Steps Involved In Fire Service Recruitment

Fire service recruitment is usually guided by several steps. If you dream of becoming a firefighter in Australia, you must meet the set requirements for the step they are currently on before proceeding to the next. They will also have to meet the hiring department’s requirements for physical fitness and education.

To be eligible for employment, a candidate must be at least eighteen years old with good communication skills. The ability to cope well under stressful conditions is also highly appreciated and valued, considering the type of conditions that professionals in this field work under. In many departments, you will find that the set educational minimum will be a high school diploma.

Attend Career Information Sessions

The first step is to attend as many career information sessions as possible. All sessions are free and are, in many cases, offered by recruiters from the hiring department. Even though they are optional, potential applicants are always advised to attend them in order to gain more information.

Fill in the Application Form

Having attended the career information sessions, a candidate is now expected to fill in the application form. Application forms can be filled out online or by visiting local departments. During application, academic credentials may be required to be submitted. It is therefore vital to have them ready.

Take the Aptitude Tests

Firefighter aptitude tests are used to assess the competence of job applicants like most companies. A candidate sitting for an aptitude test will be tested in areas such as understanding of oral information, mathematics, interpersonal relations, and mechanical aptitudes. You can prepare for such an aptitude test by using free online training resources.

Take the Written Examination

Only candidates who were successful in the aptitude test will be allowed to sit for the written examination. It is vital that a candidate pass this written exam for him to be considered for hiring. In many departments, the pass mark is set at seventy percent.

Wait for the Application Review

All candidates who have successfully taken and passed the written examination will now have their applications reviewed. This is usually the fifth step and is done as a form of verification. Those who have passed are now placed in the candidate hiring pool while they await further instructions.

While at the hiring pool, candidates are divided into two groups. There is the general group and the enhanced group. Where each candidate is placed is determined by the type of exam they took and the grades they scored. From the hiring pool, instructions will now be provided on how to proceed.

Interviews usually come after placement in a hiring pool. Most interviews are conducted in a panel format and are aimed at assessing the qualifications of the candidates. During the interviewing process, interviewees may be required to bring identification documents showing who they are. The identification photos are also used to check their likeness.

Successful applicants may be provided with conditional job offers depending on the hiring regulations of each department. Fire service recruitment tips can also be obtained online from local department websites and from the press releases made by such departments. Potential applicants should therefore look out for information being released by the stations where they intend to submit their applications.