London Fire Brigade Recruitment.
The procedure for London Fire Brigade recruitment is no different than any other Fire Service. The application, recruitment, and testing stages are all a national standard. London Fire Brigade is obviously a much larger Fire Service due to the nature of the capital city and the density of its diverse population, indeed, it is the largest brigade in the UK.
The last recruitment campaign for the London Fire Brigade was in October 2008 and it is not known at the time of writing when the next will be. The best way to find out is to check their website on a daily basis and wait until they announce when their next application will be made available.
London Fire Brigade recruitment consists of six stages:
Initial application: You will make an initial application including your personal and contact details , qualifications, drivers licence details, previous employment etc. At this stage you will be also asked about any unspent criminal convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. (To find out more visit my website link below.) The application also asks you about your previous experiences that relate to the Personal Qualities and Attribute or PQA’s. Those applicants that meet the requirements will go on to the next stage. For help with this stage visit my website where there is a great deal of information on passing all the stages.
Written tests: Those applicants who have passed the first stage will undertake a series of four written assessments relating to your ability to use information. They are:-
Learning Information.
You are presented short briefings by means of a video. You then have multiple choice questions relating to the content of the briefings to see how much you have learned and remembered.
Understanding Information provided.
You are given a series of short written text passages to read and you are assessed on your understanding of the material through multiple choice questions.
Using numbers.
Although no specialist knowledge is required to complete this numerical test it does relate to role specific tasks in which you would use numbers. An example would be when making calculations with Breathing Apparatus ( BA). The test judges your ability to undertake numerical calculations.
Observation test.
You will be played a video and tested on your ability to identify the key information from all the information given. You are assessed again by multiple choice questions in your ability to identify what information was key.
Fire Brigade Interview.
In the interview which lasts for about an hour you will be posed questions by highly trained interviewers in relation to your skills, knowledge, and Attributes (PQA’s) to determine your ability to carry out the role of a Fire Fighter in the London Fire Brigade. Many people fail far before this stage so if you have got this far it is worth preparing extremely well for the interview. On my website there is a whole host of advice and tips for this stage.
Physical tests.
There are six physical tests to be undertaken which determine your ability to follow instructions, your fitness, and your confidence. Far more information is available on my website, however, the tests are:-
Ladder climb.
Casualty evacuation.
Ladder lift.
Enclosed space claustrophobia test.
Equipment assembly manual dexterity test.
Equipment carry.
Medical checks
You will complete a detailed medical history questionnaire and be examined by a Doctor and Nurse before being put through a series of medical tests. Your medical records will have been obtained from your GP.
References
The Brigade will want details of your previous work/study history for the previous three years. |
