To apply for the position of Wholetime Firefighter, you must meet the entry criteria set out below.
Verification of the entry criteria will take place at the application stage, so please ensure you have suitable evidence available.
Please follow the links to find out what documents are required. You will be asked to provide these in the recruitment process:
Criteria
- Live within 20 miles of the boundary of the county of Cambridgeshire (as determined by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service's mapping system)
- Be able to prove your eligibility to work in the UK (United Kingdom).
- Have five GCSEs grade A*-C/4-9 including Maths and English Language or equivalent. (Please note that if they are equivalent, the equivalent to Maths and English Language grade A*- C/4-9 must be included. Please see above for useful information relating to qualifications.)
- You must have a full and current driving licence that entitles you to drive in the UK without restrictions by the time you are employed by CFRS.
- Not be subject to any criminal convictions, which are not yet spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Including any offences dealt with by a court of law, HM Services disciplinary procedures and any driving offences. A Disclosure and Barring Service check will be carried out prior to employment. A guidance document can be found here.
- Be 18 years of age by the date of final assessments (September 2023).
- Be able to swim, including being able to:
- Jump/dive into deep water
- Swim 50 metres in less than 70 seconds
- Swim 100 metres continuously on front and/or back in deep water using a recognised stroke front crawl, back stroke, breaststroke or butterfly.
- Tread water for 30 seconds
- Surface dive to the floor of the pool
- Climb out unaided without ladder/steps and where the pool design permits.
Please note that applicants who have been unsuccessful in completing a new recruit’s course within the last 2-year period are not eligible to apply for the role of Wholetime Firefighter.
Qualification Information
If you are unsure if your qualifications are equivalent to having five GSCE's A*-C /9–4 including Maths and English Language, please contact an education provider or careers advisory service for clarification. Education providers can make broad comparisons. Each regulated qualification has a level. If a qualification shares the same level this means that they are broadly comparable in terms of the difficulty, they place on the learner. However, qualifications at the same level can still be very different in terms of content and duration.
A regulated level 2 qualification is considered broadly comparable to GCSE standard at grades A*-C /9–4.
A regulated level 3 qualification is considered broadly comparable to A level standard at grades A*-C.
Some qualifications have transferable skills in Maths and English Language. However, a regulated level 3 qualification does not necessarily mean they are graded to A level standard but will suffice at GCSE level.
For further information it may be beneficial to contact the awarding organisation for the qualification directly. A guide to understanding qualification comparability/equivalence can be found on the government's Ofqual website.