Frequently asked questions

The Full-Time Firefighter recruitment process has a number of important dates that candidates will need to be available for should they progress throughout the process:

The online registration process is open from 2 to 14 January 2024. In order to register, candidates will need to attend a Recruitment Awareness Day.

Candidates who are successful will then be invited to undertake further online tests between 5 to 28 January 2024. Find out more about the tests here.

Practical assessments and swim tests will be held between 5 to 16 February 2024.

Interviews will be held between 4 to 8 March 2024.

Verification tests will take place directly ahead of medical examinations. Medical tests will be held between 18 to 28 March 2024.

The 10-week initial training course will commence on 7 May 2024.

Please note that all dates may be subject to change dependent upon Service need.

We ask that our candidates are at least 18 years of age at the start of the training course.

Successful candidates can expect to receive a starting salary of £27,178 during their initial training course.

Following a successful training period, firefighters can then expect to be placed on the development rate of pay which is £28,310 during the 3 year probationary period.

Once a firefighter is considered to be competent, the salary will increase to £36,226.

We are pleased to advise that there is no upper age limit to our recruitment process.

The role of a firefighter has evolved significantly over the last few years and, as a result, firefighters have to be more adaptable and flexible in their approach than ever before. Our firefighters can find themselves managing environmental issues, such as floods and storms, or attending health related incidents, therefore an ability to work under pressure as part of a team is essential. Our firefighters are also proud to be an integral part of the local community and often attend public safety events as well as making home visits, therefore good communication skills are vital.

We welcome applicants from across the community we serve and having a disability does not prevent anyone from applying to join the Service. Candidates may be asked if they require any reasonable adjustments to be made to enable them to take part in the selection process and to fulfil the role of a firefighter and if so, every effort will be made to accommodate these requests where possible.

Candidates will only be asked to attend on one day for each of the tests, for example, a day for the Firefighter tests, a day for the interview and a day for the medical assessment. Although candidates will initially be allocated a date and time, there may be the opportunity to change these, subject to availability and timescales.

Whilst every effort will be made to place successful candidates at their preferred station, we also consider the stations at which there are vacancies. Candidates will be contracted to serve at any station within the Humberside Service area.

If you have any doubts about your eyesight, we recommend that you book a test with your optician. Use the following criteria as a checklist to make sure you're good to go.

Recruit eyesight requirements:​

• ​Uncorrected vision for recruits should be 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 in the worst eye​
• ​Corrected visual acuity should be 6/9 binocularly and a minimum of 6/12 in the worst eye
• ​Be able to read N12 at 30cm unaided with both eyes open (applicants aged 25 and over)​
• ​Be able to read N6 at 30cm unaided with both eyes open (applicants under 25 years of age)​
• ​Have no history of night blindness or any ocular disease that is likely to progress and result in future failure of the visual standards for firefighters​

Standards for colour vision:​

• Candidates with minor colour vision defects may also apply to join the Service but may be asked to participate in specialised testing to confirm their ability to work safely and effectively.

Laser eye surgery:​

• Should a candidate have had laser surgery, they will be able to join the Service after a period of 12 months from date of surgery, subject to the above standard requirements being met and there being no evidence of any complications that would impair the candidate’s ability to work safely and effectively.

Candidates are required to meet the following hearing standards:

• Low frequency thresholds (0.5, 1 and 2kHz) [60 dB hearing loss
• High frequency thresholds (3,4 and 6 kHz) [80 dB hearing loss
• Speech frequency thresholds (1,2,3 kHz) [60 dB hearing loss and (no value>25 dB HL)

A hearing test will form part of the medical assessment undertaken by our Occupational Health Team.

Firefighters come in all genders, shapes and sizes. There is no height restriction and you don't have to be exceptionally strong, but you do need to be fit as being a firefighter is physically demanding. The equipment can be heavy but remember you'll be working in a team and will be taught techniques for handling equipment safely.

All candidates will need to have a good, overall level of fitness, in particular aerobic fitness. We also recommend good upper body strength as firefighters are often required to lift equipment that can weigh up to 25kg. All physical assessments are carried out under the guidance and supervision of the Service’s qualified Fitness Instructor.

Whilst candidates are required to have achieved a good level of strength and fitness, this can be achieved by persons of all different sizes and builds. As such, there are no restrictions on either weight or height.

Having a spent conviction does not necessarily prevent you from joining the Service as a firefighter. All candidates will be asked to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) form as part of the standard application process. Where a candidate has a spent conviction, we will consider its nature, its relevance to the role of a firefighter, the sentence, any pattern as well as the length of time that has elapsed before making any decision.

As a Service, we respect all candidates’ individual styles, religious beliefs and cultural preferences but there are health and safety reasons that mean certain styles of facial hair cannot be accepted and these reasons apply to all candidates equally. As a firefighter, candidates will be required to wear a facemask when wearing breathing apparatus and facial hair may impair the ability to secure the head harness of both the facemask and the helmet. To protect the firefighter, it is essential that any facial hair does not impede the seal the facemask forms around the face so that the efficiency of the facemask seal and fit is not compromised in any way.

Closely worn moustaches, maintained in a neat and tidy manner, are permitted provided they do not impact on the facemask seal and fit.

Body tattoos will not cause a problem providing that, where visible, they are not of an offensive nature and do not detract from the positive public image of the Service. Facial tattoos are not generally permitted as it is felt that they may detract from the positive public image of the Service. However, we will consider a candidate’s religious and cultural beliefs before making any decision.

Candidates who do not have English as their first language may like to contact any of the following local colleges and adult education providers; Hull College, East Riding College, Grimsby Institute and North Lindsey College. All offer courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Alternatively, candidates may be interested to know that Learndirect offers free qualifications in English language.

As a Service, we recognise and respect candidates’ religious and cultural dress requirements and would need to understand whether any aspect of the operational element would present limited flexibility. To that end, candidates are asked to contact the HR team at hr@humbersidefire.gov.uk

Should any candidate have a specific request, please contact hr@humbersidefire.gov.uk and we will, of course, be as flexible as we can.

Being pregnant does not prevent a candidate from applying for a role as a firefighter or any other role within the Service. However, in accordance with our duty of care obligations, were you to be successful in the initial stages of the firefighter selection process, you may not be able to undergo the fitness tests owing to the potential health risks to you and your unborn baby. Were that to be the case, we would offer you the opportunity to take the tests within a reasonable but later timescale.

Whilst there is no specific requirement for any formal qualifications, candidates will be asked to undertake a number of psychometric tests during the online assessment process and these will include verbal and numerical reasoning. The standard of these tests is in line with GCSE Grade 9-4 (GCSE Grade A*-C) in Maths and English.

Candidates will register when they attend a Recruitment Awareness Day. If their application is accepted, candidates will then be asked to complete a series of psychometric tests. If this stage is successfully completed, candidates will be invited to undertake practical and physical tests. When completing the online stages, we recommend that candidates try and ensure that they are in a quiet and calm environment and make sure that they’re not under any time pressures.

Yes, we do require candidates to have a full UK driving licence at the time of application. If you don’t currently hold one, we would, unfortunately, be unable to accept your application at this time. Candidates will be required to effectively commute around the Service area, to any location, for operational and/or training purposes.

Unfortunately, we are not able to facilitate this option at this current moment in time. However, we would encourage you to apply via the normal selection process.

Unfortunately, we are not able to facilitate this option at this current moment in time. However, we would encourage you to apply via the normal selection process.

Unfortunately, owing to the large volume of applicants, we regret that we are unable to provide feedback during the initial stages of the selection process.

Candidates will be provided with specific details each time they are invited for an assessment.