Two new retained firefighters have been recruited to serve Harpenden and Redbourn.

Mark Hearmin and Charlie Howard have joined Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service after completing a pass out on Thursday, June 18.

The pair will now be on call to deal with emergencies alongside their normal jobs, responding to alerts within four minutes.

Mr Hearmon, 27, from Harpenden, will be posted to Harpenden Fire Station and Mr Howard, 22, a plumber from Redbourn, will be posted to Redbourn Fire Station.

They have just completed an intensive two week initial training course, giving them the essential knowledge and skills to join their colleagues at fire stations around the county.

Retained firefighters are paid to be ‘on call’ for the fire service, meaning they are often employed elsewhere or are at home when they receive a pager alert, but are ready to spring into immediate action to deal with a 999 incident.

Tony Hunter, deputy cabinet member for community safety at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I would like to congratulate all the new recruits and welcome them to their new roles. They stand at the threshold of a unique career which offers them an exceptional range of opportunities and experiences.

"Being a retained firefighter is one of the most exciting and rewarding jobs you can do and provides a valuable service to the community, helping to keep them safe."