COULD YOU BE A FIREFIGHTER? Begin Firefighters don’t choose which emergencies they’ll face.Fires. Floods. Serious road traffic collisions.Medical emergencies. Terrorism.This experience offers an honest picture of the role. CONGRATULATIONS! YOU QUALIFIED. You have what it takes to join the brigade. Apply for an induction day below. Apply for Induction Day CONGRATULATIONS! YOU QUALIFIED. You have qualified, but there are currently no vacancies available. A DRIVING LICENSE IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE. You can learn more about getting your UK driving license on the official GOV website. Visit GOV.UK Driving License Info NOT EVERYONE CAN BE ON THE FRONTLINE. It takes the whole brigade to make rescues happen. Explore other roles below. Control Fire Safety Corporate Functions Firefightertraining school View PDF Selection process Firefighting is a unique job that very few can do. Our rigorous, nine-step selection process is designed to determine if it’s the right job for you. It can take between four and twelve months to complete. STEP ONE+ Take the drill You’ve started it. We want you to look carefully through our site. Read about training school, the eligibility criteria, skills and behaviours. Before progressing, you must complete Take the Drill, our online firefighter challenge. STEP TWO+ Register & apply After you’ve taken the drill, you’ll fill out a registration form with a unique code, which will be used to verify you. Following this, you’ll be sent a link to the full application, which must be completed within 7 days. Please note: Registration forms are limited per month Do not share your unique code. Registration forms using the same code will be deleted. STEP THREE+ Online tests If you get to this stage, you’ll be asked to complete online tests. There will be a practice round for each. Tests will include: English Mechanical comprehension Find out more here. LINK TO GUIDANCE PACK STEP FOUR+ Operational readiness day You’ll be invited to and sent instructions for an in-person assessment at a fire station. This is built to see how ready you are to be a firefighter – from your physical fitness to how your values align with our organisation. Progressing further is dependent on passing this stage. Find out more here. LINK TO GUIDANCE PACK STEP FIVE+ Baseline fitness test We’ll invite you to an in-person evaluation of your baseline aerobic fitness. Alongside a blood pressure test, you’ll be able to choose between Chester Treadmill test or a 1.5-mile run, both are timebound. This is a pass/fail stage that must be completed to progress. Find out more here. LINK TO GUIDANCE PACK STEP SIX+ Assessment Centre At our assessment centre, you’ll complete a wide range of activities. These will include: Interview Group exercise Written test Observation test Process mapping Math test English Verification Find out more here. LINK TO GUIDANCE PACK STEP SEVEN+ Work Related Fitness Test The following tests will focus more on your physical aptitude for the job: Resilience Working From height Dummy Drag Dexterity test Equipment Carry Assimilated Ladder Lift Confined space test Find out more here. LINK TO GUIDANCE PACK STEP EIGHT+ Medical checks We want to be sure that you’re medically fit to be a firefighter, so you’ll be examined by Optima Health. As firefighters can experience potentially traumatising incidents, you’ll be screened for mental health conditions. Your GP will also need to sign you off. STEP NINE+ Preemployment checks You’ll be asked to provide: Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 3-year history including proof of study, travel and unemployment If you’re self-employed, approximately 5 references will be requested No personal references are allowed (unless you have worked in a family business) STEP TEN+ Offer If employment checks go smoothly, you’ll be sent an offer and contract. The Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship, totalling 15 weeks, is yours to start. After successful completion, you’ll have your pass out ceremony, move into a fire station, and continue training on-the-job. Your Eligibility Eligibility checklist+ Be at least 17-and-a-half years old. There is no upper age limit. Be a UK or EU citizen, or a permanent UK resident with no work restrictions. When applying, you must: Have a full UK or EU driving licence, manual or automatic. (Visit the GOV.UK driving licence page). Be free from unspent criminal convictions. After joining, you must: Get an LGV driving licence with 12 months of joining. Be prepared to be clean shaven to safely wear breathing apparatus. Qualifications+ No specific qualifications are required. If you do not have GCSE English and Maths at Grade C/4 (or equivalent), you’ll need to complete Functional Skills as part of your apprenticeship. Behaviours and values+ Behaviours and values: We are looking for people who demonstrate behaviours that we value. You: Put the public first. Act professionally at all times. Find the facts before acting. Ask for help and seek feedback. Challenge poor language, behaviour and performance. Apply your training to incidents. Show compassion. Do the right thing when no one is looking. Look for opportunities to learn and grow. As part of a team, you: Build trust and keep everyone safe. Celebrate the achievements of others. Career Progression As a Trainee Apprentice Firefighter, you’ll start on a £36,302 salary. Once you’re a Competent Firefighter, it will go up to £46,234. Here’s what your career trajectory could look like at London Fire Brigade. 1866: An early brigade Variations of a fire service existed before 1866 – but not with the unifying purpose to serve and protect London. Originally, we were called the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. We first fought fires with hand-pumped engines. Bucket chains and horse-drawn engines kept us going. 1904: A name that stuck We found a name that felt like us: London Fire Brigade. We are entwined with our city: its past, present and future. 1914: Coping during war In the First World War, many firefighters enlisted in the British Army or Royal Navy, putting the Brigade under strain. War led to the end of horse-drawn engines, a push for mechanisation, and revealed – starkly – the importance of firefighters. The city couldn’t do without them. 1937: 999 introduced Ours is the world’s oldest emergency service number. When we started, people would run up to stations shouting: Fire! Fire! Some stations had high watchtowers to look out for smoke. That turned into telegraphs and on-street fire alarms. 999 transformed us for the better. 1938: Adapting in war For the Second World War, ’firefighter’ was a reserved occupation. It was complemented by the Auxiliary Fire Service, a major recruitment drive launched and changed who could be part of the Brigade. Recruits were young, old — and female. Women did not fight fires, but managed communication networks, watched for fires and acted as dispatch riders. 1955: Frank Bailey Frank Bailey was our first Black firefighter, part of the Brigade full-time. He was a barrier breaker, a champion for equality, and paved the way for a more diverse Brigade, truer to the community it serves. 1965: Gaining Greater London We welcomed Brigades across Greater London into our own. We also became more technically advanced and professional. New equipment like breathing apparatus meant firefighters could safely enter burning buildings. 1982: Sue Batten After reading the job ad a few times to check women weren’t actually barred from applying, Sue Batten became our first female firefighter. Sixty women had the same calling in the 1980s. A figure that has risen in every decade since. 1991: Digitalisation Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, we built out computerised mobilisation systems, real-time tracking, and advanced call handling. 2004: The Fire and Services Rescue Act This act increased the breadth of incidents we attend — including road collisions and false alarms. Our focus grew to education and prevention. We developed specialist teams to tackle risk, raise awareness, and investigate. 2005: Multi-agency collaboration After the devastation of the July 7 bombings, London Fire Brigade became increasingly involved in multi-agency responses. Working with our blue-light partners to protect the capital. Our firefighters now have marauding terror attack training, so that they know how to act safely in high-threat situations. 2017: Grenfell Tower Our thoughts remain with the 72 people who lost their lives, their families and communities. Grenfell was a formidable challenge for the Brigade. We’ve since had two inquiries, implemented changes, and are better prepared for high-rise fires. 2022: Cultural review Cultural challenges have long held the Brigade back. We sought to identify what the issues were, gain recommendations, and improve. We will look after our people better. And ensure that the Brigade’s values and behaviours are evident in all staff. 2023: Beyond fires It really isn’t just putting out fires anymore. Heatwaves, wildfires, and floods are now ours to tackle. E-bikes and high-rise fires are also on our list. 2026: 160 years We’ve come a long way since 1866. We intend to keep evolving with London. Serving every person, home, business, and street. For all the years to come. Skip Timeline Benefits Competitive salary Salary starts at £36,302 progressing with each rank. Highest position, Group Commander, earns £70,000+. Clear Progression Begin as a Trainee Apprentice, with the potential to carve a career path that reaches Group Commander. Full training provided 15 weeks of training to make you fit for a world-class Brigade, fully paid for by us. Pension scheme You’ll be enrolled in the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme. Full details in your contract. Health and wellbeing We will support both your mental and physical health. Fitness facilities are provided. Be there for London Save lives. And our city. Finish a shift knowing that you did a job you can be proud of. Take the drill To apply to become a firefighter,you must complete this challenge. Start now