THE Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will be holding an RDS (Retained Duty System) recruitment open evening at Dalry Community Fire Station commencing at 6.30pm on Monday March 6.

Stations at Dalry, Beith & Kilbirnie are looking to increase their staff numbers to enhance the professional service already provided to the Garnock Valley Area by RDS units.

RDS Firefighters are called upon to attend the same wide range of emergency incidents as their whole-time colleagues. The men and women who serve in this vital role respond to fires, floods, road traffic collisions, chemical incidents and many more events when people in their local communities are in danger.

RDS crew members have a high level of skills and training to allow them to deal with operational incidents competently and professionally on their own, however if additional crews are required to bring an incident to a satisfactory conclusion then both whole time and RDS crews will work together supporting each other as required.

Station Manager Derek Davidson said: “RDS Firefighters provide a critical service within local communities which are often rural and some distance away from a whole-time fire station. The individuals come from diverse backgrounds and bring a variety of experiences to the role. As they are local to their respective areas they have a sense of pride in being able to provide a service within their own communities and additionally are very aware of any specific risks or hazards within the immediate area.”

Anyone interested in becoming an RDS Firefighter within their local community should come along to the event to discuss how they can formally apply for a post on the myjobscotland website.