South Wales Fire and Rescue Service launches its 2024 On-Call recruitment campaign
This July, we’re launching our new recruitment campaign to highlight the On-Call Firefighter role and recruit for a number of our vacancies across South Wales.
On-Call Firefighters play a vital role in our organisation; making up over half of our operational workforce. They help us with our mission to reduce risk and keep the communities of South Wales safe. Our campaign ‘#YouCan’ features several of our current On-Call Firefighters showing how you can…
Like the Wholetime Duty System role, On-Call Firefighters respond to fires and Special Service Calls e.g. road traffic collisions, chemical emergencies, flooding, and other natural disasters. They are also required to inform and educate their local communities, and carry out ‘safe and well’ visits in people’s homes.
On-Call Firefighters must live or work in their local communities, and are from all walks of life. They could be builders, consultants, stay-at-home parents, administrators, factory workers, care workers, students, or people who aren’t currently employed. They are people who are able to give their time to assist the Fire and Rescue Service in return for a salary.
Every On-Call Firefighter carries an ‘alerter’ at all times whilst on duty, so they can respond to a call from their Station within a set time. They can respond from their home during leisure time or, in some cases, from their place of work if their employer permits.
We ask all On-Call Firefighters to commit to providing a specified number of hours of cover and to attend an evening training session each week (known as drill night).
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Details of all recruitment campaigns will be advertised on this page.
Candidates must be a minimum of 17 years and 6 months of age on the date of application, and a minimum of 18 years of age on the first day of the Firefighter Training Course to be eligible to apply.
Come and join us at one of our recruitment events this July where you’ll be able to meet the crews, ask questions, see demonstrations, and much more! Visit our events page to find an event near you.
Meet David
“Being a Firefighter is a really rewarding career – it makes you feel valued.”
David is a self-employed Tree Surgeon and is also an On-Call Firefighter at Risca Fire Station. He commits to 63 hours per week, and mainly covers the night shifts while his family are asleep.
“As a family, those hours work really well for us. My normal working hours are between 08.00 – 16.30, so I still get time with my partner and step-daughters every day.
“Two-year old Charlotte is a little young to understand, but five-year old Isla think it’s really exciting and loves coming to the Station. She is really proud to tell her friends I’m a Firefighter.”
David used to run his own business in Newcastle before relocating to Wales, and discovered that his change in employment left a void. He was inspired to join after meeting Firefighters through work, and since applying through our On-Call Firefighters Page, he hasn’t looked back.
“Working as a Firefighter is so rewarding. I didn’t know many people when I first moved here, but I’ve found a great circle of friends at the Station.
“I love learning new skills and having a job which has so many progression opportunities that you can better yourself in.
“I was surprised at how much of the role is community-based, involving public events and engaging with schools and colleges.
“As a member of the Fire Service you are really visible as a role model in society and it’s good to know that you’re making a positive impact on your community.
“We work a lot with partner agencies, including the police and ambulance services, and it’s such a great feeling when you’re able to help people and leave a job knowing that you have left them in a better position than when you got there.”
Meet Evie
“My parents are so proud of me becoming a Firefighter.”
Evie is studying to become a gym instructor and personal trainer. After being introduced to the Fire Service by a neighbour, Evie checked our On-Call Firefighters Page and decided to apply. She is now an On-Call Firefighter at Abercarn Fire Station.
“I’ve always been really into fitness and wanted to have a career that involves being physically active, so the Fire Service is perfect for me.”
Committing 63 hours per week to her On-Call role, Evie is able to fit a mixture of day and evening shifts around her educational workload.
“I attended lots of drill nights and did lots of preparation before joining, which made the process much easier.”
Evie was surprised at the variety of incidents and events the Fire Service is involved in, from animal rescue to community engagement, and particularly enjoys visiting schools to teach children about fire risks and how to keep safe.
“I would definitely recommend joining the Fire Service – it’s so varied and exciting. I’ve made some great friends and have really enjoyed all the training courses and learning new skills. I’m going on the Hazmat course soon and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Meet Simon
“You learn something new every day because every shout is different.”
Simon owns his own construction company, but has always dreamed of becoming a Firefighter.
“A lot of my friends in school joined the Fire Service and I just thought ‘why not?’ As an ex-rugby player, I really missed the camaraderie of being part of a team and the physical training aspect, so becoming a Firefighter has been perfect for me!”
Simon decided to take the plunge and applied to join. After successfully completing the training course, he became an On-Call Firefighter at Aberbargoed Fire Station.
As his own boss, Simon can respond whenever the alerter goes off; day or night.
“I commit to 80 hours a week, which sounds like a lot, but I absolutely love it. It’s really varied and I’ve made some great friends, so I don’t feel that I miss out on having a social life.”
Simon is well-supported in his Firefighter role by his two children, 7 year-old Rhys and 12 year-old Megan, who both want to follow his footsteps into the Service.
“Rhys wants to become a Firefighter and Megan is planning on joining the Fire Cadet programme. They are really proud of what I do, and they see how much I enjoy the work.
“The training you have is fantastic, in particular the skills and techniques you learn for dealing with road traffic incidents are unbelievable.
“I love putting my training into practice, and you can’t beat that feeling of helping people from your own community.”
Are you interested in joining the team?
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Throughout the month of July, we’ll be promoting our On-Call Firefighter vacancies across South Wales, highlighting the role and promoting a number of activities, vacancies and events on our channels – so make sure you’re following us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram to find out more!