Council and democracy

Becoming a Wholetime Firefighter....

It's much more than just fighting fires!

Wholetime (full-time) firefighting is a rewarding career choice for men and women alike, offering very real opportunities for career progression and educational development.

It's a very diverse job, but only part of it involves fighting fires and attending other emergencies. Today's firefighter is an all-rounder, very often working in the local community to offer fire safety advice and help prevent fires from starting.

Of course, he or she is also a team player, working in a key emergency service providing a 24-hr, all-year, all-weather immediate response to 999 calls for assistance.

Specially trained and able to face demanding situations ranging from house fires to the scenes of road and air accidents, our firefighters are wholly committed to saving life and property from fires, explosions, crashes and other sorts of disaster.

We are committed to investing in our staff and encourage personal development at all levels. Our personnel have opportunities to further their education all the way from National Vocational Qualifications right up to postgraduate degrees and professional qualifications. It's worth adding that every Chief Fire Officer once started as a new firefighter recruit!

You don't need any formal qualifications to apply as a firefighter, but must be over 18 and reasonably fit, with good eyesight and plenty of common sense. There's no upper age limit, or minimum height limit, for those wishing to apply. We are especially keen to encourage more women and people from ethnic minorities to apply, as both are presently under-represented in our workforce.