On Call Firefighter

Based at: Clevedon, Chew Magna, Blagdon, Winscombe, Pill, Bath, Nailsea, Yatton, Paulton, Yate, Weston-S-Mare, Radstock, Thornbury & Portishead.

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full Cover (average of 120 hours a week) or Part Cover (84 hours per week)

Salary: Trainee rate: £12.41 per hour

Closing Date: Friday 2nd February 2024

An On-Call Firefighter is someone who responds to a range of incidents, ranging from emergency calls, working at open days, carrying out work with their local communities and acting as an ambassador for Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AFRS).

On-Call Firefighters come from all walks of life, including homemakers, shopkeepers, builders, farmers, office workers and directors of companies, together with people who are not currently employed.

Previous experience is not required as full training is provided throughout your career with AFRS.

An On-Call Firefighter could be called out two or three times a week, for a few hours at a time. You will also be expected to attend a drill night once a month for . The on-call hours are based around your availability and other commitments.

Eligibility

Becoming an On-Call Firefighter with Avon Fire & Rescue Service is a really valuable choice of career and one which will benefit both you and your community; however there are some criteria which we ask for:

• You must live and/or work within five minutes of your local On-Call Fire Station (situated in Bath, Blagdon, Chew Magna, Clevedon, Nailsea, Paulton, Pill, Portishead, Radstock, Thornbury, Weston-super-Mare, Winscombe, Yate, and Yatton).
• You must be aged 18 or over when Firefighter training starts.
• You must be physically fit, and have good upper body strength, hearing and eyesight.
• You must be offering the level of cover your local On-Call fire station requires.
• You must have GCSEs grade A-C (4-9) in Maths and English or equivalent or be prepared to undertake Maths and English tests as part of the selection process.

To apply:

Please visit our website https://yesyoucan.careers/on-call-firefighting/joining-us to find out more information and access our application form. Application forms should be sent to the HR Department at recruitment@avonfire.gov.uk.

If you require a paper copy please contact recruitment@avonfire.gov.uk

The selection process:

To make sure we find the best people for the job there are a number of stages to the selection process. You will be required to commit some time to attend each stage, and we appreciate this may involve booking time off work and re-arranging family commitments.

Stage 1: The application form

Completing your application form will take some time and, to assist you in deciding if it is the right job is for you, you are first asked to complete two pre-application checklists

• Checklist 1 will help you decide whether you are likely to enjoy working as a Firefighter, and
• Checklist 2 will determine if you are eligible to apply.

Your application will be assessed and, if you meet the required cover and distance criteria you will be invited to take part in the selection process.

Stage 2: The interview

You will be invited to attend your local On-Call fire station for an informal interview with the station management team, for approximately one hour, normally held on an evening. This will be an opportunity for the team to get to know you and further explain the role and expectations of an On-Call Firefighter; it will also be an opportunity for you to find out more about the life of an On-Call Firefighter and if you are likely to enjoy it.

Stage 3: The fitness test

If you are successful in the informal interview, you will be invited to take a fitness test (Chester Treadmill Test) to determine if you meet the minimum VO2 standard of 42; this will take approximately half an hour, however it is a 12 minute treadmill test. If you do not meet the standard at this stage and our Fitness Advisor feels you are able to improve your fitness levels, you will be provided with fitness guidance.

Stage 4: The online tests

You will be invited to take the full suite of online tests detailed below, which take approximately three hours. You will be provided with access to practice tests so that you may become familiar with the type of tests you will take.

• Working with numbers test - In this test you will be presented with a number of scenarios that include numerical information in a variety of formats, from graphs to gauges. For each scenario you will be asked multiple choice questions.
• Understanding information test - You will be presented with a number of scenarios, each followed by a number of multiple choice questions that you should answer using the information contained in the scenario.
• Situational judgement and behavioural - You will be presented with a number of scenarios and asked to select your most likely response from a series of answers.

If you can provide original evidence that you possess GCSEs level 9-4 (grade A-C) or equivalent, in Maths and English you will only be required to take the Situational Judgement and Behavioural Styles tests which will take approximately one hour.

Stage 5: The physical and strength tests

You will be invited to attend the practical physical tests which will be conducted in small group sessions by our training team. The tests, which take approximately three hours, will include

• Lateral pulldown test (upper body strength test).
• Barbell push test (upper body strength test).
• Ladder climb test.
• Casualty evacuation test.
• Enclosed space test.
• Equipment carry test.
• Equipment assembly test.

These tests replicate the type of tasks you would be expected to undertake on the training school and within the role of On-Call Firefighter. They are designed to test practical ability and the ability to follow instructions. More information is available on the Preparing for the physical tests page.

Stage 6: Medicals and Job offers

Those who pass the selection process and are chosen for the next training course will be sent a conditional job offer (subject to satisfactorily completing a full medical assessment, and satisfactory references, DBS and pre-employment checks). The medical assessment will take approximately two hours, and will include a further fitness test if necessary. Arrangements will then be made for you to attend a uniform fitting.

Please Note: You must be clean shaven to complete the uniform fitting and when on duty as an On-Call Firefighter.

Application forms can be found on: https://www.yesyoucan.careers/on-call-Firefighter/apply

Please refer to our website for further details

Avon Fire & Rescue Service is committed to securing equality of opportunity. We welcome applications from all members of our community who are currently under-represented at Avon Fire & Rescue Service, particularly women, Disabled people and members of Black & Minority Ethnic communities

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: From £12.41 per hour

Expected hours: 84 – 120 per week

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Night shift
• Weekend availability

Application question(s):

• Do you live within 5 minutes of Radstock or Paulton Fire Stations?

Education:

• GCSE or equivalent (required)

Work Location: In person