't enough people to run it and we have to call on Verwood instead. It could and indeed does delay response times. We'll always provide fire cover within the set time, but it's not always as quick as it could be."

Retained firefighters are paid an annual fee as well as a turn-out fee. When they are not fighting fires, most hold down regular jobs.

For details on volunteering click here

First published: August 9, 2005