Day in the life of profiles

Andy Bettison
Station Manager

I joined the Fire Service in 1981 and have never regretted the decision. The work has always been challenging, varied and, most of all, rewarding. In my early career, the focus was on dealing with fires and other incidents such as Road Traffic Collisions after they had occurred. Now, we spend a lot of our time on trying to prevent them happening in the first place. Also, our remit has been extended to cover all forms of risk that might occur in the communities that we serve.

The Fire Service presents an environment where team working is the single most important element of our daily work. Understanding how you fit into a team is, in itself, a challenge but once it is recognised you can see how every aspect of everyone’s involvement is so important. Working within the modern Fire Service provides ample opportunity for promotion. Anyone with the appropriate skills and levels of commitment can progress. I would recommend a career with the Fire Service to anyone.

Richard Booth
Firefighter

I applied to join Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue in 2005 after speaking to different people and realising what a great job I could be doing. I found out about the recruitment process from the National firefighter website and studied for the written test. I also took myself out training for the physical tests.

After my basic training course I went on to Red Watch at Mansfield where I have made some trusted friends. In a normal day at the station, we will be detailed with our position on the fire appliance before checking all the equipment is clean and serviceable. We then have a briefing about the day’s duties before we head to the gym for a physical training session. We could get a fire call at any time and we need to be ready to go. I still get an adrenaline rush when the blue lights start flashing. I think I have found a job for life which I thoroughly enjoy.

Andy Davis
Firefighter

I’ve been in the fire service now for nearly three years, having gained a university degree and then becoming disillusioned with the job I was in. I set about devising a checklist for my ideal job. The fire service ticked all the boxes so I decided to apply.
I wanted a varied job role that got me away from the desk and paid a decent salary. I also wanted to take pride in my job and to make a difference in my home town.

No two shifts in the fire service are ever the same, you work with some great people and it’s a great job for keeping in shape. The career opportunities are good as well and there are no barriers to promotion. There is loads to learn and we are constantly re-training on new procedures, equipment and techniques so there’s no time to get bored. I would definitely recommend a career in the fire service.

Nicola Bottomley
Trainer - Service Development Centre

I joined NFRS in 2002, completing my initial 14 week trainee course at the SDC, and then moving to a station as a member of Red Watch. I moved into my trainer role in April 2006, taking on the responsibility for delivering training to staff, specialising in Incident Command training aimed at managers or firefighters that have the potential for promotion.

Whilst working at SDC I have been fortunate enough to attend many courses and this has given me the opportunity to get to know other fire service personnel from services as far afield as the Scottish Highlands and Hong Kong. Through speaking to people with different skills I have gained invaluable information which I use in my training delivery. It keeps me switched on and passionate about my job.

Prad Verma
Station Manager - Fire Protection HQ Support Team

It took me a while to make up my mind to become a fireman and I had to go through a number of uninspiring factory jobs before I joined. But now, having been a fireman for a long while, I don’t regret a thing. What’s more, being the first ever Asian Fireman in Nottingham gives me a sense of pride.

One thing I did find though was a great feeling of belonging and satisfaction when you rescued someone or just helped them in a small way. The respect you get for being a firefighter is phenomenal and this in turn makes you feel good in yourself. I know I support my community and help those in need. I have met an amazing array of people both inside and outside the service and feel like I have made a positive contribution to the people of Nottinghamshire.

I have now progressed through the service and currently work in the Fire Protection Department. I enjoy every minute of it and really don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t discovered the Fire Service all those years ago.

Leigh Curtis
Firefighter

I joined the Fire Service in 1998 as a retained firefighter, since transferring to the wholetime in 2005, I have never looked back. I was previously in admin for an Electrical company but compared to the job I am doing now, there is nothing like it and the salary is far better too!

As a firefighter, my day is always varied and you never know what shout you might be going to next. The equipment and training is always changing and so I am never bored as there is always something new to learn. The job is also very rewarding as we do make a difference to people’s lives in the event of a tragedy such as a car accident, house fire, animal rescue, floods.. the list goes on..

I am a mother of a 4 year old boy and at times have found the job challenging with the shift pattern, but I have managed to maintain my full-time hours and with the new shift system there is the option to choose your own hours within reason, so this is a great benefit. I have also managed to stay in my Retained position too and have recently been promoted to Crew Manager which again is a different and more challenging role.