These web pages provide a guide to recruitment and roles within RBFRS, including information on wholetime (fulltime)
and retained (reserve) firefighting, control operators, and support staff. Use the various links to navigate to the
relevant sections for further information.
Fulltime Firefighter: Promotion
Opportunities for promotion are good, and you can begin to take on extra responsibilities - involving you in more
specialist duties such as fire safety, fire investigation and research and development.
You will begin as a Recruit Firefighter and can work your way up through the organisation through gaining experience
and completing the relevant assessments.
Progression through the ranks is normally as follows:
- Firefighter
- Firefighter (Competent)
- Crew Manager (Competent) (was leading Firefighter)
- Watch Manager (Competent A) (was Sub Officer)
- Station Manager (Competent A) (was Station Officer)
- Station Manager (Competent B)
- Group Manager (Competent A) (was Assistant Divisional Officer)
- Group Manager (Competent B) (was Divisional Officer)
- Area Manager (Competent A)
- Area Manager (Competent B) (was Senior Divisional Officer)
- Assistant Chief Fire Officer
- Deputy Chief Fire Officer
- Chief Fire Officer
If you reach the most senior management posts, you would be expected to attend management and command training courses.
These would provide you with the management and leadership skills you would need to help you handle emergencies and
would also provide the management and administrative skills that are needed in all large organisations.
Senior fire officers may also be called upon, as part of their duties, to work with representatives from local
authorities and central government departments; to negotiate with Fire Service unions; administer Fire Service
discipline, supervise brigade budgets and represent the fire and rescue service in press and television interviews.
Communities and Local Government departments, which inspect fire and rescue services and provides advice to Chief Fire
Officers, also draws its members from the fire and rescue service.
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