On Tuesday 12 May 2026, the Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service celebrated the successful completion of an initial training programme by a group of 6 of the islands’ on-call firefighter trainees, at an award ceremony on St Martin’s. The following on-call crew members are now qualified firefighters:
St Mary’s Fire Station
Charlie Tudball
Reece Robson
Joe Thomas
Tresco Fire Station
Adam Woolley
Logan Melley
St Martin’s Fire Station
Lanie Wood
Adam Arlukowicz from St Mary’s Airport Fire Service was also congratulated on passing the breathing apparatus element of the course; and a ‘Silver Axe’ award was presented to Charlie Tudball, who was judged to have achieved the highest overall standard across all elements of the training programme.
The programme included pre-course on-station training over several weeks, as well as 10 days of full-time training. The trainees learnt firefighting and rescue techniques, ladder and pump operations, vehicle extrication and casualty care. They also faced real fire conditions in buildings as part of the breathing apparatus training.
Successfully passing the initial training programme took months of hard work, commitment and determination from all of the trainees, each of whom had to balance the demands of their training alongside other work, family and community commitments. It also relied on consistent support from their instructors, colleagues, employers and families, for which the service is grateful.
All 6 firefighters have now returned to their local stations, qualified and ready to support the service to respond to emergencies and help keep the community safe across the islands. They will continue their development by undertaking further specialist training and weekly training nights in order to become fully competent firefighters.
Phil Martin, Chief Fire Officer, Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service praised the firefighters for their dedication and willingness to serve their communities, highlighting the unique role that on-call firefighters play in island life. Phil said: “The overall standard achieved by the trainees was extremely high, so it wasn’t easy to choose just one person to receive the Silver Axe award, but Charlie showed great understanding and impressive skill across all of the course elements and was a very worthy winner.
It’s thanks to the significant contribution from all of our firefighters across the islands that the service is able to continue to provide emergency cover for the whole of the Isles of Scilly, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If an incident occurs, we have to be self-sufficient in our response which can be really challenging and means that all of our firefighters must undergo continuous training in order to maintain the required skills.”
Russell Ashman, Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer, Council of the Isles of Scilly, who was also in attendance at the award ceremony, said “It was a privilege to attend this celebration of achievement, and to be able to personally thank those who give so much of their own time for the benefit of the community. As Phil says, meeting the challenge of keeping people safe across multiple islands, whilst also protecting our unique environment, is no easy task. I’m grateful to everyone who commits to continuous training and development in order to add resilience to the Isles of Scilly Rescue Service, the Council, and our community as a whole.”
Further Information about the Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service
The Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service relies on dedicated on-call firefighters who staff fire stations on each of the 5 inhabited islands. Firefighters respond to incidents from their homes or workplaces when required. Crews attend a wide range of emergencies including fires, flooding, rescues, and road traffic collisions. They also support partner agencies during larger or more complex incidents.
The service is currently at full strength across each of the 5 fire stations, but people living and working on the islands are encouraged to consider becoming an on-call firefighter when vacancies arise. The role offers the opportunity to develop life-saving skills, support the local community and be part of a close-knit emergency service team.
Further information about the service can be found on the Fire and Rescue pages of the Council website.
Image 1: Crew awaiting their next instruction during the 'Approve to ride' training course.
Image 2: Crew displaying their certificates having passed the 'Approve to ride' course.
Image 3: Breathing apparatus teams working hard during their air consumption exercise: run, walk and climb!
Image 4: Crews in their breathing apparatus after completing another exercise.
Image 5: Chief Fire Officer Phil Martin presenting Fire Fighter Charlie Tudball with the Silver axe award at St Martins fire station.
Image 6: Course participants outside St Martins fire station with Chief Fire Officer Phil Martin, Station Manager Kevin James and Watch Manager John Williams.
Image 7: Attendees of the award ceremony, including Natalie Searle from the Fire Fighters Charity, Chief Executive Russell Ashman and Councillor Joel Williams.