The Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has launched a recruitment drive for on-call firefighters to improve emergency response times in Beeston and the wider Broxtowe area. These roles are for local people who live or work (with their employer’s consent, if at work) within five minutes of a designated on-call fire station, and who can respond to a pager and reach their local station quickly when an emergency happens. According to NFRS and national on-call guidance, recruits must pass a physical fitness assessment and complete a modular training programme (around 12 weeks). Applications for these positions opened in January 2026 (applications opened on 12 January 2026, per NFRS recruitment briefings) to help ensure fire engines are available during the daytime.
On-call firefighters are not based at the station full-time but instead go about their daily lives as builders, shop workers, or parents until they are needed. The service is specifically looking for people who are in the community during work hours to help staff fire engines when other crews may be deployed elsewhere. Recruits are required to meet fitness standards (including the Service’s published entry tests) and complete the Service’s training before being issued a pager.
The recruitment effort supports resilience and emergency planning across Broxtowe Borough: increasing local on-call availability helps maintain NFRS’s 10-minute response target for incidents such as house fires and road traffic collisions. While Beeston is a 24/7 (wholetime) station, a second appliance from nearby Stapleford often provides vital backup; more local on-call staff increase the likelihood a second engine can be available without relying on crews from further away, such as Nottingham or Derbyshire.
NFRS plans to hold assessments for new applicants in late February 2026. The drive is part of a wider strategic approach to ensure the fire service can respond to fires, local floods and medical emergencies. Residents who work from home are being encouraged to apply, as they are often well placed to reach stations quickly during daytime hours.
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