THE Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are appealing to people of all backgrounds to come forward and apply to be a firefighter as they launch their new recruitment drive.

On Thursday November 30, the force launched their drive and are particularly keen to see more women apply, and for this reason they are also holding a girls’ youth engagement course which begins on December 5.

New recruits could be stationed at Alloa or Tillicoultry which both have full-time units operating.

The course is intended to allow young females from the Wee County, whatever their circumstances, to build confidence and new skills which could see them move into a traditionally male environment.

Local senior officer for Clackmannanshire and Stirling, Roddie Keith, told the Advertiser that attracting women remains a priority.

He said: “The upcoming youth engagement course is for younger women, just before school leaving age, and is intended to build confidence, and develop teamwork and problem solving skills.

“But we also intend to demonstrate that the role of a firefighter is one that is well suited to women as well as men.”

He continued: “The role of a firefighter has changed dramatically in the last decade and there is a greatly increased focus on engagement and prevention work as well as our emergency response.

“We would be delighted if some of the girls who attend our course, or their friends or family, are convinced that the fire service could be a future career for them.

“This approach also supports one of the key Strategic Outcomes in Clackmannanshire’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) which is that: Women and girls will be confident and aspirational, and achieve their full potential.”

Describing how he wants people of all backgrounds to apply, Roddie said: “We want to ensure that as many people as possible, from all backgrounds, might consider the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as an employer of choice.

The SFRS works for and with our communities and we believe that a workforce that reflects the communities we serve makes us more approachable and assists us in engaging fully with those who may need our support.

For this reason, we are particularly welcoming applications from women and individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds.

If you think you have what it takes to be a firefighter, then apply here.