Last updated: 20 July 2026
This page tracks every Australian and New Zealand fire service intake in one place. We update it whenever a window opens, closes or gets announced. Unconfirmed dates are labelled Expected or Rumoured so you always know what is official.
| Service | Status | Window |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Fire & Rescue | Open now | 6 July to 2 August 2026 |
| ARFF (Airservices) | Open now | Rolling, by airport location |
| NTFRS | Opening soon | September 2026 Rumoured |
| DFES WA | Opening soon | October 2026 Expected |
| SA MFS | Opening soon | Later in 2026, not yet announced Rumoured |
| TFS | Opening soon | Later in 2026, not yet announced Expected |
| FENZ | Opening soon | Later in 2026, not yet announced Expected |
| FRNSW | Closed | Closed. Last window 9 to 20 March 2026 |
| FRV | Closed | Closed. Last window 4 to 17 May 2026 |
| QFD | Closed | Closed. Last campaign opened May 2026 |
Online application and aptitude testing, then physical assessment, interview and medical. ACT Fire & Rescue runs small, competitive intakes through the ACT Emergency Services Agency.
Official recruitment page: esa.act.gov.au
ACT Fire & Rescue closes 2 August. Check your readiness nowAirservices recruits by location as vacancies come up rather than in one national window. Active campaigns announced in May 2026 include Broome and Alice Springs. Selection covers aptitude testing, the PES fitness assessment, interview and medical.
Rolling recruitment model. Check the careers page for currently listed locations.
Official recruitment page: airservicesaustralia.com
ARFF recruits year round. Check your readiness nowOnline application and Podium365 testing, then physical assessment, panel interview and medical. NT intakes are small and do not run every year.
A September 2026 window is rumoured but not announced. Treat it as unconfirmed until it appears on the official site.
Online application and Cognify testing, then the physical aptitude test, interview and medical. DFES usually runs one large campaign per year with several thousand applicants.
The next campaign is expected around October 2026. Not yet confirmed by DFES.
Online application and SHL testing, then the physical aptitude test, interview and medical. SA MFS intakes are irregular and often years apart, so competition is strong when one opens.
A 2026 window is rumoured but nothing has been announced officially. Check the official site for confirmation.
Online application and Cognify testing, then physical assessment, interview and medical. TFS intakes are small and timing is subject to budget approvals.
Expected later in 2026, subject to budget approvals. No dates announced yet.
Online application and SHL testing, then the physical competency assessment, interview and medical. FENZ recruits career firefighters by region, so the locations on offer matter as much as the dates.
An intake is expected later in 2026 but has not been announced. Locations matter as much as dates, so check the official site.
Online application and Criteria testing, then the physical aptitude test, interview and medical. FRNSW runs recruitment roughly yearly and it is the largest and most competitive intake in the country.
Recruitment runs about once a year. The next window is expected around March 2027.
Online application and ACER testing, then the physical assessment (PAT), panel interview and medical. FRV windows are short, usually about two weeks, so being ready before it opens matters.
The next window has not been announced.
Online application and supervised Pearson VUE testing, then the physical aptitude test, interview and medical. QFD keeps an expression of interest open between campaigns.
An expression of interest for the next campaign is open now on the QFD site.
Official recruitment page: fire.qld.gov.au · QFD expression of interest
FRNSW recruits roughly once a year. The last window ran 9 to 20 March 2026 and the next is expected around March 2027. Windows are short, so most successful applicants prepare months in advance.
As of 20 July 2026, ACT Fire & Rescue is open until 2 August 2026, and ARFF (Airservices Australia) recruits on a rolling basis by airport location. All other services are between campaigns.
DFES usually runs one major career firefighter campaign per year. The next is expected around October 2026, but DFES has not confirmed a date yet.
Fire Rescue Victoria uses ACER aptitude testing as part of its selection process, followed by a physical assessment, panel interview and medical.
QFD's last campaign opened in May 2026 and has closed. An expression of interest for the next campaign is open on the QFD website, and registering it is the best way to hear first.
A FENZ intake is expected later in 2026 but has not been announced. Check fireandemergency.nz or sign up for an alert on this page to hear the day it opens.
Usually two to four weeks. FRNSW's 2026 window ran 12 days and FRV's ran two weeks. Services receive thousands of applications, so windows close quickly and late preparation rarely works.
Each service block on this page has an alert form. Enter your email and we send one notification when that service opens applications. No newsletter, just the alert.
Most application windows run two to four weeks. The free 15-minute readiness check scores you against your service's benchmarks and names the one thing to fix first, so you are ready before the window opens.
Start the free readiness check