Mt Keira Rural Fire Brigade is made up of  volunteers from all walks of life – men and women from different cultural backgrounds, age groups and professions.

Becoming a volunteer firefighter is easier than most people think. The RFS offers training ranging from bush firefighting, village firefighting and first aid to breathing apparatus operation.

The RFS does not just offer firefighting roles, there is a multitude of areas that require volunteers. Communications, catering, logistics, planning and aviation support are critical – there is a job for nearly everyone in the RFS.

The minimum age to join the Rural Fire Service as a volunteer is 16.

If you are thinking of joining we would encourage you to visit the brigade one Saturday afternoon (the station is open most Saturdays between the hours of 1 and 4 pm).

Alternatively, for general information about joining the RFS you can contact the Volunteer Relations Unit on volunteer@rfs.nsw.gov.au .

Once you have made the decision to join, there are several steps to becoming a member of the RFS.

First you must fill out an application form which you can get from the station.

Next, the RFS must carry out a criminal history check (your privacy will be protected when dealing with this information) and you are invited in for an interview as soon as is practical.

After the interview, an application takes 21 days to process and the RFS checks your application against its central database of brigade information. You will then receive a letter advising you whether your application has been successful or not.

If you are successful, you will be accepted as a probationary member for 6 months. You must undertake the first (basic) level of training before being able to attend fire calls. Once your training is complete and at the end of 6 months, the brigade votes on your membership.

You will receive internal notification from the brigade that you are now an ordinary member of the brigade and able to undertake duties as an active member.

For further details please visit http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/.