The County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) is recruiting on-call firefighters in February 2026 across County Durham and Darlington. The drive is targeting local residents and workers who can respond to emergencies from their homes or workplaces to help keep their communities safe.
Rural stations such as Stanhope, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle and Sedgefield are among those seeking new recruits. To be eligible, applicants must be able to respond from home or work within five minutes of their on-call station so they can reach the fire engine quickly when a pager is activated.
The roles offer a professional second income for people from all walks of life, including plumbers, shopkeepers and stay-at-home parents. According to the service’s pay guide, on-call firefighters receive two retaining payments per year (paid in June and December and based on average availability) and are paid hourly/turnout rates for attending incidents, training and other duties.
Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps said the service wants to find dedicated people interested in ‘a job like no other.’ Applicants must pass an initial eligibility check (the ‘five-minute’ rule), complete online assessments and role-related physical tests (such as ladder and casualty-handling exercises), pass a fitness assessment (including a VO2 treadmill test), complete an occupational-health medical, and attend an interview and background checks before joining the team.
Maintaining a steady supply of local on-call firefighters is essential for the service to maintain its ‘Good’ rating from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS). CDDFRS also encourages local employers to support staff who want to sign up, noting that having a trained firefighter on site brings useful first-aid and workplace safety skills.
For full details on eligibility, the recruitment process and pay, prospective applicants should consult the CDDFRS recruitment pages and on-call pay guide.
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