THE WEST Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is on the lookout for men and woman who could spare some time to work as retained firefighters at Ilkley Fire Station.

Station officer Alex Watson said Ilkley currently has ten retained firefighters who respond to approximately 200 calls a year in the Addingham, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ilkley areas.

They also help with special services, which involve rescuing people who are trapped and Mr Watson would love to see the number of retained firefighters rise to 15 at his station.

Mr Watson, who has been a retained firefighter for 25 years, said the Ilkley firefighting team are a forward-thinking brigade.

He added: "You'd be joining an organisation that has good team spirit.

"Hopefully you'll find it rewarding to help people in the community."

The fire service is recruiting people from various ethnic backgrounds and both genders and it is particularly looking to recruit women into its ranks.

Mr Watson said: "We're underrepresented by female firefighters, both nationally and locally."

To become a retained firefighter, applicants must be reasonably fit, be able to pass a selection of tests which involve job-related tasks, go through an interview and pass a medical.

He also said that applicants should be able to commit an amount of time to be on call for 80 hours a week, which includes nights.

In exchange for their services, retained firefighters are paid an hourly rate for all calls they respond to and any training that is done. In addition, they will receive a retaining fee.

Mr Watson said the fire service offers various aspects of training, including fire fighting, extrication from vehicles, first aid and casualty care. The training is ongoing, as skills need to be kept up-to-date.

To become a retained firefighter, contact the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's equalities and recruiting department on 01274 655815.