Breaking the stereotypes
Would you like to be part of a profession where you can put your life skills into action everyday? Where you’re part of a close, friendly team? Where the prospects are good for everyone? And where you can make a real difference? Why not start a new life – and save someone else’s.
Fire and Rescue Service is welcoming and inclusive. Whatever your background, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation you’ll be treated with equal respect. Perhaps that’s what makes the Fire and Rescue Service such an enjoyable and rewarding place to work.
The Fire and Rescue Service is welcoming and inclusive. Whatever your background, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation you’ll be treated with equal respect.” |
Our work is about making communities safer – protecting people from fire, and other hazards, in the most effective way possible. You might think our job is just about climbing ladders and putting out fires. Now it’s much more about being proactive and focusing on fire prevention. This kind of work requires a special mix of skills and talents:
Communicating – listening to our communities and spreading the fire safety message.
Understanding – and meeting the needs of our communities. Mention firefighting and most people think of the same old ‘firemen’ stereotypes. But look closely and you’ll see that there’s much more to the service than that.
Using initiative to spot potential risks and take steps to tackle them before they develop.
For example you could be working with construction companies and architects to design fire safety into new buildings. Or you could be talking to businesses and informing them of their responsibilities. Working with communities is one of the most rewarding elements of working in the Fire and Rescue Service. Every day you get to meet new people and face new challenges. It’s all of this work that makes being a firefighter one of the most respected jobs in the community.
 Working in the community is exciting and always varied – every day could bring something different: new people, new situations, new challenges. Here are just some of the ways you could be involved:
- Touring residential homes and flats and checking for smoke detectors, fire risks and working with residents to keep them as safe as possible.
- Visiting schools and teaching children how fires start, how to reduce the risk and what to do in an emergency.
- Going to community buildings such as youth clubs, churches, temples and mosques to discuss community safety issues.
- Advising the elderly about safety in their homes.
- Visiting businesses and conducting safety assessments of interiors and exteriors. This can also mean checking that businesses conduct regular fire evacuations, and that staff are prepared and know how to use fire extinguishers.
Working with industry particularly those that use chemicals or equipment that might be hazardous. Ensuring employees understand the risks and know what to do in the event of a fire.
In the Fire and Rescue Service we pride ourselves on being in close contact
with our communities and today’s ever-changing society” |
Anyone 18 or over can apply to become a firefighter. However, we are looking for very special people with special skills and abilities. Firefighters are women and men from all walks of life. Some come straight from school or college; others have university degrees, postgraduate qualifications, or may be trained at a particular profession. Everyone is given the right training and development, tailored for them in their specific role.
Much of the job involves working with the public. This means you need good communication skills whether you’re visiting peoples’ homes to provide fire advice, dealing with an emergency or organising a team. You need to be able to listen to people, empathise and make yourself understood. In some instances you may have to deal firmly, but politely, with people getting in the way of rescue work or at the scene of an emergency.
Firefighters don’t have to be big and burly. There are a range of activities within the Fire and Rescue Service for all different types of people. For some roles you may need good fitness levels.
You need composure and understanding to be a front-line firefighter. You may need to react quickly in a crisis, or communicate vital information with clarity. The public think ‘firemen’ and all the same old stereotypes just fall into place. As long as you can do the job, we want you.
Finally, you need to enjoy working as part of a team. Much of your job will involve working together which means being considerate, resourceful, innovative and decisive. At times you may need to accept directions, on other occasions you’ll be asked for your views and input.
The people
In the Fire and Rescue Service we pride ourselves on being in close contact with our communities and today’s ever-changing society. Maintaining this contact means having the right people; people who reflect the diverse make-up of the UK, people who can build relationships across communities, people with life experience, with ideas and initiative.
Perhaps you’re a recent graduate looking for an exciting challenge. Or you may have been working for many years in a profession such as teaching, medicine or law and are now looking for a change of direction. Why not consider moving to the Fire and Rescue Service?
Equal opportunities
The Fire and Rescue Service is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage diversity in every aspect of our work. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applicants from all sections of society irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religious belief, marital status or sexuality. |
© 2008 Women (Inernational Women's Month)|
