DEPUTY county fire chief Craig Baker wants to double the number of retained firefighters in Wareham to ease the pressure on the town’s fire station.

The deputy commander says the 10 retained staff at the Worgret Road station are “under pressure” because of the current shortage of part-time crew.

“It’s not a stretch for Dorset Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) but on those individuals who are providing the cover at Wareham now,” said Mr Baker.

“They are being asked to do more and more, and we have to remember this is a part-time job.

“They do their full-time employment, they have their family lives.

“That’s why we need a balance.”

Mr Baker, who insists emergency responses are not being affected by the current shortfall, wants to increase the numbers of retained crew at Wareham to 20.

DFRS, which relies heavily on its retained firefighters, recently held an open day at Wareham fire station in a bid to interest new recruits.

Being an on-call firefighter means living or working within four minutes of the fire station and being able to respond to an emergency when you are needed.

Mr Baker said: “Anyone can be an on-call firefighter, provided that they are over 18 and are both physically and medically fit.

“You do not need any formal qualifications for the job but you should have good reasoning and numeracy skills.”

Log onto dorsetfire. gov.uk for full details of the role of an on-call firefighter, together with an application form or pop into your local fire station.