A dad decided to chase his dream of becoming a firefighter after battling cancer.

Tony Harvey began struggling to swallow five years ago and was diagnosed with throat cancer after seeking medical advice. The diagnosis forced the 56-year-old, from High Spen, County Durham, to give up his window cleaning company, which he had spent 15 years building.

He battled the disease for five years and underwent surgery and radiotherapy. He finally received the all clear in January this year. The diagnosis led to him deciding to chase his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter, while also continuing to build a new landscaping business.

Tony signed up to become an on-call firefighter with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) and went through the recruitment process to provide cover at Chopwell Community Fire Station in Chopwell, Gateshead. The dad-of-two made the on-call course and shocked his fellow recruits with his fitness levels, just six months after being given the all clear.

Tony is now sharing his story help encourage others to follow their dreams. He said "It’s always been my dream to be a firefighter but I always thought my time had come and gone. But this time when the recruitment call went out I was fit and able to apply and I knew I wanted to give a little bit back to my community if I could.

"I’ve lived in the area for over 35 years now so I know how much the community really relies on the fire station, it’s great to be a part of something larger." Tony has described the training course at TWFRS’s Barmston Mere Training Centre in Washington as "intense".

He said: "You couldn’t fault the instructors and trainers they were so hands on knowledgeable. Yes it was tough but if it wasn’t I don’t think you’d be in the right role or getting the right education."

Station Manager for Chopwell Community Fire Station, Andy Nelson, said it was "heart-warming" to hear about Tony’s life before he joined the service as an on-call firefighter. He said: "He has lived through some tough experiences so knows what it’s like when adversity hits which can happen a lot in this role.

"Having life experience and a different professional background is great because you never know what this role is going to through at you and sometimes you’ve really got to think outside the box. It’s nice that people like Tony can give back to the community that he has been a part of for so many years by becoming an on call firefighter."

On-call firefighters are attached to one station in the immediate vicinity of their home and work address, often fulfilling the role alongside other full-time employment. On-call and wholetime recruitment are now closed for 2023, but wholetime recruitment will be reopening later in 2024. Find out more about the work TWFRS does on their website.