ESSEX Fire and Rescue Service has renewed an appeal for more Maldon on-call firefighters after a dramatic weekend in the area.

Local crews rushed to a serious road accident on Friday afternoon on the Maldon bypass. They worked with paramedics to help free four people trapped, including a baby. The baby was sent to hospital as a precaution, but three others were rescued from their vehicles with life-threatening injuries.

Then on Saturday a 300m straw blaze on Northey Island, Maldon, took hours to bring under control - with firefighters having to remain on scene for most of the day as they dampened down hotspots.

Sunday didn't turn out to be a day of rest for the crews, either, when a large 100 acre field in Maldon Road, Bradwell-on-Sea, was 100 per cent alight. Firefighters tackled the blaze and managed to put it out just before 4.30pm.

Now fire chiefs have renewed their plea for more on-call firefighters for Maldon Fire Station, in Wycke Hill - and are hoping more people will come forward to answer the call and be on hand to help their local community.

On-call firefighters are people with everyday lives and jobs who are ready to respond the moment their pager sounds – and then drop everything to get straight to the fire station. They attend local road traffic accidents, fires, floods and other emergencies.

The only requirements for this paid role are that applicants are aged over 18, live or work within five minutes' travel of the town's fire station in Wycke Hill and are generally physically fit, which the Fire Service can help provide training for.

Those who pass the assessment process and are offered employment take a two-week Monday to Friday training course, then attend a two-hour training session once a week for 10 weeks.

Chef James Boothby is an on-call firefighter at nearby Burnham.

The 28-year-old said: "It's inevitable that you're going to be going to incidents involving places and people you know and there are a lot of people who I deal with in my other job who recognise me.

"My work is really good with accommodating my life as an on-call firefighter. When I'm not literally cooking food, they let me go and be available. I feel like I'm giving back to the community and I genuinely enjoy it."

Anyone interested can pop along to a training night at Maldon Fire Station, held every Monday between 7pm and 9pm, for an informal chat to find out more - or call 01376 576121 for more details.