Steve Ward

Firefighter and football fan!

Steve Ward, a retained firefighter from North Tawton, has served with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service for the last 13 years. 

Now 42, he was educated at North Tawton Primary School and Okehampton College before qualifying as an electrician - he’s a manager for an Exeter-based training provider.

So why become a retained firefighter?

‘I had friends already in the fire service and work colleagues were too, plus my great uncle served at North Tawton Fire Station for 35 years, so there was a family connection too,’ said Steve.

‘We have a good station socially, we are all good friends and I think this definitely helps when you have to attend the nasty incidents, like a serious injury or fatality. 

‘We do see some dreadful things sometimes, where it really helps to be part of a strong team, or if you are in a precarious situation, you really have to trust your colleagues.’

Retained firefighters can contract for 63 or 84 hours a week. As Steve explained, North Tawton is a fairly quiet station - he estimated around 120 ‘shouts’ occurred last year, whereas a larger station like Okehampton’s would attend in excess of 300 incidents.

Thanks to more effective building regulations, better fire safety and education, home fires are reducing in number - but with the increase in traffic on the roads, road traffic collisions are on the up. These are particularly noticeable in the holidays, along with summer barn fires - in winter the incidents of flooding and thatch fires increase. 

Traffic accidents involving caravans Steve described as ‘horrendous’ in terms of the appearance of the  incidents, with debris scattered all over the carriageway - yet thankfully the car occupants were usually uninjured.

Last winter, Steve was involved in the rescue of people affected by the ‘Beast from the East’.

‘We were called to look for five vehicles in the snow but we probably saw about 15 or 20 minor bumps on the way, blue lights everywhere, it was carnage, quite surreal,’ he said.

One of Steve’s most memorable shouts was to a heavily pregnant lady, expecting twins. The RAF helicopter had been called to take her to hospital from North Tawton but couldn’t land because of snow. She ended up being driven to Okehampton Hospital in the back of the fire appliance.

‘She was being looked after by two fire fighters, instead of ambulance staff - I think she was quite nervous - but not as nervous as myself and my colleague!’ said Steve.

Away from work, Steve’s great sporting love is football. He plays for the fire service’s Vets Over 35s team which got to the finals of the UK Cup, ultimately losing to West Scotland, and he founded North Tawton’s  youth football club in 2012. Membership has now grown to more than 75 players, ranging in age from five to 15 years.

Steve coaches the Under 7s and Under 9s - three other retained firemen are also involved in the club. His three children all share his love and enthusiasm for ‘the beautiful game’ and he is delighted the club has been able to purchase its own ground, following a successful appeal to raise the cash needed to safeguard the field for footballing use.

As a sportsman and firefighter, North Tawton is clearly very important to him.

He said: ‘I think members of the community respect you for what you do in the fire service, for trying to keep the community as safe as possible. 

‘No two jobs are the same, you never know what you are going to face when the alerter goes off, it could be a fire alarm sounding or a multi-car RTC on the A30, but I am always pleased to respond.’

Jane Honey