Senior fire officer

Senior fire officer - overview

As a senior fire officer, you’ll use your excellent communication and organisational skills to manage operational teams and coordinate an area or station. Learn more about a career in a senior fire officer role, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a job.

Learn what the role involves below.

What does a senior fire officer do?

This managerial role will involve using your knowledge and experience to ensure services run efficiently. You’ll be skilled at looking at the bigger picture, anticipating problems and finding solutions before issues negatively impact service.

You’ll enjoy being responsible for teams of staff and have good communication and networking skills, working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

As you progress through the ranks, you’ll do less firefighting and have a more administrative and decision-making role, although some senior fire officers still do a mixture of both at smaller stations.

A senior officer role usually involves shift work to ensure a service is provided 24 hours a day. Your working environment will be physically and emotionally demanding and you’ll need to remain positive for team morale.

What will your days involve?

Daily tasks will vary but could involve:

Advising on the recruitment, training and monitoring of staff
Liaising with other senior officials and/or government departments to determine staffing, financial and other short- and long-term needs
Preparing and writing reports
Planning, directing and co-ordinating operational plans for one or more fire stations
Attending fires and other emergencies to minimise danger to property and people
Arranging for the salvaging of goods from fire-damaged premises

FAQs

How much can you earn as a senior fire officer?

The average salary for a senior fire officer in the UK is £44,200.

Does a senior fire officer role involve travel in the UK or overseas?

A senior fire officer role involves travelling to a station and various other locations within a community. Distances will vary depending on the size of your assigned area. Travelling overseas for work is rare.

Can you work from home as a senior fire officer?

Senior fire officers rarely work from home as the role is all about coordinating services from an office environment and building relationships with the community.