A career in the field of fire and rescue provides opportunity to save lives and properties. It is a rewarding challenge that brings great satisfaction. Firefighters receive huge respect from community for their hard work and services. Individuals to this post are selected after going through the firefighter recruitment process. An applicant must have certain qualifications, skills and training before becoming a firefighter.
First of all, a firefighter applicant must have good physical strength. The job requires sustained and intense labour during the firefighting and rescue operations. Only individuals who have the strength and stamina to do such works on a day to day basis can be hired for this job. It is a teamwork so only a person who is disciplined and follows the protocols can succeed in this field. The person must be ready to receive orders and carry out the given tasks. A firefighter gets to see victims of fire and destruction. The applicant must have sympathy for the victims who have suffered burn injuries.
A firefighter has to work under intense pressure and sometimes faces harrowing circumstances. Only individuals who have the resilience to withstand such pressure and distress can continue to work in this job. Applicants for the firefighter recruitment must have some minimum qualifications. A valid C Class driver’s license is needed. Provisional driver license is not acceptable. The applicant is given time to obtain MR driver’s license before the recruitment course commences. Sufficient time is provided to the applicant to obtain this license. During the first 12 months of joining the job, the applicant must obtain the HR driver’s license. It allows the person to move from 3rd Class firefighter to 4th Class firefighter. Applicants and trainees have to obtain these licenses on their own.
A firefighter is also trained to provide first aid. The applicant must have undergone first aid training at an accredited institute. Nowadays this training is part of the 14 week firefighter recruitment course. There is no minimum requirement for the first aid certification. A fee of $100 is paid by the applicant for participation in the firefighter selection process. Only applicants who pass the medical fitness examination are accepted for this job. The applicant is required to give consent to check personal criminal history. The record covers even those offences where conviction record is not available. All details related to the traffic infringements in the last 10 years must be provided. Serious traffic offences can mean disqualification.
Only individuals who have permanent Australia resident status can participate in the firefighter recruitment process. Other individuals must prove they will obtain permanent residence in Australia. This proof can be provided in the form of certificates issued by the Immigration and Border Protection Department. A passport that shows permanent entry is also acceptable. The applicant must have basic computer skills in office and email programmes. Firefighter recruitment process attracts a large number of applicants so this process can take up to six months. Only the most competitive applicants who can pass each stage can move up through the selection process. Once selected, firefighters continue to undergo on-the-job training. They receive good remuneration. There are great career advancement opportunities in this field.
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