A POSTMAN by day and firefighter by night is encouraging others to become on-call firefighters in Dovercourt.

Jamie Bliss, 41, is a postman who is also paid to protect his community as an on-call firefighter.

He provides on-call cover between 105 hours and 115 hours a week at Dovercourt Fire Station in the afternoons, evenings and weekends.

He is paid an hourly rate for the time he can be on call and a further pay out when he is called out to an incident.

Jamie said: “I wanted to give more back to the community and make Essex a safer place.

“My dad influenced me as he was an on-call firefighter in Dovercourt for 27 years.

“I fit my on-call firefighter role around my job and personal life with great help from my girlfriend and family.”

Jamie goes about his daily business until the pager sounds, then he has to get to the fire station within five minutes.

He could be called out for a house fire, a road traffic collision or even a flood.

Jamie added: “The thing I love most about being an on-call firefighter is helping those in need and in trouble as well as the satisfaction of knowing I’ve made a difference to someone by helping them.

“I also love that the fire service is one big family.”

Dovercourt Fire Station is recruiting for more on-call firefighters.

Jamie’s advice for anyone interested is: “Go for it and apply to become an on-call firefighter because there is nothing more satisfying than knowing you’ve made someone safe or helped in times of trouble whether it’s a small thing or a big thing.”

The next drop-in session for anyone interested in becoming an on-call firefighter at Dovercourt Fire Station is tomorrow between 10am and 4pm.

The amount on-call firefighters get paid depends on their availability, but they can earn anywhere between £4,000 and £8,000 a year, sometimes more.

An assessment day which includes a fitness test has to be passed for residents to become on-call firefighters.

Find out more about the on-call roles by visiting essex-fire.gov.uk/dovercourt.