Being an on-call firefighter means being a central part of your community – and that’s exactly why Rob Tremblett joined the fire service, alongside his job as a postie.
However, Rob’s career was temporarily put on hold in February 2023 when he injured his hamstring and faced a long recovery – which has resulted in more than a year off the run.
Having heard about the support we offer before, Rob – who works on-call for Devon & Somerset FRS – got in touch with us to enquire about physiotherapy support, and we offered him a stay at Marine Court, our centre in West Sussex, the following September.
“I seriously injured my hamstring while gently jogging for a football at my son’s match – nothing stupid. It’s been quite a long, drawn out rehab and recovery,” says Rob.
“I’m still off work now and doubt I’ll be back for another few months, so it’ll likely end up being around 15 months off work.
“Around September my Watch Manager suggested I speak to you. I initially did an assessment on Zoom, and then I was invited for a week to Marine Court in Littlehampton.
“They were fantastic, I cannot speak highly enough of the support I had there. A lot of people I was with had much more serious injuries than me, but we were all treated exactly the same. I felt just as important to them as everyone else.
“I can’t talk about it highly enough. I was really impressed with the attention you got from the physios, with exercise programmes designed for you – and then having it on the app so you can carry on from home.
“Then there were workshops on everything from nutrition to mental wellbeing and relaxation, all the information you could need.
“There were little things you don’t think of… we did a guided relaxation, something I’d not normally have considered, which was amazing. I went away with a different mindset.
“Keeping an eye on your wellbeing, right through your life, is really important.”
Rob Tremblett
“They really focus on both the physical and mental sides of an injury.”
Rob says he went away with a new outlook on his health and wellbeing, and says focusing on looking after yourself throughout your career, and after, is so important.
“I think keeping an eye on your wellbeing, right through your life, is really important to me now. I wish I’d got in touch sooner. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough,” he adds.
“Also, it’s remembering that partners are eligible too, a lot of people might not realise that still.”
If you feel you’d benefit from our health and wellbeing support, you can call our Support Line on 0800 389 8820, make an enquiry online or visit the ‘Access Support’ tab in My Fire Fighters Charity.
And remember – if you’re feeling suicidal, you can call our Crisis Line 24 hours a day on 0300 373 0896.