As a recruitment call goes out for retained firefighters in Ballincollig members of the local community are invited to #BeTheDifference for their community! Cork City Council has announced plans to recruit retained firefighters at its Ballincollig Fire Station. The retained fire service employs people from their local community to quickly respond to emergency incidents in their local area. Cork City Fire Brigade operates the station in Ballincollig alongside the full time stations in Angelsea Street and Ballyvolane. The station is operational 24/7 and responds to approximately 250 call-outs per year. Applicants for the retained service must fulfil a number of qualifying criteria, including; Being able to respond to calls within a designated time by living and working within 3 km of the fire station Being aged between 18 and 55 Completion of a series of fitness and suitability assessments Full training will be given to the successful candidates, and the roles are remunerated. These roles are suited to people who live and work within the catchment area of Ballincollig fire station, and who are looking for a new focus. The roles may also appeal to people who are moving to Ballincollig as the town expands. This recruitment drive is part of Cork City Fire Brigade’s #BeTheDifference initiative, which seeks to recruit those committed to giving back to their community. John Ryan, Chief Fire Officer for Cork City Fire Brigade, says, “Ballincollig is an area of rapid growth, and we are committed to ensuring the best possible service to meet the needs of that growing community. Our retained firefighters benefit from extensive training. There are people who live and work in Ballincollig who are perfectly suited to a role of this nature. Likewise, the circumstances of others may have changed, and they may be looking for a new challenge. Either way, there are people in Ballincollig who can “Be the Difference” with Cork City Fire Brigade, and we invite them to apply for these roles.” The retained fire service in Ballincollig has huge support amongst the local community. Emer Cassidy from the Ballincollig Business Association says, “We are indebted to those already involved in the retained service, as they are the first line of defence against the worst case scenarios that homes, businesses and the community will face. We actively encourage people living in Ballincollig to consider applying for these new roles. There is no greater expression of community spirit than making sure that your community is safe.” Expressions of interest in the role of Retained Firefighter at Ballincollig Fire Station should be submitted to the People & Organisation Development Directorate of Cork City Council from 30 October 2020 for a period of three weeks. Full details on the role and the qualifying criteria can be found at www.corkcity.ie/recruitment