Surprise celebrations for on-call firefighter who retires after 24 years

An on-call firefighter in Staffordshire who gave more than 20 years of his life to local communities has been recognised for his efforts.

Glyn Chen was presented with a ceremonial axe by Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber to mark his retirement at a surprise ceremony at Chase Terrace Community Fire Station alongside his colleagues he’s worked with over the years.

Glyn first joined the Fire Service back in 2000 where he was an on-call firefighter in Brewood for 10 years before re-locating to Chase Terrace.

Glyn said: “I moved to Brewood from Wolverhampton and remember seeing the fire engine drive past every now and then and thought how satisfying that job would be, to make a difference and give something back to the community.

“When I applied, I was working with my brother dealing with the importing and exporting of engine components, then helping my sister at the weekends in her fish and chip shop. Luckily for me, the role of an on-call firefighter is quite flexible I was able to fit my on-call hours in between my other jobs and commitments.”

Glyn also has two children and he said: “My daughters were fairly young when I first joined the Service, so I had to really consider what hours I gave to being on-call as well as juggling three jobs.

“Being an on-call firefighter was not only a big commitment for me, but also for my family as well. Fortunately, they were really understanding and supportive which made things easier to manage.”

On call firefighters have to be prepared to attend an incident at any time, day or night and sometimes that can also mean missing events and special occasions. Glyn said: “I remember one time we were having a BBQ and just as we were about to eat, my alerter went off and I had to leave and go to the station.

“There have also been many times where I’ve been called out in the middle of the night, but no matter when you’re called, you never know what incident you’ll be attending and no two jobs are ever the same.

“The job is so varied and that’s what makes it so satisfying.”

Like Glyn, many of on-call firefighters have other jobs (also known as primary employment) and together, they bring a range different skills, experience and knowledge to the Service. Glyn said: “Most of the crews I’ve worked with work in different trades so they’re able to bring different transferable skills to the team which means we have a good skills base to deal with different situations.

“Working with others, working as a team and making new friends was one of the best things about this job. You’re in it together and you build a unique bond and you all join to help others.”

Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber said: “Our on-call firefighters give so much to their local community and Glyn has done this for over 20 years. The commitment that Glyn and his family have given to Staffordshire residents is remarkable and I am so very grateful for his Service.

“Glynn is a credit to the Service and we all wish him well for the future.”

For more information about the role of on-call firefighting or to apply, visit: On-call firefighter recruitment