NFCC direct entry scheme launches

by Featured News

The National Fire Chiefs Council Direct Entry Scheme has officially launched. The scheme is designed to enable those with proven leadership skills, from a variety of sectors, to apply for Station Manager roles without needing to have fire service experience or without needing to have taken the traditional firefighter promotional route.

The Fire Service College has partnered with the NFCC and early adopting Direct Entrant services to deliver the training programme. It marks the first time there has been a national, robust, and quality-assured direct entry programme and process.

The primary aim of the scheme is to provide a different route to entry into the role of Station Manager, alongside the more traditional firefighter route, that can play a valuable part in diversifying leadership in fire and rescue services.

A recruitment campaign launched on 3 April through the appointed recruitment experts at Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd. Those recruited to the roles will be expected to acquire, develop, and demonstrate skills and expertise in management and command functions, as set out for their role in the nationally agreed applicable role maps.

Seven fire and rescue services from across the UK have signed up to join the pioneering pilot to self-fund a direct entrant. Those services are East Sussex FRS, Staffordshire FRS, Oxfordshire FRS, Shropshire FRS, Avon FRS, Leicestershire FRS, and North Wales FRS.

“We hope that the scheme will draw new perspectives and experiences from the brightest and best who might not ordinarily have seen a career in the fire and rescue service as being open or attractive to them,” said Direct Entry Project Executive Rob Barber.

“Being a Fire Officer is a tough job at times, but it is a hugely rewarding one. I am excited to see who puts themselves forward for this fantastic opportunity.

“The response from services wishing to be “early adopters” has been encouraging and I am confident we will be able to offer a compelling proposition to candidates from across the whole of the UK.”

Dawn Whittaker, Direct Entry Project Executive commented: “Many of the leadership skills required to run a modern FRS are not dissimilar to those required in other sectors, with people, financial, partnership and commercial skills at the fore.

“By diversifying those in our more senior roles we can invest in the future of our sector, and those already involved in the scheme are doing just that.”

Direct Entry is just one of a number of projects being delivered by NFCC’s Leadership Programme, underpinned by the FRS Core Code of Ethics, supporting FRS staff to move through their careers at a pace that suits them. This includes a Coaching and Mentoring Portal, Talent Management Framework, as well as a Supervisory Leadership Development Programme. Further products to be launched include a Middle Leadership Programme, due to launch in April 2024.

Dubai Airports launches emergency services recruitment drive

by Breaking NewsTraining

Dubai Airports has launched a recruitment drive seeking ‘young, ambitious, and dynamic’ Emiratis to enrol in its state-of-the-art emergency services training programme to take up the role of frontline heroes at the world’s busiest international airport.

As part of a recruitment drive, Dubai Airports is actively seeking a new cohort of Emiratis to join its intensive training programme.

The programme comprises English-language training provided in partnership with the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), followed by an intensive firefighting training programme, provided through the International Fire Training Centre, Serco, at Dubai World Central (DWC) airport.

A path to professional experience

With many school graduates now looking for careers that offer more personal meaning and satisfaction, firefighting at one of the world’s leading aviation hubs offers a path to a different professional experience – one based on dedication and commitment that Dubai Airports said invokes a sense of honour that comes from public service for the good of the nation.

With one of the largest airport fire services departments in the world across two airports, a firefighting career with Dubai Airports will offer a variety of challenges and work experience.

The department is fully equipped with a fleet of top-class vehicles armed with the latest aircraft firefighting technologies and safety controls, domestic vehicles, a mobile incident command vehicle to monitor incidents, water tankers, as well as rescue stairs vehicles at each location.

‘An enormous sense of pride’

Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports, commented on the recruitment drive: “We are looking for young motivated, self-confident and driven Emiratis to help us protect the ‘Gateway to Dubai’. Young people today are attracted to careers where they can make a tangible difference to Dubai and its long-term development agenda.

“It gives me an enormous sense of pride to invite these young Emirati leaders to apply to become part of a world-class team that ensures the safety and well-being of millions of passengers who use our airports every year.”

UAE nationals can join the Dubai Airports’ fire services training programme via this link: https://careers.dubaiairports.ae/

Northern Ireland recruiting on-call firefighters across 46 stations

by Featured News

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is currently recruiting for On-Call Firefighters in 46 Fire Stations across Northern Ireland. 

On-Call Firefighters are part-time Firefighters who respond to emergency incidents in their local area, including fires, road traffic collisions and other specialist service calls. They also play a crucial role in providing safety advice to their local community.

NIFRS is recruiting people who live or work within 5 minutes of the following stations- Antrim, Ballycastle, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Ballynahinch, Ballywalter, Bangor, Belleek, Carnlough, Carrickfergus, Carryduff, Castlederg, Clogher, Coleraine, Comber, Cookstown, Crescent Link, Crossmaglen, Cushendall, Downpatrick, Dromore (Down), Dromore (Tyrone), Dungannon, Dungiven, Enniskillen, Fintona, Glengormley, Holywood, Irvinestown, Keady, Kilkeel, Kilrea, Larne, Lisburn, Lurgan, Maghera, Newcastle, Newtownhamilton, Newtownstewart, Omagh, Portadown, Portaferry, Portrush, Portstewart and Warrenpoint.

Brian Stanfield, Area Commander, NIFRS commented: “NIFRS simply could not operate without our On-Call Firefighters as they provide emergency fire and rescue services to their local communities 24/7. Being a Firefighter is an interesting and fulfilling role, allowing you to protect your local community.

“On-Call Firefighters must be able to quickly respond to emergencies by making their way to the Fire Station within 5 minutes when alerted by pager, where they will meet the rest of their crew.

“Local employers also have an extremely important role to play in the success of our On-Call Firefighter system by allowing their employees to become On-Call Firefighters.  Local employers who have On-Call Firefighters on their staff benefit by having someone on site who has developed a wide range of skills and experience. NIFRS greatly appreciates the support of local employers in helping provide the best possible fire and rescue service.

“On-Call Firefighters are paid a retaining fee, emergency call-out payments and a payment to attend a weekly drill night, which is 2 hours per week in the evening. Our On-Call Firefighters are trained to the highest standards and take part in 12 days training each year to ensure we have the most highly skilled Firefighters to help protect our local communities.”

Candidates can apply online and download application packs from the Current Vacancies page. NIFRS said it is currently under represented by women and applications from this group are particularly welcome.  Appointment will be made solely on merit. 

The closing date for applications is 12pm on Friday 10 February 2023.

IFSJ Exclusive: The next generation of fire engineers

by Breaking News

Katy Lowe, Director of fire engineering recruitment agency KL Connections talks about attracting talent to an underserved sector

Fire engineering is a profession in high demand, and yet the number of people being trained and brought into the sector is diminishing. We sat down with Katie Lowe, Director of fire engineering recruitment agency, KL Connections, to talk about attracting talent to an underserved sector, the shortage of talent for fire engineering positions, and what we can do to attract more people to what is going to be an increasingly demanding role.

What exactly is a fire engineer?

Fire engineering encompasses a broad spectrum of jobs. I work predominantly in recruitment for the building safety side, but it goes right across the industry through infrastructure, transportation, sports stadia and beyond. Basically, a fire engineers mission is to make sure that all the fire safety measures are in place. They ensure that buildings are designed to be safe and will assess hazards and minimise the risk of fires. They will also provide advice on buildings, including new build, refurbished and heritage.

There are many different facets to it – fire protection, fire safety, fire training, fire assessment and fire engineering. The fire engineers I work with assist architects and surveyors to ensure building codes are being met. 

Why is there a shortage of fire engineers?

If I’m brutally honest, it’s because it is still not a recognised enough discipline. We are getting there and since Grenfell, it is a position that has come to the forefront and the change in building legislations has caused a massive increase in demand of engineers, but there’s just not enough professionals to go around. There’s so much work and not enough people.  I know there is also a lot of concern around competency in the industry. 

What are the main barriers that are worsening the shortage?

As I said, there are just not enough engineers, and people don’t think that it’s paid enough for the huge responsibility that is involved. I do agree with that, but it’s difficult to keep it in line because you’ve got the independent fire consultancies that can pay more.

The industry can only train and develop a certain number of engineers each year, but the market size is increasing at a much faster rate than the industry can recruit, train and develop! 

What is being done to recruit more people to the industry?

I’ve had some flippant chats with some of the guys saying ‘we need to go into primary schools’ and start telling them about fire engineering – and you know, why not? They get visits from a whole range of public sector representatives, so why not fire engineers?

It’s still a job that I don’t think a lot of people know actually exists, For instance, the running of the undergraduate course at Leeds University was stopped due to lack of uptake!   We need to communicate to people that this is a career that is much needed, there is only going to be a greater demand for it in the future, as safety regulations change and evolve. This is the kind of job that can be exciting and challenging and should be SHOUTED about.

There’s a Women in Fire Safety Forum that’s been set up on LinkedIn and it’s amazing. Last year there were 100 members and this year there are now 800!  I think more people are going on LinkedIn – its a big platform for professionals.

How can we attract new talent to the industry?

From my perspective, I think apprenticeships really are the way forward. Getting people on board early, starting off as an undergraduate and working their way up – that would open the door and make a big difference.

I’ve looked at candidates from different engineering backgrounds, such as mechanical, aeronautical, chemical, also building control, and upskilling them, getting them to transfer across and extending their knowledge. It does happen, but not as much as I’d like it to.  This is a short-term fix though as it can take 3-5 years to be truly useful to a consultancy and working on their own. 

Long term we need to be going into schools, looking at apprenticeships, and recognising them as much as we do degrees. I know already some of the consultancies are starting to do this and have created their own apprenticeship schemes, and training them up, and it’s working really well – It would be fantastic if everyone could try this.

Finally, you won the award for Recruiter of the Year at the Women in Fire awards – how did that come about? How did it feel?

I was absolutely elated and humbled by it. I have been working in fire engineering recruitment for 16 years now.  I fell into it by accident – I used to work in law recruitment in London before I moved down to Tunbridge Wells, and came across an agency that was doing fire engineering. It took me a while to get to grips with it, probably 6 months as it’s a very broad sector but, I have never looked back.

I really enjoy working for the industry as a whole, everyone is dedicated and wants to make a difference.  I just try and help as many people as possible.  I was really shocked to receive the award, but it was a fantastic accolade to have that recognition after a long time and makes it all so worthwhile.

This article was originally published in the January edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to recruit more firefighters

by Featured News

Over 50 new firefighter positions have been created across West Yorkshire to help meet the demand for the service as, for the first time since the 1970s, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is now recruiting to increase its firefighter headcount, Telegraph & Argus reported.

Firefighter numbers in the region have fallen over last 12 years from 1,490 to 900 as a result of not replacing firefighters as they retired or left, consequently placing pressure on the staffing and flexibility of service delivery. The £1.5 million investment is a result of the increase in the council tax precept last year.

A total of 56 operational posts will be allocated across all 14 of the county’s single-pump fire stations within weeks.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said: “Having the ability to increase our numbers like this is a great position to be in. While of course it is not going to take us back to the numbers we had over 10 years ago, it is a significant step in the right direction.

“We have suffered more than any other fire service nationally in terms of the impact of the austerity measures, as we have taken more of a hit in terms of budget cuts and the impact then on staffing numbers.

“While it is never ideal to be in such a position, it presented us with an opportunity to look at what we wanted to achieve as a service and to make us fit for the future.

“Having these new firefighters will enable us to have more boots on the ground at stations where they are most needed, which will free up crews for training for these new challenges so we can continue to keep people safe in years to come.”

Number of firefighters in US drops 4%

by Breaking News

According to the new US Fire Department Profile report from NFPA, there were approximately 1,041,200 career and volunteer firefighters in the US in 2020.  

Each year, NFPA® provides an overview of fire departments in the United States with analysis including firefighters, fire departments, apparatus, and stations. The results are based on data collected by two NFPA annual surveys, the US fire experience survey, and the fire service inventory survey.

This total is down 4 percent from the previous year and is the lowest total since 1991.  A decrease of volunteer firefighters played a role in this trend. 

There were 364,300 career firefighters in 2020, representing an increase of 2 percent from the previous year. In addition, there were 676,900 volunteer firefighters, a decrease of 6 percent from the previous year, and the lowest number of volunteer firefighters reported over the years.

In 2020 there were 89,600 female firefighters—17,200 career and 72,400 volunteer.

There are an estimated 29,452 fire departments in the United States, with the majority (82%) of the fire departments being all or mostly volunteer. These are the departments that protected almost one third of the US population.  Fire departments categorized as all-career or mostly career represent one-sixth (18%) of all the fire departments in the US and protect more than two-thirds of the US population.

The estimates of the number of apparatus and fire stations in the US during 2018–2020 indicate that there were 68,800 pumpers; 7,400 aerial apparatuses; 76,300 other suppression vehicles (e.g., pumpers less than 1,000 gpm, brush vehicles, tankers); 48,800 other vehicles (e.g., rescue, lighting, and ambulance vehicles); and 54,600 stations.

Nationwide, 37 percent of fire departments provided no emergency medical services, 46 percent provided basic life support (BLS), and 17 percent provided advanced life support (ALS).

Read the report in full here.

Tasmania opens applications for firefighter roles

by Featured News

Applications are now open for firefighter roles in the Burnie and Devonport Brigades in Tasmania, which will continue to build on the team of professional and skilled firefighters in the island state’s North-West.

Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, said that the Tasmanian Government is committed to supporting our firefighters, who work hard to keep Tasmanians safe.

He said: “The North-West is an incredible place to live, work and raise a family, offering beautiful landscapes, friendly communities and a relaxed lifestyle.

“Working in the Burnie or Devonport Brigades means you will work closely with a great team of firefighters who are trusted by their local communities. Firefighting is an honourable career which contributes immeasurably to community safety and working in Tasmania’s regions provides broad experience. I encourage everyone interested in joining the Tasmania Fire Service to apply.”

The Tasmania Fire Service is also encouraging applicants from other career fire agencies to join through a lateral entry program from April 2023. Following extensive training to learn the skills of firefighting, these roles will be onboarded into the Tasmania Fire Service in early 2023.

For those interested in a career in firefighting, the new website is available at https://recruitment.fire.tas.gov.au/.

Scottish Fire Service launches recruitment drive for Operations Control staff

by Featured News

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has launched a national recruitment drive for Operations Control staff to help protect Scotland’s communities.

Firefighter Control is the first point of contact for members of the public when dialling 999 to report an emergency. Based across three sites in Dundee, Edinburgh and Johnstone, Firefighter Control staff will ensure that emergency incidents across Scotland are dealt with effectively and efficiently.

Applicants for the role of Firefighter Control must be aged 18 or over, with the ability to work rotating shifts. Successful applicants will join fellow Operations Control staff during a 14 week training period – learning how to co-ordinate emergency fire and rescue response.

Trainees will also learn how to give potentially life-saving advice, providing fire survival guidance to people who are trapped by smoke or fire.

Group Commander Marie Clare Coyle, said: “Our nationwide team of Firefighter Control staff provide a vital and rewarding service to Scotland’s communities.

“We deal with a range of calls from house fires and road traffic collisions, to major incidents and severe weather-related flooding, keeping people calm in times of distress and concentrating resources where they’re most required.

“It is undoubtedly a challenging but hugely rewarding career and our committed instructors will work to ensure everyone is fully supported and guided through their training.

“Upon completion of their training, all Firefighter Control staff will be prepared and capable of handling emergencies of any scale.

“I would encourage anyone who is able to demonstrate valuable skills such as teamwork, communication and problem solving in pressurised situations to apply.”

Group Commander Coyle, who has worked for the service for 23 years and now leads OC Personnel Support, added: “We’re looking for people who have a willingness to learn, a strong team ethic and a real ability to motivate others and form relationships to take up these roles on Scotland’s unseen frontline.”

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recruits in the north

by Featured News

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is currently recruiting for wholetime firefighters in the north of Scotland. Firefighter recruitment across Scotland recently moved to a year-round approach and based on local area needs.

Applicants are advised that they should only apply for the area in which they want to work. Applicants for the wholetime role must be aged 18 years old or over, meet the required medical and physical fitness standards and be able to demonstrate valuable skills such as teamwork, communication and problem solving in pressurised situations. SFRS said only first applications will be taken forwards so applicants are asked not to submit multiple applications.

Successful applicants will undergo a three-month intensive trainee programme, during which they will learn how to tackle fires in homes and businesses, rescue casualties and render first aid, attend road traffic collisions, and work safely at heights.

They will also be expected to learn how to prevent fires and harm by identifying risks and working with partners to share practical safety advice with communities to ensure they stay safe.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Stephen Wood, who leads service delivery in the north of Scotland, said: “Our Firefighters sit at the heart of Scotland’s communities and work in a challenging yet extremely rewarding role.

“As well as responding to a whole range of emergencies that may include fires, road traffic collisions, flooding and other natural disasters, our firefighters have an equally important role within the area of community safety.

“I would encourage anyone considering this varied and rewarding career path to apply.

“The north of Scotland is also such a fantastic place to live and work and I would urge those who are interested to embrace this exciting opportunity.

“We’re looking for motivated, driven and dedicated individuals who want to make a positive impact in our communities.

“If you have the commitment, the fitness, the enthusiasm and the drive to work as part of a team to make communities safer and save lives, we want you to apply.”

Register for job alerts and apply for the role at: https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/emergency-services/scottish-fire-and-rescue-service/jobs