Employer information
Any individual hoping to become an on-call firefighter will need to get an agreement signed by their employer.
Staff who can fulfil their ambitions and potential are usually happier and more productive in the workplace. Firefighters must be highly motivated, and this motivation will help them in everything they do. As they respond to a range of emergencies, they’ll also gain the confidence to manage challenges in their primary employment too. Being a firefighter takes commitment and energy, so you can be sure that this commitment will carry on in any workplace.
Not only do on-call firefighters learn practical skills, but there are many other benefits that will help them in their main role. Using initiative, communicating quickly, and keeping calm in a crisis are just some of the things they’ll finesse as a firefighter.
Quick facts
- On-call firefighters are people who carry out their daily lives just like anyone else, with the exception that when available they answer emergency calls
- On-call firefighters are available to respond on average from 84 hours (part cover) to 120 hours (full cover) (including weekdays, evenings and weekends).
- To be an on-call firefighter, individuals must live or work close to their station.
- On-call firefighters commit to attending weekly evening drill sessions at their station.
- On average, on-call firefighters are called out about two to three times per week, depending on the area.
- At some incidents, an on-call firefighter could return to work in as little as 20 minutes.
- They are an invaluable part of the team and keep their local communities safe.
- Many on-call firefighters are in full time employment with local employers, who are keen to support their community. They are just like any other employee; except they may be on standby for some of their normal working hours.
The impact on your business
- The average number of call outs for an on-call firefighter is about two or three times a week, usually for about an hour.
- It is difficult to predict how often an individual firefighter might get called out and it also depends on the hours of availability provided by each individual.
- On-call firefighters provide their hours of availability one week in advance. There is some flexibility in the system, so should a busy week at work arise or urgent deadlines loom, then your business takes priority.
Large goods vehicle licence
Some firefighters are trained to drive Large Goods Vehicles (LGV’s). Typical LGV courses provided by the Driving Standards Agency (DVA) cost £850. Individuals will also receive Emergency Fire Appliance Driver (EFAD) training, which is very similar to an advanced driving test, raising their awareness of road conditions.
Instructor / Teaching Courses
Firefighters are encouraged to gain a range of nationally recognised qualifications and to maintain up-to-date skills, appropriate to their role. These can benefit employers through better productivity levels and improved motivation.
Health and Safety – value £510
Risk assessments and fire hazards are all part of the core training for firefighters. These skills can help support health and safety officers and improve the safety of all staff.
Manual handling training – standard cost £240
All firefighters are trained by a recognised instructor in the correct procedures when lifting or moving items, the training involves learning simple techniques that could prevent injuries occurring, thus potentially reducing time lost at work through sickness.
Improved fitness health and wellbeing:
Fire and rescue services are committed to supporting their staff in both physical and mental health, providing employers of an on-call firefighter an employee who should be fitter and healthier in both workplaces.
Leadership Courses
- Incident Commander Training
- Institute of Leadership & Management Diploma – value £164
First Aid
Level 3 certificate in First Response Emergency Care. (FREC3)
This is a Prehospital Care Qualification
Firefighters learn first-aid to a high standard. Not only will this keep staff members safe, but it also contributes to legal obligations for first aid cover, cutting the cost of training.
Staff retention
Staff who are encouraged to pursue passions like this report feeling more loyalty to their employer for trusting them, and it makes them a more motivated and committed employee.
Employees able to fulfil their ambitions and potential are usually happier and more productive in the workplace.
Enhance your reputation
As an employer you can feel proud you have played a vital role in creating safer communities. Allowing your staff to work with us can enhance the reputation of your business within the local community, thanks to the public-spirited gesture.
Employing on-call firefighters shows people that your business: is different from rival competitors; is involved in and cares for the needs of its community; is fully compliant with Health and Safety and Fire Regulations; and encourages the ambitions of its workforce.
Occupational health support
We offer our on-call firefighters use of Occupational Health support, so if they have any health worries, they can be addressed quickly, potentially reducing days off due to sickness.
Could you release an employee to become an on-call firefighter?
This means that your employee would be ‘released’ to attend a call during your working hours.
We understand releasing an employee as an on-call firefighter is an important decision. It could not happen without your agreement, and you need to know how it would work to enable you to make an informed decision and feel confident about supporting your community.
It may be that as an employer, you have sufficient flexibility to enable staff to be released to attend emergency incidents when required.
However, we do realise some organisations and businesses do not have the capacity to commit to releasing members of their staff.
We would be happy to discuss possible options available to support on-call firefighters in your employment, for example, flexibility to enable on-call firefighters to attend scheduled training.