Striving For Jobs As A Firefighter And What To Prepare For
If you are hunting for some Career Ideas that can be worthwhile and unique, then why not contemplate joining the Fire and Rescue Service. If you are physically healthy and up for a challenge, employment as a firefighter can be one of the most satisfying Careers you could ever find. Up there with medical Careers and occasionally police officers, these jobs save people’s lives and are crucial for keeping the country safe and in good health. Firefighters are occasionally referred to as heroes, on occasions rescuing people from flaming buildings and vehicles, but no questions asked, this a very serious role and needs fast thinking and physical strength. Let’s go over a brief outline of the application procedures for the role and how you can start New Careers in the fire service.
As talked about previously, these Careers are by no means easy and the same can be said for the application course. Most fire and rescue departments don’t request any formal qualifications, although possessing 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 start you need to have excellent eye sight, without the need for glasses or contact lenses, occasionally if you have had corrective surgery this can be suitable, but certainly you would still need to be able to pass the examiniations. There are also some psychological examinations to complete, but the main focus, is of course the physical tests.
There are many physical checks you will need to go through in order to make the grade. These tests will see if these Career Ideas are right for you. There are 6 trials in total to pass this section, the initial trial being the ladder climb, this tests your ability to assemble and ascend a 13.5 meter ladder wearing the required protective kit. Second is the casualty evacuation trial where you have to drag a 55kg casualty backwards round a 30 meter course and you will be tested on picking up and lowering weights for the third check. The fourth test will be operating in a tight area with full breathing equipment, parts of this check will be in clear sight and half will be in obscured vision. The fifth assessment is to ensure dexterity by piecing together and disassembling a piece of gear and to finish, the last test is a variety of aerobic exercises to make sure you can cope with heavy equipment over distances.
As you have probably noticed so far, getting into these New Careers is not an easy task and sadly, the examinations do not finish here. After completing the physical tests you will be put through a basic medical check up to make sure you have sufficient lung capacity, fitness and health. Your hearing will also be tested through this process. It’s important that you get into shape before applying for these Careers. There usually are more applicants than there are positions, firefighting jobs are very competitive. If you are successful though, you can look forward to a rewarding future. Often you would be working a 42 hour week and your initial pay can be around £17,000 growing up to about £21,000 with experience.
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