A Lincoln firefighter has revealed he joined the emergency service at 18 – following a chance conversation on a big night out.
Bob Joyce, 24, applied for a post with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue the morning after a friend’s firefighter father asked if he had ever considered such a career while picking him up from an evening on the town.
Six years later, Bob is part of the crew at Lincoln North Fire Station and has previously spent time at bases in Bardney, Louth, Gainsborough and Skegness.
He spoke to LSJ News as part of our ongoing My Lovely Lincoln series.
What is your favourite thing about Lincoln?
I like how it’s got a biggish city and has loads of surrounding little villages and quirky places all around. I like the Brayford and the Cathedral. I think the Cathedral is really pretty and I really like going to Uphill Lincoln. It’s just nice to look at.
Is there anything you’d improve about the place?
It’s getting better now but there wasn’t really a lot to do when I was younger. It’s expanding a bit now and getting a few more restaurants and things. When I was growing up, there was a cinema and that was about it.
What got you into your role as a firefighter?
My friend’s dad was a firefighter, and they picked me up from a night out and asked if I had ever thought about it and I hadn’t at all. I was 18 at the time, and I applied the next day at the local fire station.
Can you explain to me a little more about what you do as a firefighter in Lincoln?
Going to emergencies isn’t the main part of the job, which I think is what a lot of people don’t realise. We do a lot of community work, like going to check in on if people have got working smoke alarms and things like that. We check a lot of businesses for fire safety procedures too. It’s a lot more about prevention than putting fires out.
Do you enjoy being a part of the community then?
It’s quite nice to be a role model to some people and especially kids. They always tend to wave to us and it’s nice to make their day when you wave back.
What is your favourite thing about being a firefighter?
I like the adrenaline rush. You don’t really know what is going to happen on a day-to-day basis and it’s that unknown element which I like.
Do you have any favourite memories with the job?
I’ve had some memorable jobs, but also just working with different people and we do four days on and four days off. So, we live with each other for four days at a time. It is all about creating that bond with each other and becoming good friends.
