Monday 7
July
13.00hrs
Keynsham residents will have an opportunity to find out more
about the work of their local firefighters at the fire station’s
open day on Saturday 12 July.
Tips on fire safety and tours of the station and its life-saving
equipment will also be on offer to visitors during the event at the
Temple Street building, taking place between 11am and 3pm.
The station is also home to a Community Safety Centre –
providing free meeting rooms, fire safety advice and computer
access to local community groups and organisations. During the day,
examples of the services available through the Community Safety
Centre will be on display.
And there will also be advice and information for anyone
interested in learning more about Avon Fire & Rescue Service
and joining the crews at Keynsham. The firefighters at Keynsham
work on the Retained Duty System (known as retained firefighters)
and either live or work within five minutes of the station.
When the firefighters are ‘on call’ and required to attend an
incident, they are called to the station and respond to fire and
emergency calls in the same way as wholetime
firefighters
Avon’s retained firefighters can choose whether to provide day,
night and weekend, or full cover. Firefighters must commit to
the cover they have agreed to and as well as being paid annually,
they also receive allowances for call-outs, training and so on.
Keynsham Station Manager Malcolm Jenkins said: “We are really
looking forward to this open day and to welcoming members of the
local community through the doors. We want to spread the message
that it is very much their fire station and they are welcome to
come in and use the facilities in the Community Safety Centre.
“We are also keen to hear from anyone interested in joining the
firefighters at our station. Our firefighters come from all
walks of life, but have the same aim – a willingness to serve the
local community.”
Keynsham’s Police Community Support Officers and representatives
from Avon and Somerset Constabulary will also be on hand to talk to
visitors on the day, along with volunteers from the Red Cross. The
Red Cross volunteers run Avon's Victim Support Unit which is sent
out to incidents where people have been forced to leave their homes
as a result of incidents such as fires.
*If you are unable to attend the open day, but would like more
information about becoming a retained firefighter or booking
Keynsham’s Community Safety Centre, log onto www.avonfire.gov.uk or call 0117
926 2061.