If you live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station in Kent and Medway, you could make real difference in your community as an on-call firefighter for Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), just like Alice. 

Alice works full-time at a branch of Co-Op Food, but with the support of her employer, she also responds variety of emergencies in her neighbourhood, such as fires, road crashes, and rescues. She carries a pager that sounds when she needs to get to her local fire station and get out on the fire engine. 

She said: “I’ve been an on-call firefighter for four years and that feeling you get after helping someone is one that doesn’t fade. It’s an indescribable buzz of adrenaline and I love what I do. 

“Even now, when my pager goes off, something inside me just switches, and the focus immediately becomes the person in need of our help. It’s like I become a different person and suddenly find this confidence I didn’t even know I had. 

“At Kent Fire and Rescue Service, you truly are part of a bigger team that’s committed to making a difference and helping people to stay safe. For me, it’s the most rewarding job you could have.” 

Alice says her colleagues fully understand when she needs to leave the store quickly and get to the station and away on the fire engine within five minutes.

KFRS Group Manager Nick Scott, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people who want to make a difference in their community. It’s a role that can fit alongside a full-time job or around family life, allowing you to work flexibly with a set number of hours a week, with a mixture of daytime, weekend, and evening shifts. If you want to be there for the people in your neighbourhood in times of need, this could be the fulfilling role you’re after.”

On-call firefighter applications are now open (17 June 2024) for nine stations across the county, and the closing date is Sunday, 7 July.