Firefighter

 

What is a firefighter?

Firefighters rescue people and property from all types of accidents and disasters. They also promote fire safety and enforce fire safety standards in public places. It’s worth knowing that only one in five calls, on average, is specifically for help at a fire.

 

What sort of tasks would I be doing?

  • Attending emergency incidents like fires, road accidents and floods
  • Rescuing trapped people and animals
  • Giving first aid before ambulance crews arrive
  • Cleaning up and checking the site after dealing with an incident
  • Inspecting and maintaining the fire engine and its equipment, such as testing the fire hydrants and checking emergency water supplies
  • Doing practice drills
  • Educating the public about fire safety, e.g. giving talks in schools

What qualifications would I need?

You don’t need a degree or formal qualification to be a firefighter – personal qualities and physical attributes are more important. However GCSE (or equivalent) passes in English, maths and a science subject are particularly useful.

To apply to become a firefighter you must be:

  • at least 18 years old
  • able to pass the physical fitness test
  • able to pass the medical and eye examination.

You also need to:

  • Be willing to work shifts
  • Enjoy working in a team
  • Be able to take and follow orders
  • Have a reassuring manner to be able to deal with people who are distressed
  • Have courage, quick reactions and the ability to stay calm in difficult circumstances like accidents and emergencies.
 

Would I suit it?

Becoming a firefighter can be extremely rewarding but it is not a career to be taken on lightly.

You need to be able to deal with a wide variety of situations so confident, open-minded and approachable people are most suited to this role.

Career Prospects:

The fire service provides a well-structured career path, which will give real responsibility at an early stage. Chance for promotion are based on individual experience..

The majority of people that work for the fire service start as firefighters and gain front-line experience.

  

Where can I go for more information?
 

Being a firefighter can be a demanding but hugely rewarding career

 Fire fighter

 

 

To find out more about being a firefighter, have a look at The Fire Service

It’s a great idea to contact the recruitment department of the fire and rescue service that you want to apply to. They will be able to give you more information on entry requirements, the fitness test, making applications, selection, training and career profiles. Most fire and rescue services also display vacancy information on their own website.

Details of local fire services are available from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU)

 

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