Nearly every child has dreamed about being a firefighter at some stage. It’s a hard, physical job though and many people are put off by the ideas of working long shifts. In many areas of the country though, there isn’t a full time fire service at all. Instead, the stations are manned by an army of retained firefighters, who respond to calls as and when needed. Many people who work as a retained firefighter have other jobs too. If you’re interested in contributing to your community and doing something interesting in your spare time, here’s what you need to know.

Retained firefighter – Entry requirements

There are around 18,000 retained staff working for the fire services across the UK. Most of these people work in smaller towns and in rural areas. These firefighters do exactly the same job as people who work for the fire service full time. It’s therefore no surprise that the training is very similar. Your personal qualities are more important than academic qualifications. Applicants have to show that they work well under pressure, enjoy being part of a team and have good judgement. Only those over the age of 18 can apply. Depending on where you live, you have to be able to reach the nearest fire station in a limited period of time. A high level of physical fitness is required, and you’ll be expected to attend training to keep your skills up to date. Search for vacancies on your local fire service website.

Time Commitment and Salary

There’s no way of predicting how often your pager will go off every week, alerting you to a shout. Most retained fire staff commit to a minimum of one weekend training a year centrally, and one night a week locally. You will be paid a basic salary for attending these training courses. You will also be paid an hourly rate for going out and attending emergencies. These rates are advertised online. Speak to other firefighters locally to get an idea of how often during the week you can expect to be called. Remember you won’t be on call all of the time. There will be a team of others sharing the load with you.

DBS Checks and Paperwork

Although being on a retained basis isn’t the same as regular employment, many of the checks and paperwork are the same. Firstly, you’ll have to prove that you’re in the UK legally, and have the right to work here. If you make it through the initial screening, you should bring your passport to the interview with you. You will also be asked to have a medical. This isn’t the same as a fitness test. Medicals are designed to flag up any underlying medical conditions which might affect your work. Firefighters also need to apply for a DBS check. You usually won’t do this until you’ve been offered the job. Having a minor criminal record won’t necessarily stop you from being a firefighter. Longer criminal records might. It’s probably fair to say it’s not worth applying if you have convictions for arson.