Australians are after the country's unprecedented bushfires crisis.
Since November, more than five times the usual yearly number of applicants have expressed interest in joining the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) alone.
Other jurisdictions have also reported spikes in interest in joining firefighting services.
“We've been getting people from all walks of life - young people, women, retirees, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds,” said Peter O’Keefe, Assistant Chief Officer of the Victorian Country Fire Authority’s (CFA) West Region.
“We always want to make sure our membership reflects the community we serve."
But what exactly does helping out with your local brigade involve, and how can you sign up?
What are the requirements?
In every state and territory, except Tasmania, you need to be at least 18 years old to lodge a volunteer application.
Tasmanians over the age of 17 can apply.
Even if you are younger, there are still options to help out.
You may still be eligible to join with parental consent and junior or cadet programs exist in most jurisdictions, some of which allow people to sign up as early as 11 or 12 years of age.
Every state and territory requires prospective volunteers to undergo a criminal background check or provide a good character check.
A sign is displayed beside a burned out house near Mogo, Australia, Thursday, 9 Jan, 2020. Source: AAP
Medical conditions or disabilities will not prevent you from lodging applications for certain roles, though you may be asked to disclose them.
Do I need to be an Australian citizen?
Generally, yes. But there are a few exceptions.
There's no citizenship requirement in the Northern Territory.
It's a bit more complicated in Queensland. Non-Australian citizens, with the exception of New Zealand citizens, need to provide evidence of their ability to work in Australia.
While Victoria's CFA does not allow non-citizens to sign up, Mr O’Keefe said it is “exploring options to engage with people who are not yet Australian citizens”.
What else can you do apart from being a firefighter?
Every fire service needs a suite of non-operational roles filled.
“If someone wants to join as a firefighter, that’s great - but behind that person holding the hose, there's a whole lot more that needs to be done,” Mr O’Keefe said.
“Other roles we offer at the CFA include things such as fundraising, public education events, health and safety, administration, budget finance, fire prevention and preparedness programs, equipment maintenance and media.”
NSW RFS spokeswoman Angela Burford said non-operational volunteers provide crucial services.
People at the NSW RFS Headquarters State Operations Centre in Sydney, Sunday, January 5, 2020. Source: AAP
"I can't tell you how important they are,” she said.
“Whether it be literally providing food for the firefighters on the ground, the communications people sitting inside the incident management team, managing the welfare of the crews in the field, getting that really important intelligence out so we can provide information to the community - we just can't get enough people offering their time in those sort of roles."
How much spare time do you need?
Training periods generally depend on the kind of role you’re looking to do.
Operational volunteers will have longer training requirements.
After you’re finished training, time commitments will depend on your role and the particular brigade you’ve joined.
In Victoria, Mr O’Keefe said operational volunteers are asked to do annual training to maintain their skills.
“It’s very important that you keep your skills at the highest levels,” he said.
“But if you're in a non-operational role, such as community education or fundraising, the training is not as onerous and the time requirements are also less onerous.”
The NSW RFS has a “flexible” volunteer model, Ms Burford said.
A soldier and paramedic assist a woman at Sale after the evacuation of fire-affected areas of Australia's south east Source: Australian Department of Defence
“We realise life is becoming busy - but there is a level of expectation that when you commit, you commit in the initial stages to that initial training,” she said.
“Once you're qualified it’s up to the members to have that conversation with their brigade captain.”
How soon can I start?
The high levels of interest in joining firefighting services has created a bit of a backlog.
"During times of heightened operations of activity, like we’ve seen this year, there has been a bit of a backlog of membership enquiries,” Ms Burford said.
“A lot of those have been processed, but there are still so many we need to get through.”
There’s also a backlog in Victoria, but processing delays will likely disappear once the fires do, Mr O’Keefe said.
Firefighters at Kingscote Oval on Kangaroo Island, southwest of Adelaide, Friday, January 10, 2020 Source: AAP
“From there, the process will go back to normal,” he said.
But in some places, Mr O’Keefe said, there might not be any major delays.
"If you wanted to be an operational member in an area where there’s been significant levels of fire, there's going to be a bit of a delay.
“But if you wanted to join as an operational member where there’s been less fire activity, it's probably going to be a little bit quicker."
To find out more about joining your state's volunteer firefighting force visit , , , , , or .
