A FIRE chief today hailed the worth of West Yorkshire’s volunteer firefighters.

Steve Beckley, of West Yorkshire’s Fire and Rescue Service, said serving your community by helping to save lives is the most rewarding job anyone could have.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Beckley, the county’s operational fire chief, was speaking today in Skelmanthorpe at the launch of a national scheme aimed at recognising the employers of on-call staff.

On-call firefighters are men and woman aged 18 upwards who are available from their full-time jobs elsewhere to respond to 999 calls.

Well over 3,000 incidents a year are attended by West Yorkshire’s retained crews, which typically operate from smaller towns and villages such as Skelmanthorpe, Marsden, Mytholmroyd, Ilkley, Otley and Featherstone.

On-call firefighters are paid a retainer fee for the hours they are available, plus fees for actual turnouts, community fire safety work and training.

“West Yorkshire has 190 on-call personnel but we can struggle to keep some of the appliances they crew on the run during normal office hours because employers are increasingly, but understandably, reluctant to release staff for emergency calls,” explained Mr Beckley.

“However, having trained firefighters on the books can bring considerable advantages in terms of knowledge about fire safety and various workplace regulations.

“An employer who supports members of staff in this way is therefore not only supporting the local community but benefiting the business.”

Mr Beckley welcomed the national recognition scheme and said he hoped it would encourage more employers to look kindly on staff release.

“The modern day firefighter is highly-skilled, highly motivated and has a demonstrable commitment to effective teamwork.

“What employer wouldn’t value the brigade helping to develop those qualities?” he added.

He made his plea at Skelmanthorpe Fire Station, which won the Retained Fire Station of the Year award last year.

It covers a large area south of Huddersfield including Denby Dale, Upper and Lower Cumberworth, Scissett, Shelley, Clayton West, Shepley, Kirkburton and Highburton.

The station has 16 on-call firefighters and responded to 148 incidents in 2009.

Employers around the country are to be recognised for their contribution to the safety of local communities, announced Fire Minster Shahid Malik today.

The Dewsbury MP was to launch a National Employer Recognition Scheme, to highlight the support given to communities by thousands of local businesses.