Getting Careers As A Firefighter And What To Plan Ahead For

If you are looking for some Career Ideas that can be worthwhile and unique, then why not think about joining the Fire and Rescue Service. If you are physically fit and up for a challenge, employment as a firefighter can be one of the most fulfilling Careers you could ever find. Up there with medical Careers and even police officers, these jobs rescue people’s lives and are essential for keeping the country safe and healthy. Firefighters are sometimes referred to as heroes, on occasions helping people from flaming buildings and vehicles, but no questions asked, this a very serious position and demands fast thinking and physical strength. Let’s go over a short outline of the application process for the job and how you can start New Careers in the fire service.

As talked about before, these Careers are by no means easy and the same applies to the application process. Most fire and rescue departments don’t ask for any formal qualifications, although earning some good GCSE scores and A level passes can be of use and there is a written test you will be required to pass. The most important concern these departments have, is your physical capabilities and health. To begin with you need to have excellent eye sight, without the use of glasses or contact lenses, sometimes if you have had corrective surgery this can be acceptable, but of course you would still have to be able to pass the checks. There are also some psychological tests to go through, but the major focus, is without question the physical tests.

There are various physical tests you will need to go through if you want to make the grade. These trials will see if these Career Ideas are suitable for you. There are 6 tests in total to finish this section, the initial trial being the ladder climb, this checks your ability to lengthen and ascend a 13.5 meter ladder wearing the compulsory protective equipment. Second is the casualty evacuation trial where you are asked to drag a 55kg casualty in reverse round a 30 meter course and you will be tested on picking up and lowering weights for the third test. The fourth test will be working in a narrow space with full breathing apparatus, parts of this assessment will be in clear vision and half will be in obscured vision. The fifth assessment is to ensure dexterity by assembling and disassembling a piece of gear and to complete the trials, the last exam is a collection of aerobic exercises to ensure you can cope with heavy equipment over distances.

As you can tell so far, getting into these New Careers is not an easy task and sadly, the examinations do not stop here. After going through the physical exams you will be put through a general medical check up to ensure you have the necessary lung capacity, fitness and health. Your hearing will also be tested at some point this process. It’s important that you get into shape before applying for these Careers. There are often more applicants than there are vacancies, firefighting jobs are really competitive. If you are triumphant however, you can look forward to an excellent future. Usually you would be working a 42 hour week and your opening pay can be around £17,000 growing up to about £21,000 with experience.

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