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Everyday hero

Pete Bhatti is a Firefighter for West Midlands Fire Service. This is his story...

“COMING FROM an Asian background, being a firefighter was not part of the norm.

Whilst at University, the last thing I wanted to be was a firefighter. But, once I’d graduated I quickly realised that I wanted to do something where I would be challenged both physically and mentally.
As a firefighter there are no two days which are the same. One day you may be rescuing someone from a burning building or cutting them free from a road accident and the next day you are giving a school talk or fitting a smoke alarm in someone’s home.

I wake up every morning knowing that I can’t wait to go to work. We’re a team and the camaraderie between everyone on our watch is second to none."

I wake up every morning knowing that I can’t wait to go to work. We’re a team and the camaraderie between everyone on our watch is second to none.

We don’t think of ourselves as heroes, we know that we are working with the best people in the business. It is definitely the adrenalin that gets me started, however the thought in the back of my mind that I may be a person’s only chance of getting out alive, gets me through.

The working environment, the shift patterns, the fact that the role is continuously evolving and I am constantly developing new skills, all motivate me. Above all, I can go home everyday knowing I made my community a safer place to live in.”

The Fire Services of the Midlands are striving to recruit a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. To achieve this aim, we actively encourage applications from women and people from Black and minority ethnic groups who are currently underrepresented in the Fire Service.

If you would be interested in finding out more about a career as a firefighter please contact either Kevin Riley, West Midlands Fire Service Recruitment Team, on 0121 380 6222.