transfering to airport fire service?

[ruffles1]

Ifbullit

Why are you still in the AFS if you think like that, is it because your stuck on the bottom rung of the ladder with no chance of going up? or are you wishing you were a firefighter but know you wouldnt make the grade

[lfbullitt]

Why on earth would you want to transfer from local authority to an airport??

Emm, money? Fighting fires and playing Londons burning doesn't pay the bills.

If you want to earn good money then get a well paid job!!  Most peole want to be a FF because its what THEY WANT TO DO, the salary doesnt come into it!!

As you so righly pointed out, fighting fires doesnt pay the bills but we still sign up to do the job. Personally I would rather be operationally busy with X amount of calls a day or night rather than going from one month to the next never getting anything!!

Yes the money at an airport is better but the trade off is that you wont get the calls!! Each to their own.......as for me, im the wrong side of 40, got a mortgage, kids to look after etc so its to late to change.

A word of advise to anyone thinking of entering the AFS, find out how busy they are at your intended location, speak to the FF`s at the station to get an honest idea,then be honest with yourself.
The choice is a reasonable salary but not many "fire fighting" calls, or a busy local authority station, job satisfaction but a reduced salary!

I know guys in the AFS who have left or have applied (but failed) to get into local authority but have not heard of any who has gone the other way round!!  Indeed, the L.A. FF`s who I have met wouldnt entertain the AFS, despite the salary increase, due to the fact that they would never get the same calls or level of job satisfaction that they currently enjoy.

Lets be honest, the two jobs,whilst coming under the same banner, are vastly different. Something that should be borne in mind by anyone looking for a transfer.

[Fireguy1230]

Well just for your info lfbullit,

 My airport has 5 guys who have came from the LAFB. One of them an ex WM (who is earning more as an AFS FF)

 We have lost 1 FF going the other way.

 Most i have spoken to are demoralised with the LAFB. Its all well and good being busy, but if all you are getting is AFA's it becomes a tad tedious. Not to mention the NFPS.

 If you stay in the AFS, get your head down and don't whinge, you can be a big fish in a small pool and get lots out of it. If you sit and moan about how bad it is, it will only seem worse.

[Yeebsy]

If you want to earn good money then get a well paid job!!

I have a well paid job, thats why I became AFS granted I'll never be a millionaire but I still get 42k as a Lff

Most peolpe want to be a FF because its what THEY WANT TO DO

Correct, I've been in the job 18 years now and would not dream of doing any other. Personally I tend to stay off the domestic pump as I have never wanted to be a LA fire fighter, I like crash rescue. We have to remember also that not all full time LA stations are busy.

Yes the money at an airport is better but the trade off is that you wont get the calls!! Each to their own.......as for me, im the wrong side of 40, got a mortgage, kids to look after etc so its to late to change.

No it's not, we just had a WM transfer to Kent, age mid forties.

if you want to spend your working life playing at it then go for an airport.

That scares the bejesus out of me, you say you have been in the job 10 years yet you still don't get it, we are not domestic fire fighters, we are there for the long black strip and the aircraft, period, any other fire fighting is just a side note to lessen disruption to the business. So here I will agree that if you want Londons burning style of job (and we all know what a load of cr@p that was) then yes go for LA.

Indeed, the L.A. FF`s who I have met wouldnt entertain the AFS

We train with Berkshire and believe me there is a lot of guys who fancy joining the AFS along with other guys from London who we work with at times.

A word of advise to anyone thinking of entering the AFS, find out how busy they are at your intended location

I do agree, but you should do that with anywhere you are going for a job.

Lets be honest, the two jobs,whilst coming under the same banner, are vastly different. Something that should be borne in mind by anyone looking for a transfer.

Couldn't agree more and that's what people have to remember.

It sounds like you are disillusioned with the job and I hope one day you will find happiness at work.

Good luck