A RETAINED firefighter today issued a rallying call for more ethnic recruits and said: 'It is a satisfying and rewarding job.'

Lancashire Fire Service has just nine full-time and retained ethnic minority staff out of 1,020 employees-- a figure that has not changed in the past year despite various recruitment pushes.

Azar Khan, 30, a retained officer at Oswaldtwistle, said people from ethnic minorities were put off joining the service because it is perceived as an environment dominated by white men.

Azar, from Accrington, said it is not something which worried him.

He added: "Some people might find it scary if they have been with certain people and then you come into a service where there are fewer of those people. It can make you feel uncomfortable but I am always encouraging people to join the service because it is a satisfying and rewarding job."

Azar also believes firefighters like himself are essential for breaking down language barriers.

He went on: "It is beneficial to the community as well because I can speak two languages. If I turn up to a fire where someone cannot speak English that few minutes when they can tell me what's happened can save someone's life."

Azar, who started out at a taster-day at Burnley fire station, has been called out some 360 times in two years.

"To start with, you can't relax, but it is something you get used to." The firefighter spoke out during a special taster-day to encourage new recruits at Blackburn fire station.

The day, part of a series which has been held across Lancashire in stations including Accrington, Burnley and Chorley, was to encourage more people from ethnic minorities and women to join the service.

The potential recruits were kitted out before getting to grips with all aspects of the job including rolling a hose and wearing breathing apparatus.

They also went through some basic upper body strength tests and lifting tests and asked to think about facing their fears of heights and confined spaces.

As community outreach development officer, Mohamed Ravat's job is to encourage people from under-represented groups to think about joining the fire service.

Twenty five turned up to Blackburn to try their hand at being a firefighter, including one woman, three white men and 21 men from ethnic minorities. Half the hopefuls at a similar day at Accrington station were women.

Mollie Conroy, 19, of Clematis Street, Blackburn, said becoming a firefighter was her ambition.

"I have been here on work placement, and they helped me conquer my fear of heights, by climbing the ladder with me. I think a day like gives people a chance to see what it is about. They don't think they can do it but if you try hard enough you can."

Eighteen-year-old Shazad Khan, of Hodder Street, Blackburn, said: "I had not thought about a career with it before."

The day was organised by Lancashire Fire Service as part of a push to reach government targets, which say that by April 2009 15 per cent of firefighters should be women and 15 per cent for ethnic minorities.