Firefighters from Bradford have turned up the heat for a red-hot charity calendar.

Twelve men and one woman more used to saving lives than posing for the cameras have stripped off in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for deserving causes.

Crew members from Bradford fire station and the headquarters' training school in Birkenshaw jumped at the chance to be splashed across the Red Hot Dates calendar.

They include Bradford Red Watch's Ricky Emmett and Damien Cameron, based at the Birkenshaw HQ.

Money raised will benefit the West Yorkshire Forget-Me-Not Trust and the Fire Service National Benevolent Fund.

Dominic Furby, a breathing apparatus training instructor, organised the calendar this year. He said: "We've put a lot of effort into the calendar for 2006. Two years ago we raised nearly £14,000 for charity and we're hoping to beat that this year. The first calendar attracted attention from all over the world, with internet sales exporting it to countries including Australia.

"This year we're using the calendar to show the wide range of work that we do in the fire service including specialist rescue techniques. We're going to make the calendar widely available to people so they can snap them up as great Christmas presents, while supporting two excellent causes."

The calendar is on sale from today and pictures firefighters training in river rescue situations, house fires, road traffic accident rescues and caring for casualties. The pictures were taken by the brigade's own photographer Brian Saville at locations all over the county.

They cost £5 and are available from local fire stations, the Birkenshaw headquarters and through www.westyorksfire.gov.uk or www.ebay.co.uk.

Hair salons displaying the Red Hot Dates promotional posters will be able to take orders for the calendar. They will also be available at a car boot sale being held at the Birkenshaw HQ on Sunday (9th) which is open to the public from 7am.

l The Forget-Me-Not Trust aims to build a children's hospice in West Yorkshire and the Benevolent Fund helps serving and retired personnel, their widows and children.