On Call Firefighter

Job Introduction

About Us

Our staff come from all walks of life, regardless of sex, religion or ethnicity. What they all have in common is self-reliance, confidence, respect, enthusiasm, team spirit and a willingness to be ready for anything when they are alerted to an emergency.

We have 25 fire stations serving our local communities and crews available to respond 24 hours a day. 

About the role
Being an On Call firefighter is a paid, professional role.

As an On Call firefighter you will receive the same training as our wholetime firefighters but instead of being based at a fire station you would be called out to respond to incidents when alerted. On average you could be expected to be called out two or three times each week for about an hour at a time, this can be at night or during the day.

Every week you will need to attend a drill night to take part in training exercises and carry out equipment maintenance. You may also spend time working within your local community to help reduce the risk of fires and incidents by attending local events and performing Safe and Well checks.

To apply you need to be over 18, live or work within five minutes of a recruiting fire station and be able to respond at a moment’s notice.

We normally request our on-call firefighters spend a minimum of 40 hours per week On Call, with some people choosing to cover the maximum quota of 120 hours per week. You won’t spend all this time working - it’s just the time you’re available for us to call you if there’s an incident.

You can choose when you want to provide cover. This could be during the daytime, evening or weekends, or a combination of the three.

Your local station will match your availability with the needs of the station. 

We would encourage you to visit our corporate website to learn about the recruitment steps of becoming an On Call fire fighter.

About you 

Our On Call firefighters come from every walk of life, we have On Call firefighters who are self-employed, work from home and parents with children at school. As well as shopkeepers, builders, plumbers, office workers and people who are not currently employed.

What is important is that you are enthusiastic and can meet certain essential requirements. This can be physically demanding and therefore physical fitness is of utmost importance. Previous experience is not required as we provide a comprehensive training programme.

Rewards and Benefits

Our firefighters receive over £7000 worth of free training that will prepare you to protect and save lives in your community. 

Be the backbone of Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service and get rewarded for it.

Most important of all: they know they are serving and protecting their local community. 

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk