Join the crew at Fire and Rescue Station 442
Fire and Rescue NSW is looking for men and women who'd like to join the team at Scarborough Fire Station
If you're fit and strong, have free hours in your day and live within cooee of Station 442, the crew at Scarborough Fire and Rescue need you.
"We're supposed to have 12 crew, but we've only got 10 at the moment, so we're recruiting," said Captain Peter Carroll.
"We're looking for anybody with daytime availability, because obviously being a retained or on-call firefighter, you've got your primary work."
Unlike Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers, NSW Fire and Rescue on-call firefighters are paid, including a fortnightly retainer and by the hour for call-outs. The rewards also come in serving your community and tackling diverse challenges.
"That's a good thing about being a firefighter," Peter said.
"No one job's the same. You can be going to just what they call an automatic fire alarm, an AFA –where an alarm's been activated, and we've just got to go and check out the premises and reset the alarm. Or it can be motor vehicle accidents, house fires, factory fires, numerous things. We had one the other day where a pet bird was stuck in the tree.
"We've had a few over the years. They get stuck up the tree, their wings have been clipped and they can't fly."
Fortunately, this pet cockatoo was rescued and returned to its owner.
A resident of Wombarra with a 500m commute to Scarborough Fire Station, Peter Carroll has served his local community as a firefighter for 35 years and captain for the past seven years. He's put out plenty of house fires, and comforted people when they've lost their home.
"It's about helping people on their worst day," Peter said.
"The satisfaction in being able to help people is a big thing. And obviously working with the crew there. We've got a fantastic bunch of firefighters. It's enjoyable to work with them. I'm very proud of each one of them for their achievements.
"It's a great working station. Everybody gets on."
Station 442 did have one woman firefighter but she recently moved on to a permanent position, so there's an opportunity to even up the gender balance too.
Scarborough draws from a small radius around its location on Wilson Street near the corner of Lawrence Hargrave Drive. While Helensburgh Station 325 is the nearest station to the north, Coledale Station 258 is just 3km south, followed by Thirroul Station 461. "It's hard to get people involved in every station," Peter said.
Built in 1970 and renovated in 2000, Scarborough is a retained station that has to be permanently online. There is a variety of work available, from call-outs to admin, weekly truck checks and monthly drills.
"If you want to get involved big time in the station, there's plenty of hours work there for you to do."
Scarborough Public School students seized the chance to check out the fire truck at August's Careers Expo. Photos: Ruth Barbato
Training and pay
On-call firefighter training includes combating fires, advanced first aid, a medium rigid licence upgrade, general land rescue qualifications, working safely at heights, atmospheric monitoring and gas detection, and incident management.
Increased pay and leave provisions were awarded to on-call firefighters in August 2025, and the role can lead to a permanent career with FRNSW. The base retainer rate is $89.75 per fortnight, plus $20.09 RTAS (Retained Telephone Alerting System Allowance). In addition to the retainer, the call-out rate is $38 per hour during the first six months of probation.
The number of call-outs involved depends on the community (Scarborough turned out 55 times last financial year) and a firefighter’s availability to attend.
“Our On-Call firefighters epitomise our motto: 'Prepared for Anything'," FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said.
“Alongside your full-time job, this part-time role allows you to gain hands-on experience, work in a close-knit team and create a lasting impact in your community.
“We will work around your availability and teach you skills that are transferrable to a wide range of careers.
“This is your opportunity to try something different and help others. If that interests you, please visit the FRNSW website to learn more.”
Find out more about Scarborough Station 442 here. Fire and Rescue stations across the region are recruiting, with an information session for candidates at Coledale RSL at 6pm on 25 August.
