About the fire service and our staff

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Becky stood at the front of the appliance in uniform.

“it wasn’t something I thought about when I was growing up, a good friend of mine joined and I heard all about the fire service.”

Video moves to an shot of Rewley Road Fire Station and fire engine.

Moves back to Becky in front of fire engine.

“And knowing that what I like is helping people I thought I could do that as well so I joined.

Close up of Becky Rimmer a Watch Manager putting on helmet on.

“the best thing about being a firefighter for me is that you actually get to help people and that is certainly something that I like.”

Close up of Becky in front of fire engine. Then moves to Fire Crews with Fire Engine with lockers open showing the equipment to school children.

 “I go out into the community whether that be for somebody that’s involved in an incident or accident but it’s just going out to the community.

Video shows Becky in front of fire engine.

“and possibility of fitting smoke alarms and doing fire safety talks” video shows a ‘Safe and Well’ advice leaflet and a firefighter testing a smoke alarm in the ceiling and talking to school children.

Video shows Becky in front of the fire engine

“You do need a good standard of fitness, if you like working with a team and just helping people, if you are thinking of applying to become a firefighter and have a good standard of fitness, are a team player and want to help people then I say go for it.”

Whilst Becky is talking the video moves to the crew leaving the mess room responding to a fire call, descending the fire pole, changing into fire kit and getting onto the fire engine.

Becky back in front of fire engine saying “Go for it.”

Video shows fire engine on main street in Oxford approaching a junction on blue lights.

Words at the top of the screen – Who will you help today?

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Close up of Jon Hardy a Station Manager who is stood in front of fire kit.

“I decided on a career in the fire service, I think for two mains reasons, one I thought it would be quite exciting and it would something physical which appealed to me and also it was the aspect of helping people going to rescues that was something that really appealed to me about joining the fire service.”

The Fire firefighters being taught how to put a ladder up.

“Thhe things I have enjoyed the most are heading up a team of Training Centre Instructors who are really professional people, it has been great to see how they work and I have learnt a lot from them.

Close up of Jon Hardy back in front of the fire kit.

“But also, I think the most rewarding aspect is when you have someone who really is at the start of learning something new, learning a new skill and they come on one of our courses and they go improved with new knowledge and they are able to go out and apply that directly helping people.”

Video moves to crew wearing working at height harnesses, working on the ladder and then discussing the exercise.

Close of up Jon Hardy back in front of the fire kit.

“About being a firefighter, I think really it’s been the reason why I joined, there is a physical nature to being a firefighter that I have enjoyed, that sort of action when you go out on a fire engine.”

Whilst video moves to a door opening, the crew coming through the door and a firefighter descending the fire pole. A firefighter putting on fire kit and mounting the fire engine. Jon says the following “but also the main thing as I think most jobs is the people that you work with, the teams you get involved with, there are some great people in the fire service.”

Close up of Jon Hardy back in front of the fire kit “and then ultimately it’s when you go out and you make a real difference and you help someone whether that be at an incident or on a visit.”

Video moves to show the fire engine going out of the door on blue lights.

Jon speaking whilst the ladder being shown with firefighters climbing it “those are the really rewarding times, you think I’ve really made a difference to someone’s life today, having a desire to do the job understanding what it involves but then having the desire to do that job. That’s the most important thing I think – give it a go.”

“Don’t be frightened of giving it a go.” Close up of Jon in front of Fire Kit.

Video shows fire engine on main street in Oxford approaching a junction on blue lights.

Words at the top of the screen – Who will you make a difference to today?

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“Since joining the fire service, everyday feels different.”

Fire fighter is seen running towards the fire engine and Fire engine leaves the station on blue lights.

“As a firefighter you are often there when people need you the most”.  You are there when people are distressed or upset, and you feel like you are really making a difference” 

Close up of Close up of Jo Bowcock chief fire assistant who is stood alongside a fire engine.

“when you come to work and undertake what your trained to do”.

Fire fighter in full PPE seen rolling up a hose.

 “After university I was looking at something that would really challenge me”

Fire fighter in full PPE putting equipment into a fire engine. 

“Not necessarily where I was going to be sat at a desk all day”

Fire fighters all sat around a table and then seen start running and sliding down a pole and running out of a door.

“I really enjoyed being fit and active so I wanted something that I could also do things that I enjoy”

Fire fighters are getting inside the fire engine.

“But also, where I am helping the community, so I wanted a public service role that was out in the community after considering a number of jobs”

Two fire fighters walking up a drive way.

“and not realising the fire and rescue service was a option”

Home owner opens the front door and invites them in, two homeowners are seen talking to two fire personnel.

“I did apply and was successful”

Close up of the home owners reading a safe and well brochure. 

“so, the fire service provides a whole range of opportunities for career progression”. 

Homeowners and a fire personnel stood in the hallway and fire personnel pushing button on smoke detector.

Close up of Jo Bowcock chief fire assistant who is stood alongside a fire engine

“And I have most certainly benefited from those opportunities. I came as a firefighter I became competent as a fire fighter and very soon afterwards took on a supervisory manger’s role, so I became a crew manager at a station the progression then goes up all the way until Chief Fire Officer. My journey has been very much guided but what I’ve been interested in and the opportunities available.”

Three children and two fire fighters stood together, one child and one fire fighter holding a hose jet with running water.

A group of children and one firefighter stood in front of a fire engine. 

 “my advice to anyone considering becoming a firefighter”

Two fire personnel sat down in a classroom

“Would be to put perceptions of a traditional firefighter out of their mind”

 Two fire personal sat on a sofa talking to two elderly homeowners.    

One lady fire fighter climbing into the engine.

“particularly if they feel that the job wouldn’t be necessary for them because they don’t fit the serotype.”

One lady firefighter putting on their helmet.

“I’m not the traditional firefighter”

Appliance bay doors opening, fire fighter walking across in front.  

“and I work with lots of people”

Close up of Jo Bowcock chief fire assistant who is stood alongside a fire engine.

“And I have been throughout the 17 years that haven’t been traditional firefighters but what was really important is that you bring yourself to work that you can bring difference and that you can contribute to the skills to make a effective team, to respond to the incidents that we attend in our community and undertake the day to day work of becoming a firefighter around prevention and protection and being out there and very visible in our communities”.

Camera inside a fire engine driving along to an incident.  

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Tom stood at the front of the appliance in uniform.

"I joined Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service about two years ago, originally as an on-call firefighter. Since then, I've transferred to the whole time duty system, and I've been on a watch for about five months now.

I originally joined the brigade because I wanted to do something a little bit different. I tried working office and that really wasn't for me, but I also wanted to do work that was challenging and wouldn't be the same day in day out.

And that's what I think is the best thing about joining the fire service and working as a firefighter. There is no two days that are the same. You could be doing something on one day shift that be completely different to the next day shift.

And that's not even when you start talking about the incidents that we attend. So, to join the fire service, I recommend that all applicants have a good standard of physical fitness, but shouldn't be put off by that.

It's a very achievable standard, and it's something that the brigade works hard to ensure that anyone in society can achieve so long as you can work a little bit hard to achieve that standard.

Beyond that, making sure that you work well as part of a team and maybe even bring some skills from the outside world into the brigade. So one thing that's great about the fire service is that people have come here from all different walks of life.

There are a lot of people who have trades. Uh, some people have come straight from university like myself. And then you also have people, a lot of people perhaps, who have gone for the military.

So they bring all these different skills in that just make us better at our job."

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Close up of Faisal Atcha a Station Manager who is sitting at a desk.

"Hello, my name is Faisal. I'm a station officer. I've been working for the Fire and Rescue Service now for about 17 years. I started as a firefighter. It's a unique career."

"You'll get involved in so many different things. One minute you could be sitting in a classroom looking at a new piece of equipment. Five minutes later you could be on a water rescue, shout, on a boat, going down the river and in the same afternoon, you could be doing a, a risk inspection of a large factory or talking to a group of vulnerable adults and fire safety. It's a uniform service."

"However, we like people to be themselves. You know, you are unique, and everyone is treated as an individual. You'll be working with some fantastic people, some of the nicest, kindest, and most helpful teams."

"You'll get to experience things you will never have a chance to do in any other job. at times you'll really have to push yourselves. But at every time, and at each step of the way, there'll be someone with you."

"So my advice to you is, you know, if you think it might not be for you like I did, give it a go. Find out a bit more and put your application in. Thank you."

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Graham is standing in front of an appliance in uniform. The side of the appliance is open showing the equipment inside.

"I've been in the fire service four years. I joined as part of the whole time apprenticeship program. So effectively I was on a two year apprenticeship. So the whole thing sort of started by going through the application process, passing that."

I then went to the fire Service college for eight weeks where they taught us all the basics of, being a firefighter breathing apparatus and how to use it, road traffic collisions, what to do, first aid.

I then did another two weeks in-house training with Oxfordshire Fire Service. So learning how they do things, which could be slightly differently what we were taught at the college. and then I effectively got here on Red Watch Rewley Road, uh, where I really sort of started the apprenticeship in earnest.

So the apprenticeship itself two years long, effectively each month we're given assignments that we needed to complete. these can be things from covering, experience of wearing BA or going to an incident in ba or even just the drill.

Could be the theory, could be road traffic collisions. And effectively with these assignments, we then pass them to a talent coach who marks them, gives us feedback, and we sort of speak about our reflections on them, what we've learned from them.

You do that each month. You get different ones each month, and then at the end of the two years, you then sit through a endpoint assessment. So the endpoint assessment itself, that involves a practical assessment where you've got external assessors that come in and they watch us, on the fire ground doing all our basics.

So you pass or fail that you then move on to, multiple choice question paper, which you need to complete. So that's sort of covering all the theory. And then lastly, you go into an interview and the interview itself you take your portfolio and those assessments that you've done through those two years, you choose your best ones, you work with your talent coach, find your best ones, you create the portfolio and you can take that in with you for your interview.

And then they basically speak to you about these jobs that you, these assignments that you've been to, and you draw from them experiences. Once you've completed all of that, you, and you've passed all of that, you're then class as a competent firefighter, and then you go on, full, full firefighter pay, yeah.

And then road carries on from there. So you can go on to do various courses. You can go on to do your crew managers, your driving. there's lots of, different pathways that you can take."