Ironically enough this is partly due to the bushfires that threatened the township last October.

While out firefighting Capt Gray left a blackboard up outside the fire station saying that new recruits were needed.

Apparently flames on the surrounding hilltops and in people's backyards brought home the message.

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Sam Gibbins was planning to join the Rural Fire Service when his grandfather Brian Turner saw the sign and said "go do that'. Sam has no regrets.

"I love it," he said.

Todd Kelsall is relatively new to town and was also considering joining the SES or RFS when his wife sent him a screenshot of the sign.

Lee Crowe had applied to be a permanent member of Fire and Rescue in Sydney before moving to town last October, to hear that the local service was particularly keen to attract female recruits.

She's now halfway through her training. Her husband Jack is in the ambulance service.

Finally it was the free snags that recruited Danielle. She attended the open day at the fire station last year to learn more about the service, and to check out the big red fire engine.

"Every kids wants to be a firefighter don't they?" she said, and now she's living the dream.

Each new recruit undergoes two four-day training sessions at the service's dedicated training centre in Armidale before becoming fully fledged.

While they can't be available for every call out, each of the new recruits say their lifestyle and/or employment accommodate their new commitment, and there's plenty of activity to keep them engaged.

The station has received 56 call outs so far this year, to varied situations. Among the scenarios the new recruits face are grass fires, house fires, motor vehicle accidents and ambulance assists, along with the stereotypical dog and cat rescues.

Capt. Gray now has 16 firefighters on the roster to man the station's two firefighting appliance including the tanker. After years of being short-staffed he can finally hang out the 'no vacancy' sign.