Man joins fire service that saved him from Doncaster flooding as a child

• Video report by Helen Steel

A man who was rescued from flooding by South Yorkshire firefighters as a child has joined the brigade himself 15 years later.

Mason Stead was four when he was carried from his home in Rossington, near Doncaster, by firefighters during the 2007 floods.

The 18-year-old said he has dreamt of joining the service ever since.

He said: "Being rescued from the floods all those years ago isn’t something I’ve ever forgotten, and since that moment I have dreamt of being a firefighter and being able to help someone else in their hour of need, like the Rossington crew did for me.

"The training course we’ve been on over the last few months has been challenging, in every sense, but to complete it is the most rewarding feeling in the world."

Mason is one of five new recruits who graduated from their intense training course earlier this month.

He added: “I’m extremely proud to have passed the course and now be a part of the Rossington crew that does such good work in the community.”

On-call firefighters undergo the same training as full-time staff but only work when they are alerted by pagers.

Station manager Chris Tyler said: "Our on-call staff are ordinary people that do an extraordinary job.

"Whilst their contracts may be part-time, their commitment is so much more than that."

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are currently recruiting on-call staff in Askern, Rossington and Penistone.