<P> There are two main types of firefighter: wholetime and retained . Wholetime firefighters work full - time in the fire service . Retained firefighters are on call for long periods (at least 70 hours a week) to respond to incidents . They are paid a salary for the time they spend on call and a greater amount for each incident they respond to, on average 2 or 3 per week . Many have jobs outside of the fire service . Large town fire stations have wholetime crews, while small rural ones are usually staffed only by retained firefighters . Voluntary firefighters are now rare: the only voluntary units now in operation are the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Borth Voluntary Fire Unit (near Aberystwyth, Wales). </P> <P> The Cabinet Office is responsible for the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CSS), which provides advice for individuals in case of a major disaster: </P> <P> "The (web) site provides easily understandable guidance for the general public on how to prepare themselves, their families and their homes and businesses to cope during an emergency or disaster ." </P> <P> Any such emergency or disaster is likely to involve a UK FRS, and the generic term for such contingency plans has become known as resilience The' Preparing for emergencies website' gives specific government advice on fire safety, specific examples include the summer fire safety campaign, and schools' fire safety guide which are just two examples . </P>

How many firefighters are there in the uk