Residents urged to become on-call firefighters

People living and working across north Powys are being encouraged to consider becoming On-Call Firefighters, as Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service continues to recruit for local stations serving rural communities.

On-Call Firefighters are essential to emergency response in north Powys, where many stations rely on local people who can respond quickly from their home or workplace. They attend a wide range of incidents, including fires, road traffic collisions, flooding, chemical incidents and animal rescues, as well as carrying out community safety work such as Safe and Well visits in people’s homes.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service says the role offers far more than emergency response alone. Firefighting is described as “unlike any other job”, bringing something that is “exciting, fulfilling and unpredictable”, while also providing “a sense of satisfaction and respect through providing a vital service to your local community”.

Firefighters themselves also highlight the strong sense of teamwork and belonging. One firefighter describes the role by saying: “No matter where you are, at work or in your personal life, you’ll have friends for life, friends to the end.”

Across Mid and West Wales, around 75 per cent of fire stations are crewed entirely by On-Call Firefighters, making them a crucial part of the Service, particularly in rural areas such as north Powys.

To encourage more people to apply, the Fire and Rescue Service has recently introduced a new availability and pay banding system. The updated system replaces the previous two-band structure with five options, offering greater flexibility to balance work, family life and other commitments.

The new bands range from up to 30 hours of availability per week to more than 120 hours, allowing people to choose a level of commitment that suits their lifestyle. The Service says the system recognises the need to balance work and personal lives, while still enabling people to make a meaningful contribution to their community.

In addition to flexibility, On-Call Firefighters receive paid compensation for callouts, training and drills, along with an annual retainer fee. The role also provides access to professional training, personal development opportunities and nationally recognised skills.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service says becoming an On-Call Firefighter can also be a stepping stone to a wholetime firefighting role or a career within other emergency services.

More information about becoming an On-Call Firefighter is available www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/join-us/on-call-recruitment/