Following the wholetime firefighter recruitment process and a job offer, recruits will be invited to a 13–14-week intensive firefighter training course based at Severn Park Fire and Rescue Training Centre, Avonmouth.
The course – which is delivered by expert trainers from across Avon Fire & Rescue Service, Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service – will prepare you for the many roles that are expected of a wholetime firefighter. It will be hard work but with the steer and support of the trainers and your fellow recruits, it’s the exciting first step to a rewarding career in the fire and rescue service.
What can I except from the training course?
Training school is a residential course from Monday to Friday but it’s not mandatory to stay. You’re expected to start promptly at 08:00 each day and finish at 17:00. Whether you plan to stay or not, many recruits choose to participate in evening study sessions. Again, this isn’t mandatory but it’s a good way to work on your studies and build relationships with your peers.
As you will be joining a forward-facing public sector organisation, which is uniformed and disciplined, appearance and behaviour are important, and you will be taught at the beginning how to properly address your trainers and officers within the fire and rescue service.
The course will cover:
- Core training and general introductions
- Breathing Apparatus (BA) training
- Road Traffic Collision (RTC) training
- Trauma care with the Learning & Development Team
- Tactical ventilation training
- Prevention and protection training with the Children & Young People (CYP), Vulnerable Adults (VA) and Business Fire Safety (BFS) Teams
- Training on firefighting specialisms e.g., HAZMAT, mass decontamination and bariatric rescue
- Safe working at height training
- Input from the 999 Control Room
- Input from Weston College on apprenticeships
- Meeting teams from around Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS)
Towards the end of the course, you will be allocated your watch and fire station you’ll be working for.
Following completion of training school, you will celebrate your dedication, perseverance and hard work with your family and friends at a formal graduation ceremony.
Apprenticeship
As part of your training, you will be enrolled into a Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship which will take around two years to complete. Facilitated by Weston College, you will be expected to complete regular development skills assessments throughout the apprenticeship and pass an end point assessment day, usually hosted at Hicks Gate Fire Station, which will test your theoretical knowledge and practical skills. You will be expected to pass these assessments to progress from a firefighter in development to a competent firefighter.
Completing an apprenticeship alongside your daily duties as a firefighter will be demanding but your watch on station, course leaders at Weston College and AF&RS’s Learning & Development Team will be with you every step of the way in support.