A retained firefighter, also known as a Firefighter working the Retained Duty System (RDS), RDS Firefighter, part-time firefighter or on-call firefighter, in the United Kingdom and Ireland is a professional firefighter who may have full-time employment outside of the fire service but responds to emergency calls within their local area as and when required.^[1][2]

When required to answer an emergency call, retained firefighters are summoned to the fire station by a radio pager (also known as a "bleeper"). Once at the station, the crews staff the fire engine and proceed to the incident.

Because of this, retained firefighters are required to live or work near to the fire station they serve. This allows them to respond to emergencies within acceptable and strict attendance time targets set out by each fire service.

Retained firefighters are employed and trained by the applicable local authority fire and rescue service covering the particular county or area in which they serve.

Typically, retained firefighters are employed in rural areas or in large villages or small towns. They provide cover to 90% of the area of the UK - there are 14,000 in England and Wales.^[1] Of the approximately 8,500 operational firefighters in Scotland, about 32% are retained.^[3]. London Fire Brigade, West Midlands Fire Service^[4] are the only two fire and rescue services in the UK that do not have any retained firefighters.^[5]

Unlike volunteer firefighters, retained firefighters receive an annual "retainer fee" and are paid on a "per emergency call" basis. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Retained Firefighters' Union (RFU) represent the interests of retained firefighters across the country.

Emergency response[link]

Retained firefighters were traditionally called "part-time firefighters". However this term is now widely acknowledged as inaccurate as most retained staff are not allowed to provide any less than 70 hours a week 'on call'.

Some retained firefighters, for instance, provide 120 hours cover each week unlike their full-time colleagues, who normally work a 48-hour shift system over eight days.

Wholetime firefighters do not usually respond to emergencies during the time when they are off duty, unless there are under dual contract arrangements. Generally, wholetime^[2] or full-time firefighters do not respond to calls when they are off-duty as they are assigned to a watch on permanent shifts. However, most retained firefighters can only provide cover at set times due to their full-time employment commitments. For example, it may be that some personnel can provide cover during the day in any given week or only evenings and weekends per week. Often it is a mixture of both.

Availability to receive calls could depend upon the flexibility of the firefighter's full time employer and the individual's personal circumstances.

A critical level of fire cover must be provided at all times and retained firefighters are expected to give as much commitment as possible. In fact, they are not normally permitted to give less than 60 hours per week in terms of cover. On average, retained firefighters across the UK provide between 80 and 110 hours week on standby.^{[citation needed]}

When available for a call, retained firefighters carry radio pagers to alert them to an emergency call. They must live or work a maximum of 4.5 minutes from the fire station at which they serve and respond to the fire station before manning the fire appliance and attending an incident. The time is dependent on which fire and rescue organisation they work for.

In Ireland, some on-call firefighters were summoned by means of an air raid-type siren mounted on the local fire station. Now they are all on a pager system, either controlled locally in the case of Cork and Dublin, or by a regional control centre (CAMP) in the rest of the country.

Upon receiving an emergency call via radio pager, retained firefghters immediately respond to the fire station. Unlike many volunteer firefighters in the United States, retained firefighters are not permitted to use blue lights or sirens on their personal vehicles to get to the station, and they must obey normal road traffic laws at all times whilst en route.

The British Government reviewed the situation in 2008, but decided that to give every retained firefighter a blue light would effectively "dilute" the importance of blue lights. Most importantly, use of blue lights by retained staff may cause confusion for local road users, particularly where multiple vehicles would be responding to a particular fire station from several directions at once.

Role within the community[link]

Many people choose to become retained firefighters to serve the community in which they live. The Retained Duty System operates exactly in the same way as the full-time service. In the UK, retained firefighters are responsible for undertaking community fire safety work alongside their full-time colleagues. This involves talks to local school children, home safety checks, and fitting of free smoke detectors in homes.

Some RDS fire stations receive hundreds of call-outs per year, comparable or sometimes greater than some full-time fire stations.^{[citation needed]} Other RDS stations receive a relatively small number of call-outs. Some fire and rescue services employ a system known as "day manning" or "day staffing", where the fire station is operated by a full-time watch during the day and covered by retained firefighters at night.

Training and competency[link]

Traditionally, retained firefighters did not receive the same level of training as their full-time colleagues because their employment commitments would have made this impractical. Full-time firefighters attend training school for an initial period of 13-20 weeks, depending on the fire and rescue service they have joined.

Retained firefighters now undertake the same training modules as full-time recruits, spread over a greater period of time due to full time employment job commitments. The new National Firefighter Training Syllabus is now widely-adopted and consists of a three-week "core skills" module, a two-week breathing apparatus module, a one-week HAZMAT module, a one-week road traffic collision module, plus several weekend trauma care/EMT and first aid courses. On completion of this, firefighters become "competent" and usually receive a higher level of pay. The modules are also backed up by ongoing training on station in multi-disciplined roles, procedures and equipment.

In December 2003, recognising the need for a review of the retained duty system, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the department responsible for fire and resilience at that time, called for a report. Published in February 2005, it noted:

"The system of flexible local fire cover needs to attract a new pool of applicants who would not have considered the opportunity previously. The recruitment problems stem in part from the level of pay, the lack of a pension, the lack of development opportunities and the often inflexible availability system."^[6]

Other duties[link]

As well as responding to emergency calls and undertaking community fire safety initiatives, retained firefighters attend weekly training nights to maintain competency levels. They must also undertake routine checks on their equipment and fire appliance, as well as test, clean and maintain the equipment to ensure it will work properly when required during an emergency. Some retained stations are involved in co-responder schemes, whereby fire crews act as first responders providing first aid prior to the attendance of paramedics.

References[link]

See also[link]

• Fire service in the United Kingdom

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2010)

Chapter 14 is an American alternative metalcore rock band from Carlsbad, California currently consisting of vocalist Chad Ackerman (Destroy the Runner, As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine), guitarist Tanner Sparks (Destroy the Runner), bassist Edwin Peraza, and Jonathan Knauer on drums.^[1]

Formation[link]

Founded in 2003 by Ackerman and Sparks the band also consisted of drummer Mike Catalano (Chiodos, Destroy the Runner), guitarist Noah Slifka (In Fear and Faith) and bassist Eddie Hudson (Paper Mache). The band was unable to put together a full-length album but did complete two full U.S. tours and several demos without a label or financial backing.

Hiatus[link]

After four years trying to land a record deal the band split up in 2007 when Ackerman and Sparks were offered the roles of vocalist and bassist for Destroy the Runner’s departing Kyle Setter and Jeremiah Crespo respectively. Noah Slifka went on to join In Fear and Faith the same year while Mike Catalano would join back up with Ackerman and Sparks in Destroy the Runner in 2008. Eddie Hudson moved on to play bass for the band Paper Mache. Chad explains what happened with Destroy The Runner and what Chapter 14 has for future plans^[2]

Reformation[link]

On May 16, 2010 Destroy the Runner announced they were going on an “indefinite hiatus.” The same day Ackerman announced that he and Sparks would reform Chapter 14 and make it their full time priority. Currently Ackerman and Sparks are the only members but they have extended their hands to the former members in hopes of the original lineup creating an album together.

Chapter 14 does plan on releasing an album later this year (2010) with or without the original members.^[3]

September 17, 2010 according to Metal Underground, Chapter 14, the band formed by Chad Ackerman (As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine, Destroy the Runner) and Tanner Sparks (Destroy the Runner), has announced the new album "Like Trees in November" is currently set for a November 30, 2010 release date. In the mean time you can check out Chapter 14's music via the band's MySpace page, Facebook page, and Big Cartel page.^[4][5]

Chapter 14 released an EP entitled "Like Trees in November" on November 30, 2010. The EP was self funded and self-released. They have already begun recording a full length themselves, but have not announced a release of the full length.^[6]

Discography[link]

EPs

• Like Trees In November (2010) (self released)
  1. "Winter"
  2. "Roses"
  3. "Wizard Of Gods"
  4. "Acts Aside From Action"
  5. "Moth and Rust (featuring Matt Geise)"

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tanner Sparks at Facebook
• Chad Ackerman at MySpace
• Chapter 14 at MySpace
• Chad Ackerman at Facebook