On-call firefighter — Tom Easter

Tom juggles his day job as a carpenter with working as an on-call firefighter for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Discover more about his role in the fire service and how he strikes a work/life balance

What inspired you to work as a firefighter?

I'm a carpenter by trade and during the time of the Grenfell Tower fire, I was doing a job for a firefighter. We spoke quite a lot about the role, and it inspired me to find out more and apply.

How did you get your job?

I went to my local fire station and spoke to the crew about applying. From there, I just filled out an online application and the rest was history.

What did your training involve?

Once you start, you complete a two-week intensive training course, which includes all the basics, such as pitching ladders, pumping water and general firecraft. After this, you go back to your home station, where you train in the evenings and weekends to become a fully trained firefighter.

What kind of tasks does a firefighter complete on a typical day?

As an on-call firefighter I don't work at the station; I have my normal day job and will respond to incidents when my pager goes off. However, we do have to attend drill nights every week, where we train and practice different skills. We also use this time for routine checks of the fire engines and equipment to make sure everything is working correctly and is safe to use.

As well as responding to incidents, there are times when I carry out home fire safety visits, attend community events and give safety advice at community hubs.

I am also a fire cadet instructor at Halstead. On a weekly basis, I see the cadets and teach them everything, including:

• hose running
• ladder pitching
• pumping
• how to use breathing apparatus
• search and rescue skills
• first aid
• control room procedures
• the science of fire.

What has been your proudest moment as a firefighter?

It was last summer when I, along with ten other firefighters from my crew, climbed up Ben Nevis and raised over £8,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity. We went up in our fire kit and took a ladder with us, successfully achieving a record for the highest ladder pitch in the UK. It took us nine hours, in 20-degree heat, but we got through it as a team and it's definitely up there with one of my proudest moments.

What have been some of the biggest challenges?

Commitment to the role has been one of the biggest challenges. As I give my evenings, nights and weekends to be on-call, this does have an impact on my family and life outside of work. Luckily, they are all really supportive and understand when I need to be away at times.

Tell us about an aspect of your role most people are unaware of…

I think a lot of people assume that as firefighters we only put out fires. While we do attend fire calls, we go to many incidents that involve the ambulance service, road traffic collisions, people trapped in buildings, water rescues, animal rescues etc.

We also do a lot of work in the community. Such as visiting people in their homes to give them fire safety advice and fit smoke alarms.

What three qualities are important for a firefighter?

• Communication is an important skill for the role, especially when working with your crew and partner agencies at an incident. Information needs to be clear and concise, so your team knows exactly what's going on during an incident, allowing us to work effectively and keep everyone safe.
• Willingness to learn is another important skill. We are constantly learning different skills and finding new and better ways of working to keep people safe. So, being open to learning, change and having a commitment to develop your skills is important.
• A good level of fitness. As a firefighter you're working and operating heavy equipment, as well as working under challenging conditions for long periods of time so it's essential to keep up good levels of fitness.

How do you juggle your on-call work as a firefighter with your regular job?

Working as an on-call firefighter, I choose when I am available to respond to incidents. I provide cover in the evenings, during the night and at weekends.

You have to deal with dangerous, often traumatic situations. How do you strike a healthy work/life balance?

As a firefighter, part of the role includes facing difficult situations, but as a crew we support each other. We also have support in place at the service, which is offered after every incident.  

At times, working on-call can make it difficult to maintain a healthy work life/balance. But as a crew, we work together to make sure we all get adequate time away from the station.

What does career progression look like for firefighters?

Once you've completed your firefighter development, you'll have the opportunity to complete leadership and management training to progress to the roles of crew manager or watch manager.

I have signed up to take part in the Incident Command Level 1 course because I'd like to learn something new and continue developing my skills. 

Can you debunk a myth about working as an on-call firefighter?

I think sometimes people assume that on-call firefighters are volunteers. We are paid firefighters and do the role alongside our primary employment.

What advice can you give to other aspiring firefighters?

If you've been thinking about a career in the fire service, the best thing to do is to go down to your local station and talk to the crew to get a sense of the role. You may even be able to attend a drill night to see how we train.

Even if you apply and are unsuccessful the first time around, resilience is crucial as a firefighter. Use the time before your next application to review, adapt and improve rather than give up.

Find out more

• Learn more about the role of a firefighter.
• See what the law enforcement and security sector has to offer.