Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Fire Control staff work effectively, to ensure that calls for Fire Service assistance are dealt with appropriately and that Fire Service assistance is quickly and efficiently mobilised. Fire Control Operators use a range of questioning techniques and advanced technology solutions, to mobilise Fire Crews quickly to the correct location to deal with an incident.
Some calls will be less demanding, and some will require quick decision making under intense pressure, whilst providing safety advice or survival guidance to a caller. However, alongside intensive training, the available technology, teamwork and support from Fire Control colleagues ensures that the correct advice is given and the appropriate Fire Service response is made.
As well as answering emergency calls, the role in Fire Control also involves monitoring the overall availability of Fire Service resources, logging calls, dispatching the correct fire service response to an incident and monitoring and recording radio communications from an incident. All of this is done using a computerised mobilising system.
The modern Fire & Rescue Service is not just about fighting fires. Dealing with calls for fires to floods, rescues of people and animals from fires, water, road traffic collisions and other emergency situations, the role of Fire Control Operator is interesting and rewarding, with no two days being the same.
Shift patterns
Fire Control operates on shift pattern which is either a day or a night shift. All shifts are 12 hours in duration, and they run from 7am – 7pm for a day shift, or 7pm to 7am for a night shift. Candidates should be prepared to routinely work weekends and bank holidays, including Christmas and New Year.
2-2-4 Wholetime – This pattern consists of 2 days and 2 nights followed by 4 days off.
2-2-4 Wholetime with a retained cover element – Staff working on this contract will work a mixture of 2 days/2 nights or 4 days with a retained recall during the evening over the 4-day period, both of these shift types will be worked in two-week blocks with 4 days off between each 4 days of duty.
If staff are recalled to Control during the evenings of their retained day shifts, they will be required to report to Fire Control within a 45-minute response time. Candidates that do not drive should take this into consideration.
Benefits of working in Fire Control
- Uniform is provided
- Enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Free use of an on-site gym
- 30 days paid Annual leave
- Public holidays will accrue a day in lieu (8 days per year), any public holidays worked will be paid at time and a half rate. Public holiday leave dates can be requested at any time, however, the day off will not be granted if it will take staffing to below the minimum staffing requirement.
- Additional training - able to access a wide range of training to improve your skills
- Camaraderie – the bond between Fire Control staff endures through tough times. You will become a part of a supportive team, facing many challenges together. These bonds will become life-long friendships
- Wellbeing Support
- Access to local staff networks
- Free car parking
Pre-employment checks
- Proof of eligibility to work in the UK
- Disclosure Barring Service check, in the form of a standard disclosure barring service check
- Employment references to cover the last 3 years
- A medical assessment
- Proof of qualifications
Candidates are required to have GCSE English & Mathematics Grade C / Grade 4 – 9 or a recognised equivalent as detailed by the Institute for Apprenticeships.
If candidates do not have the above qualifications, if successful they will be required to undertake an assessment and achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications during their apprenticeship program.