About the role of Wholetime firefighter

About the fire service and our staff

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) is a modern fire service with an outstanding culture.

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

As a firefighter, you are part of a team serving the local community and helping to keep it safe, you could be:

• teaching children and communities about fire and road safety
• assisting business to be safe and compliant with fire safety laws
• rescuing someone from a road traffic collision
• helping vulnerable people stay safe in their home
• attending a large animal rescue
• rescuing people from floods
• or even fighting fires.

As well as learning firefighting techniques, you’ll learn other skills such as, how to wear breathing apparatus, road traffic collision procedures, fire prevention and protection, first aid, team management skills and there is the opportunity to learn how to drive a fire engine.

What the job entails

We divide the role of our firefighters into four areas:

Community safety

This prevention and community safety work is vital as it ensure fires and other incidents don’t happen in the first place. Engaging with the local community, firefighters:

• visit schools and community groups and talk to them about fire, road and water safety
• complete safe and well checks
• advise people on the importance of working smoke alarms, escape plans and what they should do in an emergency
• engage with the diverse groups of people within local communities to foster good relations and understanding
• work with some of the most vulnerable members of the community to ensure they are supported
• keep up to date with local area knowledge

Responding to emergencies

An emergency call could come at any moment and crews must be prepared to respond immediately. On scene, we work to minimise the distress and suffering of anyone involved in the incident and provide first aid where necessary.

Our firefighters are expected to attend a variety of incidents, including:

• road traffic collisions
• fighting fires
• water rescues
• large animal rescues
• flooding
• chemical spillages
• humanitarian emergencies where we assist other agencies
• rescuing individuals trapped in buildings and lifts.

Training and development 

All our firefighters continuously maintain training levels and keep their competencies up to date as part of the job. Training is delivered through practical and theoretical exercises and you would be required to ensure your fitness levels are maintained.

Station maintenance 

Our firefighters maintain, clean and tested equipment to keep it in good working order, following our health and safety procedures. This will include daily checks, of the equipment on the fire appliance and ensuring the breathing apparatus is ready for immediate use, if required. Attention to detail and a commitment to doing the job to a high standard is key.

Benefits of working for Oxfordshire County Council 

Jobs that make a real difference to people’s lives. 

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Servis is part of Oxfordshire County Council. Working in local government has never been more interesting and challenging, offering talented people the opportunity to innovate, use their skills and expertise and make a real difference to the people of Oxfordshire. 

People join and stay with the council because they are committed to public service, whether working in social care, libraries, schools, improving the county’s road and travel system or in one of a wide range of exciting areas 

We recognise that our employees are central to everything we do. We are committed to creating positive jobs and work environments where people flourish, develop and have the opportunity to make a real difference in delivering high quality services. 

We offer: 

• Cycle to work scheme
• Competitive rates of pay
• 24 - 32 days annual leave each year
• Flexible working arrangements
• Good career opportunities
• Excellent pension scheme
• Staff Discount Scheme for a range of retailers; holidays; insurance; eating out; health and leisure activities and
• Continuing professional development - employees can develop their skills and knowledge through our online training platform.
• Coaching, mentoring and shadowing to support career development
• Initiatives and a range of activities to support health, fitness and wellbeing, including an Employee Assistance Programme, mindfulness and resilience training.
• Opportunities to join and participate in Network groups, such as Women’s, Christian, Muslim Network, Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage, Disability and LGBTQ+ Network.

Finding a home in Oxfordshire - a guide for key workers 

We know that care workers and other key workers can find it difficult to find affordable housing in the county. Finding a Home in Oxfordshire (pdf format, 1.4Mb) is a useful guide to your options. It includes information about how to access affordable rented housing through district councils and the help you may be able to get to find housing in the private rented sector.