As with any organisation, promotional opportunities are a major incentive. Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has a role structure that allows gifted personnel to quickly gain a position of authority.

Crew Manager
Has to command the crew of an appliance when required and undertake some of the routine station administrative work.

Watch Manager
At most stations he/she is personally responsible for much of the station routine, commands the entire Watch on duty at the station at any one time and will command a crew and take full command of a fire.

Station Manager
In Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service a Station Manager carries out specialist duties in for example the Fire Safety Department or the Training Centre.

Roles above Station Manager
The Chief Fire Officer, Principal and Senior Officers are based at FRS Headquarters at Potterne. The FRS has three areas of command, each of which has three Group Manager looking after Operations, Human Resources and Fire Safety respectively.

A Station Manager, after gaining adequate experience, can seek promotion to Group Manager and then to the role of Area Manager. In all roles there are posts at FRS Headquarters that have special responsibilities.

There are no statutory requirements for promotion above a Station Manager but the Senior Officer of the future will undoubtedly require good education, wide experience and good technical and operational qualifications. He/she will almost certainly have attended special courses at the Fire Service College, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire which are designed to fit officers for higher roles.