FIREFIGHTERS in Minehead found themselves going up in the world when, as part of their latest round of training, staged at the West Somerset College, they tested one of the fire service’s tallest aerial ladder platforms with a reach of almost 115 feet.

The giant ladder can be used as a water tower monitor, carry out high-level rescues, and reach previously inaccessible areas on emergency call-outs.

The latest training programme also involved pumping from open water, ladder drills, and training on safeguarding and biological hazards.

The Minehead station was called out 29 times in May and the first few days of June to incidents which included two fires in open country, a vehicle fire, and a blaze in a street rubbish bin.

There were also 17 calls from automatic fire alarms, four fires in domestic properties, and one malicious call.

Firefighters also had to gain entry for ambulance paramedics, deal with a fire in an industrial building, and carry out a lift rescue.

Last year, crews were called out a total of 281 times, averaging five shouts a week.

Part of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service, the Minehead station is crewed using an on-call duty system to provide 24-hour cover.

A spokesperson said the station was still actively looking for more firefighters, particularly those who could be available during the day both on weekdays and at weekends.

The spokesperson said: “These are paid roles with flexible contracts depending on what level of cover can be offered.

“Not only do firefighters provide essential support to the community but they will earn an additional income and receive full training.

“This includes essential and transferable skills such as fire fighting and First Aid that help in any walk of life.

“Anybody who is interested and wants to arrange a meeting to discuss the job can email [email protected].”