![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service spans rural, coastal and urban environments and it is the response to this diverse risk profile where on-call firefighters excel. Craig Flannery, the relatively new chief, talks to Catherine Levin for the latest episode of the podcast about how the on-call service is thriving against a backdrop of emerging threats and innovations that make the job attractive to generations of families serving their communities.
Craig Flannery had an unconventional route to the fire and rescue service. After moving to Wales for university, he spent several years overseas teaching scuba diving, including first aid and life-support techniques, before returning to the UK and applying to the emergency services. He spent two decades working through each rank at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, culminating in his current senior leadership role. Reflecting on that journey, Flannery emphasised the breadth of experience that shaped his progression.
“I’ve been really, really lucky working across a variety of functions, stations and departments,” he said, adding that this exposure has given him a “holistic viewpoint of the organisation.”
A vast and varied risk landscape
“We have such a broad range of risk,” Flannery explains, pointing to everything from refineries and power stations to university towns and rural communities. “We’re trying to be everything to everyone across prevention, protection and response arrangements.”
The scale of that challenge places significant reliance on the on-call system, with the majority of stations depending on on-call firefighters.
Flannery is clear that there is no single definition of an on-call firefighter. At a basic level, they are part-time responders who carry pagers and attend incidents when called, alongside their primary employment. But their contribution goes far beyond that.
“There’s a lot of personal sacrifice attached to it,” Flannery tells Catherine. “On-call fire fighters are the pillars of resilience.”
In many parts of Mid and West Wales, on-call crews provide far more than traditional firefighting. Flannery highlights how, particularly in rural areas, crews support wider community needs, from medical response to assisting vulnerable residents during severe weather.
“In those rural areas where there’s probably not much resource, they are heavily relied upon, not just for what we do from a fire and rescue perspective,” he told Catherine.
This role is often delivered in close partnership with organisations such as the RNLI and mountain rescue teams, reflecting a broader collaborative approach across public services in Wales.
Like many services, Mid and West Wales is adapting to the growing impact of climate change, particularly in relation to flooding. In response, the service has expanded its water rescue capability significantly, developing specialist teams and wider flood response capacity across stations.
Wildfire risk is also shaping new approaches, particularly around prevention and collaboration with landowners. “It is about not just increasing capability, but it’s also about bringing more awareness and education and having more meaningful dialogue,” Flannery explains.
Recruitment, retention and the on-call challenge
While recruitment remains an ongoing challenge across the sector, Flannery points to positive signs within his own service. “It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve actually had more people starting than leaving,” he told Catherine.
Retention has been a key focus, supported by a dedicated improvement programme aimed at listening to firefighters, recognising their sacrifice, and addressing practical challenges. Local leadership and community engagement have also proven critical in rebuilding station numbers where they have fallen.
Recent changes to pay and availability systems are beginning to introduce greater flexibility into the on-call model. Alongside this, services are increasingly using data to better understand availability and maximise operational effectiveness.
A future built on goodwill
Despite the challenges, Flannery remains confident in the long-term sustainability of the on-call system. He points to the combination of strategic focus, investment and community commitment as key to that outlook. “There’s goodwill in bucket loads out there,” he says with great enthusiasm.
At its core, he believes the system’s strength lies in the same principle that first drew him to the service, a calling to serve one’s community no matter what sacrifices that involves.
Listen to the episode below.
