Firefighter

As a firefighter, you'll specialise in fire safety, responding to emergencies, helping to protect people, the environment, and property. Additionally, you'll assist with other emergencies, such as traffic accidents and floods.

You'll work closely with the local community, spending time in homes and businesses, to increase their level of safety awareness and to help prevent fires and accidents happening.

You'll also promote fire safety and enforce standards in public and commercial premises. This will involve acting on and advising on all matters relating to the protection of life and property from fire and other risks.

In the role, you'll continually learn and update your knowledge through a series of lectures, exercises, practice drills, and training, which are an integral and ongoing part of the job.

Types of firefighter

• wholetime firefighters - employed by the fire service full time; they usually cover urban areas.
• retained firefighters - on-call responders who usually cover rural areas. You'll be required to live or work within five minutes or one mile of the fire station and respond to pagers when an emergency call is received. You'll either be self-employed or work for an employer that allows you to leave work immediately to attend an emergency.

What does a firefighter do?

As a firefighter, you'll need to:

• respond immediately and safely to emergency calls and requests for assistance
• attend emergency incidents, including fires, road accidents, floods, terrorist incidents, spillages of dangerous substances, as well as rail and air crashes
• rescue trapped people and animals
• minimise distress and suffering, including giving first aid before ambulance crews arrive
• safeguard your own and other people's safety at all times
• clean up and check a site after dealing with an incident
• take time to become familiar with local streets, roads, and buildings, so you can respond to emergency calls with speed and efficiency
• inspect and maintain the appliance and its equipment, assisting in testing fire hydrants and checking emergency water supplies
• undertake drills and physical training, and take part in learning techniques, use of equipment, and other related matters
• maintain the level of physical fitness necessary to carry out all the duties of a firefighter
• promote fire safety and educate the public by giving talks in schools, at local organisations, and by carrying out home visits, maintaining links with your community.

In a management position, the operational aspects of firefighting form a much smaller part of your role, replaced by more supervisory activities.

Typically, you'll be required to:

• assess situations quickly, deciding on the best course of action
• direct the crew
• write full incident reports
• carry out fire investigations
• manage budget administration and control
• allocate personnel and resources to achieve performance targets
• negotiate with representative bodies
• deal with external agencies
• carry out planning and resource management
• deal with political aspects of the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA).

How much does a firefighter earn?

There is a nationally agreed salary structure for firefighters, which is:

• The starting salary for a junior firefighter, age 18, in the UK is £30,277.
• From there, firefighter salaries range from £31,539 (development) to £40,358 (competent), while crew managers earn between £42,892 and £44,742 .
• A station manager's earning potential can be up to £66,445, with an area manager's salary being £77,186 at the top end, depending on the level of competency.

Retained firefighters are paid an annual retainer, dependent on their role in the service, plus a turn-out fee for each incident they attend. Retainers start at £4,731 for developing firefighters, while a competent retained firefighter receives £6,054 .

Income data is from the Fire Brigades Union's pay settlement 2026 data, which shows a 3.8% increase over the previous year.

Figures are intended as a guide only.

How many hours does a firefighter work?

Hours of work for firefighters in the UK usually include regular, unsocial hours, spread across 40 to 48 hours a week in a shift pattern. Most work two day shifts followed by two night shifts, with four days off afterwards.

However, different services employ different duty systems, depending on their needs. When necessary, paid overtime is worked.

Job-sharing and part-time work are possible, and travel within the working day is frequent, which often results in home absences.

How do I become a firefighter?

Personal qualities and physical attributes are more important than academic qualifications, though a good general education is required. A degree or other further education qualifications are not essential, and entry without a degree or HND is common.

However, some vocationally-focused, graduate-entry degree courses are available, such as:

• BSc (Hons) Fire and Leadership Studies at the University of Central Lancashire in partnership with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
• BSc (Hons) Fire and Rescue at the University of Wolverhampton in partnership with West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service.

These courses don't guarantee entry into the fire and rescue service but aim to equip students with the skills needed to pursue a career in the fire industry. For more details, see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Other related degree courses include fire engineering, fire safety and risk management, or fire and explosion. Search for postgraduate courses in fire safety engineering for more options.

You need to be aged 18 or over to become a firefighter, and you'll most likely need to pass a Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQA) test to ensure you're suitable for the role.

Applications used to be made solely through a standardised national selection process known as the National Firefighter Selection (NFS), but many services now use a tailored application process. It's important to check what the recruitment process is at the service you wish to apply to.

Recruitment generally begins with an online application and either the National Firefighter Ability (NFA) tests or some variation of assessment, interview, and physical tests. Towards the end of the selection process, you'll be invited to attend a medical. Good vision and hearing are essential. Due to the wearing of specialist breathing apparatus, employees are expected to be clean shaven.

Applying to become a firefighter is an involved and lengthy process, which you must complete meticulously to have a chance of being selected. You should read all the information provided by the Fire and Rescue Service about recruitment.

To improve your chances, you need to keep fit and gain as much information as possible about the role and the fire and rescue service in general. To keep up-to-date with relevant issues, you can join the UK Fire Service Forum.

It's also possible to complete an apprenticeship to become a firefighter. For example, see those listed via Fire Service College and Gov.uk.

What skills does a firefighter need?

You'll need to have:

• integrity, composure, and a reassuring manner
• physical attributes, as well as mental coping mechanisms
• the ability to follow instructions, while also working as part of a team
• patience, understanding, and sensitivity
• confidence and resilience, while also being adaptable and flexible
• sound judgement, courage, decisiveness, quick reactions, and the ability to stay calm in difficult circumstances
• an interest in promoting fire safety, education, and risk prevention, which means the ability to talk to members of the community.

You may also need a full UK driving licence. Some employers might need you to be prepared to gain a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) licence as well.

Where can I get work experience as a firefighter?

Due to health and safety requirements, work experience isn't possible. However, you may be able to observe in your local fire station or attend an open day. Contact the fire and rescue service you're interested in for details.

Depending on your circumstances, you could work as a volunteer or retained firefighter. Experience of this nature could increase your chances of gaining a full-time position.

Many fire services run a Fire Cadets programme; a uniformed youth organisation that gives people aged between 13 and 17 a chance to learn the skills needed to become a firefighter. While doing cadet activities, participants can take several Level 2 qualifications, including a BTEC Certificate in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs firefighters?

Fire and rescue services only recruit when they need firefighters to replace those who are retiring or leaving the service, and competition can be fierce. Each service recruits independently, so you'll need to contact places directly. The current economic climate and public sector cuts may affect the number of jobs available.

In England, there are nearly 50 fire and rescue services. For a list of services by region, see the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Wales has three services, covering North Wales, Mid and West Wales and South Wales.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is responsible for the whole of Scotland, while Northern Ireland is divided into four areas which are overseen by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS).

Private and public sector employers include:

• civil airport and port fire services
• forest industry
• industrial fire services protecting private companies in the chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, oil, and gas industries
• Ministry of Defence (MoD) - Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (DFRMO)
• Royal Air Force (RAF).

As well as directly via your local station, look for job vacancies at:

• myjobscotland - has an option to register for alerts for SFRS vacancies.
• NFCC (National Fire Chiefs Council)
• South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
• North Wales Fire and Rescue Service
• Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service
• Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire publishes a magazine with the latest news and useful information about fire and rescue work. Staying current with this may be helpful to your application.

Where can a career as a firefighter lead?

Initial firefighter training typically takes between 12 to 18 weeks to complete. It's usually held at a specially-equipped training centre where you'll be taught basic firefighting skills, such as ladder safety, hose laying, and how to use breathing apparatus. Training also involves learning about fire safety and the importance of getting the message across within the local community.

On successful completion of the initial training, you'll join a fire station on probation and your performance will be continuously assessed. Visit individual fire and rescue service websites for details of their training programme.

You'll be expected to undertake Continued Professional Development (CPD) throughout your career, which includes attending lectures, exercises, practical training sessions, and other forms of training to maintain your competence levels. You'll be responsible for developing your own skills and maintaining fitness.

The Fire Service College runs a range of specialist courses covering areas such as:

• hazardous materials
• leadership and management courses aimed at middle and senior managers
• prevention and protection
• rope, water, and associated rescue skills
• specialist operations.

Additionally, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Training Centre runs its own learning and development college .

Promotion is earned on individual merit subject to demonstrating competence and showing evidence of potential through attendance at assessment and development centres.

There's a well-structured career path, which gives real responsibility at an early stage. From the role of firefighter, career development generally runs as:

• Crew manager - responsible for the fire appliance and crew, taking charge of smaller incidents and providing support to the watch manager
• Watch manager - leads a number of smaller teams at larger incidents and may have duties as a fire safety inspector
• Station manager - ensures the service's delivery at one or more fire stations and may take charge of larger incidents
• Group manager - responsible for the service across a geographical area (e.g. London) or a specialist department, such as training
• Area manager - responsible for a larger geographical area or for heading a directorate
• Brigade manager - strategically responsible for departments and supports the chief fire officer
• Chief fire officer - responsible for ensuring effective delivery of all fire and rescue service duties.

Beyond the level of station manager, it's often necessary to move between services to get promoted.

It's possible to specialise in a particular area of the fire and rescue service and there are opportunities to study for a foundation, undergraduate, or postgraduate degree in areas such as:

• disaster management
• fire and leadership
• fire and risk management
• fire engineering
• fire safety engineering.

Other options for progression include studying for a postgraduate management qualification and becoming a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) for those involved in fire safety and prevention work.