Being a wholetime firefighter

photo of firefighters getting into fire engine to attend an emergency

Introduction

Being a wholetime firefighter is a satisfying, exciting and varied career.  Detailed below is information which will give you an insight into what our work involves.

Cambridgeshire is served by a total of 28 fire stations of which seven are crewed by wholetime (full-time) firefighters.  The Service also operates 20 retained stations and one Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Like many organisations, the fire and rescue service draws those considered suitable for promotion to the most senior management positions from its existing employees and ensures that it has people with a wide range of skills from which to select.  There are, therefore, many opportunities for career progression.

Fighting fires can, in fact, be just a small part of the everyday work.  Firefighters are called upon to provide community education and advice on fire safety but, when they are called to an emergency, they could be dealing with any type of major or minor incident, not just fires - road, rail or air crashes, floods, chemical spills, or rescuing people trapped in lifts or other confined spaces.

This type of work requires a range of personal skills such as understanding, reliability, flexibility and the ability to work within a team. 

Dealing with emergencies

Technology obviously plays a major role in helping firefighters to tackle emergencies as efficiently and effectively as possible.  For example, at our Service Headquarters, Fire Control computers store street plans, details of high risk buildings and the latest information on hazardous materials.  This ensures that, as soon as an emergency call is received - whether a fire, chemical spillage or road traffic collision - our control operators can immediately assess what appliances are required to attend.

On arriving at a fire, firefighters have to make a very quick assessment of the situation - as materials used in homes and factories change, so does the way a fire is tackled and specialist appliances may be needed. 

There is also the hazard of toxic fumes and heavy smoke, which can be generated from modern materials, for example foam filled furniture.  This makes tackling a fire that much more difficult and firefighters always go fully protected with equipment such as breathing apparatus as well as personal radio sets to keep them in contact with their colleagues at the scene, or back in Fire Control.

Firefighters will also have a range of other equipment at their disposal depending on the incident to which they have been called, such as cutting and lifting equipment to deal with road traffic collisions.

Community safety

An increasing part of the firefighter's role is to encourage a safe community - to prevent fires and emergencies before they happen, and to make sure people understand the risks of fire and what they can do to protect themselves.

Firefighters take part in activities such as:

  • Giving talks to schools
  • Visiting community groups
  • Fitting smoke detectors in houses
  • Advising homeowners on protecting their properties from fire risks

Firefighters therefore use a range of communication skills and have regular contact with all groups within the community.

For more information on the training and career prospects of a wholetime firefighter, please download our Wholetime Firefighter Information Pack (Microsoft Word document, 1 MB).