As part of the recruitment process to become an On-call (retained) Firefighter at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, candidates must complete a number of stages as part of the selection process. Including Online Application, physical tests, interview, Full medical and DBS Checks.

If you have any questions about the process, you can hear about some of the experiences of our On-call firefighters on our YouTube channel. Otherwise, you can contact recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk for further information.

To help potential applicants prepare for the selection process, we run a series of On-call Firefighter recruitment events and ‘Have a Go’ days at fire stations across Berkshire all year round. Please see the events calendar to book on to one of these sessions at your local station.

• Step 1: Application
• Step 2: Physical Tests
• Step 3: Interview
• Step 4: Medical

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service values your individuality, your diversity and your dignity.  All are welcome here. Inclusion, diversity and equality are principles which guide our decisions and will be visible throughout the Service, and we will continually work to improve in these areas. 

We are committed to creating an inclusive culture of dignity and trust where everyone feels safe and comfortable to bring their whole self to work.

Simply: The communities we serve are varied and diverse, we should be too.

All applications are considered on merit alone. We are a Disability Confident Leader – if you meet the essential criteria of the role, you will be guaranteed an interview if you choose to opt into the Disability Confident Scheme (formerly known as the Guaranteed Interview Scheme).

To find out more: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and all employees must share this commitment.

Please view our Safer Recruitment Statement via this link.

The process involves an online application with a variety of questions to determine if you can progress in the process, including the call out availability you can offer and the distance in which you can respond from.

It is essential that you answer all questions fully and honestly on the application form. If you are unsure of how to answer, please contact hr@rbfrs.co.uk or recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk for guidance.

Once completed you will be contacted by a member of the team.

If you require accessible documents or wish you apply in a different format please contact us at recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk.

To apply, please visit our application portal. Please see the current timeline for recruitment.

We encourage applicants to visit their local On-call station for further support and guidance particularly around the availability form.

To submit an application for you must be:

• aged 18 years or over
• live or work within 6 or 8 minutes of your local On-call fire station (timing is station dependant)
• able to provide evidence of your entitlement to work in the UK, in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

Whilst a full driving licence is not required to apply as a On-Call firefighter, without one an individual would not be able to progress to competent status pay. 

You will need to demonstrate you have Level 1 functional skills (English and Maths) during the recruitment process.

If you have a criminal record this will not necessarily disqualify you from employment. All applications are considered on merit and in particular, whether the offence has a bearing on your suitability for employment as a firefighter. However, firefighters do need to have a high level of self-discipline and be people in whom the public can have complete confidence.

Please declare any offences at the point of application.

You will be required to declare any conviction which ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’ (including cautions) under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and associated amendments or any charges that are pending. You will also need to satisfy the requirements of an enhanced DBS check.

Further guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act can be obtained via the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders. Visit their website at www.nacro.org.uk for more information.

As part of the on-call firefighter recruitment process, you will be required to complete the following 5 physical tests that assess fitness, strength, stamina, coordination, dexterity and ability to work at height and within enclosed spaces.

This programme gives you some advice to help you improve your fitness in preparation for the physical tests.

• FireFit Recruitment Fitness Programme
• Strength Improvement Programme
• On-call Firefighter Fitness Tests

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to equality of opportunity. If you would like information on the reasonable adjustments that can be made at this stage of the application process, please contact recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk

Candidates who successfully complete the physical tests will be invited to interview. 

The main aim of the interview is to find out about you and your motivation to become an On-call firefighter. The interview will be conducted by two people who will take it in turns to ask you questions about you and your experience, taking a set of notes to ensure a record is kept of the examples you give.

Interview questions will be behavioural based, during the interview you will be asked to give examples of when and how you have demonstrated the behaviours that are important for potential firefighters, in line with RBFRS’ Behavioural Competency Framework. You should answer based on your personal experience. More information about the interview structure and how to prepare will be sent to those invited for the interview.

During this stage of the process, you will also be invited to complete online functional skills tests that will enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills applicable to the role (e.g. English and Maths).

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to equality of opportunity. If you would like information on the reasonable adjustments that can be made at this stage of the application process, please contact recruitment@rbfrs.co.uk.

AOn-call applicants successful at interview are required to undergo a medical examination. It is for the Fire Authority’s Occupational Health Physician to decide whether an individual is fit to undertake firefighting duties, allowing for any reasonable adjustments that may be made in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Minimum eyesight standards must be met. Corrected visual acuity should be 6/9 binocularly, and a minimum of 6/12 in the worse eye. The minimum uncorrected vision for recruits should be 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 for the worse. There is an upper hypermetropic (long-sighted) limit of +3.00, and colour vision must reach the required standard.

Hearing and lung function will also be tested and you will undergo screening for use of illegal drugs and alcohol misuse as part of your medical.

If you have any of the following conditions you should consider carefully whether the nature of the work and the attendance pattern, (which includes the possibility of very long hours at major incidents), would be detrimental to your health:

Significant joint injury or disease, especially if it affects the back or knees.

A chronic respiratory problem, e.g. asthma.

A history of hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, cardiac or circulatory disease.

Contact dermatitis, psoriasis or eczema.

Vertigo, claustrophobia or acrophobia (fear of heights).

Your medical records from your General Practitioner will be required, for which you will be asked to give consent at the appropriate time.

You will also be required to undergo a treadmill test, this is a 12 minute graded, treadmill walk test designed to assess whether or not a candidate can achieve the firefighter fitness standard of 42mls O 2 /kg/min.

• Treadmill Test
• Treadmill Test Information