The role of a firefighter
A firefighter does more than put out fires. That’s just one of many things that a firefighter does. Because as well as extinguishing flames and saving people from danger, a firefighter also helps with hazardous materials, road traffic incidents, medical emergencies, floods, and even rescues cats in trees (yes, really).
And to stop things like this from happening in the first place, our crews also carry out work with the local community, from fitting smoke alarms, supporting businesses with fire prevention and working with the police to keep our roads collision-free.
Types of firefighters
Wholetime
Wholetime firefighters work as a firefighter full-time. They are permanently based at, and mobilised from one of our wholetime fire stations.
They work in shifts usually in a pattern of two day shifts then two night shifts followed by four days off.
On-call
Most of our fire stations are crewed by on-call firefighters. On-call firefighters do the same emergency work as wholetime firefighters, but they can also have other jobs too. While on duty, they carry around a pocket-pager, which activates when they need to attend an incident. They must live or work no more than five minutes from the fire station.
A second family
Being a firefighter is like having a second family. You’ll form a tight bond with your team, and they’ll always have your back.
A sense of purpose
Knowing that each morning, you might just save someone’s life that day. And your motivation in the role will help motivate you in everything else you do too.
New challenges
Every day is different, and each incident brings new challenges. One minute you could be dealing with a chemical spill, the next a vehicle fire.
New and transferable skills
Thinking fast, communicating quickly and keeping calm in a crisis are just some of the skills you’ll fine tune as a firefighter. From first-aid to health and safety, you’ll build skills in areas that will also benefit your day-to-day role.
Our wholetime firefighters
Our on-call firefighters
Ready to take on the challenge?
Find out what we’re looking for in a firefighter, how to apply and the journey you’ll take to become part of the crew.