Information for Firefighter Applicants - Royal Berkshire Fire and ...

Information for Firefighter Applicants | version 4

ContentsIntroduction 2Your career in the Fire Service 3Firefi ghter Job Profi le 4Person Specification 5Application Process 6Improving your fi tness 8Fire and Rescue Service details 10Retained FirefightersThe information in this booklet is intended as a guide for applicants who wish to becomeregular Firefi ghters.However in many areas, especially small towns and villages, there are opportunities forRetained Firefi ghters – trained to deal with a wide range of situations and incidents, RetainedFirefi ghters are on standby, waiting to answer the call. That means that they must live or workwithin a few minutes of the fi re station.As a Retained Firefi ghter you would be paid an annual payment plus a fee for each call-out ortraining session. If your employer agrees, you could be on standby while you work, or you canbe on standby when not at work.The entry requirements for Retained Firefi ghters are the same as for regular Firefi ghters, butthe entry and initial training processes are usually different. Please contact your local FireService for details.Equality of opportunityWe welcome applications from all parts of the community and value the strengths thata diverse workforce can bring. If you have a disability, please contact us to discuss anyadjustments that we could make that would remove any unnecessary barriers to you becominga Firefi ghter.1

Your Career in the Fire ServiceThe first phase of your careerFor regular Firefi ghters, initial training takesplace at a training centre within the region,and provides all the basic theoretical andpractical training required to start operationalduties. This may take up to 15 weeks, duringwhich no holidays may be taken. In someServices the course is residential.Training throughout your careerAfter your initial training you will join a“watch” at a station, where your skills andexperience will be developed through aNational Vocational Qualifi cation programme.On successful completion of the programmeyou will progress to Competent Firefi ghterstatus.You will receive further training throughoutyour career - in-service training programmesensure your potential is maximised andthat you are kept up to date with the latestfi refi ghting and specialist techniques.Is it for you?The following list of questions is designedto help you to decide whether being aFirefi ghter is really for you.• Are you genuinely interested inpeople? Can you get on with peoplefrom a variety of backgrounds andcultures?• Have you worked as part of a close knitteam? Can you work under pressurewithout letting the rest of your teamdown?• Can you think quickly and solveproblems when you know that a lotdepends on the suggestions you comeup with?• Do you have the sensitivity to dealwith members of the public when theyare distressed, confused, or beingobstructive?• Can you take responsibility forrepresenting the Fire Service when youare at work and when you aren’t?• Are you committed to alwaysdeveloping your skills? Are youprepared to study on top of your normalworking day?• Are you prepared for the demands of adisciplined uniformed service in whichyou will have to take orders from otherpeople?• Could you accept the need to keepto rules that tell you what you canand cannot wear and the standard ofappearance that you must maintain?• Are you committed to maintaining yourphysical fi tness? Is regular exercise apart of your everyday life?• Are you prepared to work day and nightshifts, evenings, weekends and publicholidays?• Are you a practical person who likesto work with their hands and withequipment? For example, do you enjoymaking things or fi nding out how thingswork?• Are you someone who can be reliedupon to be somewhere on time? Doothers see you as dependable?• Are you prepared to work outside in allkinds of weather – when it’s wet andcold and you don’t know when a job willfi nish?• Can you cope with routine, knowingthat you may have to do certain tasksevery shift, but with the possibility ofsudden interruptions?If you think that you can honestly answer“yes” to all these questions, then a careeras a Firefi ghter could be just what you arelooking for.You will be a responsible member of a closeknitand well organised team - your safetyand the safety of others depends on it. It isnot a job which can be undertaken lightly, butcan provide a sense of real achievement andvalue.3

Person SpecificationEssentialDesirableSkills and aptitudes• Good verbal communication skills.• Able to communicate effectively inwriting.• Able to work effectively withothers.• Understands and respectsdiversity and adopts a fair andethical approach to others.• High degree of practical / manualability.• Committed and able to to developself and others.• Able to be confi dent and resilientin highly challenging situations.• Able to understand, recall, applyand adapt relevant information.• Able to be aware of danger andreact appropriately.• A conscientious and proactiveapproach to work.• Open to, and supportive of,change.Knowledge• Aware of the main elements of thejob.• Aware of the role of the FireService in the community.Experience• Successful contribution toteamwork.• Experience of practical work.• Work related to communityservice.• Teamwork in a disciplinedenvironment.Qualifications• Current EU driving licence.• LGV driving licence.• First Aid qualifi cation.Other requirements• Able to satisfy the medical andfi tness requirements to the role,including minimum standardsof eyesight, colour vision andhearing.• Able to work at height and inconfi ned spaces.• Committed to providing a serviceto the community.5

Application ProcessThe fi rst step is to obtain an applicationform - precise details of when and how thesewill be made available will depend on whichService you are applying to. Please contactthem or see their website (details on page10).Applications will be screened and shortlistedapplicants will be invited to take 3 writtentests and a questionnaire.If you are successful at the written stageyou will be invited to take the physical andpractical tests.Successful applicants will then be invited toan interview.Qualifying criteriaYou must not have undertaken the NationalFirefi ghter Selection process within theprevious 3 months, and you must not havean application pending with another Service.Before being offered employment, you will berequired to produce documentary evidenceof your entitlement to work in the UK, inaccordance with the Asylum and ImmigrationAct 1996.A full driving licence is not required beforeemployment, but without one a Firefi ghtercannot progress to Competent status andpay.No formal educational qualifi cations arerequired.Declaration of offencesIf you have a previous criminal record, thiswill not necessarily disqualify you fromemployment. All applications are consideredon merit and in particular, whether theoffence has a bearing on your suitabilityfor employment as a Firefi ghter. HoweverFirefi ghters do need to have a high level ofself-discipline, and be people in whom thepublic can have complete confi dence.You will therefore be required to declare anyconviction that is not yet ‘spent’ within themeaning of the Rehabilitation of OffendersAct 1974, and any charges that are pending.A Criminal Records Bureau check will bemade.If you are in any doubt about yourdeclaration, you should seek independentlegal advice.Written testsThere are three ability tests and aquestionnaire, which will take around 3 hoursto complete. These tests are conductedunder strict conditions to ensure that theprocess is fair to everybody. Before the testsyou will have the opportunity to work throughsome examples and ask any questions thatyou have about them.If you have been assessed and certifi ed asdyslexic, you can be given additional time tocomplete the tests. You will need to produceyour certifi cate when you take the test if youwant to take advantage of this.The four written elements are:• The Situational Awareness andProblem Solving Test – assessesability to ensure the safety ofthemselves and others, and to useinformation to solve problems.• The Understanding InformationTest – assesses ability to read andunderstand written information ofthe type that a Firefi ghter is likely toexperience.• The Working with Numbers Test– assesses applicant’s ability tounderstand and work with numericalinformation of the type that a Firefi ghteris likely to experience.• National Firefighter Questionnaire(NFQ) – assesses candidates’ attitudesand motivation in relation to sevenscales each based on one of theFire and Rescue Services PersonalQualities and Attributes (PQAs)Practice booklet for these tests will be madeavailable in advance.6

Physical TestsCandidates who are successful in thewritten tests will be invited to take a seriesof six physical and practical tests related towork within the Fire Service, designed toassess physical skills, fi tness and manualdexterity. You will be given informationabout each test before you are assessed.Before the practical tests, you will be given ademonstration.Each test will involve physical effort. In somecases, this will be a high level over a shortperiod, so you are advised not to eat or drinkimmediately before your test.The Service considers personal safety veryseriously and the equipment you will useduring the tests, will have been examined,tested and maintained.You will require a pair of training shoes orsuitable footwear for running, T-shirt andtracksuit bottoms, or similar. You will beprovided with other protective clothing.You will be asked to complete a Statement ofHealth Form and you will not be allowed totake the tests if you have not completed thisform.• Ladder Climb – Candidates wear asafety harness and ascend two thirdsof the way up a 13.5 metre ladder andtake a leg-lock. They are then askedto lean backwards and outstretch theirarms to the sides, and then whilstlooking over their shoulder they areto say out loud what symbol is beingshown by the assessor at ground level.• Casualty Evacuation – Candidatesdrag a 55kg dummy backwards arounda 30m course, by a carrying handlefi xed to the dummy.• Ladder Lift – Candidates raise the barof a ladder lift simulator to the requiredheight with 15kg of weight placed onthe simulator cradle, which gives a totallift load of 24kg.• Enclosed Space – Candidates puton a facemask and with un-obscuredvision make their way through acrawl and walkway. Once inside thecrawl/walkway they have their visionobscured and return to the start.• Equipment Assembly – Candidatesare given a demonstration of thetest before having to assemble anddisassemble a number of componentsto make an item of equipment.• Equipment Carry – Candidates carryitems of equipment up and down acourse between two cones placed 25mapart.InterviewIf you pass the physical tests you will beinvited back for an interview.You will be asked questions designedto fi nd out how you have used personalqualities and attributes that are important forFirefi ghters:• Working with Others.• Commitment to Diversity & Integrity.• Commitment to Self Development.• Commitment to Excellence.• Communicating Effectively.Your interviewer will ask you to giveexamples of experiences where you couldhave used these qualities and attributes.Evidence of appropriate communication skillswill also be sought. The interview is also anopportunity for you to ask questions aboutthe job.MedicalIf you are successful at interview you willbe required to undertake a full medicalexamination by the Fire Service MedicalOffi cer, and a full eye test by an ophthalmicspecialist.A decision on whether an individual is fi t toundertake fi re fi ghting duties will take intoaccount the advice from the OccupationalHealth Physician together with any7

Improving your fitnessreasonable adjustments that may be made inaccordance with the Disability DiscriminationAct 1995.Your medical records from your GeneralPractitioner will be required, for whichyou will be asked to give consent at theappropriate time.Eyesight, both aided and unaided, will betested to ensure that you would be ableto perform the range of tasks required, inthe type of light conditions that you wouldencounter. Minimum standards of colourperception must be met.You do not need to be a bodybuilder inorder to pass the physical tests or to be aFirefi ghter, but you will need a higher thanaverage level of fi tness. It is suggestedthat you undertake a suitable programme ofphysical training in advance of the selectiontests. Participation in any physical trainingprogramme is undertaken on a voluntarybasis and the fi re authority accepts noresponsibility for any injury caused as aresult. If you are unsure about what physicaltraining you should undertake, you shouldconsult an appropriately qualifi ed fi tnessadvisor or seek medical advice.Hearing and lung function will also be tested.If you have any of the following conditionsyou should seek advice from your own GPbefore applying about whether the natureof the work, the environments in whichit may be carried out, or the attendancepattern, (which includes the possibility oflengthy hours at major incidents), would bedetrimental to your health:• Signifi cant joint injury or disease,especially if it affects the back or knees.• Chronic respiratory problem, egasthma.• A history of hypertension, diabetes,epilepsy, cardiac or circulatory disease.• Contact dermatitis, psoriasis oreczema.• Vertigo, claustrophobia or acrophobia(fear of heights).AppointmentFollowing medical clearance, and subject tosatisfactory references, you will be issuedwith an Appointment Letter.You must not give notice to a currentemployer until you have receivedconfirmation of medical clearance and anappointment letter has been issued.8

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Fire and Rescue Service DetailsBuckinghamshire Fire and Rescue ServiceCambridge StreetAylesbury HP20 1BD01296 424 666www.bucksfi re.gov.ukEast Sussex Fire and Rescue Service20 Upperton RoadEastbourneBN21 1EU0845 130 8855www.esfb.orgHampshire Fire and Rescue ServiceLeigh RoadEastleigh SO50 9SJ023 8064 4000human.resources@hantsfi re.gov.ukwww.hantsfi re.gov.ukIsle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service58 St Johns RoadNewportIsle of Wight PO30 1LT01983 823 194fi re.service@iow.gov.ukwww.iwfi re.org.ukOxfordshire Fire and Rescue ServiceSterling RoadKidlington OX5 2DU0800 5870 870fi re.personnel@oxfordshire.gov.ukwww.oxfordshire.gov.ukRoyal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service103 Dee RoadReading RG30 4FS0118 932 2260recruitment@rbfrs.co.ukwww.rbfrs.co.ukSurrey Fire and Rescue ServiceSt David’s, 70 Wray Park RoadReigate RH2 0EJ.0845 6009 009email via websitewww.surreycc.gov.ukWest Sussex Fire and Rescue ServiceNorthgateChichester PO19 1BD01243 786 211psu.fi re@westsussex.gov.ukwww.westsussex.gov.ukKent Fire and Rescue ServiceThe GodlandsStraw Mill HillTovilMaidstone ME15 6XB01622 692 121email via websitewww.kent.fi re-uk.org10

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