About the on-call firefighter role

Please read the following important information about the EU Drivers’ Hours and Tachograph Rules for Goods Vehicles (Regulation 561/2006) which might affect you if you are applying for the role of on-call firefighter.

The EU Drivers’ Hours and Tachograph Rules for Goods Vehicles came into effect in April 2007 and exist to ensure the health and safety of mobile workers and drivers of in scope vehicles. The purpose of the rules is to limit driving time and ensure proper break and rest periods are taken so that road traffic collisions are prevented.

The rules apply to certain categories of ‘mobile workers’, the most common being drivers of Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) and Passenger Service Vehicles (PSV) – ‘in-scope vehicles’.

• Mobile workers include any driver or member of vehicle crew, including trainees or apprentices, who operate transport services for passengers or goods by road, for hire or reward or on its own account. For the purposes of this legislation, vehicle crew could include porters involved in household removals, draymen in brewery delivery movements, conductors, loaders, navigators or security.
• The most common types of mobile workers will be drivers of Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs) with an overall weight over 3.5 tonnes and Passenger Service Vehicles (PSVs) with more than nine seats or travelling more than 50 kilometres. These are called in-scope vehicles. Vehicles used by the fire and rescue service  are automatically exempt from the rules but applicants who drive in-scope vehicles for their primary or secondary employment will still be covered by these regulations.

Although fire and rescue service vehicles are exempt, the rules do apply where a firefighter holds a second job which involves driving. In this case all the strict breaks and rest periods must be adhered to, even if that firefighter only drives in scope vehicles for a short period of time.

The rules particularly apply to on-call firefighters and will impact on the ability of an on-call firefighter who drives an in-scope vehicle during their primary employment to get appropriate rest periods. This will also affect their availability to provide firefighter cover. It has therefore been deemed unlawful for us to employ an individual whose primary or other employment conflicts with the rules and we will be unable to accept an application from you if you are a mobile worker driving an in-scope vehicle.

If you are unsure as to whether you drive an in-scope vehicle you should seek advice from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). For all other questions regarding an application for on-call firefighter please contact the Recruitment Team.