Firefighter (Control) - Selection Information 2 Contents Contents ................................................................................................. 3 A Career with the Fire and Rescue Service ............................................ 4 Firefighter (Control) Selection Process ................................................... 9 Responsibilities of a Firefighter ............................................................. 12 Fire and Rescue Service Core Values .................................................. 15 Main Conditions of Service ................................................................... 17 Equal Opportunities .............................................................................. 20 Positive Action ...................................................................................... 20 Locations of Fire Stations in Bedfordshire ............................................. 22 Frequently Asked Recruitment Questions ............................................. 23 Is the role for you? ................................................................................ 26 3 A Career with the Fire and Rescue Service Introduction Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service can offer you a satisfying and varied career. The aim of this information booklet is to give you a better insight into what our work involves. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is 1 of 46 separate Fire Services in England and Wales and is run under the command of the Chief Fire Officer. Bedfordshire is served by a total of 14 Fire Stations of which five are crewed by Wholetime (full-time) firefighters and one station is day crewed. The Service also operates an On-call Duty System (RDS) which covers eleven stations (two of these are on Wholetime stations and one on the day crewed station). Our Firefighters, both Operational and Control, are both men and women representing the communities they live and/or work within. There are benefits in having personnel who reflect all aspects of our local communities. The benefits are removing barriers; truly representative; cultural improvements; employer of choice to name a few. These are drawn from all the different cultures within Bedfordshire and we would welcome applicants from these under-represented groups such as BAME and females. Like many organisations, the Fire and Rescue Service draws those considered suitable for promotion to senior management positions from its existing employees and ensures that it has people with a wide range of skills from which to select. There are, therefore, opportunities for career progression. 4 Version: July 2018 Service Control Service Control acts as the primary communications hub for the Fire and Rescue Service, receiving information and taking appropriate action in order to facilitate a successful conclusion to events. When a member of the public dials 999 a telephone exchange operator will connect them to Service Control at Headquarters in Kempston. A Firefighter (Control) answers the emergency call and mobilises fire service resources. They ask a number of questions to determine the location and nature of the emergency, entering this information into a bespoke computer system in order to establish the location of the nearest fire appliances. The Firefighter (Control) is trained in the use of specialised emergency call handling techniques in order to support and protect callers in potentially life threatening situations. They will identify risks to a caller’s safety and advise on immediate actions whilst awaiting the arrival of fire crews. Service Control is crewed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and as such, each member of the team must be prepared to work days and nights, weekends, and on public holidays. What to expect from the role On reporting for duty, a roll call is taken and duties allocated to personnel for that shift. Following this, there is a short handover period with those going off duty where all relevant information is passed on, such as a brief of any incidents in progress, crewing deficiencies etc. 5 Version: July 2018 During the shift a variety of duties are performed, including: • Answering emergency calls. • Mobilising Fire Service assets. • Transmitting and receiving messages via the radio. • Ensuring the correct availability of officers and appliances is shown. • Informing other emergency services and utility companies where required. • Monitoring incidents from start to finish. • Maintaining accurate incident logs. • Completing computerised statistics after each incident to draw reports from. • Carrying out other administrative duties. Training is carried out to develop skills and to keep up-to-date with policies and procedures. Although some of the work is routine, no two days are the same. The role is varied, challenging and rewarding. What qualities & skills are required for the job? A Firefighter (Control) must have excellent listening skills, especially for taking emergency calls. Developed oral and written communication skills are essential. Team working is critical, and the ability to make quick decisions, whilst working under pressure is also essential. Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for full details. Please note that the role of Firefighter (Control) does not carry out Firefighting duties and does not provide a career path into the role of Wholetime or On-Call Firefighter. The position is based in the Service Control at Headquarters in Kempston. 6 Version: July 2018 The First Phase of Your Career If you are selected to join Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, all new trainees will receive foundation training, consisting of technical, practical and theoretical work. The initial training will consist of formal training and time spent learning and working with existing Control Operators. Having completed the foundation training you will be required to start operational duties in the role of Firefighter (Control), where you will be a responsible member of a well organised team (watch). You will commence your development phase following the successful completion of the foundation training. Everyone has their own personal development programme and regular progress reviews. Training is provided to meet development needs and evidence will need to be collected and assessed to maintain competence in the role. Training Throughout Your Career The Fire and Rescue Service offers continuous in-house training to support people reaching their potential and to ensure that you are kept up-to-date with the latest developments and techniques. There may also be a requirement to attend courses at various locations to progress your learning journey. 7 Version: July 2018 Promotion and Longer Term Career Prospects There are opportunities for career development within the Fire and Rescue Service. Once you have completed your development programme you will be given opportunities to take on extra responsibilities, these opportunities are often in the form of project work and watch based responsibilities. Within Bedfordshire, career progression for Control personnel occurs as follows: FIREFIGHTER (Control) Crew Manager (Control) Watch Manager (Control) Station Manager (Control) 8 Version: July 2018 Firefighter (Control) Selection Process Throughout the recruitment and selection process correspondence will be via letter and email. The recruitment and selection process consists of four stages which are progressive therefore applicants must be successful at each stage to progress on to the next. If you are unsuccessful at any stage your application will not be continued. Please review the candidate timeline document available separately on the website for key dates. The five stages are as follows: Stage One Application Applicants are asked to complete a standardised application form which contains applicant’s personal details. It gives applicants the opportunity to evidence how you would meet the personal specification for the role of a Firefighter (Control) Applicants must fully complete all sections before submitting their application. They should ensure that they have listed all the qualifications that they wish to be considered providing full details e.g. Maths, GCSE, Grade C, June 1997, Mark Rutherford Upper School, Bedford not 10 GCSE’s A-C. This also includes providing copies of the qualifications that have been listed in the application. Failure to do so may prevent your application from being progressed. Stage Two Assessment day Applicants successful at the application stage will be invited to attend an assessment day at Service Control. The assessment day will involve a number of individual and group exercises to test your ability to meeting the requirements of the job. Tests will include: Group / teamwork exercise 9 Version: July 2018 Typing test Call handling simulation test ICT test There is a minimum standard to be attained. Only the highest performing candidates will be invited to the next stage. Stage Three Interview Top performing candidates from stages one and two will be invited to attend a formal interview. Applicants will undertake a structured Interview based on the Firefighter (Control) Job Description and Person Specification. The interview will last for approximately one hour. Information from the Equality Monitoring Section will not be provided to the Interview Panel. Stage Four Pre-Employment Clearances Medical You will be invited to attend a medical appointment with the Service Medical Adviser and Occupational Health Advisor. References, Qualifications, Disclosure & Barring