All members of the community are welcome to apply to their local CFA Brigade. We are farmers, teachers, students, stay at home parents, trades people and retirees. Our members come from all walks of life.
CFA offers both emergency response and support roles, so there is something to suit your availability, interest and skills.
Are you:
- Over the age of 16*? (If you’re aged 11-15, you can join as a Junior member)
- Living or working nearby** to a local CFA brigade? Find your nearest brigade
- Available to attend Brigade meetings and training during the evenings and some weekends?
- Are available at some point during a 24 hour period to attend emergency incidents?
OR
- Have spare time during your week to perform a support role function?
*Parental consent is required for applicants anyone under 18.
** You can discuss your location with your local brigade, to see if it meets their needs.
Daytime responders - we need you!
Have you got flexibility during the day? Maybe you’re retired, or have some time in between school drop off. Our Brigades need a hand during the day to respond to emergencies.
Lisa and Steve Hicks have been long-time members with CFA. Serving gallantly with the Narre Warren North Fire Brigade during the Ash Wednesday fires, the pair had been married just five months.
Now volunteers with Pakenham Upper, Steve is a deputy group officer, while Lisa is a full-time brigade admin support officer, turning out to fires at all hours.
You can read more about Lisa and Steve's story on our News & Media site.
Personal requirements
- Our volunteers are ready, willing and able to help their communities in emergency situations. Willingness to lend a hand, learn and work as a team is a must.
- We welcome all ages and backgrounds. You don’t need to have experience with emergencies, all training is provided to you by your local brigade.
- As a Child Safe environment, we require our members to have a Working with Children Check, and undertake a National Police Check as part of the application process.
- Firefighting (operational roles) can involve strenuous and physically challenging activities, so a certain level of fitness is required to undertake this role.
- You can discuss this with your local brigade to determine your suitability for this role. Training in specific firefighting or other operational roles is provided.
Availability
- We respond to emergencies at all hours of the day. However, Brigades have different requirements about when they need their volunteers. Some brigades have several emergency calls each day, while others may only respond to incidents only a few times each month.
- There is a minimum attendance requirement at brigade meetings.
- For firefighters (operational volunteers) regular training is required to ensure your acquired skills are maintained. Frequency of training and incidents to attend varies between brigades
- For support (non-operational) volunteer roles, hours per week are likely to be flexible and varying, and will depend on your role, brigade and the time of year.
Proximity
- As an operational volunteer, you need to be able to get to the Brigade as soon as possible if there is an emergency situation.
- Your local brigade will discuss this with you at your time of application.
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Meet the women of San Remo Brigade
Being a firefighter isn’t all about brute strength. It takes courage, determination and compassion.
When San Remo CFA wanted to increase their female membership to better reflect their community, some really special women answered the call.
Lina, Marcelle, Fingal and Sarah are just some of CFA’s incredible fireys who protect our communities every day, choosing to challenge the stereotypes often held up to firefighters.
Who can become a Volunteer FAQs
Can I still volunteer if I have a full time job or kids at home?
Yes, you can.
For firefighters (operational volunteers) most training and meetings are conducted on weeknights and/or weekends, and you can discuss with your local brigade when you would be able to attend incidents. Often employers release volunteers to attend incidents; however, you will need to discuss this with them before you apply.
For support (non-operational) volunteers, apart from set meetings and events, the time you volunteer is often flexible and fluctuating, and will depend on your role, brigade and the time of year.
Are there any health restrictions to being a volunteer?
CFA's primary concern is for the safety and health of our volunteers. Brigades are responsible for ensuring that volunteers perform their role in a safe manner. CFA needs to know if a prospective volunteer has a condition which may place limitations on their role in the brigade. The brigade can then avoid placing the volunteer in an unsuitable environment for their health.
All new recruits are required to complete a medical form and in the case of existing medical conditions, they are required to get a doctor’s assessment.
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