It is with enormous sadness that the service notes the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.

The firefighters and staff of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue extend our most humble condolences to all of the Royal Family.

The service, and our country, stands together as we honour Her Majesty’s passing and reflect on the legacy of an incredible reign filled with patriotism, leadership and an unwavering duty to public service.

Her Majesty has been an inspiration to the fire and rescue service throughout her reign and, like other local public services, we will be taking the appropriate steps to mark her passing and express our condolences in the coming days.

• Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby

Firefighters from across the country are joining SYFR’s weekly mental health walking group, Walk and Talk 999, in walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

The Walk Leaders, Jim Bright, Matt Winslow and Nick Abbott, will be leading the trek on Saturday 10 September in support of World Suicide Prevention Day and to raise money for The Firefighters Charity and Calm Suicide Awareness Charity.

They will be supported by firefighters from the London Fire Brigade and Norwich.

Walk Leader and Group Manager Nick Abbott said: “We’re all very much looking forward to tackling this challenge and for such an important cause.

“We’re incredibly proud of this little community we have built together. We support each other on the good and the bad days and offer a place for men to offload, laugh, cry, joke and rant. We’ll need to be there for each other as we tackle this epic walking challenge!”

Kirsty Thorley, Health and Wellbeing Manager at SYFR said: “We know that across the country, men are struggling with their mental health. Statistics show us that males are 3 times more likely to die from suicide than females and that is why we whole heartedly support the Walk and Talk 999 initiative. It not only helps raise awareness of men’s mental health and boost the wellbeing of our staff but the walks also provide a safe space where people can be supported without judgement, whilst promoting physical activity and taking advantage of fresh air and a change of scenery.

Alex Bowers, Community Fundraiser for The Fire Fighters Charity said: “The Fire Fighters Charity offers specialist, lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community, empowering individuals to achieve mental, physical and social wellbeing throughout their lives.

“We couldn’t do this without the support of individuals, businesses and groups like Walk and Talk 999 taking on challenges and fundraising for us.  If you would like to support The Fire Fighters Charity please visit our website for more information.”

SYFR’s Walk and Talk 999 group is the latest which has been set up after a firefighter from London Fire Brigade, Dean Corney, set up a weekly men’s mental health walking group for firefighters, which helps them to talk about whatever may be troubling them.

Each session starts with a simple check-in circle where people share how they’re feeling on a scale of one to ten. They also share something positive that’s going on in their lives. Everything people say at the session is strictly confidential – and the group are asked not to interrupt or challenge when someone’s speaking.

The Walk and Talk 999 model has been endorsed by the likes of TV’s Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Dr Alex George and has been highlighted as a case study by the mental health charity Mind.

The walks are held every Tuesday at 10am at Graves Park, Sheffield and are open to all male Fire and Rescue and emergency services colleagues (both current and retired).

There is no need to book, just turn up to the meeting point at the Pavilion car park.

Residents in Rossington, Stocksbridge, Askern, Penistone and Dearne are being challenged to step up and join their local fire crews, as the county’s fire service launches another on-call firefighter recruitment drive.

New vacancies have arisen at the stations in each of these four towns – with more staff needed to keep the fire engines’ wheels turning and respond to fires, floods, road traffic collisions and other emergency incidents.

Fire officers say there has never been a better time to join the service, with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue being rated as one of the country’s leading fire and rescue services in its last Government inspection.

“Our message to local people is simple – we need them!” said Station Manager Chris Tyler, who oversees the service’s on-call fire stations.

“On-call firefighters get the same training as wholetime staff, but they don’t work shifts. Instead, they carry a pager and respond from work and home when needed.

“This is one of the most unique jobs in the world as it requires a huge amount of commitment, bravery and determination.

“What we are asking is for people to consider making themselves available to respond to emergencies on top of their existing jobs and personal family commitments.

“It’s a big ask, but it’s also a huge opportunity and an exciting time to join our service. We need incredible people to fill our boots, and we know they are out there somewhere.”

Prospective on-call firefighters are required to live or work within five minutes of their local station, so they are able to get on the fire engine quickly if needed.

Calls can come in at all times of day and night – with existing staff claiming the adrenaline rush that comes with getting a call is one of the best parts of the job.

On-call crews are used right across the country to provide fire cover to more remote areas, with firefighters getting a ‘retainer fee’ for being on stand by, plus an hourly rate on top.

Recently, on-call staff have been involved in battling the flurry of wildfires attended by the service during the July and August heatwaves.

Officers say that without them, the service wouldn’t be able to run.

“We’ve long known how valuable our on-call crews are, but you only have to look at the heatwave we experienced in July to see how important they are.

“Some of our staff finished a day at work, got changed and then got on the fire engine to help deal with the unprecedented demand we faced – on the hottest day of the year.

“Their commitment is incredible and I’d encourage anyone who feels they would like a challenge to get on our website and give us their details. We’ll be in touch.”

You can register your interest in an on-call role with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue on the service’s website, here.