There are few places across this great state our auxiliary firefighters can’t reach.

In the South Western Region – one of the largest in Queensland – there are 470 auxiliary firefighters covering more than 400,000 square kilometres, willing to lend a hand at a moment’s notice.

Now, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services is looking for more enthusiastic, dedicated people of all ages to join its auxiliary ranks in the South Western Region.

Auxiliary firefighters are an integral part of their local communities, balancing full-time employment and family with fire service training and response to emergencies, while also running community education and school visits.

They are fully trained and employed on an on-call basis, responding to structure and grass fires, chemical incidents, traffic crashes and ambulance assists.

It is a role that is both physically and mentally challenging, with Queensland’s auxiliary firefighters dealing with intense and confronting scenarios.

This could include working in confined spaces, wearing breathing apparatus, or dealing with casualties.

The good news is that if you are up to lending a hand in times of need, you can get paid to do it.

Anyone who is an Australian or NZ citizen or Australian permanent resident, who has held a manual C class licence for at least one year or holds a manual medium rigid licence, and is at least 18 years old can be an auxiliary firefighter.

You will need to provide evidence of either a current blue card or be eligible to apply for a blue card and live within a reasonable distance of an auxiliary fire station so that you are able to respond quickly when required.

For further information you can visit the QFES website https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/careers-and-volunteering/fire-rescue-and-operations/auxiliary-firefighter or phone (07) 4592 5222.