Ledbury firefighters attended nearly 300 calls last year including house fires, car crashes and water rescues.

Crews also put out fires at agricultural buildings and assisted West Mercia Police with searches for missing persons using drones located at Ledbury Fire Station.

As well as dealing with local incidents, Ledbury crews have also supported colleagues from other stations at major incidents including the huge fire at Hoo Farm Industrial Estate in Kidderminster at the start of December.

About 100 firefighters were involved in battling the blaze at its height, including Ledbury’s on-call crew, many of whom worked through the night then went to work the next day.

As there were 20 pumps plus other specialist appliances on scene, also critical was the use of Ledbury’s incident command unit, a specialist vehicle that helps coordinate large scale emergency responses.

Ledbury Reporter:

In a Facebook post, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service thanked Ledbury employers for their continued support.

“We would like to thank our local employers Appliance Solutions, Heating Maintenance Services, Lock Stock and Barrel Furniture, Skyers and Son Building Services, Ornua Foods UK and Heineken, all of which release their staff to attend fire calls [and show] understanding when staff have been on a fire call to help the community when they are in need,” the service said.

“Without their continued support, we would really struggle to provide cover 365 days a year. The biggest thank you goes to the families of the crew. Without their understanding, support and love, we would not be able to continue to keep the community safe.”

If you’ve ever thought about joining the service but don’t want to give up your day job, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is looking for on-call firefighters.

There’s plenty of information at www.hwfire.org.uk/join-us/retained-firefighter/ or you can pop along to Ledbury Fire Station between 7pm and 10pm every Monday except bank holidays.