KENT Fire and Rescue Service is looking for staff to help make Kent a safer place for everyone who lives, works and travels in the county.

Wholetime firefighters, retained firefighters, fire control officers and professional staff are all needed.

A major part of the role is making the public more aware of the risks of fire.

Firefighters are expected to respond to a range of emergencies from rescue operations to burning buildings, from road traffic accidents to floods.

To be a firefighter people must be over 18-years-old, and reasonably fit and healthy. No particular qualifications or experience are required but potential firefighters must pass a number of written and practical tests, as well as an interview and a medical.

Retained firefighters respond to emergencies from home or work and are fully trained.

While they are on-call they carry a pager and must be able to get to the fire station within five minutes.

The control team is responsible for answering 999 calls from members of the public and obtaining sufficient information to decide upon the level of response required.

As well as answering emergency calls, control operators monitor resources ensuring that fire engine and crew availability are up to date and displayed correctly on a computerised mobilising system.

Non-uniformed staff work as specialists in finance, personnel, PR and catering, as well as engineering, IT and health and safety.

Most professional staff are office based and work normal office hours, but some roles are closely linked with fire stations or operational requirements and may require some travelling or out-of-hours working.