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Wholetime selection process

There are different stages in the selection process.

Selection process

Stage Time

Open for applications 

  
Online Assessments  

Assessment Centres / Interviews  (Joint Training Centre, Ripley)

  

Swimming test (Alfreton Leisure Centre) 

  

Fitness Test / Medicals / Pre-employment checks / References

  

Training course

  

Please note: We are not currently accepting applications for Wholetime Firefighters.

Application form

You will be asked to complete an online application form that includes your personal details and a requirement to answer a number of questions to assess your eligibility to apply.

Online tests

As part of the application process (if your meet the essential criteria) you will undertake three online assessments covering Maths and English Comprehension which are timed.

Supporting Statement

As part of the application form, you will be required to provide supporting evidence that will be used to shortlist your application if you meet the required standard on the online assessments.

Assessment centre

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an assessment centre to complete the following tasks. You should plan to be with us for approximately 3 hours.

This will consist of the 3 areas listed below:

  1. Presentation
    Details will be provided on the day.
  2. Interview
    The interview will last approximately one hour. You will be asked several questions on aspects such as your skills, experience, behaviours, values and competencies.
  3. Role Related Activity
    This activity will be an equipment carry, to ascertain aerobic fitness, stamina, upper and lower body strength, and co-ordination.
    Equipment Carry Test 
    To test phobias, you will be required to complete a ladder climb and a claustrophobia test.

Swimming Test

If successful following the assessment centre, you will be required to demonstrate your ability to swim unaided at a swimming pool for a continuous distance of 100 metres.  This will be two lengths of both front crawl and backstroke in under 3 minutes, followed by 1 minute of treading water.

Pre employment checks

Basic criminal records check

A satisfactory basic check will be requested from Disclosure England to ensure that you have not been convicted of a criminal offence which makes your employment in the role of a firefighter unsuitable. This application is made in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

Reference checks

At least two satisfactory references will be sought.  One must be from you current or most recent employer.  Your references will need to cover the past 3 years of employment.

Training schedule

This is a 15 week training course which takes place from Monday to Friday.  The majority of the training will take place at the Joint Training Centre in Ripley as well as at other locations in and around Derbyshire.  It is compulsory to attend the full course and successfully pass all parts of the course.

The initial training course will include the following modules:

  1. Prevention and Protection work in the Community

  2. Health & Safety and Occupational Health

  3. Hose

  4. Ladders

  5. Pump Operator 

  6. Knots and Lines

  7. Technical & Underpinning Knowledge 

  8. Safe Working at Height

  9. Incident Command Foundation

  10. Breathing Apparatus & Compartment Fire Behaviour Training

  11. Road Traffic Collision

  12. Trauma Care 

  13. Hazardous Materials

  14. National Resilience

  15. Water First Responder

  16. Fitness Training

FAQs

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I have dyslexia, can I have additional time to complete the online tests?

If you have dyslexia, please do not attempt the online assessments until your tests have been reset.  Please send a copy of your psychologists report through to wds@derbys-fire.gov.uk . Once the adjustments have been verified, additional time will be applied to your account on the timed assessments.

How long does the selection process take?

The opening of the recruitment process to the start of the training course is approximately 5 months.

If I’m unsuccessful at any stage, can I re-sit?

You have to be successful at each stage of the recruitment process to progress to the next stage. We do not have the facility to allow candidates to re-sit the process.

Can I apply more than once?

No – you only have one opportunity to apply on the online system. A number of candidates are attempting to use different e-mail addresses to have more than one attempt at the online tests. The System Administrators can see all attempts and only the first attempt will be considered. All additional attempts by the same individual will be deleted.

I’ve recently passed the Firefighter Selection process with a different Fire and Rescue Service and I am on their holding list. Do I still need to apply and go through your recruitment process?

Yes, our processes may differ from those used within other Fire and Rescue Services and in the interests of fairness, it is vital that all candidates have been assessed in the same way.

How long before the training course will I know that I have a place?

Your place will be confirmed once all of the pre-employment checks have been completed which will be at least one month before the start of the training course.

I am on holiday when the assessment centres and / or interviews take place. Can I attend outside of the proposed schedule?

Due to the volume of expected applications and the resources required to run each of the recruitment stages it is highly unlikely that we will be able to arrange an alternative time outside of the recruitment schedule.  Applicants must attend and pass every stage of the recruitment process.

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Will I get an email alert when the jobs go live?

If you have registered for job alerts then you will get an email once the application opens.

Will the recruitment close when you reach a set number of applications?

No, the recruitment will remain open until the closing date.  We have not set a limit on applications