Case studies: Firefighter: Aaron Collis

Aaron has a BSc (Hons) degree in Fire and Leadership Studies from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). He joined the fire and rescue service as part of a sponsored study scheme, which resulted in full-time employment as an operational firefighter working for the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS)

My passion for a career in the fire and rescue service was evident from an early age. I joined the fire cadets aged 13, progressing through the cadets to become cadet leader.

Having decided on my chosen career, I was already looking to undertake the BSc (Hons) degree in Fire and Leadership Studies, which is run by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) . In the year that I was looking to apply for the course, the CFRS launched its first High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS), which for successful candidates, meant sponsorship of the degree course and a job within the CFRS on successful completion of the degree.

The application process to the scheme required me to complete all of the National Firefighter Selection Tests in addition to a variety of other psychometric tests, which were designed to identify candidates' potential ability to progress into management positions within the fire service.

While the role of a firefighter is certainly not 'desk bound', there is a large amount of study expected of firefighters, particularly during the first few years of the career and if you want to apply for promotion.

Following successful completion of my A-levels and success at the application process for the HPDS, I was offered a place on the scheme. As I was keen to develop a career in the fire and rescue service while also wanting to continue with academic studies, the HPDS was the perfect combination; the service sponsored me to complete a full-time, three-year degree, while allowing me to commence part-time employment as an operational firefighter within the on-call system at CFRS.

During my university study, I also completed two, ten-week block work placements, which were based in departments within CFRS.

On graduation, I was offered a full-time job as a firefighter, a position which I have now been in for two months. In my full-time job, I work as a 'wholetime' firefighter, working day and night shifts at a fire station. I also work as an on-call firefighter, providing cover from home on my days off and being alerted for fire calls by a pager as required.

The role of a firefighter is a hugely dynamic one requiring adaptation to work in a variety of settings. The range of emergency incidents that a firefighter attends varies hugely and includes property fires, road traffic collisions, chemical incidents and animal rescues to name just a few.

In order to successfully deal with a range of situations, firefighters must be able to remain calm and focused in often demanding, and sometimes distressing, circumstances and have the ability to constantly assess the risk to both themselves and other colleagues.

A large proportion of a firefighter's time is spent training with equipment and studying operational procedures to ensure that we are competent to deal with any situation which may arise. 

While operational response is an important element of a firefighter's role, there are many more responsibilities that we undertake on a day-to-day basis. Firefighters work within the community in order to reduce the number of incidents that occur. This includes visiting the homes of vulnerable members of the community to ensure they have working smoke alarms and delivering educational sessions at schools and colleges. For these tasks, firefighters must have a confident and outgoing approach and be prepared to present and deliver information to large groups of people. 

Being on the HPDS means that while I have begun my career at firefighter level, I will be expected to progress into a management role via a fast-track route. The knowledge and skills that I gained during my time at university will hopefully assist me in achieving my goals and have already given me an in-depth understanding of the organisation from a strategic viewpoint.

The placements I completed in different departments at the headquarters helped to enhance my understanding of the whole organisation and assisted in developing my skills for future promotion opportunities.