Being an on-call firefighter requires a broad range of skills and abilities, alongside the commitment to carry a pager and be available to respond to emergencies, day and night.
These are some of the areas where we need our firefighters to show they have what it takes:
- Mobility – sprinting, running, jogging, walking, climbing stairs and ladders, crawling, jumping etc.
- Strength – lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling of weights, objects and equipment ranging from 5kg to 40kg.
- Claustrophobia and vertigo – ability to wear breathing apparatus and climb/work with ladders.
- Environmental factors – such as fire compartment temperatures above 100°C, elevated temperatures (30°C – 100°C), sub-zero temperatures, dust, overcrowding, open spaces, height, enclosed spaces, total and partial darkness, working in and around water, hazardous substances, smoke, high humidity.
- Handling pressure – dealing with traumatised victims and/or others, e.g. relatives and members of the public, making critical decisions quickly.
- Communication – collating and passing accurate information; addressing colleagues, managers, members of the public etc.
- Acceptable hearing, eyesight and other medical requirements.
Some of these are tested in a specific way during the application process, others are measured as new recruits settle into their development training. Follow the links to find more information about fitness, eyesight and medical requirements, and the practical assessment day.
To ensure that all of our firefighters can achieve and maintain their operational competence, our ideal commitment is at least 40 hours of availability per week. Similarly, to allow everyone to maintain a work-life balance, we don’t encourage anyone to offer more than 120 hours of availability per week.