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Firefighter
Hours
42 per week
Starting salary
£21,157 + per year
If you're passionate about public safety and want to help save lives, this job could be ideal for you. Firefighters protect and save people and property from fire and other dangers. They provide emergency support. They also provide education and advice on fire prevention.
You must be at least 18 years old to become a firefighter. You will need a good standard of education and a reasonable level of physical fitness.
A firefighter has the ability to react quickly and remain calm in dangerous situations.
WorkDesc
The work
As a firefighter, you would provide emergency services such as:
- controlling and putting out fires
- dealing with bomb alerts
- rescuing victims from burning buildings, accident sites and other dangerous situations
- managing chemical or hazardous substance spills.
The fire prevention side of your job would involve:
- giving presentations to schools and other community groups
- inspecting buildings to make sure that they meet fire safety regulations
- advising construction professionals on fire safety measures before and during the construction of buildings.
You would also have routine station duties, such as inspecting, cleaning and maintaining equipment, carrying out practice drills and taking part in training.
If you reach senior officer rank, you would be responsible for writing detailed reports of incidents, and carrying out management and policy work.
HoursDesc
Hours
You could work full-time or as a part-time (retained) firefighter. If you are full-time, you will usually work 42 hours a week, which includes day and night shifts to cover a 24-hour service. As a retained firefighter, you would usually be based in rural areas or smaller towns. You may have another job but you would make yourself available in emergency situations.
This job can be stressful and physically demanding, and you will often work in very uncomfortable situations, for example at heights or in enclosed spaces. Working in all weathers and being in danger from collapsing buildings, vehicle fumes and explosions are all part of the job.
IncomeDesc
Income
Firefighters can earn between £21,000 and £28,200 a year.
Crew managers can earn around £31,300 a year, and station managers can earn between £36,000 and £40,100 a year.
Retained firefighters are paid a fee, which can be around £2500 a year. They also receive additional payments, according to their rank, for each incident they attend and for any extra duties that they carry out.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
You must be at least 18 years old to become a firefighter. If you are under this age you may still be able to get involved in the fire service by joining a Young Firefighters Scheme.
Each fire service (brigade) sets its own entry requirements. You will need to contact the Chief Fire Officer (or recruitment officer) at the fire service you want to join for details of their requirements and when they are recruiting.
In general, you will need:
- a good standard of education - some brigades will prefer you to have GCSEs or equivalent
- a reasonable level of physical fitness - this will be assessed by a full medical examination and physical tests.
You will also need to pass a series of practical and written tests, and an interview.
Some colleges work with local fire brigades to offer a Fire Service Pre-Recruitment Access Course, which could be a good way to prepare for the selection tests.
Contact your local college to find out if this course is available in your area.
See the Skills for Justice website for a list of fire brigades and further information about recruitment.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
As a new firefighter, you will take part in a full-time induction training programme. This lasts between 12 and 16 weeks (18 weeks in Northern Ireland).
You will learn about fire safety standards and protective measures, fire prevention and safety education work. To prepare for the practical side of firefighting, you will train in areas such as:
- fire behaviour and firefighting
- basic rescue techniques and entering smoke-filled rooms
- putting on protective clothing and using breathing apparatus
- handling foam and other types of fire extinguishers
- using ladders, hoses, knots and other equipment
- first aid, and health and safety.
When you have successfully completed your induction training, you will join a fire station for a probationary period of up to two years. During this time you will work alongside, and learn from, experienced firefighters. Your performance will be continually assessed.
As a retained firefighter, your induction training will be spread over a series of weekends and will cover the same areas as for full-time staff. You will also take part in weekly practice drills and occasionally do short training courses.
An Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) is being used across the fire service. This will enable you to:
- be involved in continually updating and developing the skills you need for your job
- work towards a qualification such as the NVQ Level 3 in Emergency Fire Services, or levels 2, 3 or 4 in Fire Safety
- have access to a clear promotion structure.
For more information on the IPDS, check the Skills for Justice IPDS website.
You may also be encouraged to work towards a specialist qualification like a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) licence for driving fire engines.
If you are involved in fire safety and prevention work, you can take professional qualifications leading to membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers. You can also study subjects such as fire risk engineering, fire safety, and fire safety management at degree level. See the Institution of Fire Engineers website for more information.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a firefighter, you will need to have:
- stamina and a high level of physical fitness
- the ability to react quickly and remain calm in dangerous situations
- a high level of self-discipline
- the ability to follow instructions and regulations
- excellent communication and teamwork skills
- the ability to inspire confidence when dealing with members of the public
- initiative to deal with rapidly changing conditions
- good practical skills to operate a range of tools and equipment
- an assertive approach for dealing with possible obstacles to rescue work
- the ability to write accurate incident reports.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Skills for Justice 
Centre Court
Atlas Way
Sheffield
S4 7QQ
www.skillsforjustice.com
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service
Human Resources
Brigade Headquarters
1 Seymour Street
Lisburn
BT27 4SX
Tel: 028 9266 4221
www.nifrs.org
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You will find most jobs with local fire brigades. You can contact them directly about vacancies. The Skills for Justice website has a page where you can search for your local fire and rescue service.
There is strong competition for full-time work, but there is often a shortage of retained firefighters, especially in small towns and rural areas.
You could also find work with other fire services and institutions, such as the British Airports Authority, the Defence Fire Service (which provides fire services for military and other MOD sites) and Her Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate.
Your promotion options could include crew manager then watch manager, and possibly on to station, group, area and brigade management.
Skills for Justice, the sector skills council for justice, is working with fire and rescue services to create an overview of the sector and develop occupational standards. This may form the basis of new qualifications and training. See the Skills for Justice website for further details.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The fire and rescue service is part of the justice sector, which is represented by Skills for Justice Sector Skills Council. It includes: forensic science; prosecution service; courts and tribunals; custodial care; community justice; plus police and law enforcement. The UK justice sector works to create and maintain a safe, just and stable society. The purpose of the sector is to reduce crime and re‐offending, promote confidence in the criminal justice system, protect people and contribute to the reduction and fear of crime, and support the administration of justice. The sector employs around 600,000 employees in the UK across a range of organisations operating with different remits.
The Fire and Rescue Service in England, Wales and Scotland are based around local structures. In Northern Ireland, there is one single service. The service is an operational fire fighting body providing the following services:
- Community Fire Safety – covers a range of initiatives that are aimed at reducing the number of fires and the number of deaths and injuries caused by fire.
- Fire and Rescue Emergency Response – responds to incidents and makes sure that the risk of injury, loss of life and damage to property is minimised.
- Emergency Planning – services that plan and prepare for large scale emergencies, such as, for example, large rail crashes, coastal pollution and severe floods.
- Fire and rescue services for particular organisations requiring on‐site services, such as: British Airports Authority Fire Service; Defence Fire and Rescue Sector; Private and industrial Fire and Rescue Services; Nuclear sites; Ports; Event fire safety services; and Fire services protecting royal properties.
Key facts:
- In total, there are approximately 74,228 people working in fire and rescue services, of which:
- 71,428 people in local authority Fire and Rescue Services
- 870 people in Civil Airport Fire Services
- 1,750 people in Ministry of Defence Fire Service
- In addition, there are an unspecified number of employed in occupational brigades provided by, and to protect, private companies, such as those in the nuclear and petroleum industries.
- In England, there are:
- 30,580 full‐time fire fighters, a decreased of 3.9% since 2004
- 11,744 retained duty system fire fighters (in 24‐hour units of cover)
- 1,522 fire control staff
- 7,800 non‐uniformed staff
- There can be on average 150 applicants for each post.
- Women across the justice sector as a whole tend to be concentrated in support roles.
Jobs in the industry range from: Firefighter, Retained duty Firefighter, Fire control operators, Crew manager, Watch manager.
National and regional data
The East Midlands has 5 fire and rescue services.
The East of England has 6 fire and rescue services.
London has one fire and rescue service, the London Fire Brigade.
The North East has 4 fire and rescue services.
The North West has 5 fire and rescue services.
The South East has 9 fire and rescue services.
The South West has 6 fire and rescue services.
The West Midlands has 5 fire and rescue services.
Yorkshire and Humberside has 4 fire and rescue services.
The Fire and Rescue Service in Northern Ireland (NIFRS) is divided into four area commands, which are supported by 14 Districts. There are 68 fire stations across Northern Ireland. The workforce comprises:
- 901 full‐time Firefighters
- 980 retained Firefighters
- 12 volunteer Firefighters
- 59 regional control staff
- 218 non‐uniformed support staff
- 53 part‐time caretakers
Similarly to the rest of the UK, the NIFRS has a gender imbalance in the makeup of the force, with a strong bias towards male employment.
Scotland has 7,538 people employed in 8 fire and rescue services, of which only two remain under unitary control and the others under joint boards. The 8 fire and rescue services vary widely in size and structure, reflecting the nature of their different areas. The workforce comprises:
- 3,586 full‐time Firefighters, of which 3,470 are male and 116 are female
- 2,514 retained Firefighters, of which 2,368 are male and 146 are female
- 326 volunteer Firefighters, of which 284 are male and 42 are female
- 205 control room staff, of which 23 are male and 182 are female
- 907 non‐uniformed support staff, of which 363 are male and 544 are female
Across all job roles, only 51 are occupied by Black Ethnic Minority staff. As with the Fire Service across the UK, there are challenges around attracting diverse groups to enter the service.
Wales has 4,422 people employed in the 3 Welsh Fire and Rescue Service Authority areas. There were 1,956 applications received in Wales in 2006/07, of which women accounted for 19% of all successful applications whilst people from ethnic minority backgrounds accounted for 1.8%. The workforce comprises:
- 1,671 full‐time Firefighters, of which 3% are female
- 1,978 retained Firefighters, of which 4% are female
- 128 control room staff, of which 82% are female
- 645 non‐uniformed support staff, of which 58% are female
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