Just days left to apply for wholetime and on-call firefighter jobs in Northamptonshire

Just a few days remain for potential firefighters to apply to join Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The Service is currently recruiting both wholetime and on-call firefighters, and potential applicants have until 9am (on-call) and 10am (wholetime) on Monday October 13 to apply if they want to help serve and protect their local communities. You can click here to join.

Becoming a firefighter is more than just fighting fires. They play a vital role in promoting fire safety in their local communities, carrying out prevention and protection work, and helping vulnerable residents stay safe from danger through Home Fire Safety Visits.

When called into action, they will respond to a whole host of incidents ranging from house fires to road traffic collisions, wildfires to animal rescues, and dealing with chemical hazards.

Sophia Perkins, who is both a wholetime and on-call firefighter at Kettering Fire Station, explains a bit more about what attracted her to the role in our video below.

To become an apprentice wholetime firefighter, you must:

• have a full car driving licence valid for the UK
• be able to permanently live and work in the UK without any restrictions
• be aged 18 years old at the start of the training course in May 2026

To become an on-call firefighter, you must:

• Live or work within a reasonable distance (5 to 8 minutes) of the on-call station that has vacancies
• On-Call firefighters who are planning on responding to incidents whilst at their place of work, must have permission from their employer

Chief Fire Officer Nikki Watson said: “Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service plays a critical role in keeping the county safe, actively engaging with its local communities to promote safety and prevent incidents from happening in the first place.

“The deadline closes shortly, and we’re looking for people who have the right attitude and are determined to make a difference by serving their local communities.”

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service particularly wants to attract people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life to apply and help ensure the county’s Fire Service truly represents the people it serves.

If you wish to find out more about how the wholetime recruitment process works, then you can read our feature on what to expect and how to prepare.

An information pack, which includes the job description, can be downloaded here.