25/10/2026
Ever wondered who’s who on a fire truck? 🚒⛑️
When you see a fire truck responding with lights and sirens, every firefighter on board has a specific job, and a helmet that tells you their rank and experience!
Here is how our crew roles work inside the cab—and what those helmet colors mean:
The Driver (Front Right): Drives the appliance safely to the scene. Once on site, the driver operates the main pump panel, manages pressures, and establishes the water supply.
Officer in Charge / OIC (Front Left Passenger): Sits in the front passenger seat and is in command of the truck. If they are the first arriving officer on scene, they take full command and control of the incident.
Rear Crew Seating:
#1 (Rides behind the Officer)
#2 (Rides behind the Driver)
#3 (Rides in the middle seat)
🔥 On Scene at a Fire Incident:
Firefighters always work in pairs for safety. Firefighters #1 and #2 are the primary Breathing Apparatus (BA) wearers—they gear up in BA and are the first pair inside. Firefighter #3 assists the driver with running hoses and establishing water supply, or carries out tactical tasks assigned by the Officer.
⛑️ Helmet Colors & Rank Structure
Swipe through the graphics to see how helmet markings indicate experience and leadership on scene:
🔴 Red Helmets — Station Officers (SO) & Senior Station Officers (SSO) Role: Often ride as Officer in Charge (OIC) on fire trucks to take command and control of incidents. Station Officers are highly experienced
⚪ White Helmets — Chief Fire Officers (CFO) & Deputy Chief Fire Officers (DCFO)
Role: Responsible for leading a volunteer fire brigade and managing overall operational readiness and work closely with local businesses and the community.
🟡 Yellow Helmets — Firefighters (FF, QFF, SFF)
Ranks: Firefighter, Qualified Firefighter and Senior Firefighter. Role: Trained to respond across a wide range of emergencies—including fires, medical calls, car crashes, hazardous materials, civil defence, and natural disasters. They also conduct Home Fire Safety Visits and install smoke alarms across our community.
🔵 Blue Helmets — Operational Support (OS) Role: Operational Support volunteers respond to emergencies to support frontline firefighters and keep scenes safe. They handle crucial tasks like managing traffic and pedestrians, closing roads, transporting gear, scene lighting, and providing hydration and refreshments during long incidents.
🟢 Fluro Green Helmets — Recruit Firefighters (RCFF) Role: Trainees completing local brigade training before attending their 7-day recruit course at the National Training Centre in Rotorua and a 2-day medical co-response course.
Next time you see one of our appliances turn out, you'll know exactly who is sitting where and what their helmet colors mean! 🚒
Got questions about brigade roles or interested in joining the team? Send us a message! 📩
