Volunteering with Fire Cadets

The Fire Cadets programme is delivered by volunteer firefighters, other fire service staff and adults from the local community.

There are many ways in which you can volunteer to help a Cadet Unit, from leading sessions, mentoring the young people or helping with the administration of the unit.

What experience and abilities do I need?

• You should be aged 18 or over
• Have an interest in helping young people develop and achieve their potential.
• The desire to develop and maintain positive relationships with young people
• Strong communication skillsPlease note that all volunteers will need to have an Enhanced DBS check completed prior to being involved with our Cadet Units.  

What is the commitment?

Fire Cadets meet for two hours, one evening a week at a local fire station during school term time. You will be part of a team rota but do not have to attend every week. Occasionally you will be involved with weekend events.

You will also need to complete induction and other training courses to ensure you are well-equipped to deliver the programme and BTEC qualification.

Volunteer stories

Hear what our Fire Cadet volunteers have to say…

The Fire Cadets programme is delivered by volunteer firefighters, non-operational fire service staff and adults from the local community.
There are a large number of different ways in which you can volunteer to help a Cadet Unit, from leading sessions, to being a role model and mentoring the young people or helping it the administration of the unit.

Name: Hannah  

Occupation: HFRS IT Service Desk System Admin 

Fire Cadet volunteering role: Volunteer Instructor  

What are your responsibilities? 

“Leading drills, taking subs, parade, leading classroom sessions, keeping my own skills up. We all do a bit of everything really.” 

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to become a Fire Cadet volunteer?   

“If you have the time, do it!! You don’t just provide sessions for the cadets to get something from, you learn with them, develop with them and have so much fun!”  

Name: Jamie  

Occupation: Mechanic  

Fire Cadet volunteering role: Lead Instructor 

What difference do you feel your time volunteering makes? 

“The Cadets learn and develop so many new skills throughout the year which is great to see, and we also have an influence on them. For example, during one session I gave a presentation around some charity work I was involved in. Afterwards, I was approached by one of the Fire Cadets who wanted to find out how he could get involved in some charity work.” 

What do you get out of volunteering? 

“Personally, for me, it has built up my confidence.  I also enjoy the challenge and learning new skills.”