Our firefighters all bring different skills to the team. As long as you meet the national firefighter standards at assessment you can apply to become a firefighter. Check out our fitness section for a training plan and more information.
Myth Busting
The role of a firefighter has changed and so has our place in the community.
Find out the truth about these out of date myths.’
No. 1
"Am I strong enough?"
No. 2
"Aren't on-call firefighters volunteers?"
An on-call firefighter is a paid position. You'll get paid for the whole time you're available to work, regardless of whether you're called out, as well as an additional hourly rate for attending incidents and training.
No. 3
"Isn't it a man's job?"
We know that the strongest teams are made up of a diverse mix of people and we respect everyone's individuality.
No. 4
"Will I still be able to socialise?"
You can socialise and go about your day-to-day life while you're on call, as long as you stay within the agreed response time of the station and do not drink alcohol.
No. 5
"Do I have to be a British Citizen?"
As long as you have eligibility to work in the UK and have all the relevant documentation, you can apply to become a firefighter.
No. 6
"Will I have to give up my current job?"
Most of our on-call firefighters have day jobs and either work for us alongside their working hours or offer us availability during evenings or weekends. Shift workers also find that it suits their lifestyle well, even if their primary job's shift patterns are irregular.
No. 7
"How often will I be attending incidents?"
The amount of incidents you attend depends what station you work for, but on average our stations are called out two to three times across the whole week for an hour or so at a time.
No. 8
I am from a minority group, will I fit in?
We are committed to having an inclusive working environment that respects people as individuals and embraces diversity. We do not discriminate on any grounds, including; race, disability, marital status, gender or gender reassignment, age, religion or sexual orientation. We have a number of supportive staff network groups for LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities and women.
No. 9
"How close do I need to live to the station?"
There's no set distance you need to live within but we usually ask that you can get to a fire station within five minutes, while observing speed limits. Remember, although your home might not be within response distance, your workplace might be - that way you could be an on-call firefighter during working hours.
