THE retained (or part-time) firefighters in the Staffordshire town of Eccleshall are plainly not in the job for the money.
All 11 men live within five minutes journey of their station. They are paid an average 拢1,500 a year and receive just 拢15 (before tax) per call-out.
But throughout the rolling programme of strikes organised by the Fire Brigades' Union, front line cover in this largely rural area will be provided by these welders, publicans and businessmen.
Sub Officer Steve Whitcut acknowledges that, during the stoppage by his full-time colleagues, his men will have a greater role to play. He says that without the usual back-up from regular firefighters he will have to consider whether or not to send his men to smoke-filled buildings.
"We may have to be defensive firefighters rather than offensive," he says.
All the men at Eccleshall are members of the Retained Firefighters' Union which is opposed to any strike action. Although Mr Whitcut says there was tension between the two unions in the run-up to the strike, he doesn't expect any pickets to turn up outside his station. If they did, he expected his crew to cross the picket lines.
He says the close links between the Eccleshall men and their local community made it impossible for them to strike.
"We live here and it's our job to protect our families and our friends," he says.
The Eccleshall firefighters on average deal with three call-outs a week. Some of them are on call 24 hours a day.
"We don't know if we'll be expected to deal with incidents outside our area," says Mr Whitcut.
"At the moment it's a bit of the unknown."
