The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have launched the #NeedMore campaign to encourage more people to become on-call firefighters, supported by a new website – www.oncallfire.uk
An on-call firefighter is someone who responds to a range of fire and rescue service jobs; these range from emergency calls, working at open days, carrying out work with their local communities, and acting as an ambassador for the fire service.
On-call firefighters come from every walk of life, including homemakers, shopkeepers, builders, farmers, office workers and directors of companies, together with people who are not currently employed.
Full training is provided on an on-going basis, therefore previous experience is not needed.
An on-call firefighter could be called out several times a week, often for a few hours at a time. The on-call hours are based around people’s availability and other commitments.
To be an on-call firefighter, you must:
- Have a strong desire to support the local community
- Be enthusiastic about working as part of a team
- Have a reasonable level of personal fitness – click here to view the firefighter fitness guide
- Live and/or work near to your local fire station
Ideally, your travel time to your local fire station from home or work will be no more than five minutes – however, we will still consider applicants from outside this area and would encourage an early conversation with the station management team to help us understand what cover you can offer and when.
For more information about the #NeedMore campaign, visit www.oncallfire.uk – the website includes advice to employers, highlighting how having on-call firefighters within their business can bring advantages. Examples include health & safety and medical response training, as well as developing situational awareness, leadership skills, and the ability to work under pressure.