Firefighter (Control) – Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

This is no ordinary role. You’ll be the calm, reassuring voice at the other end of the line when someone is potentially facing the worst day of their life. From coordinating fire crews to mobilising emergency resources, every call you take and every decision you make will help protect lives, homes, and communities.

The Service Control Centre is crewed 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year, achieved by four watches on a rotating shift pattern averaging 42 hours per week.

The pattern includes:

Two consecutive day shifts (08:00 – 18:00)
Followed by two consecutive night shifts (18:00 – 08:00)
Followed by four days off
Therefore, applicants must be able to work on days, nights, weekends and public holidays.

Successful applicants will receive full and comprehensive training which will require dedication and a willingness to learn.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our Fire Control staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it.

We are proud to offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. From the security of the Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly policies including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) to our dedicated health & well-being services.

As a Firefighter (Control) you will:

Take emergency calls from the public
Liaise with partner agencies, including police, ambulance and local authorities
Provide guidance and support to the caller, which in some cases may be distressing
Mobilise resources as required
Work as part of a team to provide support to operational colleagues at incidents

You must:

Have 4 GCSE passes – Grade A*-C / 9-4, including English and Mathematics; or equivalent Level 2 qualification; or higher-level relevant qualification; or have at least six months of relevant experience of working in an emergency service/military environment.
Be a minimum of 17 and a half years of age at point of application; however, if successful, you will need to be 18 years old at the point of appointment
Be able to provide a commitment to the shift working pattern
Be competent in the use of Microsoft Office and other software packages, with good keyboard skills

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 23 November 2025.

For further information please click the link where you will find all relevant information relating to this role including the job description and person specification.