Shayla Nicholson

Shayla is an on-call firefighter at March Fire Station. She responds to all kinds of emergencies, from fires in houses and fields, to road traffic collisions, animal rescues and medical incidents like cardiac arrests. Joining the station in 2021, 22-year-old Shayla is a regular face on the fire engine, providing many hours of cover around her work commitments.

Shayla works as a butcher in a local shop and is able to respond to emergencies while she’s at work. Being within five minutes travel of the station, her employer provides excellent support by allowing Shayla to drop everything to jump on the fire engine to get to people in need.

Having seen the crew out in the town a lot, either responding or at local community events, Shayla was a little interested in the on-call firefighter role. She was approached by one of the female firefighters at the station, who invited her to one of the crew’s regular drill nights (these take place every Thursday) to watch them train and find out more about the role. After speaking with the crew and the watch commander, she began the application process.

As well as the excitement of riding the fire engine and helping people when they need it the most, Shayla enjoys the adrenaline of responding, as well as the practical skills she gets to develop. She has also completed additional training to be able to go into water to carry out a rescue.

When she’s not working or responding, Shayla is very active and represents local rugby and cricket teams.