To ask if any of you are Firefighters?

[BadgertheBodger]

It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while as I’m completely over my former sales role and want a proper challenge.

If anyone can tell me a bit more about the day to day job that would be very much appreciated - do you find it fits ok with family life? I’m a bit concerned as DH works shifts but we’ve got lots of family close by who will help with DS if needs be.

Also...is it very difficult to achieve the required fitness? I’m wondering if I start now (from pretty poor fitness) for the March 2020 intake do you think it’s doable? Is there anything you can recommend I do to prepare?

Any info very gratefully received!

My brother is a reserve fireman, he loves the job and finds it very fulfilling. However, from what I understand it is very difficult to get into the service full-time (although this MAY vary slightly depending on where you live). For example, he is 23, absolutely built (gyming it 5 times a week, doing kick boxing etc), did a uniformed services NVQ at college and has been in reserve for 3 or more years now, so is plenty experienced. However, he has been unable to get a full time, pensioned position despute applying several times, as they prefer to keep most employees "on a bit of string" as my mum calls it. So he has to dovetail in two jobs. I would say the work he does wouldn't be what I would want to do to fit in with family life - he is on call most holidays as these are times more people are likely to have fires. He is often on call all night. If the buzzer goes off he has to be up, out and at the station within i think it's five minutes, which used to wake my parents up when he lived with them. Also needing to be that close to the station severely limits where he abd his gf can live. On the flip side, if he doesn't get a call out, he gets paid a retainer to sit at home and do his OU degree. I guess this could work out nicely for family life as could catch up with chores / spend time with the family.

Btw the fitness training he had to pass sounded quite gruelling to me, not something I would manage as a moderately healthy 29 year old who gyms once or twice a week, but could be a very motivating goal to get in better shape if that's what you want - certainly it wouldn't be unachieveable for the average person, if they put the effort in.

Start gymming it now, and explain to the gym what you want. They'll help.

It's not just fitness they want, it's wanting to help people, to be able to follow procedure, and yes, to go into that burning building.

Could you cope with RTAs? Are you squeamish at all? Could you cope with gangs of kids who've deliberately set a car on fire to get firefighters over and chuck stones at them? People do this shit.

Not an active firefighter but, in general, you'd start at 8am and finish at 6pm during the day, and 6pm through to 8am on nights. You'd do 2 days day shift and 2 days night shift then 4 days off. The higher up the chain you go, you'd end up doing 2 24 hours shifts and be on call as well.

My friend is a firefighter FT shifts
There are physical & written exams
You need to want the job 1000 percent
Sometimes covers other fire stations, not their normal area if required

Thanks all

My fitness used to be good but has gone down the pan since I had DS, however I’m reasonably confident I could get it back with some effort. Working with a trainer is a great idea thanks Wildthyme

I do love the sound of the it. I realise that’s nothing like the reality but it’s been tumbling around in my head for a few years now and it’s the only thing I keep coming back to. I’m not squeamish but yes hadn’t thought about people being dicks. Same with any emergency service isn’t it, I’ve got a paramedic friend and SIL is an A&E nurse so the myriad ways people can be dicks probably won’t shock me but I’ve never been on the receiving end so who knows.

I am 100% that I want to do something that helps people but it’s a big thing to make a leap to! Thanks for giving me some food for thought. I’ve just seen that my local service has some recruitment open days planned so I’ll get to one of those as well and ask lots of questions.