Now Recruiting!

For more information about becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, please contact your local Fire Station

To view our frequently asked questions specific to becoming a volunteer firefighter, click here

The New Zealand Fire Service plays a major role in providing an emergency response to New Zealand communities. Most of these communities depend on volunteers for their every day fire protection.

Men and women from many walks of life are volunteer firefighters. Volunteers include the self-employed, mothers at home, shift workers, people looking for work, tradespeople and professionals.

They are all people who care about their communities and want to be actively involved in them.

• volunteers need to live or work in the community the fire station covers to be able to respond in emergencies.
• volunteers must pass a medical test paid for by the Fire Service.
• a Police security check is required
• prospective volunteers undergo an interview and selection process with the brigade and the chief fire officer

Volunteer brigades also look for support from people who are not interested in being fire fighters.

• administration
• fire safety promotional work
• media activity
• catering
• equipment maintenance

The New Zealand Fire Service provides

• uniforms
• fire fighting clothes and equipment
• insurance cover for death and total disablement while on duty
• an annual grant towards each brigades social activities

Time from work

Many brigades receive only a few calls each year. Even for busier brigades many calls occur outside normal working hours. Once the initial training is completed most training is carried out during evenings and weekends.

Time spent away from the job can range from half an hour for a false alarm to 4-5 hours in a rare major emergency.

Most employers find considerable advantages in having people with Fire Service training on their staff - people who can fight fires, give first aid, perform CPR and keep a cool head in an emergency.

Officer training also develops leadership and management skills and experience that can be useful in the workplace.

For more information about becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, please contact your local Fire Station (Or check in the White Pages under Fire Service or Fire Stations)

For medical guidelines see: AFAC Guidelines for Health and Fitness Monitoring of Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Workers (1MB PDF)