Callington Fire Station to recruit new on-call crew

A blue-light response depends on someone dropping what they are doing the moment the pager goes off, and Callington is about to look for the next people willing to do exactly that. The town’s community fire station says it will open its next on-call firefighter recruitment drive later this year, and it wants to hear from anyone who has ever wondered whether they could do the job.

A crew built from the town around it

On-call firefighters are not based at the station full time. They get on with their normal jobs and lives, then drop everything and head for the appliance the moment a call comes in. Callington Community Fire Station put the invitation plainly on its Facebook page: “Something you’ve thought of doing? Know someone who would fit the role?” it asked, adding that more detail on the recruitment process will follow on its Facebook page in the coming months.

Meet the crew before you apply

Rather than wait for the formal recruitment window, anyone curious can turn up in person first. Callington’s crew drill every Monday evening between 7pm and 9pm, and the station is inviting people to pop down, meet the current firefighters and ask whatever they want to know about becoming the station’s next crew member.

What the role actually involves

According to Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, on-call firefighters make up 75 per cent of the service and cover 31 stations across the county. No firefighting experience is needed to apply. Crews are made up of people from every walk of life, among them homemakers, shopkeepers, builders, farmers and office workers, alongside people not currently in work, all committed to being ready when the call comes.

To apply, a candidate must live or work within five minutes of their nearest station, be at least 18 by the time they start (though applications can be made earlier, with no upper age limit), have no unspent criminal convictions, hold the right to work in the UK, and hold or be working towards a full category B driving licence. A good standard of eyesight, strength and fitness is also required, along with a reasonable grasp of maths and English, tested through the National Fire Chiefs Council’s written assessments rather than any formal qualifications.

On-call firefighters are paid, with pay varying according to availability and the station’s activity rate, plus additional pay for training nights and courses. Full training is provided from the start, so nobody arrives already knowing the job.

Register your interest ahead of the recruitment window

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service says its next full recruitment campaign will begin in autumn or winter 2026, with people encouraged to register their interest in the meantime and reach out to their local station directly. For Callington, that means the Monday night drill, the station’s Facebook page, or simply turning up and asking.

📷Credit: Callington Community Fire Station