Before registering your interest, these are the main things you need to know.
Things you need to know
- You need to be 18 or older to volunteer with us. If you’re 16 or 17 you will need permission from a caregiver.
- Our volunteers need to be New Zealand citizens, residents, or have a visa for more than 2 years.
- You must live or work close enough to a volunteer fire brigade so that you can respond to incidents quickly and participate in regular brigade training. (When you register, we will ask for your home address and your daytime address, if the two are different.)
- All volunteers must be police vetted. If you want to be a firefighter, medical first responder or operational support volunteer, you also need to pass a medical check.
- The volunteer roles you can apply for include firefighter, medical first responder, operational support and brigade support. Some brigades might only have certain roles available or may add your name to a waiting list.
- As a firefighter, medical first responder or operational support you must undergo training before you can respond to incidents. It can take between 6 to 12 months to become qualified and could include up to a week away from your home and work for training.