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TSR Wiki > Careers > Career Options > Emergency Services

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Thanks to Springboard for the original content of this page, now updated by TSR users.

Contents 1 Emergency services 1.1 Opportunities available 1.2 Entry requirements 1.3 Future trends

Emergency services

This area includes and fire service, the police force and the ambulance service. These sectors are public, not out to make a profit and designed to help society run smoothly.

However, the image the media often portrays is very different. According to them, the police just want to make money from speed cameras, traffic wardens are all unsympathetic and obsessed with handing out parking tickets and all prisons are luxurious.

Because of this, the morale of some employees within the emergency services is said to be low. This could be to do with the negative stories but also perhaps with the changing working conditions (such as more paperwork for the police).

Opportunities available

Opportunities are available in all sectors, although some areas - such as the fire service - are really competitive.

The police have advertising campaigns every now and then but they are unlikely to want to recruit in huge numbers for a while because instead they are recruiting more community support officers (to tackle anti-social behaviour).

As well as the ’active’ jobs, some opportunities exist for office staff.

Entry requirements

Academic qualifications are not usually required (although you will often have to do written and practical tests). Voluntary work experience in the community, such as with the elderly or with children, is useful for most areas.

Future trends

The possibility of major disasters as a result of terrorism could have an impact on the work of the police and fire service. Increasing interest in human rights and the need for data protection could also have an impact on some sectors.

Other possible trends include the growth of private prisons and traffic wardens having greater powers of traffic control (this has started to happen).