09-02-2014, 12:16 PM
Essex: PCSOs could become retained firefighters
![[Image: image.jpg]](http://www.eadt.co.uk/polopoly_fs/1.3712916.1409592239%21/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_490/image.jpg)
PCSOs could be trained as retained firefighters
[EMAIL='will.lodge@archant.co.uk']Will Lodge[/EMAIL] Tuesday, September 2, 2014
6:30 AM
PCSOs in Essex could take on a dual role as firefighters while on the beat.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is conducting a review of its retained firefighter system in a bid to make it work more effectively.
The brigade is facing a shortfall of retained firefighters to cover daytime shifts as increasing numbers of people work away from smaller towns and villages.
Retained firefighters work on an on-call basis, and must be able to get to their station within five minutes of being paged, though this is set to increase to seven minutes in some areas.
In a report to the Essex Fire Authority, due to be discussed tomorrow, the service has set out a number of recommendations, including sharing personnel with other authorities such as traffic wardens and social services staff.
A pilot scheme is already being organised with Essex Police to re-train Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) as firefighters so they could bolster retained crews while on the beat.
The project, to be trialed in Braintree and Uttlesford districts, will be voluntary and PCSOs, frontline civilian police staff, will not be forced to take part.
All 12 fire stations in the area are retained except Great Dunmow, which has a mixed crewing system of retained and full-time firefighters.
An ECFRS spokesman said the project was in its very early stages, but the brigade was excited about taking the scheme forward and seeing how it might work in practice.
Essex Police said it was too soon to comment on the scheme, but said the force was looking forward to working collaboratively with ECFRS.
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/essex_pcsos_c..._1_3752346
![[Image: image.jpg]](http://www.eadt.co.uk/polopoly_fs/1.3712916.1409592239%21/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/image.jpg)
PCSOs could be trained as retained firefighters[EMAIL='will.lodge@archant.co.uk']Will Lodge[/EMAIL] Tuesday, September 2, 2014
6:30 AM
PCSOs in Essex could take on a dual role as firefighters while on the beat.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is conducting a review of its retained firefighter system in a bid to make it work more effectively.
The brigade is facing a shortfall of retained firefighters to cover daytime shifts as increasing numbers of people work away from smaller towns and villages.
Retained firefighters work on an on-call basis, and must be able to get to their station within five minutes of being paged, though this is set to increase to seven minutes in some areas.
In a report to the Essex Fire Authority, due to be discussed tomorrow, the service has set out a number of recommendations, including sharing personnel with other authorities such as traffic wardens and social services staff.
A pilot scheme is already being organised with Essex Police to re-train Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) as firefighters so they could bolster retained crews while on the beat.
The project, to be trialed in Braintree and Uttlesford districts, will be voluntary and PCSOs, frontline civilian police staff, will not be forced to take part.
All 12 fire stations in the area are retained except Great Dunmow, which has a mixed crewing system of retained and full-time firefighters.
An ECFRS spokesman said the project was in its very early stages, but the brigade was excited about taking the scheme forward and seeing how it might work in practice.
Essex Police said it was too soon to comment on the scheme, but said the force was looking forward to working collaboratively with ECFRS.
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/essex_pcsos_c..._1_3752346
