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Hi, thought I would write this as when I was looking at joining the raf fire service I looked on here. Unfortunately I never saw anything about the job when u have got in nd passed Halton and Manston. I am currently two years into my career as a firefighter. The job is mostly admin work nd training, sorry but u dnt get fires or planes crashing Its mostly false alarms. To give u a idea of a normal day shift u check the appliance nd equipment then do whatever jobs are on tht day, its mostly weekly vehicle tests, fire extinguisher maintenance and adim for all of tht. Its lots of form filling on the computer. Mostly we have to train to keep our skills up crash exercises and domestic exercise. If u want to play sports you will struggle to get time to do it unless u play tht sport at a high level. Education wise u have to be in 4 years before u can apply for uni courses. U have access to a levels through education on station. As a SAC u will not be able to do fire safety courses, the chance to easily move to civil service when u leave is not likely from all of the people I have worked with and who have left.
Hope this is useful, feel free to ask any other questions you may have nd will try to answer them
Hope this is useful, feel free to ask any other questions you may have nd will try to answer them
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#2
This is much appreciated thanks for sharing this.
I’ve just passed my selection interview and have a couple more questions about the trade if thats alright?
What are the shift patterns like?
What is the pay progression?
Do you enjoy the job as a whole?
Again thanks for sharing!
I’ve just passed my selection interview and have a couple more questions about the trade if thats alright?
What are the shift patterns like?
What is the pay progression?
Do you enjoy the job as a whole?
Again thanks for sharing!
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(Original post by QuidsIn)
This is much appreciated thanks for sharing this.
I’ve just passed my selection interview and have a couple more questions about the trade if thats alright?
What are the shift patterns like?
What is the pay progression?
Do you enjoy the job as a whole?
Again thanks for sharing!
This is much appreciated thanks for sharing this.
I’ve just passed my selection interview and have a couple more questions about the trade if thats alright?
What are the shift patterns like?
What is the pay progression?
Do you enjoy the job as a whole?
Again thanks for sharing!
No worries happy to help, shift pattern depends on where u are posted for example most stations are now on 2 day 24hr 2nights 4 days off. At RAF Coningsby its 7 on 3 off and 7 on 4 off.
And at RAF Lossiemouth its 4 on 4 off.
Pay progression is dwn to time. U go up pay bands every year when u get Sac. There are 9 band u start as Sac at 19 grand up to 27 grand.
U will be on 12 grand at Halton and a bit more at Manston.
To be honest mate at the moment the whole trade is quite low in morale as we are still waiting for the new contract to be sorted. Also as we dnt ever respond to fires it's very difficult to stay motivated. It's not the best job but there is worse out there. Just make sure you know what you are signing up to do. It's not easy to get civil jobs after u leave. I am looking to probably leave after my 3 years.
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#4
Hi mate,
Very insightful cheers. Seems like the job can get quite boring By the sound of things. And yeah ive heard that being an RAF Firefighter doesn’t necessarily give you much of an advatage of becoming a civi Firefighter which is a shame. Did you/do you study while there? And I imagine its more difficult to book holidays off in the Fire Service? Also what is the current state of the Service, like are they in need of Firefighters at the moment? I heard that alot of people are leaving the RAF in general.
Cheers
Very insightful cheers. Seems like the job can get quite boring By the sound of things. And yeah ive heard that being an RAF Firefighter doesn’t necessarily give you much of an advatage of becoming a civi Firefighter which is a shame. Did you/do you study while there? And I imagine its more difficult to book holidays off in the Fire Service? Also what is the current state of the Service, like are they in need of Firefighters at the moment? I heard that alot of people are leaving the RAF in general.
Cheers
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(Original post by QuidsIn)
Hi mate,
Very insightful cheers. Seems like the job can get quite boring By the sound of things. And yeah ive heard that being an RAF Firefighter doesn’t necessarily give you much of an advatage of becoming a civi Firefighter which is a shame. Did you/do you study while there? And I imagine its more difficult to book holidays off in the Fire Service? Also what is the current state of the Service, like are they in need of Firefighters at the moment? I heard that alot of people are leaving the RAF in general.
Cheers
Hi mate,
Very insightful cheers. Seems like the job can get quite boring By the sound of things. And yeah ive heard that being an RAF Firefighter doesn’t necessarily give you much of an advatage of becoming a civi Firefighter which is a shame. Did you/do you study while there? And I imagine its more difficult to book holidays off in the Fire Service? Also what is the current state of the Service, like are they in need of Firefighters at the moment? I heard that alot of people are leaving the RAF in general.
Cheers
The current state of the trade is mixed. Generally moral is low, people are leaving early and as we don't do much as firefighters people get very bored. I hope this helps if u have any other questions bout the trade, Manston or Halton just let me know.
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#6
Thats good to know mate thanks. Definitely need to have a good think. Just a quick question about the Specialist Training in Manston, what is the interview part of that like? I hear that theres some kind of presentation? Would be nice to get a heads up on that.
Also is it a case of pass or fail or do they pick the best performers from the 3 days?
Thanks
Also is it a case of pass or fail or do they pick the best performers from the 3 days?
Thanks
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(Original post by QuidsIn)
Thats good to know mate thanks. Definitely need to have a good think. Just a quick question about the Specialist Training in Manston, what is the interview part of that like? I hear that theres some kind of presentation? Would be nice to get a heads up on that.
Also is it a case of pass or fail or do they pick the best performers from the 3 days?
Thanks
Thats good to know mate thanks. Definitely need to have a good think. Just a quick question about the Specialist Training in Manston, what is the interview part of that like? I hear that theres some kind of presentation? Would be nice to get a heads up on that.
Also is it a case of pass or fail or do they pick the best performers from the 3 days?
Thanks
Yeah there is a presentation. When I did it it was about me as a person my hobbies and family past jobs etc u are asked to do 5 mins nd u stop when you think it was 5 mins.
U have to pass the exam and fitness test and the ladder and hose running and cages. If u panic with the ladders or cages well it's something u need to do in the job. The fitness test u need to pass well above the baseline level. Just be positive and engage with the people there. They want to see commitment and drive to succeed. Also u finish with an interview, u need to know what is going on in the raf and whatthe trade is doing, bases, aircraft nd lots about u.
Hope this helps just. Let me know if you need any further info
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#8
Ah I see. What did the exam consist of? And what levels would you suggesst striving for in the fitness? Ive been to 2 fire stations to practice the firefighter tests and theyre going okay, but currebtly running 1.5 miles in about 11.30 which needs improving.
Much aprreciated 👍🏽
Much aprreciated 👍🏽
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(Original post by QuidsIn)
Ah I see. What did the exam consist of? And what levels would you suggesst striving for in the fitness? Ive been to 2 fire stations to practice the firefighter tests and theyre going okay, but currebtly running 1.5 miles in about 11.30 which needs improving.
Much aprreciated 👍🏽
Ah I see. What did the exam consist of? And what levels would you suggesst striving for in the fitness? Ive been to 2 fire stations to practice the firefighter tests and theyre going okay, but currebtly running 1.5 miles in about 11.30 which needs improving.
Much aprreciated 👍🏽
For bleep tests it's about attitude keep going until u have nothing left nd the other test are the same. But if you are scraping the pass at 9:10 u will be unlikely to get through u want to be in high 10s or 11s. Nd press up nd sit ups bout 40 plus in a minute.
U have some team building exercises so be engaging with the team and dnt over bare anyone else, listening skills and communication skills are big deals. Interview skills are important and try have some good questions prepared.
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#10
Hi, I am now just waiting for dates to start at Halton (been told some time around august), what the opportunity like for going on adventure training, or going abroad as a firefighter? and you say the moral is low but what is life like in the RAF? especially the social side of it? and finally I was told by my afco that moving trades once in can be done but if you have any experiences of it id love to know. Finally if anyone wants to know what the specialist interview at Manston was like just ask as I have gone through it fairly recently.
thanks
thanks
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(Original post by TheGuy26)
Hi, I am now just waiting for dates to start at Halton (been told some time around august), what the opportunity like for going on adventure training, or going abroad as a firefighter? and you say the moral is low but what is life like in the RAF? especially the social side of it? and finally I was told by my afco that moving trades once in can be done but if you have any experiences of it id love to know. Finally if anyone wants to know what the specialist interview at Manston was like just ask as I have gone through it fairly recently.
thanks
Hi, I am now just waiting for dates to start at Halton (been told some time around august), what the opportunity like for going on adventure training, or going abroad as a firefighter? and you say the moral is low but what is life like in the RAF? especially the social side of it? and finally I was told by my afco that moving trades once in can be done but if you have any experiences of it id love to know. Finally if anyone wants to know what the specialist interview at Manston was like just ask as I have gone through it fairly recently.
thanks
Social side of the raf completely depends on ur camp, people nd you. There's a lot to do but most people are very keen to save money and head home on day's off.
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#12
Thankyou for the reply, it has been very helpful, do you mind me asking if you were able to go back and change role what would you go for? or to you which roles look the most fun? im not trying to find a new role to go for as im very excited to be joining as a firefight i'm just curious that's all. Also what would you say is the average age of new firefighters come through? thanks again
(Original post by firefighter88)
Hi mate well done getting through the interviews etc. Well you out if area deployments are Falklands nd minad. U can get adventure training in Europe but u need to apply and get the time off so its down to manning. U can move trade after u have done ur three years pay back nd if the trade can release you.
Social side of the raf completely depends on ur camp, people nd you. There's a lot to do but most people are very keen to save money and head home on day's off.
Hi mate well done getting through the interviews etc. Well you out if area deployments are Falklands nd minad. U can get adventure training in Europe but u need to apply and get the time off so its down to manning. U can move trade after u have done ur three years pay back nd if the trade can release you.
Social side of the raf completely depends on ur camp, people nd you. There's a lot to do but most people are very keen to save money and head home on day's off.
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No worries mate. Well if a was retrading I would definitely look for something tht gave me a guaranteed civil qualification and route into a job. Fun wise depends on what you like some people love the sections u travel with them wherever they go so u see more places for example. I would advise if u r even considing retrading to something else just go straight to it. There is manning shortage in nearly every trade. Dnt spend time on this trade if u fancy something else its a long time to train to just retrade and its not a very simple process. Just be very sure u want to be a firefighter in the raf nd wht this means. Dnt come in expecting something like civilian fire service. U dnt do anything like that. Average age between 20-26 people join. Hope this helps
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#14
Hi guysIt has been very interesting to read through all of these messages and like most of you reading it's very disappointing to hear that crossing over to the civlian service is not easy from this role.I hope you could answer a couple of quick questions for me.How long would I be looking at deploying for and how often? Is it more to war zones like Afghanistan or more like the Falklands?How often are you based at a UK base rather than abroad is it like 50/50?How likely are you to get into a combat situation? And how likley are you to be able to leave after your 3 years as I understand they can technically keep you for 12 yearsSorry for the bombard of questions it's just because I've recently applied for Notts Fire service but didn't get pass the final interview stage but really want to be a fire fighter
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(Original post by Fire J)
Hi guysIt has been very interesting to read through all of these messages and like most of you reading it's very disappointing to hear that crossing over to the civlian service is not easy from this role.I hope you could answer a couple of quick questions for me.How long would I be looking at deploying for and how often? Is it more to war zones like Afghanistan or more like the Falklands?How often are you based at a UK base rather than abroad is it like 50/50?How likely are you to get into a combat situation? And how likley are you to be able to leave after your 3 years as I understand they can technically keep you for 12 yearsSorry for the bombard of questions it's just because I've recently applied for Notts Fire service but didn't get pass the final interview stage but really want to be a fire fighter
Hi guysIt has been very interesting to read through all of these messages and like most of you reading it's very disappointing to hear that crossing over to the civlian service is not easy from this role.I hope you could answer a couple of quick questions for me.How long would I be looking at deploying for and how often? Is it more to war zones like Afghanistan or more like the Falklands?How often are you based at a UK base rather than abroad is it like 50/50?How likely are you to get into a combat situation? And how likley are you to be able to leave after your 3 years as I understand they can technically keep you for 12 yearsSorry for the bombard of questions it's just because I've recently applied for Notts Fire service but didn't get pass the final interview stage but really want to be a fire fighter
No worries at all happy to answer. Your deployments at the moment are 4 months. They are mostly Falklands to be honest though u might get Minhad or Brunei. We are no longer in any war zone areas that is Firefighters aren't. You can do Cyprus and support the bombing of ISIS etc. They are looking for people to do 3-5 years there. You are always at a UK Base apart from Cyprus, you can do 3-5 years there then u will be moved on. However after 3 years if manning needs you can get moved to any station really.
You can leave after you have done your 3 years, you will give 6 months notice(that can change to 12/18 months at anytime) you will still have to do if needed 6 years reserve but AFCO can explain that better. I would say if you keen go speak to AFCO see what you think and try the pre selection interview if you get through. Look at the previous posts for more stuff on the job. Feel free to ask anything more, Hope this helps.
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#17
Hi do you get to travel as a firefighter with the RAF its marked as a physically fit job is this true will my fitness grow as a fire fighter?
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(Original post by Samsontoast)
Hi do you get to travel as a firefighter with the RAF its marked as a physically fit job is this true will my fitness grow as a fire fighter?
Hi do you get to travel as a firefighter with the RAF its marked as a physically fit job is this true will my fitness grow as a fire fighter?
Well its all done to yourself about fitness. The interview at Manston does require a good standard to pass the fitness tests and you do need to practice your hose running skills before going would advice talking to your local fire station to help. After Halton my fitness went down but quickly improved at Manston during the 17 weeks training. However most peoples fitness after passing out quickly goes down. If fitness is a massive thing for you maybe PTI role would be worth exploring.Traveling i would refer you to the post before yours about deployment areas for a Firefighter. The RAF does have good Adventure training options if you can get on them and are willing to persist at them. Talk to your AFCO about that. Hope this helps.
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#19
Having completed almost 19 years, 7 units and 7 overseas tours, to get a proper prospective you have to speak to the right people. Both civil and mod is very similar. Albeit local authorities receive more calls but mainly its retained. Few brigades recruit as often. The initial training is 9 weeks at halton filled by 17 weeks at Manston which includes everything LAFS do plus 3 weeks aviation. Most units are operating a 2 days, 24 and 2 night now followed by 4 days off. Plenty of opportunities for all sorts.
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(Original post by 8442)
Having completed almost 19 years, 7 units and 7 overseas tours, to get a proper prospective you have to speak to the right people. Both civil and mod is very similar. Albeit local authorities receive more calls but mainly its retained. Few brigades recruit as often. The initial training is 9 weeks at halton filled by 17 weeks at Manston which includes everything LAFS do plus 3 weeks aviation. Most units are operating a 2 days, 24 and 2 night now followed by 4 days off. Plenty of opportunities for all sorts.
Having completed almost 19 years, 7 units and 7 overseas tours, to get a proper prospective you have to speak to the right people. Both civil and mod is very similar. Albeit local authorities receive more calls but mainly its retained. Few brigades recruit as often. The initial training is 9 weeks at halton filled by 17 weeks at Manston which includes everything LAFS do plus 3 weeks aviation. Most units are operating a 2 days, 24 and 2 night now followed by 4 days off. Plenty of opportunities for all sorts.
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