Waterford Council recruiting retained firefighters

Waterford City and County Council is currently on the lookout for men and women interested in becoming retained firefighters.

An essential community service, if a person lives within five to eight minutes from their local fire station, is physically fit and holds an Irish or EU Cat B driving licence or learner permit, they might be eligible to apply.

A retained firefighter is a professional firefighter, who is paid an annual retainer for being available on a 24/7 basis and also paid for actual hours worked. 

However, they must live and work within five to eight minutes from their  assigned fire station and at a location acceptable to the Chief Fire Officer. They carry an emergency pager or alerter with them at all times and respond to their station when it goes off.

The local authority in Waterford operates 10 Retained Fire Stations, located at Tallow, Lismore, Ardmore, Cappoquin, Dungarvan, Kilmacthomas, Portlaw, Tramore, Waterford City  Dunmore East.

The fire stations in Ardmore, Kilmacthomas, Portlaw and Dunmore East operate on an 8-minute turnaround.

A spokesperson for Waterford Council highlighted that firefighters are called upon to respond "to a range of emergencies and are fully trained and capable of saving life and property".

Retained firefighters may be unemployed or self-employed and many will have other employment, but with thanks to their employers who release them from work for fire service duty, when the call comes, they are ready to drop whatever they are doing to join the team and provide a comprehensive emergency response to the community 24/7.

Following a review of the Retained Fire Service nationally, a new approach to the service was adopted, focusing on improved recruitment and retention, structured time off and an increase in guaranteed pay. 

"As a result of the new agreement, all fire stations will now have a minimum of 12 firefighters, who, when this complement is reached, will broadly operate on a week on/flexible week arrangement in relation to attending emergency calls," stated Waterford Council in an online statement.

A Retained Firefighter earns an annual retainer but is also paid for actual hours worked. In addition to learning new skills and being part of a team, they can also get opportunities for career progression within the fire service.

The minimum guaranteed salary for a new retained firefighter is €21,152.85 gross, or approximately €406.78 per week, rising to €24,483.85 gross per annum, or approximately €470.84 per week. However, in addition to the annual retainer, retained fire fighters are paid an hourly rate of €24.52 per hour from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, €49.04 per hour at all other times (public holidays attract the higher rate of pay).

Retained Firefighters also attend a two-hour weekly, on-station drill training training and undergo regular refresher training in certain areas to maintain their skills. Drill night training is paid at a rate of €49.04 per hour.

In the busier stations, Retained Firefighters can earn more than €30,000 per annum. Most Retained Firefighters also have a second job or are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance.

If someone is interested in becoming a Retained Firefighter and meets the basic requirements for the role, they should apply and undergo the suitability assessments to discover if the job is for them. 

"This allows individuals to get a flavour for the job without giving up their own job," stated the local authority on its website.

Applications along with Candidate Information Booklets are available in the recruitment section of the Waterford Council website and those interested in applying can also phone 058 22029 or email recruitment@waterfordcouncil.ie for more details.