Having just read these posts, I have to admit there are some very interesting points to note. Lee999, it has to be said, you have obviously met some unsavioury DFS chaps in the past, however I do believe your background in both DFS and RAF qualifies you this opinion. Having served 18 years in the RAF myself, I have to make objection to a couple of points regarding CTE Manston and the training that they provide. Whilst I agree, Moreton is a great facility, the school at Manston is also very good and the instructors are well trained. In fact they attend training courses run by the LAFS regularly on a number of subjects. So I believe your statement to be slightly flawed.
I to have a number of friends that have joined the LAFS across the country, some have transferred and some have had to go through the selection process. Do I believe the DFS should be able transfer? In a word, no! Likewise, I don't believe the LAFS should be able to transfer directly to the DFS! Why not? Because although both jobs are similar, they are by no means the same. That said I do not believe that transfers either way should incur the need to have to complete the full training course. It has been known for ex RAF/DFS to complete 2 week "refresher" courses to get into the LAFS! Surely any quality instructor would have a very good idea of competance after this time? Lee999, your views are welcomed.
Whilst we are comparing the 3 services, LAFS/DFS/RAF. All 3 will have, dare I say it, "problems". Of the friends that I have who have joined the Local Brigades, all ex RAF, all have stated that apart from the busier shifts (albeit, that is not always the case), overall the professionalism is not a patch on the RAF and the lack of training has been quite shocking!
Furthermore, whilst I appreciate that there are alot of the DFS that are happy to take their double and treble pay for public holidays and good amounts of overtime for very little return there are a lot of very good profesional fire fighters amonst them.
To conclude, we all have a choice in life and choose the jobs that we take on. We are not all LAFS whannabees, far from it. I for the record have no desire to transfer even if it were made easier.