You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
![Councillor Peter Gould](/image-library/peter-gould-ws-hr-1.xb6cb8b20.jpg?width=470&height=256&fit=crop&quality=75&format=webp)
You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
A wholetime firefighter is someone who has a full-time job with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.
The role of a firefighter is rewarding. They respond to fires, rescues and other emergencies, as well as working on prevention through education and fire safety messages.
Everyone at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service prides themselves on putting our community first. This includes:
Here are some of qualities and attributes we look for in a firefighter:
Learn more at suffolk-firefighters.co.uk
Meet Ben, a wholetime firefighter with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service:
Every firefighter is expected to maintain their fitness throughout their career, and will have their fitness assessed every year.
All applicants will be required to take and pass the two online written assessments in English and Maths and these will be sat prior to being invited to the physical aptitude tests.
You will be required to complete an online assessment, which will tell us more about you.
It has been specifically designed to capture how you go about tackling challenges, allowing us to objectively measure how you naturally approach problems and react to changes in requirements, risk and uncertainty.
Watch examples of these tests on the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service YouTube channel
When you are appointed to the role of wholetime firefighter, you will attend a specially-equipped training centre, where you will be taught basic firefighting skills such as ladder safety, hose laying and fire-pump operation.
The training course will involve classroom study, as well as practical training, and you will be continually assessed throughout to monitor your progress.
After grasping the basic skills of firefighting, you will progress to breathing apparatus (BA) training, which will be taught in realistic environments involving heat, smoke and darkness.
Upon successful completion of basic training, you will be allocated to a fire station within Suffolk, as a development firefighter.
You will be on probation for your first year and in development until you demonstrate you have achieved the correct level of knowledge, skills and performance in your role as a firefighter.
You will follow a formal development programme, throughout which your performance will be continuously assessed. The development programme includes:
You will continue to be developed and assessed throughout your career in the Fire and Rescue Service, and will be expected to participate in all relevant training and development activity.
Once deemed competent, you may choose to stay as a firefighter at the location you have been posted to, honing your skills whilst gaining further experience.
You may also consider requesting to work at another location within Suffolk, or progress your career through management roles, and help steer Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service in to the future.
Anyone can apply to work for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. We welcome applications from all members of the community.
There are some basic requirements to meet if you would like to become a firefighter, but equality, diversity and inclusion are part of our culture.
We want Suffolk to be a great place to work, a place where all our staff enjoy coming to work, feel they can be themselves and their differences are accepted as being an important and valued part of a wider and inclusive team.
Read more about our commitment to diversity, inclusion and culture.
Suffolk County Council is proud to have a number of active staff networks supporting and promoting groups of staff, councillors and partners that share similar characteristics, life experiences, values and beliefs.
Networks influence the organisation to be more inclusive, through work on policy, service development, training, communications, events, culture and have a seat at Suffolk County Council's Strategic Equalities and Inclusion Board.
The staff networks are run by SCC staff for SCC staff, councillors, and other public sector partners:
Staff networks within Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service:
If you would like to attend a Taster Day event to find out more, please visit Suffolk County Fire and Rescue Service (suffolk-firefighters.co.uk) and register with us.
You'll need some basic levels of fitness, enthusiasm, willingness to work in a team environment and a desire to support your local community.
You will also need to: