Kent Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting on-call firefighters at ten fire stations across the county, with applications closing at midnight on Sunday, 13 December 2026.

The ten recruiting stations are Cliffe, Faversham, Grain, Herne Bay, Hythe, New Romney, Teynham, Tunbridge Wells, Westerham and Wye. On-call firefighters carry a pager and go about their day-to-day lives until they are called out, and must be able to reach the fire station and get out on the fire engine within five minutes. They respond to fires, road crashes and rescues in their neighbourhood.

Applicants must be aged 18 or over, with no upper age limit, and must have the right to work in the UK. They must meet health and fitness standards, live or work within five minutes of the station, and hold a driving licence, which is essential.

Successful applicants must attend a selection assessment day on 4, 6, 8, 11 or 12 January 2027, induction on 8 and 9 May 2027, and a training course from 21 June to 2 July 2027, or 21 June to 30 July for the six-week option.

Incident pay is currently £14.40 an hour for a development firefighter, set nationally by the National Joint Council. They also receive a monthly retaining fee for the hours they commit to, paid hours for training and station work, and a disturbance payment per call-out. The development-to-competent pathway takes around two years, with a significant pay step on passing the end-point assessment.

Once an application is submitted, the station checks the applicant lives or works close enough and can offer the hours it needs. Drill nights are the best time to visit a station to discuss the role. Apply online through the Kent Fire and Rescue Service website before the 13 December deadline.

[Source: kent.fire-uk.org](https://www.kent.fire-uk.org/job/call-firefighter-3) | [Source: kent.fire-uk.org](https://www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/be-call-firefighter-kfrs)