The role of a Firefighter

More than 700 people die in fires every year
Many thousands are injured and seriously burned
£1 billion a year is lost in property fires

Shocking isn’t it? And the numbers go up year by year. What makes it even worse is that most of it is preventable. That is where Working together for a safer Gloucestershire comes in.

Our primary role has always been to stop people dying in fires and to prevent injury and loss of property, a tradition that has formed the bedrock of the British Fire Service.

In addition, there are now many new challenges that have to be faced - unpredictable environmental factors like floods and storms, transport accidents and unforeseen events like oil and other hazardous material spillages. Protecting society against all these dangers requires a forward-thinking approach and new kinds of skills and knowledge.

To prevent a fire from starting, by raising people’s awareness and changing their behaviour, is just as much part of the role of the Service as responding to emergency calls. Changing our focus to fire prevention as well as firefighting has involved a change in the way the Service and society see the role of the Fire and Rescue Service.

Working together for a safer Gloucestershire is the combination of many small words and deeds, which will bring about a fresh focus for our efforts. By reducing the number of incidents, we reduce suffering and loss in the community. Fewer emergency calls gives us more time for training, risk assessment and Community Fire Safety initiatives. Ultimately that leads us back to fewer incidents and, therefore, less suffering.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service serves and protects the people and communities of Gloucestershire to the best of our ability. With your help and support, we will secure the success of our primary mission, Working together for a safer Gloucestershire.

Regardless of your background, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, the Fire & Rescue Service will treat you with respect and dignity - perhaps that's what makes it such an enjoyable and rewarding place to work.