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Home Careers Wholetime Firefighter Become a Wholetime Firefighter

Become a Wholetime Firefighter

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to equality of opportunity. If you would like information on the adjustments that can be made throughout the application process, please contact recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk.

Step One: Application and Supporting Statement

Process

The start of the recruitment process involves completing an Application/Supporting Statement. This requires you to complete an online application form that will include:

  • Your personal details such as full address, contact detail and National Insurance number.
  • Your education and employment history
  • Equality monitoring data

Within your initial application you will also be required to submit a supporting statement. Within your supporting statement you will be required to evidence how your knowledge, skills and behaviours meet the criteria in the job profile. 

See the Supporting Guidance for 2023 Wholetime Recruitment.

Qualifying Criteria 

To submit an application form you need to be 17 years and six months or older at the point of application and 18 years or older when you commence in role. 

Before being offered employment, you will be required to provide evidence of your entitlement to work in the UK, in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. 

To apply for a wholetime position you must live within a 30-mile radius of the centre of Reading.

Whilst a full driving licence is not required to apply as a firefighter, without one, an individual would not be able to progress to competent status pay. 

You will need to demonstrate you have level 1 functional skills (English, Maths and IT) during the recruitment process and must attain level 2 by the end of your development period. For reference level 2 is equivalent of grade C / 5 GCSE).

You will also need to be new to the firefighting role to join an apprenticeship. 

Declaration of Offences

If you have a criminal record this will not necessarily disqualify you from employment. All applications are considered on their own merits 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. You will also need to satisfy the requirements of a DBS check, this may be a standard DBS due to a change in legislation expected in July 2023.

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.

Step Two: Group Exercise

If you meet the requirements at Stage One and are shortlisted following the initial Online Application/Supporting Statement, you will be invited to complete a group exercise.

The group exercise will be a face to face event where you will be part of a small group. The event will be made up of three parts:

  • A welcome and overview of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. This will not be assessed but
    will instead allow you to get to know the Service and meet your cohort before the assessed part of the
    group exercise commences.
  • An assessed group exercise based on a scenario task that will require you to work with the other
    candidates, demonstrating both your individual behaviours and skills and how you work as part of a team.
  • Following the group exercise, your assessor will conduct a professional discussion based on your
    performance, allowing you to reflect and feedback.

Step Three: Interview

Candidates who successfully complete the group exercise will be invited to interview. 

The main aim of the interview is to find out about you and your motivation to become a firefighter. The interview will be conducted by two people who will take it in turns to ask you questions about you and your experience, taking a set of notes to ensure a record is kept of the examples you give.

Interview questions will be behavioural based, during the interview you will be asked to give examples of when and how you have demonstrated the behaviours that are important for potential firefighters, in line with RBFRS’ Behavioural Competency Framework. You should answer based on your personal experience. More information about the interview structure and how to prepare will be sent to those invited for the interview.

During this stage of the process, you may also be invited to complete online functional skills tests that will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills applicable to the role (e.g. English and Maths).

Step Four: Physical Tests

As part of the Wholetime recruitment process, you will be required to complete the following five physical tests that assess fitness, strength, stamina, coordination, dexterity and ability to work at height and within enclosed spaces.

These programmes gives you some advice to help you improve your fitness in preparation for the physical tests:

Step Five: Medical

It is for the Fire Authority’s Occupational Health Physician to decide whether an individual is fit to undertake firefighting 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 for 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 and you will undergo screening for use of illegal drugs and alcohol misuse as part of your medical.

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 long hours at major incidents), would be detrimental to your health:

  • Significant joint injury or disease, especially if it affects the back or knees.
  • A 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.

You will also be required to undergo a Chester Step Test. The Chester Step Test is a 12 minute graded, treadmill walk test designed to assess whether or not a candidate can achieve the firefighter fitness standard of 42mls O 2 /kg/min.