LAUNCESTON’S fire department has said that without more volunteers, maintaining 24/7 fire cover for the town could become increasingly difficult.

The town’s fire station has issued an urgent call for on-call firefighters, saying that they are ‘desperate for cover.’

The station has cited the closure of local employer DS Smith and retirements within the team as the reason for the drop in numbers, which has seen the station left with a crew of only 12.

A spokesperson from Launceston Community Fire Station said: “Our fire station relies on local people and local businesses to help us maintain a 24/7 emergency response for Launceston and the surrounding communities. With the closure of DS Smith, we are losing even more of the valuable daytime availability that helps keep our appliance crewed.

“You don’t have to be available all day, every day. Any availability you can offer could make a difference. Whether you can provide daytime cover, evenings, weekends or a combination of these, we would love to hear from you.”

The station has also called for local businesses to support the cause by allowing staff to respond to emergencies during the work day.

“Please consider whether you could support an employee to become an on-call firefighter,” the spokesperson continued. “By allowing a member of your team to respond when their pager activates, you could be helping protect your employees, your customers, your business and the wider Launceston community.”

In an effort to encourage volunteers, the station is holding a number of taster sessions, on October 14, and October 21, between 7pm and 9.30pm,

“Come along, meet the crew, find out what being an on-call firefighter involves and see whether it could be something for you,” the spokesperson said.

“We really need your help. Without enough local firefighters available, maintaining 24/7 fire cover for our town becomes increasingly difficult.”