New fire service recruit from Halifax follows in his dad's footsteps

Usually attended by family and friends the celebrations were live streamed on Facebook, so that proud loved ones could still watch the firefighters mark the end of their training journey.

The event still included demonstrations of the team tackling a car fire, a building fire and rescuing a casualty from a mock-up road traffic collision. People watching were also treated to inspiring words from Chief Fire Officer John Roberts. Nine firefighters are now joining the ranks of WYFRS having completed a 15-week training course.

The course continued through the Coronavirus pandemic, with safety measures put in place at every step of the way over the last few months.

One of the recruits is Jacob Scrimshaw, 26, is the son of Kevin Scrimshaw, who served in WYFRS for 30 years.

Before he retired last year, Kevin worked out of the fire stations in Dewsbury, Elland, Illingworth and Rastrick, and has always been an inspiration to his family.

Jacob, who lives in Halifax and will be based out of Cookridge Fire Station now that he’s graduated, said: “I’ve always been so proud of my Dad’s job. It always seemed like such an exciting job that had lots of job satisfaction, and I wanted to be part of that for as long as I can remember.

“The sense of comradery and a family unit always struck me as an amazing part of the Service, and I’ve definitely felt it since I joined myself.

“I’m so excited to be on the next step of my journey. My goal is to serve until I retire, just like my dad did, and I look forward to upholding the standards of the service and serving the people of West Yorkshire for years to come.”