Recruitment campaign for wholetime (fulltime) firefighters in Oxfordshire
A recruitment campaign for more wholetime (fulltime) firefighters is taking place in Oxfordshire.
As firefighters retire, gain promotion, or continue their careers in other parts of the country, the county’s fire and rescue service regularly plans ahead, periodically carrying out recruitment drives, the last campaign taking place two years ago in Spring 2024.
Matt Chapman, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, said: “What our brilliant crews have in common is self-reliance, confidence, respect, enthusiasm, team spirit and a willingness to be ready for anything when alerted to an emergency.”
Wholetime firefighters need to be able to communicate with a range of different people, especially those who are elderly, young adults and school children. They carry out presentations, visit people's homes, talk to them and listen.
There are 222 wholetime firefighters in Oxfordshire, based at six fire stations across the county; 206 are male and 16 female. Crews have attended over 5,000 emergency callouts over the last year.
Three online question and answer sessions for people interested in learning more about the recruitment process are taking place today and on Monday. The joining links are available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
- Thursday 26 March 2026, 7pm - 8pm
- Monday 30 March 2026, 12:30pm -1:30pm
- Monday 30 March 2026, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Matt Chapman said: “Joining our fire and rescue service opens up a wide range of opportunities that many people don’t have the chance to experience. You develop new skills through fantastic training, work in a wide range of exciting and challenging situations and make a real difference throughout your working life.
“We’re looking for people who care about others and who are ready to play their part in supporting our communities. There’s far more to being a firefighter than most people realise; it’s about character, teamwork and commitment.”
For more information about becoming a wholetime firefighter, visit Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
Your Oxfordshire
Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.