FIREFIGHTERS from a village near Selby have become the first in the country to meet new national standards.

Snaith Fire Station is the first in the UK to have everyone qualified to the new benchmark.

And the feat is all the more impressive because it is retained firefighters who have pioneered the scheme.

Now all 12 personnel have received Government awards in recognition of their achievement.

The new standards mean the firefighters have formal qualifications which are recognised at stations across the country.

In the past, training was all done on the job, on a more informal basis.

Glenn Ramsden, a spokesman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This work has provided a first for us.

"The pilot scheme has been such a huge success that the rest of the Humberside fire stations are now working to achieve the same development standard.

"It's a unique achievement, and the crew members are all naturally very proud. For a retained crewing station to have set a national standard is incredible, this is yet another example of the parity between full-time and retained firefighters in the 21st-century fire and rescue service."

The awards, from the Department of Communities and Local Government, recognise the firefighters' and officers' outstanding achievement for the UK Fire Service.

They were presented by Humberside's assistant chief officer, Dave Hall, along with representatives from the Humberside Fire Authority, local councils and the fire service college, at the Downe Arms, in Market Place, Snaith.

Watch manager Keith Lunn, the officer in charge at Snaith, is the resident chef at the pub and prepared a buffet and soft drinks for the visitors.

Mr Ramsden said: "Over the past two years, this relatively quiet rural retained fire station has been pioneering a national personal development system designed to ensure that there is one common standard of performance, regardless of geographical location or duty system worked.

"To the general public there is no difference between a full-time firefighter and a part-time firefighter - they use the same protective clothing, use the same high-tech equipment, use the same fire engines and respond to the same dangers.

"This produces a paradox for the retained service. How can part-time local people work to the same standards as full-time firefighters to provide the same high quality service to the public?"

He said the new national standards would address this.