http://www.ipds.co.uk/information.php?id=12 Q. If a vacancy for a Wholetime Crew or Watch Manager arises can a Retained crew//Watch manager apply for that vacancy?
A. We must take on board the fact that that there are now no such things as "relevant qualifications". All that has to be satisfied is the requirement in the new Fire Services (Appointment and Promotion) (England and Wales) Regulations for the appointee to have:
"passed such examination in educational subjects as the fire authority maintaining the brigade may require, being such an examination as necessitates a reasonable standard of proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic and such other subjects, if any, as the fire authority may require; or the fire authority are satisfied that he is of such educational standard that it is unnecessary for him to take any such examination; and A duly qualified medical practitioner selected by the fire authority is satisfied that his general state of health and fitness, including lung function and aerobic capacity is satisfactory to carry out the duties of the role"
(Regulation 5)
If the person has been performing in a satisfactory manner as a Crew or Watch Manager on the retained system of work, then all of the above conditions must, by default, have been met. If the person has accrued evidence of competent performance, the appointment can be made straight into the role, otherwise appointment must be conditional until competent performance has been demonstrated (Regulation 6)
"Those specific requirements are that he has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the authority by whom the fire brigade is maintained that he has reached the National Occupational Standard specified for the role in question".
It is relevant to consider Regulation 8: 8.1.
(1)A person shall not be appointed to any role in a brigade unless he has been selected for such on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in paragraph (2). 8.1.
(2) Those principles are-
(a) vacancies must be advertised in such a way as will, in the opinion of the authority, bring them to the attention of all those likely to be interested in applying;
(b) prospective applicants must be given equal and reasonable access to adequate information about the role and its requirements and about the selection process; and
(c) applicants must be considered equally on merit at each stage of the selection process." This means that the substantive retained officer who has been performing in the role successfully must, by definition, be at least as "meritorious" as someone who has not.
