Our 2025 On-Call recruitment campaign has now closed. We plan to re-open applications for On-Call firefighters at selected stations in January 2026.
Please use the information below as a guide and reach out to your local On-Call station if you are interested in a career as a firefighter.
75% of our service comes from our on-call firefighters. They are committed to their work across 31 stations in Cornwall. No prior firefighting experience is needed. Just a passion to help your community.
What is an on-call firefighter?
On-call firefighters only attend the fire station for emergency callouts. They have a weekly two-hour training session and some prearranged duties.
On-call firefighters come from every walk of life, including homemakers, shopkeepers, builders, farmers, office workers and directors of companies, together with people who are not currently employed. What they all have in common is self-reliance, confidence, respect, enthusiasm, team spirit and a willingness to be ready for anything when they are alerted to an emergency.
When the call comes, they drop everything. They then join a team to handle rescues, floods, crashes, chemical spills, and more. Depending on the type of cover given, an on-call firefighter may respond from home and/or work, day and/or night.
On-call firefighters support their communities beyond emergency calls. They also attend events, like school visits, displays, and carnivals.
To be an on-call firefighter, you will need:
- patience, understanding, empathy, and enthusiasm
- to understand and respect the diversity of your community
- the support from your employer
- to be ready to take on a challenging role.
There are some essential criteria that you must meet to apply to be an on-call firefighter. You must:
- live or work no more than five minutes from your nearest station
- be at least 18 years old at the start of employment, but you can apply before then. There is no maximum age limit for applications.
- have no unspent criminal convictions at the time you start employment. Unspent criminal convictions can be discussed at the first meeting.
- have the right to work in the UK hold or be working towards a full category B UK driving licence at the start of employment
- have good eyesight so that you meet the visual standards
- have a good level of strength and fitness (for more information: Fitness and practical tests )
- have a good grasp of Maths and English. No formal qualifications are needed to apply. You will take the NFCC written tests, which will test both subjects.
Full training is provided on an on-going basis, therefore previous experience is not needed.
On-call hours are based around people’s availability and other commitments, aligned to the requirements for operational cover at the station.
If you are looking to move into a station area, you can still be considered for on-call employment with us but will need to demonstrate your intent to move before your application can start.
For more information on the recruitment and induction process for on-call firefighters, please visit:
If you are an employer and your employee is considering applying to become an on-call firefighter, please see our 'Employing on-call firefighters page'.
Employing on-call firefighters
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service has adopted the Core Code of Ethics for Fire and Rescue Services. CFRS is committed to the Code's ethical principles. We strive to apply them in all we do. So, they are reflected in this recruitment process.
On-call firefighter salary
You will get paid as an on-call firefighter. It will vary based on your availability and the station's activity rate. You will receive additional pay for training nights and courses.
If you have questions about being an on-call firefighter, please contact us at peopleteam@fire.cornwall.gov.uk.