A County Durham dad swapped dairy farming for firefighting and has never looked back.
Jonner Robinson, from Bishop Auckland, grew up near Newton Aycliffe Fire Station and would often see crews responding to incidents. Back then, he knew he wanted to serve the community in which he lived.
Once he was old enough, Jonner gave up his free time to respond to fires and emergencies as an on-call firefighter alongside stints as a dairy farmer, call centre worker, and insurance company training manager. After nine years as an on-call firefighter, he finally took on the job full time in 2014, and is now a watch manager at Bishop Auckland.
Jonner said that on-call firefighters are vital to County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS), and that it couldn’t operate as effectively without them. The team of on-call firefighters at Bishop Auckland is made up of mechanics, chefs, paramedics, and even business owners; who make themselves available to respond to emergencies when they’re not working their full-time jobs.
Jonner, who remains an on-call firefighter at Bishop Auckland said: “What makes me proud to be a part of this Service is working with people that give their free time up to stay on-call so that their fire engine is available.
“They respond to fires and other emergencies and then go to work as normal the next day. The sacrifice that both they and their families make so that they can contribute to the Service is amazing.”
(Image: County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service)
CDDFRS is currently recruiting on-call firefighters who live within a five-minute radius of its 13 on-call stations. Those stations are High Handenhold, Consett, Seaham, Wheatley Hill, Durham, Stanhope, Crook, Spennymoor, Sedgefield, Newton Aycliffe, Bishop Auckland, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Barnard Castle.
Jonner urged anyone interested in the role to go for it, saying: “I think some people who are really interested in becoming on-call firefighters don’t apply because they feel as though they wouldn’t fit in or be accepted for who they are. My advice for anyone who is interested in becoming an on-call firefighter is to apply – just give it a go!
(Image: County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service)
“The Service is more diverse today than it has ever been, and we need a diverse workforce as it provides different ways of thinking, different approaches to problems and more innovation. Whoever you are, or wherever you’re from, as soon as you start training you’ll be part of the team and you’ll make friends for life!”
For more information on applying to be an on-call firefighter with CDDFRS, visit the website.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/county-durham-dairy-farmer-firefighter-30916475
