A message from the Chairman
Sir Neil Thorne OBE TD DL
I am delighted to be able to welcome the publication of this, the first edition of the Fire Service Parliamentary Scheme brochure.
Members of Parliament receive vast amounts of information on every conceivable subject, but when they come to speak in the chamber they are always listened to with much greater respect if they are speaking from personal experience. This is why it is so important for members to go and see for themselves and preferably to get physically involved in obtaining first hand experience of what is being done by the experts.
For this reason, the Scheme is designed to show members what life is like on a shift and how firefighters handle their responsibilities to the public, to their colleagues and to their own safety. It is not only a very skilled but also a very hazardous job which can be exhausting both physically and mentally with so many unknown factors round every corner.
However well prepared staff become by training, a firefighter’s life can be full of perilous surprises. This is of course quite often the reason why so many fit and dedicated young men and women find this type of work both attractive and satisfying to their spirit of adventure.
May I ask you to read the comments of your colleagues who have already experienced what the scheme has to offer and then to accept the invitation to participate so that you can also see what is available, either in London, your local fire service, or indeed to spend some time with both.