Retained Duty System Firefighters

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has vacancies for male and female part-time (Retained Duty System) Firefighters. If you live or work in rural communities and have the time and commitment to participate in this essential emergency service, please read on.

Part-time Retained Duty System Firefighters are paid well for their services - they receive thorough training enabling participants to achieve a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) licence, a certificate in First Aid, plus all there is to know about emergency situations.

These roles are certainly demanding but in return offer the chance to make a real contribution in this vital service. They also provide the opportunity of forming close working relationships with members of the team. Consequently, there is an active social scene within the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and, whilst dealing with emergencies takes priority, attending community events and acting as an ambassador for the Service are additional aspects of the job.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is keen to recruit both men and women, and if you think the female roles are more administrative, you would be totally wrong - all Firefighters operate in frontline situations.

For employers

Are you an employer thinking of releasing a member of your staff to become a retained (on-call) firefighter? Find out more about the benefits of employing a retained firefighter.

Firefighters come from all walks of life

The Service believes that women can play a much larger role as an untapped source who can become part of our highly trained and close-knit team.

Retained Duty System Firefighters come from every walk of life, they include shopkeepers, builders, plumbers, farmers, secretaries, engineers and directors of companies, together with people who are not currently employed. Previous experience is not required due to the comprehensive training programme. Unfortunately we are unable to accept applications from serving members of a Police Force for a secondary contract.

What is important is that you are enthusiastic and can meet certain essential requirements. One such requirement is that you must be able to reach the fire station quickly after being alerted by the bleeper that Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service provides to all its Retained Duty System Firefighter personnel. This can be physically demanding and therefore physical fitness is of utmost importance. The locations of our Retained Duty System station can be found here along with a list of current vacancies.

Retained Duty System Firefighters do not just fight fires, they are involved in a wide variety of situations ranging from community fire safety, flooding, co-responding, road accidents and chemical spills to retrieving animals from awkward situations.

On average, you could be called out two or three times a week for a couple of hours. If you can't be available all of the time it's not a problem, the Service is particularly keen to hear from people who are available during weekdays. You will also be required to attend a training session each week (drill night). Details of current drill nights are available here.

Read more on Retained Duty System firefighters from the Communities and Local Government website (you can also download the Retained Duty System Firefighter recruitment brochure from this site).

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is welcoming and inclusive. Whatever your background, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation you'll be treated with equal respect. Perhaps that's what makes Hampshire Fire and Rescue service such an enjoyable place to work.