FAQs About Wholetime Firefighter

As part of our Wholetime Firefighters fitness tests you will be required to complete the Bleep Test to a level 8.6, as well as the completion of 3 strength tests. These include Equipment Grip and Carry (testing aerobic endurance and grip), Ladder Haul-Aloft (testing upper body strength) and a Push-Pull test. If you are considering applying, it is advisable that you start working on your fitness and strength in advance. If you are successful at the early stages of the process, you will then be ready for the fitness test. It is also important that you maintain your fitness.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has a service policy that secondary employment has to be authorised by the Service. Any application for secondary employment from an employee on our Firefighter Apprenticeship scheme will only be considered after six months of service.

Unfortunately not. As a Firefighter you agree to serve at any station within Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service. All successful candidates may be required to work within any of the duty systems employed within BFRS. When placing Firefighters we must take into account where we need to fill vacancies. However, we will review skills of all new employees and try to place them at a station and watch that will help them develop further.

Operational employees working at a fire station which runs a shift system are split into four rota groups known as ‘watches’ – White, Red, Blue and Green. The four rota groups ensure we can provide a continual service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from that station.

Every Firefighter has access to a room which can be used as a private changing facility if required.

All of our Firefighters are trained in water rescue and therefore applicants need to be able to swim and be able to rescue themselves from calm water.

Yes, you need to hold a full UK driving licence with no pending issues at the point of application.

Firefighters whose shift/work pattern falls on a weekend or public holiday will be required to work. There is the option to take leave, subject to a maximum number of people being on leave at any one time. This is to make sure our fire appliances have enough people on duty to crew them. Firefighters who are required to work a public holiday will receive the relevant enhanced pay.

You have to be a minimum of 18-years old at the start of your employment. There is no upper age limit. As long as you are physically fit and can pass the fitness test you can become a Firefighter.

A criminal record does not necessarily prevent you applying for a role. Applicants are asked to declare any criminal convictions during the recruitment process, and we expect honesty in declarations of any convictions or charges. If an applicant declares a conviction or charge it will not necessarily prevent them from progressing any further through the recruitment process, however the matter will need to be risk assessed and discussed between the person concerned, the line manager and Human Resources.

We undertake driving licence checks on all employees every three years.

Not necessarily. We will undertake a driving licence check through an external contractor as part of the pre-employment clearance stage. So please be honest on your application. Let us know of any driving convictions, fines, etc. that you have had in the past, as some still appear even though they are spent.

Firefighters may be required to provide cover at another fire station at short notice. They will need to get there, along with their fire kit, and therefore will need to be able to drive. There may also be a requirement to progress to driving fire appliances in the future.

Unfortunately, we are unable to check every individual address query before shortlisting. You could however carry out a postcode check on the internet to gain a rough idea of how close to the border you are. We would recommend if you think you are within a location close enough that you submit your application. All addresses will be being checked during the shortlisting stage to confirm the distance from the county border.

We seek to represent the communities we serve in the make-up of our organisation. By employing people from our communities, we enhance our organisations local knowledge. We also contribute to the economic growth of our communities by providing local jobs for local people. During the recruitment process you will be asked to provide proof of your home address.

We have developed a very positive approach to health and safety, and set extremely high standards and expectations in this area. We appreciate our work can never be hazard-free, however we have adopted an assertive, safe and effective approach to how we operate. Our Firefighters work within a competency framework, receive regular training, and are issued with effective personal protective equipment such as helmets and other fire kit. Safe systems of work are established with a high level of command and control.

No – this is a popular misconception, because there used to be restrictions on height, weight and chest expansion. Candidates are expected to pass strength and fitness tests as part of the recruitment process. The tests are at a level that’s achievable by men and women of all different sizes and builds.

We have a policy which prohibits the use of drugs, alcohol and smoking in all of our premises.

Yes, there is a requirement to have good hearing in line with functional standards (with artificial aids, where applicable) to be a Firefighter.

You will be expected to attend an eye test as part of your application, and the optician will test you for colour vision. Individuals with either normal colour vision or slightly abnormal green colour vision are suitable for appointment to the Fire Service. Please refer to the Visual Entry Standards for more information – click here to find out more.

Dyslexia is considered to be a disability and you will be asked if you have a disability as part of the recruitment process. If you let us know we can make reasonable adjustments for you at the relevant stages of the selection process. We normally ask for a report to confirm the type and extent of your dyslexia which is sent to our Occupational Health Practitioner for review, they will then decide if a reasonable adjustment can be made.

As part of our recruitment process applicants are asked if they have a disability, and to give details of adjustments they may require in order to take part in the selection process and to fulfil the role should they be successful. Each case will be considered on an individual basis and, if reasonable adjustments can be made to enable you to take part in the selection process and fulfil the role of a Firefighter, then your application will be progressed.

A new clause of the Deregulation Bill 2015 extends the existing exemption for Sikhs to have to wear a safety helmet under the Employment Act in all workplaces. However, there are exclusions for emergency response services and the military, which apply only in hazardous operational situations when the wearing of a safety helmet is considered necessary, for example when entering a burning building where protective clothing needs to be worn to enclose the whole body.

Yes, a Firefighter can fast. However, it is important that all members of the Service are able to perform their core role while on duty, so we encourage staff who choose to fast to discuss it with their line manager.

On top of their basic annual wage, a Firefighter can enhance their earning potential by taking overtime and undertaking extra bank shifts at an enhanced hourly rate.