- Careers
- Wholetime firefighter
Recruitment window opens at midday on Tuesday 26 August 2025
If you’re passionate about making a real difference to the communities of Cheshire by responding to emergencies and preventing them happening in the first place, then being a firefighter is the role for you.
At Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service we don’t just fight fires and rescue people. In fact, only around five per cent of a firefighter’s time is spent attending incidents. Most of the time they work in their communities to prevent fires, deliver campaigns to keep people safe from harm, and help children and young people reach their full potential through our youth engagement programmes such as The King’s Trust and fire cadets.
You need a GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and/or English at grade C/4 or above. If you’re missing one of these, don’t worry, you can still apply and complete the qualification during your firefighter apprenticeship, with full support from our training provider.
You need to hold a clean UK driving license.
You must be at least 18 years old by the start of the course on 7 April 2026.
You need to be able to swim 50 metres by the start of the course on 7 April 2026.
If you share our core values, we want to hear from you. At all times at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, we:
strive to do the right thing
make a difference
act with compassion and be inclusive.
Our firefighters are people from all walks of life and backgrounds, who enjoy a working environment that is safe, welcoming, positive, respectful and friendly. This shows in our performance.
We’re one of the most highly regarded and rated fire and rescue services in the country when it comes to our ambitious programme of work in the community, and in the way we look after our people.
If you’re hardworking and ambitious, you can enjoy a highly rewarding and varied career as a firefighter.
Once you’re competent, you’ll earn more than £38,800 within 18 months. We also offer a range of exciting career progression opportunities to develop specialist skills, work in a range of different departments and promotion into leadership roles.
Other benefits include generous family friendly policies up to 35 days annual leave, flexible working opportunities, free parking, onsite gyms, access to a range of vibrant staff inclusion networks and social sections, and maternity and adoption leave of up to a year off with full pay.
We are offering anyone who wants to see if this could be the role for them the chance to come to one of our taster events at our state-of-the-art training centre in Winsford. You’ll have the opportunity to try out the practical tests, speak to serving firefighters and learn more about the role and the application process.
Friday 15 August 2025
09:30 – 13:00
13:30 – 17:00
Saturday 16 August 2025
09:30 – 13:00
13:30 – 17:00
Dress code - Gym clothing (no shorts) and comfortable shoes are ideal.
As places are strictly limited, we would ask you to register as soon as possible. You will then receive an email containing further information, such as where to meet and what to wear. Please note that anyone who wishes to attend one of the taster events must be at least 18 years old by the start of the course on 7 April 2026.
Also, we ask that those who have attended a taster session in the past not apply to allow space for those who haven’t had a try before.
Tuesday 26 Aug
Applications open
Submit your application before midday on Tuesday 9 September.
Wednesday 8 Oct
Online assessments
Complete all three tests by midday on Thursday 16 October
3 Nov - 7 Nov
Practical assessment
Taking place at Winsford HQ
17 Nov
Interview
Interviews will be carried out the week commencing 17 November
Nov 2025 - Feb 2026
Pre-employment checks
You will undergo a medical assessment and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (criminal records) check
Visit the recruitment process page for more information.
Many people might consider firefighting as a stereotypically male profession. However, we now employ more female firefighters than ever before, as well as people from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). The diversity of our workforce is one of things that makes Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service so special. We want to represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve, so that we can better understand the risks they face and the service they require from us.
No one is given any unfair advantage during the recruitment process, and we assess everyone on merit and their ability to do their job. However, if you feel you genuinely need an adjustment to the recruitment process then please email recruitment@cheshirefire.gov.uk for advice.
You may have heard the term 'positive action' before and wonder what it means.
Positive action is a legal, acceptable and deliberate way of targeting people from underrepresented groups with the view of encouraging and increasing the number of applications for employment. However, once in our recruitment process all applicants are assessed based on their individual merit and ability to do their job.
Underrepresented groups mean different things to different organisations, but for us, we wish to widen access for people from minority ethnic communities, groups and backgrounds, people that identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender plus (LGBT+) and women.
Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations can attempt to address imbalances of groups that they can evidence are under-represented within the workforce and this will enable us to ensure our workforce will always be able to meet the diverse needs of the community we serve.
