GALLERY: Fire crews put rugby club through the ‘bear’ necessities of their work

Firefighters at an on-call station opened their doors to put a local rugby team through its paces. The crew from March Fire Station hosted the women’s team from March Bears Rugby Club so they could try some firefighting activities and learn more about the role of an on-call firefighter.

Hosting the session was on-call firefighter Shayla Nicholson, who also plays for the Bears.

The team took part in an equipment carry drill and casualty drag, finishing off with a go on the hose reel.

They were also shown what equipment we have on the fire engine and how the on-call firefighters use it.

Shayla, along with the rest of the crew at March Fire Station, are on-call firefighters who respond to emergencies in their communities around their other life commitments.

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On-call firefighters are not based at a fire station, they will often have other jobs, or family commitments and carry a pager and respond to emergency incidents as and when they happen.

When they are on-call they may be at home, working for themselves or for a nearby company, or out in their local community (staying within a five-minute travel time of the fire station).

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue said: “We are always looking to recruit on-call firefighters, so if you are interested in finding out more, visit the careers section of our website.”

And a March Bears spokesperson added: “Like the crew at the station, March Bears are also looking for more players.

“We train on Wednesdays and Fridays at Elm Road from 7pm until 8.30pm. There are spaces for the adults (18 and over) as well as junior girls. Find them on Facebook for more info.”