fire fighter

[cymraeg]

Hi all, looking at joining as a firefighter and just wondering if anyone can offer up any info on the daily life so to speak as a firefighter and also even tho they take up to age 35 would you consider it as a career choice at uif age of 30 , married and with a young Sprog? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Stay safe

 

[Downsizer]

What do you do now? Remember you will be joining the bottom of an organisation and treated like a child for a while. Can you cope with that? All that said, your maturity should push you to the top of your peer group quickly if you have any nouse....

 

[cymraeg]

What do you do now? Remember you will be joining the bottom of an organisation and treated like a child for a while. Can you cope with that? All that said, your maturity should push you to the top of your peer group quickly if you have any nouse....

THanks for the reply, currently a security manager for a high profile client before that spent nine years with the army

 

[222]

We are recruiting heavily at the moment. This is because of a high PVR rate (people applying to leave) mainly due to two things turnaround time and manning issues.

Turnaround time between deployments is very quick, some SACs are only getting 10-12 months back in the UK. We are even sending some LACs on deployments to try and ease the burden. When back in the UK the hours are long and there is little to no scope for AT/Sports/FD etc...

All that said the latest bunch of guys out of training have a good attitude, there is good promotion prospects (one of the benefits of a high PVR rate) and hopefully with the big recruitment drive and drawdowns looming on the horizon things may (only may) ease off a little in the future.

We do have older guys joining and previous army ex will help. I know some that have been Cpls in less than three years because of it. If you can take the rough with the smooth and its something you really want to do you'll not find a better job but if you don't fancy the long hours and constant deployments you'll likely hate it and will join the many PVRs. Why did you leave the Army? If its because of any of the reasons above I would warn against.

 

[cymraeg]

222 thanks for the honest reply, left the army as my son was due to be born and felt like the right idea at the time but turns out miss the life style , social , and hate dealing with back stabbing civies on a daily basis. The role really interests me as it sounds quite a physical one with emphasis on fitness etc.

Incidentally do you know how long the course at marston is and how long it takes to get loaded on after halton ? Sorry about all the questions but trying to aim off financially for when I'm in training if I get that far.

Cheers in advance

 

[222]

You'll definitely have the lifestyle you're looking for. We probably have some of the best camaraderie in the RAF (some will be along to say that we're a bunch of self loving prima donnas in their own click... stand by...) but we generally do have a laugh and stick together. You will have to take a lot of stick about volleyball etc... (See above) But we give as good as we get and it's all good fun!! Haha

It was some time ago that did Halton/Manston and I went straight from phase one to phase two training, I think they try and time your intake to coincide with phase two training so you shouldn't be 'holding' for too long. Firefighter training is 19 weeks. 16 are basic firefighting,crash, domestic etc... The other three weeks are force development and adventure training etc...

The basic fire course is physically tough and you'll be fit at the end of it but its not beyond anyone you is in reasonable shape. For the most part we're quite fit and all the fire sections have their own gyms, some better than others and theirs always time on shift for phys! We do have our share of fat, lazy and lame though. A big difference you'll notice from the army is the onus is on you as an individual to maintain your fitness.

I'm not in instructing or in recruiting so anything I say may be out if date or subject to change but speaking to lads that have come through in the last 12 months that's the general just of it.

 

[222]

Forgive the obvious spelling mistakes, on my phone.

 

[cymraeg]

222 once again thank for your answers, sounds just the ticket. And always prefered doing my own phys anyway.