Pay and benefits
There are three levels of pay for on-call firefighters:
- trainee
- development
- competent
Your level depends upon your training, knowledge and experience.
The current on-call firefighter pay includes:
- a retainer fee (between £1,413 and £5,652 per annum)
- an hourly rate (between £10.88 and £14.51)
- a disturbance allowance (£4.18 per hour for each call-out)
From 1 January 2025, the annual retainer for an employee providing full cover (which is defined as cover of at least 120 hours per week) is 15 per cent of the appropriate annual basic pay.
Where an employee provides cover for less than 120 hours per week the following bands may be applied:
| Role/ Banding | Up to 30 hrs 5% | 31 to 60hrs 7.5% | 61 to 90hrs 10% | 91 to 119hrs 12.5% | 120hrs or more 15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trainee FF | £1,413 | £2,120 | £2,827 | £3,533 | £4,240 |
| Development FF | £1,472 | £2,208 | £2,944 | £3,680 | £4,416 |
| Competent FF | £1,884 | £2,826 | £3,768 | £4,710 | £5,652 |
As an on-call firefighter, you will get the same benefits as other employees. This includes:
- a pension scheme
- employee discounts
- flexible working practices
- excellent training
- paid holidays
- tax-saving schemes, such as childcare vouchers
