THE crew manager at Chirk Fire Station is hanging up his kit for the final time after serving his community for more than two decades.

Paul McNulty, who also ran the Fire Cadets branch at the Chirk station, has made the decision to retire from the job he loves after 21 years.

Back in 2000, Paul decided to become a firefighter after being inspired by two of his work colleagues who were firefighters outside of work.

He explained: “For a long time I had been looking at doing something other than my monotonous day to day routine, something to stimulate my brain and to work within the community.

“I was passed a joining booklet to read, and was pretty much hooked from then.

“I attended drill night prior to starting my training, and found the crew to be very welcoming and extremely helpful.

“The training was hard work but very interesting. It felt like no time at all before I was riding in the back of a fire engine on the way to my first call out.”

In what was a rare occasion, Paul was tasked with fighting a caravan fire on his maiden voyage – something he remembers as though it was yesterday.

Each callout brought something different to the table for Paul and his colleagues.

He said: “I have over the years attended many different incidents with many different crew members.

“One of the things that you never tire of is the uncertainty of what’s around the corner.

“Of course there are some horrific things to deal with, along with some funny, some strange and some downright impossible to understand, but nevertheless after each one you feel like you’ve helped someone.

“I really enjoyed working within the community.”

Over the years, Paul became the go-to connection for schools clubs and annual events. He conducted school talks in assembly, station visits, as well as helping in the community by changing bulbs at the church and watering flowers at the local train station.

He also spent large parts of his career helping with the Young Firefighters group at the station, before eventually going on to run the group.

Paul said: “This has been one of the most memorable things I have ever done.

“Watching these youngsters from aged 11 upwards, develop into mature responsible young adults. I have had the pleasure of training some who have grown up to become firefighters themselves, both full-time, and retained.

“I’ve even seen one of my cadets being highly commended for saving a man’s life on an aircraft during a return from holiday with the first aid skills I taught him. A very proud moment.”

It will be an emotional farewell for Paul, who thanked those who assisted in his training and all the crew members he had the pleasure of working alongside over the years.

He added: “If I had my time over, I would certainly do this again, though maybe start earlier on in my life.

“If anyone is ever thinking of joining, or just thinking of doing something rewarding. I'd say do it, you won’t regret a thing. These have been the best 21 years of my life.

“Now it's time to put more time into my hobbies, photography, and my paranormal investigation team.

“My message to everyone is If job satisfaction could be seen, this one has blue lights on it.”

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) is currently recruiting on-call (Retained) firefighters at Chirk and stations across the region.

To find out more, visit the NWFRS website at www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk