FIRE stations in the Okehampton area say they remain ready for action ? despite fears regarding the recruitment of part-time firefighters in rural areas. But officers said they are always looking for recruits who can offer all-day cover. Okehampton station officer Ian Donovan said he had vacancies but not immediate problems. ?We are not in immediate danger of having problems offering fire cover as we have just recruited two new members, but we are always looking for people if they are keen,? he said. ?It takes so long to train them. If people are interested they are welcome to come down to the station on a Wednesday evening.? Sally Morgan, a Devon County Councillor and prospective Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for the new Central Devon seat, met with Devon and Somerset Fire Chief Paul Young last week to discuss the current worrying crisis regarding the recruitment and retention of retained fire fighters in rural towns and villages. Cllr Morgan said: ?I am aware that there is a huge shortage of personnel during the working day. ?My local fire station is fully staffed during evenings and week-ends but only two out of 12 staff works in the town during the day. ?Nearby towns have very similar issues and this is particularly worrying for residents in the Dartmoor area.? Fire fighter Kevin Coombe from Chagford station agreed, although he said the situation was worse last year. He said: ?We were desperate, but we have filled some vacancies.? He added that day cover was always hard to find. He said: ?It?s because of the lack of jobs in our village. We are always looking for day people.? Mr Coombe said it took at least 12 months to train somebody to be a firefighter, and due to retirements and people moving away there was a constant worry about staffing shortages. Fire fighter Owen Ravenscroft of Hatherleigh said their station had got its full complement of crew, but still found it difficult to provide cover during the day. Retained firefighters must be within seven minutes of the station when they are on call. As well as tackling blazes, fire fighters in outlying villages such as Chagford and Hatherleigh are also trained to offer first aid in response to 999 calls for an ambulance, under the co-responder scheme.