Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
When being fit and able isn’t enough
SOMETIMES you wonder why anyone would want to do that job.
When everyone else is trying to escape from something, they have to walk in.
They put themselves in danger, they have to deal with the grim and the dire and, when they’re not actually out at an incident, the training is tough and relentless.
The Fire Service is extremely selective in terms of recruitment. Simply being fit and able isn’t enough.
Firefighter Jon Ireland, 36, hails from Kirkton and has been in the job 10 years after initially working as a store manager.
“You apply online and have to pass a psychometric test,” he explains.
“If you’re selected, there’s a practical training day with physical tests, using ladders and other pieces of equipment.
“If you’re successful you go forward for a 14 week training course.”
Obviously, firefighters don’t just sit around waiting for a fire or a crash to happen.
“Training never ends,” said Jon. “Whether it’s a simulated incident or a classroom-based exercise or a training package delivered online we’re always working to develop and strengthen our skills.
“Also, we do a huge amount with the wider community.
“We do home safety visits, multi-storey fire inspections, hydrant checks, the list is endless.”
Within the crew of an appliance, every firefighter has to know the equipment, the role and the responsibility of his or her post intimately.
And the tasks a firefighter may have to undertake are ever-expanding — urban rescue, part of a rope or water team, be able to work as part of a hazardous materials decontamination squad and so on.
“You must have complete trust in the rest of the team,” said Jon.
“Everyone always says teamwork is important but if you’re going into a burning building it’s critical.”
Firefighters put a shift in. They work two days followed by two nights. The day shift is 8am-6pm and a night is 6pm-8am, so that’s two days of 10 hours, two of 14 hours, then four days off.
The probation period is three years and you get a thorough physical/medical check-up every three years.
Fitness is expected to be maintained, and the gruelling mix of responding to incidents and training is going to help in that regard. Not everyone makes the grade.