FOR one family, firefighting has become a real family affair.

Nathan Mays, 18, has become the fifth member of the Mays family to join the West Sussex Fire and Rescue.

He completed a two-week course before becoming a retained firefighter for the East Preston area.

Nathan joins mum Amanda, who is Watch Manager at East Preston and has 14 year service with the Fire Brigade.

Dad, Jon is a station manager at West Sussex headquarters, uncle Darren Seymour is a watch manager in the training, development and assurance team in Worthing and cousin, Jeff Mays is based at the Littlehampton. station.

Nathan’s grandfather Roger Seymour, worked at East Preston for 27 years as an acting sub-officer.

He retired the same year Nathan was born.

Chief Fire Officer Gavin Watts said: “Having a mum and son on the same team, and five members of one family in the Service, really is quite something.

“We always welcome our new recruits to what we call the Fire and Rescue Service family and we do have a number of well-established family connections in our organisation.”

About 10-12 people take part in each training course aiming to become a retained firefighter.

West Sussex retained firefighters fully crew 14 of 25 fire stations.

Two are staffed by full-time firefighters and nine by a combination of both.

Retained firefighters usually work on-call and respond to required emergency services within the area they serve.

The firefighters receive both an annual fee and additional payments for any community incidents or events they go to.

Mr Watts said: “I wish our firefighters a long and rewarding career in the Fire & Rescue Service.

“The retained system only works thanks to the support of local employers who recognise that supporting their staff to become retained firefighters benefits the community, their staff and their organisations.”

Retained firefighter duties include various tasks including property fires, grass and farmland fires, traffic collisions, chemical spills, animal rescues and floods.

The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has always offered retained services to more than 800,000 people who live within the county and are currently recruiting.

It is part of West Sussex County Council.

To become a retained firefighter you must be aged 18 or over, and live or work within close proximity of the fire station to which you are applying.