AROUND 18 people have put their names forward to become retained firefighters in the Liskeard area following a successful appeal for applicants. A large number of people turned up to an opening evening at Liskeard Fire Station last Thursday following a request from Cornwall County Fire Brigade. Retained firefighters are paid volunteers who do the same job as full-time firefighters. The difference is that they are not based at a fire station waiting for an alarm, they are on standby waiting to be called out. They are trained to deal with a wide range of situations and incidents including fires, road traffic accidents, dealing with hazardous materials and protecting the community through fire safety work. Retained firefighters are paid a basic annual payment and fees for emergency response, training sessions and for duties like equipment maintenance.
