Fire Control

Our organisation is one of the busiest fire and rescue services in the UK, serving a population of nearly two million people. We need to be prepared and capable of handling emergencies of any scale.

Our Fire Control team is a fundamental part of our effective response to incidents. They provide the first point of contact and advice to our community when in need of our services and support our firefighting teams.

Control deal with a huge variety of calls, dealing with hundreds of different incident types. Without the skills and professional judgement of the highly trained members of Control, our firefighters could not operate as effectively as they do 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.

Initially the exchange will ask for which Service you require, upon choosing the appropriate one, you are transferred to the relevant Emergency Service. Control staff are the very first point of contact for all emergency calls within Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

Our control room operators use state-of-the-art technology which allows them to communicate directly with crews and mobilise response vehicles, ensuring that all incidents can be dealt with effectively and efficiently, concentrating resources where they’re most required.

Control deal with a huge variety of calls from fires, animal rescues, co-responder calls (assisting our colleagues within the Ambulance service), road traffic collisions (RTC), assisting our Police colleagues with searches, fire alarms, gas leaks, lift rescues, incidents involving hazardous materials, and many other types of calls.

In March 2015, our organisation became part of the Networked Fire Service Partnership (NFSP) which consists of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. This Partnership delivers resilience by providing full mobilising capability for each other.

To become a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service Control Firefighter you must be:

• Over 18 years old on the date you apply
• A UK/EU citizen or permanent resident of the UK without any work restrictions
• Free from any unspent criminal convictions

The ideal Control Firefighter will have the following skillset and qualities:

• Attentive to detail with the ability to receive and record information accurately
• An excellent communicator with the ability to listen, reassure and explain situations clearly
• Have excellent keyboard skills
• Will possess emotional resilience and awareness
• The capacity to use initiative as part of a team and independently
• Good understanding of the geography of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight  
• Embodies our Service Values and Behaviours