I know that there are a few firefighters on here so hopefully you may be able to help.
My son graduated from university last summer and really wants to join the fire service. He has trued unsuccessfully once and is very keen to try again but it seems that they only take on during infrequent recruitment drives. Is this the case or is there something we are missing.
Any advice will be gratefully received.
Yes, it tends to be in big batches that they then run through over the following year(s). At my one ( I'm now retired) they would do fitness tests and interviews to arrive at a bank of people who would be waiting for the call to go on the training course.
I think if he wants to get on with it he should spread his wings and look at different counties/ services as they don't stick to the same timings . He could apply to transfer back at a later stage.
I'm a bit out of it now, but London used to be the quickest way in, but obviously comes with its own problems, cost of accommodation or commuting etc.
Good luck to him, it's a good choice of profession.
I've never been involved in the recruiting process but it does seem to be an awful lot of pot luck involved, recruitment is infrequent and tends to be budget driven rather than need driven. If he does get as far as the interview stage make sure he brushes up on equalities, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and what the particular services values are.
I will say this though, it's not the job it used to be, there are still many, many worse ways of earning a living but if I knew the direction of travel when I joined I may have chosen differently,that's based on service in London though which is an outlier in many ways.
My son is also looking to join. Where we are (Tyne and Wear), a recruitment window has just opened. I think the closing date for applications is early April.
Many seem to be going down the apprenticeship route now which seems to be a way of giving them lower pay.
As said not what it used to be but if you've never known what it was like you'll never know how it was. Im sure the older hand will continually remind them. I certainly was 1st day in job, "laddie what you doing here the job is ****ed"
Im sure the older hand will continually remind them. I certainly was 1st day in job, "laddie what you doing here the job is ****ed"
I think if you go to any job you get the same thing! Teachers, nurses, police, doctors, pilots, even lawyers and university lecturers - full of people telling you how bad the job is now and why you shouldn’t join. I’m not actually sure which jobs these people all believe are brilliant and people should be doing. I only realised this years after I had been talked out of a job that might have been a perfectly good career for me - so no advice for the OPs son except that if you really want to do it ignore the doomsayers, the job will be all the better if everyone who is there wants to be there despite whatever drawbacks might be perceived.
currently got 3 or 4 years before retirement and as the others have said, its not the job it used to be. although as he's never known it previously then theres no disappointment, it's still a good job compared to many others.
our service only has one 2/2/4 station (the hollywood shift 😀 ), the other full time stations are day crewed (07.30-18-30) with the option to cover nights too for a bit extra. we used to have to stay over in accommodation for 4 or 5 days and nights at a time and go to everything in that period (with down time for particularly busy nights say) and theres plenty of services that still do that i believe.
is there an on-call station within 5 minutes that needs cover? that can be a decent introduction to it and you start making relationships and get to know whats what which can help if youre applying to go full-time.
OP, which service does he want? we're about to start taking on again so PM me if you want any details.
our service only has one 2/2/4 station
I never thought it as 2 2 4 for me 2 2 3 as worked 8 hrs plus of "1st day off". Awaits the you slept all night comments.
Will have been out 6 yrs in March, still in touch with a select few but they are saying its not great. I really dont miss it
What does 2/2/4 mean? Two day shifts, two night shifts, four days off?
Is it true that being a firefighter is 22 hours a day of volleyball and then 2 hours a day of the most traumatic and dangerous stuff imaginable? I'm lazy, disorganised and a coward, I wouldn't have been a good firefighter at all. You lot are legends.
What does 2/2/4 mean? Two day shifts, two night shifts, four days off?
yes.
Is it true that being a firefighter is 22 hours a day of volleyball and then 2 hours a day of the most traumatic and dangerous stuff imaginable?
no. i guess thats why the 'its not what it used to be' comments hold true 🙂
theres a fair bit of testing hydrants, fitting smoke alarms, risk visits, that sort of thing. the jobs are fewer and further between now (which is good for the public obviously), i guess we've come on leaps and bounds with the community fire safety work.
there are still many, many worse ways of earning a living
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BOZ9ZGCbWAE
I've got three years to go until I've done 30 but might stay on a bit longer. Still enjoy it, still not like a real job, still trying to cling on to as many of the old ways as possible!
Seems after years of no recruitment plenty of Brigades are taking on again. North Yorkshire has just run a course and there's talk of another before long. Is it easier to get in these days? Yes because less people apply but plenty don't get past the initial computer test so it's worth trying to find out what to expect from that. As mentioned above, find out what the Service is promoting before applying, it'll be pasted all over their website. Core values, ethics, etc, etc..... Don't be put off by a knock back, just use it as experience for the next and get him to cast his net far and wide. Once qualified he can always move to another Brigade in the future.
If he lives near an On-Call Station then that could be a way in? The pay is terrible, as is staff retention but it gets a boot in the door and knowledge of how it all works.
Don't be afraid of dropping in to your local station for a chat, we're mostly a friendly bunch! If you're both near Harrogate or Skipton I'd be happy to meet or point you and your lad in the right direction?
May be round the houses, but there are firefighter roles in the military, particularly the RAF.
Bedfordshire are recruiting moment or it’s just shut. I had an ex student come and tell me about it. She loved it. I think she said she does a 24 hour shift then gets 3 days off.
Dorset aren’t recruiting. My daughters boy friend was gutted by this having just moved into the area hoping to join
Back in day a mate was driven mad by recruitment process
Local service removed him from application by randomly selecting a proportion of applicants to progress.
Rejected by other brigades as they prioritised local applicants
Failed a fitness test. The test consisted of pedalling an excercise bike with a pulse meter on your ear. Then “computer says no”. As he’d just passed a special forces fitness test setting a regimental record for the Fan Dance he was a bit annoyed
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the jobs are fewer and further between now (which is good for the public obviously), i guess we've come on leaps and bounds with the community fire safety work.
Well, that sounds like good news and a good problem to have. All the same, one job would be too many for me!
May be round the houses, but there are firefighter roles in the military, particularly the RAF.
Yeah, plenty of Military jobs about and Airports. They usually train to different standards though so you can't just transfer to another Service (although it'll look good on your CV).
As for having less jobs these days, we don't necessarily have less, just different. We attend fewer serious house fires and RTC's due to safety improvements. There are still loads of car crashes but where once we'd be called to cut people from the wreckage on even pretty minor bumps, these days the main structure of the car stays intact to the point that the Paramedics can walk casualties out without needing to call us. Same with house fires, they still happen but don't get out of control as quickly. We attend loads of calls to gain entry to properties for the Police and Ambulance or assist with getting casualties out of buildings though, which we rarely used to.
how many cats stuck up trees tho?
Plenty in the last 27 years but now I come to think of it, not many recently. We don't go to them unless the RSPCA request us.
[quote data-userid="2115" data-postid="13698844"
the jobs are fewer and further between now (which is good for the public obviously), i guess we've come on leaps and bounds with the community fire safety work.
Well, that sounds like good news and a good problem to have. All the same, one job would be too many for me!
Going back 25-30 years ago one of my staff left to join Kent fire brigade. Seem to recall that at the end of his probation (or however it worked) he had to do a report on a fire he had attended, but he hadn't actually had a fire incident
My son has recently joined Warwickshire fire service on apprenticeship scheme. They have an annual recruitment campaign and the whole process took 9 months. Loads of different assessments and tests before in person interview and physical tests. He was ‘lucky” as got in first time but get impression lots of people try numerous times at services across the country.
He is really enjoying it and has joined a very decent crew but does seem a bit disappointed he hasn’t seem much action (although really should be grateful).
Im proud of him joining and doing something to be proud of so good luck to your son.
Ps let me know if can be of any further help.