Recruitment is now closed for the role of Control Operator. Please register your interest if you would like to be kept informed of future vacancies in our Control roles.

Heroes in Headsets

The Role

At South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, our Control team work from our Command Headquarters in Sheffield City Centre. Our fantastic control room staff take emergency calls from the public and partner agencies, and mobilise fire appliances and resources to resolve situations quickly and effectively.  Our control staff also undertake a wide range of administrative and data monitoring work to ensure operational readiness and to support & coordinate our emergency response.

The Control team play a vital role in the Fire Service response to any incident across the county and maintain this role right from the start to the finish.

Our Control room work a shift pattern covering of 4-on 4-off covering 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:

• Day Shift 09:00 – 18:00 x 2 (9 hours)
• Night Shift 18:00 – 09:00 x 2 (15 hours)
• 4 Rota Days

Qualities of a Control Operator

• Aged 18 or over by start of employment
• A good listener
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Put people at their ease
• Ability to use initiative and work with or without close supervision
• Have a knowledge of the community we serve
• Work well as part of a team
• Compassionate and respectful
• Firm when required
• Good typing/IT skills

The Recruitment Process

• Application Form
• Typing Test (35 words per minute)
• Role play
• Panel Interview

When we are actively recruiting for new Control Operators, we will host a number of ‘Have a Go’ days, which give you the chance to visit our premises, meet some of our Control staff, get more information on the role and ask any questions that you have about the role or the organisation. We will advertise the dates of these sessions here so that you can book on and find out whether this role is for you.

Registration of Interest

If you would like to be kept up to date with vacancies in our control room, then please register your interest via this link. We will also use this information to notify you when we run any Have a Go Days relating to Control.

Salary, Benefits & Career Progression

The structure within Control mirrors that of our operational firefighters, with progression upwards to Crew, Watch and Station Manager within the department.

There are four watches in Control and each of these has four Operators, two Crew Managers and one Watch Manager.

Firefighter Control

Trainee – £25,819 – This is paid for the duration of your initial training course (3 weeks)

Development – £26,895 – Usually for 2 years from joining watch

Competent – £34,415 – Typically operators move onto this after the 2-year development period

Progression Roles

Crew Manager – £38,153 – We look at upskilling as soon as completed development in firefighter control role. Promotion boards are held every two years, but opportunities to act up on watch or fill a temporary vacancy before this point are sometimes available.

Watch Manager – £40,062

Station Manager – £45,710

Based in the city centre, there is parking available on site for our Control staff.

Rewards & Benefits

In addition to the job satisfaction, great pay and feeling of pride at being part of a respected and valued organisation within the local community, there are also other benefits available to employees at SYFR, these include:

Health & Wellbeing

• Occupational Health Unit; access to a full range of services
• Fitness Advisor – in-house specialist advice to help with fitness and nutrition
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Critical Incident Well-being Support
• Credit Union Transave
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Use of on-site gym facilities
• Option to join various sports, social and employee groups
• Dedicated information around Health & Wellbeing

Family Friendly

• Firefighters Pension Scheme
• Annual Leave entitlement (31 days, rising to 34 days after 5 years service)
• Childcare voucher, salary sacrifice scheme
• Generous Maternity/Paternity/Adoption leave policies
• Special Leave / Carers Leave
• Generous sick pay provision

Career & Development

• Opportunity and access to training & development for all roles
• Support with time & funding for additional training
• Annual personal reviews (appraisal)
• Clear promotion and progression pathways
• Access to internal & external secondment opportunities

Equal opportunities

We are committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents. We warmly welcome applications from individuals who identify with underrepresented groups within our workforce, including individuals from Minority Ethnic backgrounds, women, those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT+), and individuals with disabilities. In addition, we will look to support anyone who requires Part Time/Job share working hours. We believe that a diverse workforce leads to innovation, creativity, and better decision-making, and we are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.