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The application process

Online application

Step 1 

Submitting an Expression of interest to the on-call recruitment team if the criteria is met then you will proceed to step 2. 

Step 2  

You will be Invited to your local station for a meeting to discuss the role and expectations. 

Step 3 

You will then be Invited to complete stage 1 testing. This will involve  

Step 4 

We will Invite you to complete stage 2 testing 

  • A ladder climb - this test is designed to assess confidence and co-ordination whilst working at heights. Candidates will be attached to a safety line 
  • Ladder extension
  • Enclosed space - this involves negotiating through a measured crawl way wearing a Breathing Apparatus facemask within a set time
  • Equipment carry
  • Casualty evacuation drag 
Step 5 

Invited to have a medical with our Occupational Health Unit (OHU). 

  • Eye test (colour blindness)
  • Hearing test
  • A breathing spirometer test to check lung function
  • Vo2max Chester treadmill test
  • Grip strength test
  • Height and weight
  • General health and wellbeing questionnaire 
Step 6 

DBS and barring clearance checks. And formal offer of employment. 

 Step 7  

You will be invited to a formal personal protective equipment (ppe) and uniform sizing appointment ready to attend an induction before heading to training school. 

 You can find details of our fitness tests on our website 

Attending assessments 

Once you have the dates for your assessments, we recommend putting these in your diary or on a calendar. If you arrive late to any of the assessments or forget to attend, you will be withdrawn from the application process. 

The role of Firefighter requires you to possess and exhibit appropriate behaviours, ethics and values. 
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service has a Workplace charter that sets our model standard. You are advised to read about our mission statement and workplace charter on our website before you apply.