Buckinghamshire
Operational, Wholetime
We are looking for forward thinkers, keen learners, and great communicators who can keep their cool when things heat up!
If you need more, becoming a Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service Wholetime Firefighter can offer you a rewarding, exciting and varied career. Our crews respond to any type of major and minor incidents: from road, rail or air crashes, floods, chemical spills and fires to rescuing people trapped in confined spaces.
When they are not answering the call for help they play an active role in the community through safety advice events, education activities and campaigns. As well as being physically fit enough to pull ladders, run hoses and wear breathing apparatus they need a range of personal skills such as understanding, reliability, flexibility and the ability to work as a team.
BFRS Wholetime Firefighters work various shift patterns, these currently include days, nights, and weekends.
Before applying find out what it takes to become a Firefighter visit https://bucksfire.gov.uk/blog/becoming-a-firefighter/ . This page walks you through our vigorous recruitment process. It covers what to expect at our residential Firefighter training and contains links to our Firefighters level 3 apprenticeship.
There are some basic eligibility criteria you must meet before you can apply to become a Firefighter. You must be;
We also look for candidates who have:
We run a flexible and sustainable workforce that maximizes the contribution of all employees to changing service needs. All successful candidates can enhance earning potential through extra shifts.
The recruitment process
There are seven steps to our recruitment process. You must pass each stage before moving on to the next.
Please note that if you are successful with your initial application, you will be required to attend a number of events as detailed below:
| Behaviour workshop & Role Related Tests Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue – Role Related Tests – Bing video | w/c 3 August 2026 |
| Interview and Presentations | w/c 24 August 2026 |
| Medicals / Disclosure & Barring Service | September 2026 |
| Kit Fitting | October 2026 |
*Please note the above dates are subject to change*
Successful candidates will be issued with formal offers of employment. Once in role the qualification achieved through the two-year apprenticeship period is Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship. For more information on this qualification please click here Operational firefighter / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
If you would relish the opportunity of working for an innovative, forward thinking, progressive fire and rescue service, that encourages developing a range of skills to help serve the community, then we would love to hear from you.
Everyone who works for us is required to have a DBS check. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this, please contact HR@bucksfire.gov.uk.
If there are any adaptions or adjustments, we can make to help you in your application, or with our recruitment process, please contact us via e-mail or telephone.
It is our philosophy to embed equality, diversity, fairness, and inclusion into everything that we do. We view this as fundamental to achieve our vision of making Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes the safest areas in England in which to live, work and travel.
Abatement & protected pension: If are in receipt of a Firefighter’s pension, before taking up employment with Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority you are required to notify Human Resources as Abatement Rules may apply.