Why did you choose the airport fire service??

[sheppardnjs]

So; why did you choose the airport fire service?

 For me, i chose to apply for the airport service over L/A because ermmmmm, well no real reason,
L/A  or AFS will do me but have to say would much prefer the airport for some reason.

 Why the fire service? I just can't get the camaraderie or, for want of a better word excitement in
normal civilian life, and job satisfaction must be fantastic, especially if you have been in a real situation
fighting a fire and helping people, what satisfaction.

 I've been a civvy for a number of years now and still find every day boring and unstimulating. Now i now
fighting fires is a rare (so i hear) thing nowadays but getting a shout, even under exercise conditions must
be exciting compared to your average everyday at the office!! Also there is always something to strive for,
new knowledge, new training etc.

So come on guys n gals what are your reasons for wanting to join...  


                Neil...

Got my first stage of test's coming up so fingers crossed.

[Fireguy1230]

I ended up in the AFS after leaving Uni. I had applications in to the army, police and AFS. My local authority fire service were not recruiting at that time. I got offered a place in the army, was waiting for my final interview date for the police, but the airport offered me an immediate start date on my Basic. So there i was.

 I have now been in for 4 years, have a portfolio of qualifications that is at bursting point (both civvy and fire service related), i have had the opportunity to get involved in both fire service and business initiatives which has increased my 'employability' should i ever the leave the service.

 I've had quite a few jobs and incidents, some which made the papers and news, others didn't see the light of day.

 At times i wish i had held out until the local authority recruited, as we have a lot of down time and the devil makes work for idle hands! you can feel pretty unchallenged and unfulfilled at times. But then the pay and conditions that we enjoy are a sweetener, as are the range of opportunities and training that we get. All of which are of benefit in other types of employement.

 Plus we get to drive sexy fire trucks!

[Chunty]

I was a soldier, combat infantry and settled down got married had kids and decided to do something else less risky.
First a gap came up in my local retained fire station, a fairly busy one compared to many, averaging a shout a day and boasting four varying appliances. That all went well and within three years I was LFF, then the local airport advertised for Ops staff to include the role of firefighter. I applied not knowing anything about aircraft other than the ones I'd been chucked about in during my army days and managed to bustle my way in, over time specialising in the fire/rescue role and developing my own career where I now remain with the LA in my spare time, sub-contract as SAFO at two smaller airports, instruct airport fire/rescue commercially, carry out offshore firefighter training to MCA standards and provide an MoD Post-Crash Management Incident Officer role within my geographical sector.
So it's all just happened along really but I enjoy it all, having said that I wish now that perhaps I'd joined BAA when I was younger and had a career structured for me; what I've achieved I'm proud of but its been hard work and its still a case of going out there and finding the work because if I don't get it I don't earn it. What I do is piece together various commitments to make a decent living, I'd much prefer to be a settled SM working for BAA if I had the choice but recruiting for them means going right back to recruit firefighter level and at 40 years old with the experience and qualifications I've accumulated I really don't think I am up for that (did enough boot camp when I was a nipper).

However I would suggest one thing that is probably the hardest part of being in the fire service; trying not to get too mixed up in and dragged down by the politics! Other than that its a great way of making a living and becomes much more than just a job.... you even end up writing on forums in your spare time you love it so much!

[Darren Burley]

Greetings Chaps.
I just joined the forum today(28-01-08), I have been in L/A fire & rescue for 10 years now as a retained Ff & have been trying for numerous years to get in fulltime but to no avail. In 2006 I joined the aviation RFFS & am based at a very busy cat 2 aerodrome on the sussex coast which I do enjoy & is good to learn all about the different tactics & techniques adopted at an airport than L/A, at present looking to get into Gatwick or Heathrow to progress my knowledge onto larger airport environment/aircraft.

[stuart f]

HI THERE,
 I worked at a factory for ten years, then 1 day 2 friends went to the local airport and brought back 5 application forms and gave one to me.
 So with nothing to lose I filled it in, 2 weeks later I recieved a phone-call, asking if I could attend the airport for a formal interview, so I went as you do, one week later, letter in the post, can you attend medical/fitness test at the airport, yes I can, after the test on the table was my contract ready for me to sign, checked the start date, it was the sunday coming, this day was a wednesday. I was in shock, I had 2 days to finish my factory job and take the biggest step into the world of aviation. I am also a retained CM for the last 9 years so "fire is in my blood" with 15 yrs service.
 The next thing I was at Teeside on the FF course, 6 weeks of the best training set I have ever seen. Have I ever looked back YES, after we came back, what happened the airport needed to upgrade to cat 3 by september 2003, so on this course which is run with 12+ there were only 5 of us from our airport, it was a excellent course, but with only 5 it was hard graft, in the middle of the summer.
We had 6-7 different intructors during the course, which was good because you could take some of they're knowledge and experience from them.
Its a shame now, the airport was a busy cat 3 set up, but a year on we had 18 fire crew that dropped to 6, then 2 boys had enough and finished, then the S.A.F.O. had a fallout with the manager, if thats what he was, he finished.
So currently there are 4 of us left with the help of our air ground operators (multi-tasking) friends, they sometimes help out.
So we operate a day to day cat 1 with 24hr notice for cat 2, if either I can make it/other the lads help out, so my list of duties is ever lasting, yes Low cat ff do everything, since my departing S.A.F.O. I was asked to be made up to wait for it "Airport Fire Officer" yes I did get a payrise.
I have tried to get into other airports but kept failing at the interview stage/ due to my living location this also let me down, due to the relocation set-up some airports have. i.e Robin Hood.
But I have thought twice of finishing the R.F.F.S. due to the licencee holder not shelling out, i.e firekit and R.F.F.S. vehicles, which are essentials.
 I feel that the airport has got the potential of going commercial again with the backing of the licencee holder who also owns a commercial airline. airwales. This airport is not council run its private.
Oopps that slipped up, sorry I don't work at Cardiff yet, still working on getting in there.
I have taken the step into the world of aviation and I am enjoying my role as part of the team at Swansea.
Everyone as the saying goes "keep chipping" speak to you soon.

[Yeebsy]

9 Years RAF fire and rescue, when the kids started coming along I knew I could not stay in the RAF. Although from Edinburgh originally I now live outside London and the area where my wife and myself wanted to live I could not afford to Join the LA, The only option I could see was to become a builder or join the airport. I've always loved the airfield side of fire fighting over the domestic stuff anyway. Now Heathrow is to become Cat 10, we have a shiny new 42m ALP that we now have to get to grips with so the next few months will be a busy time trying to come up with new tactics and techniques incorporating the ALP. And we get a new station in June

[Fireguy1230]

Yeah Yeebsy,

 Heathrow mate. The rest of us are treated like poor cousins!

[Yeebsy]

Poor cousins? I think of you as more of an Illegitimate child, Only joking. How's Dave Macherichar (god only knows how you spell his name).

[Fireguy1230]

Yeah he's getting on fine.

 Being courted by the 'dark side' (currently acting up to Watch Manager!).

 But you can't hold that against him.

[Yeebsy]

currently acting up to Watch Manager!

Haha, tell him that when Bosh saw that he almost fainted saying 'when Dave was here he didn't know the a... end of an appliance'.

[Fireguy1230]

Ha!

 If the true be told he still doesn't! (Only jokin Dave)

 But i suppose the best way to deal with that is to promote them out of harms way  

[BFTP1509]

Well I have the distinct pleasure of working alongside fireguy1230, olla Les,  I was wholetime LA for just short of 13 years worked in Central Scotland then Oxfordshire.  I left for a variety of reasons and went into private industry.  When I moved back to Scotland I had various options both in returning to the LA or AFS.  I chose AFS as it seemed to be a new challenge and a change from what I had previously experienced but would complement my previous experience.  I am glad to say it so far has proved to be the case and I really enjoy my job.

[Fireguy1230]

What he is really trying to say is that no one else would have him, and we were at a loose end with no one to fill a vacancy we had.

 And the rest, as they say, is history......

[White_elephant]

May I just quote Yeebsy on his reaction to being asked if he wished to be an ALP operator 42m up in the air.......

I quote 'NO FING WAY!!!!!'

If that ALP goes out on a shout I can guarantee he will be the last to volunteer to go in the cage........ ;-)

[Yeebsy]

May I just quote Yeebsy on his reaction to being asked if he wished to be an ALP operator 42m up in the air.......

I quote 'NO FING WAY!!!!!'

If that ALP goes out on a shout I can guarantee he will be the last to volunteer to go in the cage........ ;-)

Jeesus man, shut up!! I've got an image to uphold.