BAPTISM OF FIRE

Looking to test his physical and mental fortitude, MF writer Chris Carra took on the notoriously difficult Firefighter Selection Test

- Chris Carra

Milliseconds from ripping off my helmet and instantly M ending my day, I forced myself to stop, take a breath and reassess. You're stuck in a dark tunnel, I thought, in a room of tunnels, in a fire service training depot under the M4 interchange to Swansea...

A few months before, applying to join the fire service had never crossed my mind. Now, disorientated and drenched in sweat, I was racing the clock to successfully complete the fifth test of seven on a long practical assessment day. Two months into the demanding fire service recruitment process, I was closer to accomplishing what tens of thousands want - and fail to achieve each year.

Window of opportunity

Every year, fire and rescue services around the UK open their brief recruitment windows to be met with hundreds of hopeful applicants fighting for a handful of positions. In 2020, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service received 1,047 applications for just six full-time positions, and it's a similar story across the country.

Call it an experiment or the beginning of a midlife crisis, but I decided to pause my writing career to embark on this process with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The physical fitness and practical tests are famously tough, yet many fail to reach this stage. Every fire service is different, although the process begins with a registration. Thankfully, I had not committed any heinous crimes and I could spell my name correctly, so this was an easy pass. A few weeks later came the behavioural questionnaire and situational judgement test. Both are quite straightforward, although the latter - covering scenarios from safety at work to conflict resolution - has potential to trip you up. Even though it's multiple choice, there's not always an obvious answer. Take your time, use common sense and go with your gut.