Become an
On-Call firefighter
Are you over 18 and work or live within five minutes of our fire stations?
Then we may have an exciting career opportunity for you as an On-Call firefighter where you can earn between £6,000 and £8,000 a year, sometimes more.
24 of our fire stations have an On-Call fire engine, which is crewed by a dedicated team of women and men who are aged 18+, who work and/or live in their local communities and respond to emergency calls whenever they are needed.
We are always looking to recruit enthusiastic applicants from all walks of life. The most important qualifications are common sense, compassion, commitment, discretion and teamwork.
Please use our Online Post Code Checker to find out if your work or home location is within five minutes of the station you wish to apply for. If your post code is eligible you may register your interest.
Attend an On-Call Recruitment Session
Find out more about becoming an On-Call firefighter at one of our Recruitment Sessions.
Attending an On-Call Recruitment Session is the first stage in the recruitment process. You will visit your local fire station where the role will be explained in greater detail. There will be current serving On-call firefighters as well as On-Call support officers on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Check back soon to find out dates for future recruitment sessions.
Flexible and fulfilling
We offer a range of contracts, where the number of hours and times to be available can vary to suit your personal and professional circumstances. You won’t spend all this time working; it’s just the time you’re available for us to call you if there is an incident.
Full training, uniform and personal development is provided and there are many opportunities to gain additional skills and qualifications that will be of use outside the fire service. You will also be providing a vital service to your local community in many challenging situations.
Fitness, strength and training
The recruitment process to become an On-Call firefighter involves the successful completion of fitness tests called the National Firefighter Selection Tests. To help you prepare for the tests we offer a structured fitness programme for you to follow.
On-Call firefighters receive the same training and use the same equipment as wholetime crew, it is therefore essential that you meet the same fitness requirements as wholetime fightfighters. You will also need to attend a weekly training session, usually held on a weekday evening at your local fire station.
On-Call firefighter FAQs
Answers to the most common questions about the role of an On-Call firefighter, including fitness requirements, qualifications, training, career progression, pay and conditions.
If you have further questions about the role or the recruitment process, you may wish to attend one of our On-Call Recruitment Sessions. These are held at the fire station that is recruiting and you will be able to chat to serving On-Call firefighters and On-Call support officers about the role in greater detail.
On-Call firefighter crew stories
Take a look at the ‘crew stories’ of some of our On-Call firefighters, read about how they achieve their work/home balance, and what being an On-Call firefighter means to them.
Crew Commander Adam Lockley-Holder, Fownhope
Adam joined Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service in 2010. He provides On-Call night cover for Fownhope Fire Station and On-Call day cover for Ross on Wye Fire Station. He is an electrician is his ‘day’ job. Adam competed in the World Rescue Organisation Extrication Challenge.
Firefighter Stuart Davies, Fownhope
Stuart works in the agricultural industry, which he thoroughly enjoys, but he always wanted to do something for his local community. When Stuart left school over twenty years ago, the opportunity to become a firefighter didn’t arise, but later, having spoken to a firefighter in the village, decided to apply.
Firefighter Claire Chance, Ewyas Harold
Claire followed her father Brian and Uncle John among others in her family, in becoming an On-Call firefighter at Ewyas Harold Fire Station. Claire is a self-employed beauty therapist. She juggles three jobs, including working at the Post Office, and is a single mother of Poppy.
On-Call firefighter FAQs
On average, an On-Call (or retained) firefighter can earn from £6,000 to £8,000 a year. We offer a range of contracts between 40 and 120 hours cover a week for which you will be paid a retaining fee. A trainee firefighter providing 120 hours cover a week would receive an annual retainer of £2,718 a year, a firefighter in development receives £2,831 and this increases to £3,623 once you become a fully qualified ‘competent’ firefighter, which takes up to three years.
In addition to this fee, you will also be paid £12.41 an hour for attending incidents and training, again which rises to £16.54 an hour when you become a competent firefighter.
There is no set distance, but when on call you need to be able to get to the station within five minutes from your home or place of work. When responding to the station, On-Call staff must comply with speed limits and traffic regulations, so this must be considered when assessing the time.
No, but you will need to pass the selection tests, which include fitness, numeracy and literacy, a medical and an interview. We will offer all applicants support and guidance through all stages of the process.
Being a firefighter is a physical job, so it’s important to be reasonably fit and we ask for an average level of fitness that most people can reach. If you take part in sport on a regular basis or have an active lifestyle this is usually sufficient. Applicants will be provided with a fitness guide as part of the application pack to help them prepare and reach the required standard.
All trainee firefighters undergo a training programme of an initial three weeks when they start employment and then three remaining modules over an 18-month period. In the future we may be able to provide some of the three weeks initial training in a variety of flexible ways. You must also be available to attend the weekly three-hourly training sessions at your station.
This is the period when you are in the training and development phase of your role, up to a maximum period of three years in accordance with your terms and conditions of employment. During your probationary period you will be required to demonstrate a satisfactory level of performance.
Promotion opportunities are open to On-Call firefighters once you have qualified to be a competent firefighter. You can apply to become a crew commander and then a watch commander.
The nature of the role means we can offer flexible working arrangements to fit individual needs and commitments, such as childcare. We normally require a minimum of 40 hours on-call cover a week, although the more hours you provide (up to 120 hours per week), the more flexibility there is as to when those hours are provided. On-Call firefighters also have an annual leave entitlement. You will be expected to attend regular training sessions for three hours a week and to be available for a reasonable amount of call outs. We are particularly keen to hear from you if you can be available during daytime working hours.
When you are on call there are no restrictions on what you do or where you go, but you must ensure you carry your pager (or ‘alerter’) and be within the five-minute response time. Of course, you cannot drink alcohol while on call or take any other substance that impairs your ability to attend incidents when required.