FAQs About On-call Firefighter

At stage two of the recruitment process you will be given a link to our online application form. This happens after you have attended one of our On-Call awareness evenings. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

You can find out which On-Call fire stations are recruiting by clicking here.

Our On-Call Firefighters are a required to meet set role-related standards this includes a bleep test pass mark of 8.6. Anyone applying to become an On-Call Firefighter with us will need to reach these standards at stage four of the recruitment process. More information about the On-Call role related testing is available here.

There are seven steps to becoming an On-Call Firefighter with Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service. They are:

1. Awareness evening
2. Application form
3. Interview
4. Written and role-based tests
5. Occupational health medical
6. Formal offer of employment
7. Induction day

• 1st Line availability is an immediate response. This means you must respond to incidents within 10 minutes.
• 2nd Line availability is a delayed response. This means you must respond to incidents within 20 minutes.
• 3rd Line availability is a delayed response. This means you must respond to incidents within one hour.
• 4th Line availability is a delayed response. This means you must respond to incidents within three hours.

You have to be a minimum of 18 years old at the start of your employment. There is no upper age limit, as long as you are physically fit and can pass the fitness test you can become a Firefighter.

Yes, there are many benefits to being an On-Call Firefighter at Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, these include (but are not limited to):

– Free on-site gyms
– Free on-site parking
– Free employee assistance programme
– Childcare vouchers/tax-free childcare
– Annual leave entitlement
– Maternity/paternity leave
– Pension scheme
– Ride to work bicycle scheme

You will be expected to attend an eye test as part of your application, and the optician will test you for colour vision. Individuals with either normal colour vision or slightly abnormal green colour vision are suitable for appointment to the fire service. Please refer to the Visual Entry Standards available at: www.fireservice.co.uk/recruitment/eyesight/ for more information.

Wholetime Firefighters are contracted to work in the fire service as their primary employment serving at Wholetime fire stations. On-Call Firefighters usually respond from home or their primary employment on a call-by-call basis via a smartphone app.

“On-Call nights” are evenings where you attend your assigned fire station and carry out training sessions, maintain the fire appliance, undertake your admin and update your training records.

There is a two-year development phase for On-Call Firefighters. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

To be considered for an On-Call firefighter role at Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, you must live close enough to an On-Call fire station that you will be able to drive to it, get your personal protective equipment on, and leave the station on the fire appliance, within 10 minutes. You can find your nearest On-Call fire station/s here.

Payments are varied depending on the number of hours you agree to, your rank and your development progress. These payments can range from £1,168.50 to £2,337 per year as a trainee. £1,557 to £3,114 per year as a competent Firefighter.
If you chose to go for promotion you can earn between £1,655 to £3,310 per year as a development Crew Commander and £1,726.50 to £3,453 as a competent Crew Commander.

If you are invited to attend an On-Call Firefighter induction day you will have reached stage seven of the recruitment process, and will be invited to a fire station to start your On-Call journey. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

If you pass each of the five initial stages of the On-Call Firefighter application process, then at stage six you may be offered employment. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

Yes, as stage five of the recruitment process you will be required to undertake an occupational health medical assessment to determine if you are medically fit to perform the role. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

Yes, as stage four of the recruitment process you will be required to undertake an online written testing using SHL, as well as role-based physical testing. This includes a bleep test with a passing score of 8.6. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

Yes, if your application is successful. This is stage three of the recruitment process and you will be invited to an interview with us. You will find out more about this during the On-Call awareness evening you attend. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

Attending an On-Call awareness evening is stage one of our On-Call recruitment process. You will visit a local fire station where the role and responsibilities will be explained, and you will receive more information about us and the recruitment process. You can sign up for an awareness evening here.

Yes, we do. You can find out the dates for our next evening, and book your place here.