Firefighter job description: duties, skills, requirements and a template

Ask a child what a firefighter does and you get a fire engine and a hose. Ask a fire and rescue service and you get a list that starts with preventing fires, runs through floods, road collisions, chemical spills and community talks, and ends, some way down, with putting fires out. A firefighter job description has to carry all of it.

This article sets out what a firefighter does, seven duties drawn from the operational firefighter apprenticeship standard for England, the skills and behaviours the job needs, the entry requirements and selection process, a template you can adapt and wording for a CV. It describes the role in England; other UK nations and other countries organise their fire services differently.

Firefighters are developed through structured, tracked programmes from the first day. See how New Dynamics onboarding brings tasks, early goals and manager conversations into a clear path for a new starter.

What does a firefighter do?

The UK National Careers Service describes the role in its firefighter profile: “Firefighters respond to emergency call outs, search and rescue incidents and road traffic accidents. They also give advice on fire safety.” Typical hours are 42 to 48 a week on shifts including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

The apprenticeship standard is fuller. Skills England's operational firefighter standard, a level 3 standard, says the occupation “is found in 45 Fire Services across England as well as other organisations who have their own fire services such as the RAF, Airports, Ministry of Defence and those dealing with explosives and chemicals”. Its broad purpose “is to deal with a wide range of emergency situations where problem solving and initiative is vital to resolve incidents quickly and calmly”. Those situations “vary from tackling fires, searching, rescuing and protecting people and animals” to protecting life and the environment from fire, natural and human disasters and hazardous materials, and firefighters “also respond to incidents involving planes, trains, road traffic collisions and marine emergencies”.

Two things in the standard surprise people outside the service. First, the working day “could include theoretical and practical training along with testing and maintaining equipment to ensure operational preparedness”. Second, firefighters “may also conduct fire risk assessments and audits in businesses and homes, fitting detection and suppression equipment if necessary”. Prevention is part of the job, not an add-on.

Firefighter duties: seven responsibilities

The standard lists fourteen duties. We group them into seven for a job description, keeping the standard's wording where it matters.

1. Prevent. “Educate the community to improve awareness of fire and rescue safety matters” and “Collect information on risks and resources in your community”. The NCS lists giving presentations to schools and community groups.
2. Prepare. “Test and maintain equipment to support the effectiveness of operational response”, carry out practice drills and “Take responsibility for effective personal performance in fire and rescue”, including fitness.
3. Respond. “Respond and provide resolution to fire and rescue operational incidents.” The NCS lists controlling and putting out fires and dealing with natural disasters such as floods or storm damage.
4. Rescue and treat. “Save and preserve endangered life”, conducting searches with rescue equipment, “Rescue life (human or animal) involved in incidents” and “Provide treatment to casualties”.
5. Protect the environment. “Protect the environment from the effects of hazardous materials and support people involved”, including the use of protective equipment and decontamination. The NCS lists managing chemical or hazardous substance spills.
6. Work within incident command. “Carry out roles and responsibilities, within the incident command system, alongside other agencies during fire and operational incidents”, and “Provide support to people directly or indirectly involved in operational incidents”.
7. Inspect and inform. “Contribute to fire safety inspections and outcomes to minimise risks to people property and environment”, build working relationships with people and “Support the development of colleagues in the fire and rescue”.

Skills and behaviours

The NCS lists the skills and knowledge: knowledge of public safety and security, “patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations”, excellent verbal communication, thoroughness and attention to detail, sensitivity and understanding, the ability to work well with others, physical fitness and endurance, and knowledge of training and how to present information.

The apprenticeship standard adds six behaviours that a job description can borrow directly.

• Integrity and diversity: “understanding and adopting a fair and ethical approach and treating others with courtesy and respect”.
• Values: “Embrace and promote the values of the organisation.”
• Confidence and resilience “in highly challenging and changing situations, demonstrating reliability, adaptability, responsibility and accountability to the organisation”.
• Situational awareness: an active awareness of the working environment for “a safe, secure and compliant working culture”.
• Commitment to excellence: “a conscientious and proactive approach to achieve and maintain excellent standards”.
• Collaboration: “Work collaboratively with others, both internally and externally.”

The standard also notes that firefighters “work as part of a close-knit team of professionals that provides 24-hour response cover”, using multi-agency working principles with partners and other services, and that they “will also need to be able to carry out tasks individually”.

Entry requirements and the selection process in England

Requirements. The NCS says you will need to pass a fitness test, a medical check and enhanced background checks, have a full driving licence and be over 18. Some services accept applications only from people living in the local and surrounding areas, and there is generally no upper age limit.

Qualifications. Each fire and rescue service sets its own entry requirements. Many ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 in English and maths or equivalent. A college course in public services or fire and rescue services in the community can help but is not essential.

Selection. The NCS describes a process that “can take some time” and involves online aptitude tests, attendance at an assessment centre, fitness and medical checks and interviews. Services recruit at different times of year and hold outreach events where candidates can register interest.

Apprenticeship. The operational firefighter level 3 apprenticeship takes about two years and combines on-the-job training with off-site study. Skills England's apprenticeship listing shows the current version of the standard; version 1.2, quoted above, was retired on 3 April 2024 and replaced by version 1.3.

Other routes. On-call firefighters are trained to deal with a broad range of incidents in return for a commitment to provide shift cover, are paid, and may move to full-time roles. Volunteering in support roles such as emergency call handling or fire safety home visits, fire cadet schemes for 13 to 17 year olds and the Royal Air Force are other ways in.

Progression. The NCS says every fire service has a programme to plan and track career development. Firefighters can progress to crew manager, watch manager and station manager, and, with moves between services, to area manager, brigade manager and chief fire officer. Those in fire safety work can take professional qualifications leading to membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Firefighter job description template

Adapt the template to your service. Keep every line true.

Job title: Firefighter (wholetime) [or: On-call firefighter]

Reports to: Crew manager, within a watch led by a watch manager

Hours: [42] hours a week on a [2 days, 2 nights, 4 off] shift pattern, including weekends and bank holidays [On-call: availability commitment of [x] hours a week]

Purpose of the role: To protect life, property and the environment in [area] by preventing fires and other emergencies, preparing to respond, and responding safely and effectively when they happen.

Main duties:

• Respond to fires, rescues, road traffic collisions, flooding and hazardous material incidents as part of a crew, under incident command
• Search for, rescue and give first aid to casualties, human and animal
• Carry out drills, maintain personal fitness and test and maintain appliances and equipment
• Deliver home fire safety visits, school and community talks, and contribute to fire safety inspections
• Gather information on local risks and resources
• Work with police, ambulance and other partners using joint emergency services principles
• Support the training and development of colleagues

Requirements:

• Aged 18 or over with a full driving licence
• Pass aptitude tests, an assessment centre, fitness and medical checks and enhanced background checks
• GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 in English and maths, or equivalent
• Calm under pressure, physically fit, a team member who treats the public with courtesy and respect

We provide: A two-year operational firefighter apprenticeship, structured career development, full protective equipment and uniform, and support for your physical and mental health.

Say what the shift pattern really is and what the on-call commitment means in hours. Our job description template explains the structure, and our security guard job description covers another public-protection role.

How to describe firefighter experience on a CV

Write what you did and the scale of it, not just the title. The lines below are our own examples.

• “Wholetime firefighter on a busy urban station, responding to around [n] incidents a year including fires, road traffic collisions and flooding.”
• “Breathing apparatus wearer; completed [n] home fire safety visits a year and delivered talks to primary schools.”
• “Qualified in casualty care and trauma first aid; treated casualties at incidents before ambulance arrival.”
• “Trained new recruits on appliance equipment and drill ground procedures.”
• “Supported watch manager with incident command as an acting crew manager.”

The physical and emotional demands of the job are real. The standard says firefighters “must be able to carry out physically demanding work; at height, in enclosed spaces, and outdoors - working in all weather and environmental conditions”, and the NCS describes the environment as at height, cramped and physically and emotionally demanding. Good services say so in the advert and describe the support available.

Frequently asked questions

What does a firefighter do?

A firefighter responds to fires, rescues, road traffic collisions, floods and hazardous material incidents, searches for and rescues people and animals, treats casualties and works within an incident command system alongside other emergency services. Between incidents, firefighters drill, maintain equipment, carry out fire safety inspections and home visits, and give safety talks in the community.

What are the duties of a firefighter?

Grouped into seven: prevent, prepare, respond, rescue and treat, protect the environment, work within incident command, and inspect and inform. The operational firefighter apprenticeship standard for England lists fourteen duties in more detail, from educating the community to testing equipment and supporting colleagues' development.

What are the requirements to be a firefighter in England?

You need to be over 18 with a full driving licence, and to pass aptitude tests, an assessment centre, fitness and medical checks, enhanced background checks and interviews. Many services ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 in English and maths or equivalent. Each service sets its own requirements.

How long is the firefighter apprenticeship?

The operational firefighter level 3 apprenticeship takes about two years, combining on-the-job training with off-site study. The National Careers Service lists it as one of the main routes into the role.

What skills does a firefighter need?

Calm under pressure, physical fitness and endurance, teamwork, clear verbal communication, attention to detail, sensitivity with distressed members of the public, and knowledge of public safety. The apprenticeship standard adds integrity, resilience, situational awareness, commitment to excellence and collaboration.

What is the difference between a wholetime and an on-call firefighter?

A wholetime firefighter works full shifts at a station. An on-call firefighter is trained for the same range of incidents and paid to provide cover during days, nights and weekends from home or another workplace, responding when called. The National Careers Service says on-call roles can lead to full-time positions.

Your next step

1. Set out the seven duties as they apply to your station, with prevention work given its real weight.
2. State the shift pattern or on-call commitment in hours.
3. List each stage of selection with its timescale, so that candidates know what to expect.
4. Plan the first two years as an apprenticeship with tracked development, not just drills.

For the first weeks and months, read and download our employee onboarding guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.

Want development plans, check-ins and goals tracked for every recruit and watch? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current programme. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.