Firefighters to don fire kit to tackle London Marathon

17/04/2023

Two on-call firefighters from Cambridgeshire will be running the London Marathon this month, wearing their fire kit, to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Littleport firefighter Tom Bridge-Street and Crew Commander Roland (Roly) Rimmer from Manea Fire Station are tackling the 26-mile run while donning their firefighting personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus, weighing around 20kg.

Tom won a place in the ballot to run the marathon, while Roly was given a place by The Fire Fighters Charity. Both have been fundraising to support the charity, which provides vital support to serving and retired firefighters and their families. Tom recently held a disco and raffle at the local ex-servicemen's club, raising more than £1,000. Roly has been very well supported by friends and family, already raising more than £2,500.

Roly said: “Thanks to everyone that has supported me so far. The charity is so important and helps firefighters in their times of need. Emergency situations have a long-lasting effect on everybody involved, including the firefighters that put their lives on the line and experience injuries and emotions they never thought they would feel. The donations can help firefighters when they need it the most.”

Tom added: “The marathon is always something that I have wanted to tick off my bucket list and I said to myself if I gained a place I would run it in full kit. The charity is a crucial resource for firefighters and our families, giving us specialist lifelong support and empowering individuals to achieve mental, physical and social wellbeing throughout their lives.”

Tom and Roly will be running the London Marathon on Sunday April 23. Both have set up fundraising links, which are available below:

Tom: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tom-bridge-street 

Roly: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/roly-rimmer?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=roly-rimmer&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=fc77a09b83f94426a7ef9efc3b6be474 

Both Tom and Roly are on-call firefighters who respond to emergencies in their communities around their other life commitments. On-call firefighters are not based at a fire station, they will often have other jobs, or family duties and carry a pager and respond to emergency incidents as and when they happen. When they are on-call they may be at home, working for themselves or for a nearby company, or out in their local community (staying within a five-minute travel time of the fire station).

The Service is always looking to recruit on-call firefighters, so if you are interested in finding out more, visit our careers section. 

This year The Fire Fighters Charity is celebrating its 80th year of helping the firefighting community. From supporting the bereaved families and orphans of brave firefighters who laid down their lives during the Blitz, right through to providing online support to thousands of members of the UK’s fire family today, they’ve been by the side of every member of the UK’s fire services community.