On-call firefighter shares her story and urges others to apply

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a firefighter or working in the fire service in general, becoming an on-call firefighter could be the perfect path for you.

We’re currently recruiting on-call firefighters to come and join the service to make a difference in our communities.  The role of an on-call firefighter is exactly the same as that of a full-time firefighter but with one difference – on-call firefighters aren’t based at the fire station all the time, they have an alerter and they only respond when there’s an emergency.

Across the county, we have a number of fire stations where our on-call firefighters respond from, and Hanley Community Fire Station on Lower Bethesda Street, in Stoke-on-Trent, is one currently accepting applications.

Maria Cole started working as an on-call firefighter in Hanley in 2018 and since then has gone on to join our Equality, Diversion and Inclusion team as a Positive Action Officer while continuing her role as a firefighter.

Maria said: “I first learnt about on-call firefighters when a leaflet was posted through my door, so I called down to Hanley Fire Station to learn more about the role and it just so happened it was Orange Watch’s drill night, I had a brew with them, and they talked me through the role and what to expect.”

“So here we are, and I’ve been on-call for around seven years now, and what do I love about being an on-call firefighter? It's simple, it’s a challenging rewarding role that makes a real difference in our community, whether it’s attending an incident or getting involved in a community event, I’m part of a team helping people when they need it the most.”

On-call firefighters receive the same training as full-time firefighters and go through the same rigorous training process, which involves a number of different aspects such as working at heights, breathing apparatus, road traffic collisions and first aid.

Anyone over the age of 18 who lives within a 5-minute radius of an On-Call station can apply to become an on-call firefighter, and all applicants will go through the same recruitment and training process.

Maria said: “If you’re looking for a role where every day brings a new challenge, where every incident you attend is different and you enjoy learning new skills then come and have a chat and a brew with our crew….and if you want to be part of an unbreakable team that feels like family, and feel you can genuinely make a difference in your community, then becoming an on-call firefighter is the perfect fit for you.”

To find out more about the role and to apply, visit On-call firefighter recruitment.