Worthing and Crawley welcome brand new firefighters

Five will be based in Crawley and another five at Worthing.

The firefighters have spent 13-weeks taking part in an intensive training course and will now serve the residents of West Sussex by responding to emergencies, carrying out vital community fire safety work and working to keep local businesses safer.

During the vigorous training programme, the group developed their knowledge and practical skillset to see them through their careers in the fire service. This included skills on how to respond to road traffic collisions, carrying out a water rescue and using breathing apparatus.

The course then culminated in a pass out parade where they demonstrated their response to a scenario involving a road traffic collision and a rescue from the fire station’s drill tower, in front of a proud audience of family, friends and future colleagues.

Area Manager, Dave Bray, attended the event and presented the firefighters with their certificates. Reflecting on their achievements, he said: “It gives me immense pride to welcome our latest cohort of wholetime firefighters to West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

“The group completed a thorough and competitive application process, and an intense training course thereafter. Through this, they have clearly demonstrated their commitment and dedication, not only to the job, but to the communities they will now serve.

“The pass out parade has provided a great opportunity to celebrate months of training with each of the firefighter’s family and friends, who have given an enormous amount of support to help their loved ones reach this point. This will no doubt be a huge day for them too.”

Last month the group honoured the longstanding fire service tradition of completing a charity challenge to show their commitment to a lifetime of serving their communities. The group cycled 180 miles – the equivalent of cycling to every fire station in the county from Joint Fire Control – and raised over £3,000 for charity.

Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire & Rescue, said: “It is a great honour to watch the firefighter’s hard work culminate in the pass out parade. Attending events like this is my greatest pleasure, and it has been wonderful meeting the latest generation of firefighters and their families on such a momentous day.

“I would like to say a huge congratulations to each and every recruit for successfully passing out, and I wish them all the best as they embark on their new careers as devoted and dutiful firefighters for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.”

The new recruits, and where they’ll be based, are as follows: FF Adrian Sadler: East Grinstead, FF Jack Gladman: Worthing, FF Stephen Forster: Worthing, FF Joe Churchill: Worthing, FF Paul Welling: Worthing, FF Imogen Lawson-Evans: Worthing, FF Thomas Hopkins: Crawley, FF Tom Wilkins: Crawley, FF Joshua Brown: Crawley, FF Michael Malin: Crawley and FF Robert Snook: Crawley.