Firefighter recruitment campaign seeks diverse skills and experience
Published: 2nd November 2018
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) today launched its new recruitment campaign encouraging men and women with diverse skills and experience to pursue a career as a firefighter.
Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant and FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter announced this year’s campaign – More than Fire – at the new FRNSW Emergency Services Academy in Orchard Hills.
The 2018 permanent firefighter recruitment campaign will open on 5 November, with thousands of would-be firefighters expected to apply.
Mr Grant said the campaign was targeting applicants from a wide range of industries and fields, including people who may never have previously considered becoming a firefighter.
“We need firefighters with diverse skills to meet the challenging nature of the job, so we are encouraging candidates to think outside the traditional role of a firefighter,” Mr Grant said.
“FRNSW firefighters do so much more than fight fires. They are highly-trained and trusted first responders on scene at road crash rescues, hazardous material incidents and severe weather-related events, and they play a crucial role in educating communities about fire safety.”
Commissioner Baxter said the campaign was designed to attract the largest possible pool of candidates for permanent (full-time) and retained (on-call) firefighter positions.
“More than Fire is about honouring our firefighters, their personalities, their differences and the reason each of them became a firefighter,” said Commissioner Baxter. “In doing so, we want to inspire others to apply for a diverse, challenging and rewarding career with us.”
“We are looking for fit, passionate and resilient individuals with well-developed interpersonal skills and the capacity to undertake a range of different functions, including fire response and investigation, community engagement, rescue and hazardous materials response.”
Applicants will need to complete an online application and undergo a series of tests, including problem solving and a Physical Aptitude Test.
Candidates who are offered a place in the recruitment intake will undergo training at the new state-of-the-art FRNSW Emergency Services Academy, which will welcome its first class of recruit firefighters in 2019.
Applications open on 5 November and close on 19 November 2018. For more information visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au/recruitment