Four more join ranks at fire station
BY TRACEY PRISK
25 Jan, 2012 04:00 AM
FIRE and Rescue NSW confirmed four new retained firefighters will join Orange Fire Station by the middle of this year.
Regional West 2 acting zone commander, superintendent Selwyn Mathias said five people had already completed various stages of the recruitment process, having all passed the interview stage.

While there are only four positions available, an extra person has been selected as a back up, should one of the others fail a component of the recruitment process.

Superintendent Mathias said the retained firefighters would help supplement the numbers of permanent firefighters and ensure the station’s second truck was always available and had a mandatory crew of four.

“Prior to Christmas (there were times) the pump didn’t respond because it didn’t have the number of firefighters needed,” he said.

He confirmed the Orange Fire Station was then forced to call upon other fire crews to help service their callouts.

Superintendent Mathias said the decision to increase the number of retained firefighters came as a direct response to these personnel shortages, which occurred in the lead-up to Christmas.

The new recruits will raise the number of retained firefighters in Orange from 18 to 22.