What Are The Requirements To Become A Firefighter?

Requirements to become a firefighter in Australia

This page looks in-depth at the different requirements to become a firefighter. From psychometric tests to fitness requirements, here we cover it all.

Test Providers

Revelian, Chandler Macleod, CEB, Acer, Pearson Vue, Talent Lens, Saville. This is an ever changing component of the process

Aptitude / Cognitive or Psychometric Testing

Example: Revelian Tests – Why are they used?

This example uses revelian as the subject but each service uses a different provider or test so check state specific pages for this information

The Aptitude Test example I have covered is just an example of 1 provider and covers Revelian’s classic cognitive test which is really just the tip of the testing iceberg.

At the time of writing this article, the classic test is accompanied by a game type test known as Cognify.

Cognify gives the employer a deeper understanding on your reasoning ability and how quickly you are able to process information, make decisions and if you change your mind etc.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end with Cognify, you will also need to sit the “Work Safety” test and Emotional Intelligence Test known as the MSCEIT test. The results from these tests all go together with your application questions to see if you’re a candidate to progress.

As you can see there is A LOT to get your head around with this particular entrance exam and this is just the start. BUT if you can get through this part of the process things are looking pretty positive for you as approximately 91% of applicants don’t make it past this point.

This is just 1 example but it will give you some idea of what your up against to start with.

TIP: Learn about the test provider, understand the tests and test questions you will face. Model success and get good quality help to ensure you will beat the competition at this point.

People waste years of their lives for ignoring this. I have worked with people that have had up to 7 failed attempts before using this method to finally get a job – see some of their stories

Firefighter Psych Tests

Most services will conduct some sort of firefighter specific psych test or personality test. You can use the link above to get an in-depth understanding of the types of psych tests you are likely to encounter.

These tests also cover, work safety, work reliability, work styles & talent screener type tests.

Medical 

Understand what you will be subjected to before the medical, If you have something you are worried about it will pay to speak to someone confidentially before your medical as there are things that can be done before it’s too late.

I like to do this at the beginning with people I’m working with as it allows us to remove doubt and focus on more fruitful activities that will get us a job

Skills To Become a Firefighter

Ability to deal with Stress

The ability to handle stress is critical. Firefighters are often working in stressful situations, where people are injured, at risk of injury, or where their home or property is at risk.

You not only need the skills to be able to deal with this stress, you need to be able to convince the employer you have the skills and do a better job of it then the others

Level Headed

Keeping calm to help others remain calm is very important. Firefighters also need empathy and understanding. When attending an incident, they may need to give comfort to others.

Communication – The BIG one

You need to be able to communicate confidently, concisely and efficiently to others, because in an emergency you may need to direct or instruct others on what to do. This means speaking clearly and concisely.

This skill can extend to the tasks associated with community education, as firefighters often visit schools and businesses to help them to be prepared for a fire.

If you have great communication skills this is going to give you a better chance of working well in a team and less likelihood of putting people or the organisation at risk.

Firefighters need to be able to work with a team, to build rapport with co-workers and understand the diversity of their workforce and also the wider community.

More importantly at this stage of the game you’re going to need to be able to communicate to the recruitment team WHY they should hire you.

Reasoning Abilities

Taking aptitude tests like the tests from Revelian, SHL, Pearson VUE etc., helps the fire service to determine if you are a good fit for the requirements of the job and the fire service as a whole. It’s not just about culling applicants, they actually need you to have a certain level of reasoning ability to be successful as a firefighter in the organisation.

When you are liaising with a potential employer i.e. Australian Fire Services during a recruitment process, they will ask you to take an aptitude test. The businesses I have listed above provide companies with access to a suite of tools to conduct testing. This testing can be used to identify the best candidate for their vacancy. It is worth gaining an understanding of the differences between the companies and what makes them tick.

The test is usually in three or four sections.

  • Verbal Reasoning – your understanding of language conventions, and the relationship between ideas. It will involve reading comprehension, reading a block of text and answering questions about what you read.
  • Mathematicsand Numerical Reasoning –  an example might be identifying the next number in a series.
  • Abstract or Spatial Reasoning – your ability to deal with abstract shapes and finding a pattern.
  • Mechanical Reasoning – your ability to assess or comprehend mechanical systems.

If you have been out of school or formal study for some time, the idea of the test might be a bit daunting

BUT

Practice tests are available and Fire Recruitment Australia can provide you with access to the practice tests that have been designed specifically for each fire service in Australia. We also provide coaching and support to help you have the best chance of being accepted.

Recruitment Dates

Firefighter recruitment dates and outlook for Fire and rescue Australia this year.

Tip  

Check your Online presence because they will

Statistics About Firefighters in Australia

Firefighter Age Distribution in Australia – Bear in mind this is current and there are a lot of people who have been in the fire service for a long time about to retire

firefighter age in Australia

Education Level of firefighters across Australia

firefighter education level in Australia

Firefighter employment by state of Australia

firefighter employment percentage by states of australia