Cork County Council have launched their newest recruitment campaign for retained firefighters and includes the brigades of Mitchelstown and Fermoy. With a closing date of Friday, 3rd February by 4pm, it’s important for all those interested to familiarise themselves with the application as soon as possible.
However, there’s plenty of opportunities for questions, as next Tuesday evening both the units in Fermoy and Mitchelstown will be holding information evenings for interested potential new recruits. The whole crews of both Fermoy and Mitchelstown fire units will be in their respective stations from 7pm until 9pm on Tuesday, 24th January, and encourage potential firefighters to come and meet them and learn about equipment, training, and call-outs.
Many in the Fermoy and Mitchelstown areas will know Bob Dalton and Eric Dahill, station officers of Mitchelstown and Fermoy fire brigades respectively. From attending traffic collisions, to fires, and installing smoke alarms, to cleaning up oil spills, attending forest fires, and escorting Santa down the street, the crews do it all. Mr Dalton reports that already, there appears to be a high level of interest in this recruitment campaign.
Candidates must be at least 18, and the retirement age is 55, or up to 60 under certain conditions. Applicants must work and live within two miles of the relevant unit. Due to the strenuous nature of the job, the medical exam will be thorough, and those with a history of certain conditions, such as diabetes or epilepsy, are exempt from applying. The fitness test conducted is the Chester Step Test.
The rates begin at €8,696 per year, and for attendance at fires, the rates are €45.88 for the first hour and €22.94 per hour thereafter. These rates are increased for fires at night, weekends and on public holidays.
Before Christmas, Cork County Council presented its figures for their fire service provision in 2022. The average response time to a fire was about 16 minutes. However, for 22% of callouts, the response time was less than ten minutes. Last year in the region there were 404 turnouts to fires, and 294 turnouts to non-fire emergencies.
The open night will be held next Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm. All interested in joining the local fire unit are invited to attend and meet the crew, in both the Fermoy and Mitchelstown fire stations.
