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Firefighters come in all ages, shapes and sizes. While you do have to be physically fit, good technique can really help. Through training, you’ll learn how to tackle physical tasks correctly and, above all safely. Your natural physical build could be your strength when it comes to certain situations, like being small and agile enough to manoeuvre in tight spaces. For more on our fitness requirements visit our Fitness tests page.
Only 8% of the role is responding to fires and other incidents. Most of your time is spent preventing emergencies through school visits, household visits and public building checks. When you do respond to an emergency, you’ll be trained to tackle it smartly and safely, never acting alone.
This is a career, not just a job, and you’ll never be stuck doing the same thing day after day. Not only can you progress with promotion, but you can diversify your role and become a specialist within the organisation in the following areas:
As a Trainee Firefighter you’ll earn a salary of £27,750 pa including London Weighting. Once fully qualified, your salary will increase to £37,032 p.a.
| Role | Salary |
|---|---|
| Trainee Firefighter | £27,750 |
| Firefighter (Development) | £28,861 |
| Firefighter (Competent) | £37,032 - £37,984 |
| Leading Firefighter | £40,416 - £41,369 |
| Sub Officer | £42,273 - £43,097 |
| Station Officer | £44,499 - £48,210 |
| Station Commander | £54,848 - £60,754 |
| Group Commander | £62,158 - £69,128 |
Firefighters also receive great benefits including a pension scheme, childcare support, interest-free loans, training opportunities and a flexible working arrangement.
Firefighting’s in favour of work-life balance. While you will need to work irregular shift patterns, you may find that it actually allows for more flexibility in your everyday life. This means there is lots of flexibility for additional employment or part time study.
The current shift system is based around 4 shifts (2 x 10.5 hour days and 2 x 13.5 hour nights) followed by 96 hours (four days) off duty.