RAF Firefighter – Full Time Career with Apprenticeship

RAF Firefighters provide a deployable Aerodrome & Rescue Firefighting capability to Defence in the UK and overseas. When in the UK your role will be to maintain immediate readiness to respond to fight fires and effect rescue from military aircraft.

Whilst in your role you will:

• Provide a first response to emergencies on the Defence estate and assist in providing fire safety awareness to Station personnel
• Be required to deploy within short time frame in the UK and overseas to support operations and exercises in potentially austere environments
• Be trained to use highly specialised vehicles and equipment including the new Defence capability of High Reach Extendable Turrets
• Resolve incidents involving aircraft, buildings, hazardous substances and incidents caused by hostile activities
• Work in a close-knit team on the aerodrome and your daily tasks will include ensuring that specialised vehicles and equipment is tested and inspected whilst also maintaining and honing your professional firefighter skills

Like most people in the RAF, you could move jobs every few years as part of your through service career management and have the opportunity to diversify and experience a wide range of jobs and equipment.

You will be able to set preferences for the location and type of employment you would like to undertake and there may also the opportunity to undertake roles outside of your specialisation.

(Note: due to the sophistication and efficiency of aircraft, and advancements in early fire detection on MOD establishments, fire crews spend significantly less time responding to aircraft and domestic fires than historically attended.)

Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Operational Firefighter.

On successful completion of the application and selection process, your apprenticeship will start with a 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle.

The 14 weeks specialist Firefighter training course takes place at the Defence Fire Training Unit Moreton-in-Marsh. The specialist course will teach you:

• Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
• Fire Service Drill
• Breathing Apparatus Operations
• Structural Firefighting Operations
• Road Traffic Incident Techniques
• Aircraft Construction
• Aviation Firefighting Operations
• You will deal with ‘live’ practice fires and gain experience of specialist crash rescue fire-fighting vehicles

As part of specialist training, you will be enrolled on to a Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship. This is a 12-24-month programme you will complete as part of your daily duties.

• The apprenticeship is a gateway to a full-time career in the Royal Air Force
• Promotion to the rank of Corporal and beyond is dependent on successful completion of the Operational Firefighter apprenticeship and then on merit by competitive selection
• As you advance through the ranks, you will have the increased opportunity to lead and direct people, managing resources and workforce within your area of work to deliver the required outputs whilst maintaining and instilling the highest standards expected within the RAF