Training is your first step into the firefighter world. Once you’ve completed these courses you’ll be well on your way to becoming a fully competent firefighter.
If you're applying to become a wholetime firefighter, you'll complete these courses over a 12-week duration. For on-call firefighters, these courses will take place across the timeframe detailed next to each. You’ll be sent all the details of when the courses take place, but here’s what you can expect to do on each one.
Courses
Core skills training
14 days (on-call firefighters only)
This initial course will give you a baseline to be able to ride appliances. Before attending the initial course you will attend an induction day approximately two weeks prior to the course starting.
This course covers:
Initial core skills
- squad drilling
- words of command
- vehicle marshalling
- knots and lines
- safe working at height (you'll do another course on working in confined spaces at height at a later date)
- pitching of the various ladders used
- pumping using main and portable pumps (theoretical and practical)
- water safety and rescue awareness
Road traffic collision
- role of fire service at road traffic collisions
- SRS (supplementary restraint systems) identification and hazard management
- setting up organisation of the incident scene
- stabilisation of unsafe vehicles
- glass management
- various cutting techniques with both hand and hydraulic tools
- immobilisation and extrication of casualties.
Breathing apparatus training
10 days (on-call firefighters only)
This course covers:
- information about breathing apparatus and how to use
- how to use the breathing apparatus control board
- safe movement in heat and smoke
- casualty handling
- use of guidelines
- ventilation (PPV)
- fire chemistry
- branch techniques
- gas-tight suits.
Water safety training
You need to be confident in water to be a firefighter. You will be expected to complete a course in flowing open water as part of your firefighter development programme.
