The selection process consists of the same written tests, fitness tests, interview and medical that are used for
regular Wholetime Firefighters.
Application packs can be obtained from the Personnel department. Returned application forms
will be checked to ensure eligibility, and that there is a demand for the cover times offered.
You will then be invited to the selection tests, which take place every few months at the
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service Training Centre in Whitley Wood, Reading, Berkshire.
Current testing and closing dates for applications are as follows:
- Saturday 5th April 2008 - written ability tests.
- Thursday 10th April 2008 - written ability tests.
- Monday 12th May 2008 - physical tests.
You must be aged 18 or over, and must live or work within 1 mile or 5 minutes travel time
of the station at which you would like to work.
Before being offered employment, you will be required to produce documentary evidence of
your entitlement to work in the UK, in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.
A full driving licence is not required before employment, but without one a Firefighter cannot
progress to Competent status and pay.
If you have a criminal record this will not necessarily disqualify you from employment.
All applications are considered on merit and in particular, whether the offence has a
bearing on your suitability for employment as a firefighter. However Firefighters do
need to have a high level of self-discipline, and be people in whom the public can
have complete confidence.
You will therefore be required to declare any conviction which is not yet
“spent” within the meaning of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974,
and any charges that are pending. A Criminal Records Bureau check will be made.
Further guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act can be obtained via the National
Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders. Visit their website at
www.nacro.org.uk for more information.
The tests are the same as for
Wholetime Firefighters
but may be conducted in a different order. They
consist of:
01 APPLICATION FORM - questions in the application form relating to Personal
Qualities and Attributes (PQAs).
02 WRITTEN ABILITY TESTS - further information about these tests can be found by
consulting the Practice Booklet.
> > > Download the
Practice Booklet (Ability Tests) [PDF]
03 PHYSICAL TESTS - These are designed to assess fitness, strength, stamina, coordination, ability to
understand and apply information, dexterity, and ability to work at heights and in confined spaces:
-
Ladder Climb - Candidates wear a safety harness and ascend two thirds of the way up a 13.5
metre ladder and make a leg-lock. They are then asked to lean backwards and outstretch their arms to the sides, and
then whilst looking over their shoulder they are to say out loud what symbol is being shown by the assessor at
ground level.
-
Casualty Evacuation - Candidates drag a 55kg dummy backwards around a 30 metre course, by a
carrying handle fixed to the dummy.
-
Ladder Lift - Candidates raise the bar of a ladder lift simulator to the required height
with 15kg of weight placed on the shoulder cradle, which gives a total lift load of 24kg.
-
Enclosed Space - Candidates put on a facemask and with un-obscured vision make their way
through a crawl and walkway. Once inside the crawl/walkway they have their vision obscured and return to the start.
-
Equipment Assembly - Candidates are given a demonstration of the test before having to
assemble and disassemble a number of components to make an item of equipment.
-
Equipment Carry - Candidates carry items of equipment up and down a course marked out
between two cones placed 25 metres apart.
These tests are scheduled for 21st January 2008.
Candidates who successfully complete the recruitment tests will be invited to interview. During the interview
you will be asked questions designed to find out how you have used personal qualities and attributes that are
important for Firefighters. Guidance on the interview is available in the Practice Booklet.
> > > Download the...
Practice Booklet (Interview) [PDF]
Personal Qualities and Attributes leaflet [PDF]
All applicants successful at interview are required to undergo a medical examination,
and it will be a matter for the Fire Authority's Occupational Health Physician to
decide whether any individual is fit to undertake fire fighting duties, allowing for
any reasonable adjustments that may be made in accordance with the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995.
Minimum eyesight standards must be met. Corrected visual acuity should be 6/9
binocularly, and a minimum of 6/12 in the worse eye. The minimum uncorrected
vision for recruits should be 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 in the worse.
There is an upper hypermetropic (long-sighted) limit of +3.00, and colour
vision must reach the required standard.
Hearing and lung function will also be tested.
If you have any of the following conditions you should consider carefully whether
the nature of the work and the attendance pattern, (which includes the possibility
of very lengthy hours at major incidents), would be detrimental to your health:-
-
Significant joint injury or disease, especially if it affects the back or knees.
-
Chronic respiratory problem, e.g. asthma.
-
A history of hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, cardiac or circulatory disease.
-
Contact dermatitis, psoriasis or eczema.
-
Vertigo, claustrophobia or acrophobia (fear of heights).
Your medical records from your General Practitioner will be required, for which you
will be asked to give consent at the appropriate time.
Initial training (at the Whitley wood Training Centre) takes place over a period of
about 6 months, on Thursday evenings and at weekends. You must be available
to commit yourself to this training, which is vital for your safety.
Click here to
download course dates (PDF)
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Retained Firefighter: Recruitment Process
