Benefits of joining
The 10 benefits of becoming a firefighter
There are many benefits of becoming a firefighter and everyone has their own personal reasons for joining the Service. In this section we have tried to sum these up to give you a flavour of how varied and wide reaching these benefits are:
- Competitive salary.
- Huge variety.
- A career with genuine prospects for promotion.
- A job that is well respected by the communities it serves.
- An active job that keeps you physically fit and healthy.
- Top quality training in a variety of different skills.
- Flexible working patterns.
- A job you can be proud of. firefighters make a difference!
- An inclusive environment that welcomes people from any faith, ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation.
- Excellent pension scheme and additional benefits such as private healthcare.
Salary
The salary of a firefighter varies depending on the stage of their career.
A newly appointed firefighter starts as a Trainee and moves to Development
stage after the initial training course has been completed.
The basis of the approach is to tailor development to meet individual and organisational needs, so the progress of each individual must be considered in the context of these variables. It can, however, be reasonably expected that the majority of employees on any duty system should demonstrate competence within the following timescale:
Firefighter - Three years from entry to the service
Salaries are set by the National Joint Council (NJC) and as of 1st July 2008 were as follows:
Trainee - £20,896
Development - £21,766
Competent - £27,851
Holidays
Firefighters are entitled to annual leave and bank holiday leave. However the entitlement may vary for each Fire and Rescue Service depending on the shift pattern worked.
Hours of work
Firefighters work on average a 42-hour week. Opportunities exist for flexible working including job share and part time working.
Pension
The New firefighters Pension Scheme took effect from 6 April 2006. This is a final salary, contributory occupational pension scheme, which has many benefits. Any previous pensionable service, whether it is an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme, may be transferable into the New firefighters Pension Scheme.
Working environment
You can expect a lot of variety in your working life, the chance to work as part of a team and the status and satisfaction that comes from providing a valued service to the community. We recognise the benefits of assisting individuals to achieve a balance between home and working life and are committed to achieving a family-friendly working environment.
Equality and Diversity
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to promoting equality and valuing diversity. This means that we want to ensure that we provide fair and equal services to all of the people of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. In order to do this our workforce should better reflect the communities we serve. This is why we are keen to ensure that men and women from all backgrounds understand that a career at NFRS could be for them, that our doors are open and that wherever possible we will try and fulfil the needs of a diverse workforce. We are committed to engaging in lawful ‘Positive action’ initiatives in order to ensure that we attract diverse groups of people and so that these people can compete on a level playing field with others.
Training and Career Development Opportunities
Your career as a firefighter will begin with a comprehensive induction and training course. This will enable you to use equipment on fire appliances, carry out basic fire-fighting, deal with road traffic collisions and chemical spills and carry out work within the community to protect lives by raising awareness of fire safety. You will be required to study throughout the training course, which will include revision outside of core training hours.
The Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) has been developed nationally to match our regional expectations with a structured training path for all personnel, at every level. As part of your development you will have a regular appraisal meeting with your manager.
The appointment is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period. At the beginning of your probation you will need to satisfactorily complete the firefighter training programme. It will take approximately three years to complete the firefighters development plan in accordance with the Integrated Personal Development System Role Map, to become a Competent firefighter.
Training Facilities
Each Fire Service in the Region has a dedicated Training and Development Centre, which offers a variety of Fire Safety Training Services in order to ensure we meet the ever-changing processes and newly developed equipment into the Region.
