Air Force Firefighter

Tasks & duties

Air force firefighters  may do some or all of the following:

• deal with fires, air accidents and emergencies at Air Force bases
• rescue people from buildings, vehicles or planes
• revive people overcome by heat or smoke
• prevent fires spreading
• check and look after equipment
• carry out fire prevention work in rural and forest areas used for training and Air Force operations
• give talks to schools and other organisations about the dangers of fire
• may be involved in tasks such as bird scaring, foreign object detection on the airfield and building inspections
• instruct base personnel on the use of fire extinguishers and workplace safety

Skills & knowledge

Air force firefighters need to have:

Entry requirements

To enter the Royal NZ Air Force (RNZAF) you must be at least 17 years old. You must be a New Zealand citizen (or have New Zealand permanent residency if you are a citizen of the UK, USA, Australia or Canada).

You need to pass a series of tests, including a medical exam and fitness tests, and interviews. You also need to be given security clearance, so any criminal convictions you have will be looked at.

You must also have held a full Class 1 driver's licence for at least six months, and a full Class 2 licence is preferred.

The minimum requirement to become an air force firefighter is 12 NCEA Level 1 credits in English and maths.

Training on the job

Skills are gained on the job. A basic military training recruit course is followed by heavy vehicle driving and equipment training. 

The second phase of training includes primary and intermediate trade training courses in firefighting. For the third phase of training, firefighters attend a junior force command and control course.

Useful experience

Driving and firefighting experience is useful.

Related courses

Fire Technology and Rescue Services

For more information, please refer to Career Services.