Firefighting specialised job: Roo

FIREFIGHTING is a specialised profession that requires hours of training and with competency built on experience as well, PNG Chief fire officer Bill Roo says.He said the profession and its demands needed committed and decisive individuals because they performed a public service in protecting and saving lives and safeguarding property.He said it was not a role anyone could do whether they were a university, grade 12 graduate or potential recruits who underwent a screening process that determined their fitness for the job.Roo said this when responding to a query on this year’s PNG Fire Service recruitment and training programme.He told The National his office was looking to recruit more than 100 people for its fire stations around the country.“We need people who are fit to do the job and not just any other grade 12 or university student,” Roo said.“We want to make sure everything is in order before conducting the training as we do not want the public to say that we are just recruiting people without any experience,” he said.He said as aging firefighters were retiring manpower needs, especially for large centres such as the National Capital District, had to addressed through recruitment and training.