While many of us have been enjoying the glorious weather this summer, three Tai Tarian colleagues have been experiencing the other side of it, supporting communities across South Wales during a period of unprecedented demand.

Alongside their roles at Tai Tarian, Josh, Mike and Gareth serve as retained firefighters, responding to emergencies in their spare time and helping support fire and rescue services during one of the busiest periods in recent years.

The prolonged spell of hot, dry weather has placed significant pressure on fire services across Wales, with crews responding to a sharp increase in incidents and supporting operations well beyond their local station areas.

Over recent weeks, Josh, Mike and Gareth have attended a wide range of incidents, including wildfires, road traffic collisions, property fires, medical emergencies, water rescues and animal rescues, spending evenings, weekends and nights on call before returning to work the next day.

Josh described recent weeks as "hectic".

"I've spent a lot of hours on call, every evening and every weekend. We've attended Category 3 wildfires, electric vehicle fires, domestic property incidents and high-rise calls."

Mike said the summer had been among the most challenging periods of his firefighting career.

"The last few weeks have been particularly challenging, both physically and mentally, due to the significant increase in incidents across Wales."

The scale of demand has been reflected across stations throughout South Wales. Crews have been deployed across county boundaries, responding wherever support has been needed and helping to ensure communities remain protected during a particularly demanding period.

Gareth highlighted the level of activity crews have experienced.

"Some days have involved attending more than 10 incidents in a single day, with the station responding to around 100 incidents in a month."

We're incredibly proud of Josh, Mike and Gareth who have done a sterling job both on the front line and in the workplace. Thank you to our trio of heroes.