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Job title:
Sponsored Reserve Firefighter - RAF Odiham
Job Description:
As part of Capita Fire and Rescue’s Whole Force Approach in supporting the MOD to deliver its mission in true partnership. We are now recruiting Firefighter’s who as part of their role will also be Royal Air Force Firefighter Sponsored Reserves. This is the first Sponsored Reserves recruitment campaign of its kind for RAF reserve firefighters.
What being a Sponsored Reserve includes
Being an SR allows you as a civilian to undertake specialist activities that might be required in an operational environment. As a SR you will be a permanent employee of Capita Fire and Rescue and contracted as a member of a Reserve Force. Day-to-day you will be working as a civilian on a UK Royal Air Force Station, when called out, as an SR you become a member of the military force and, therefore, your legal status is equivalent to that of other military personnel. You are subject to UK service law and entitled to the same jurisdictional cover as members of the Armed Forces.
This unique role is an opportunity to get the best of both world by combining a civilian and a military career. Serving alongside Regular colleague you will be making a valuable contribution to Defence operations
What you’ll be doing
As a Capita Fire and Rescue Firefighter you will be part of the RAF Firefighter force which provides the deployable Aerodrome & Rescue Firefighting capability to Defence in the UK and overseas. When in the UK your role will be to maintain immediate readiness to respond to fight fires and effect rescue from military aircraft. You will also provide a first response to emergencies on the Defence estate and assist in providing fire safety awareness to Station personnel.
As the deployable arm for Defence, you will be required to deploy in the UK and overseas to support operations and exercises in potentially austere environments. You will be trained to use highly specialised vehicles and equipment including the new Defence capability of High Reach Extendable Turrets. You will work in a close-knit team on the aerodrome and your daily tasks will include ensuring that specialised vehicles and equipment are tested and inspected whilst also maintaining and honing your professional firefighter skills.
Locations we are recruiting Firefighter SRs into the following locations:
South
Central
North
What we’re looking for:
Capita Fire and Rescue is looking to recruit from the armed forces as well as civilians with and without previous firefighting experience.
To be eligible you must:
Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, holder of a dual UK/other nationality or have been a Commonwealth citizen from birth. Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have resided there for the 5 years immediately preceding your application. However, candidates with a minimum of 3 years will be considered.
The youngest age for applying is 18 years for all Reserves roles. The oldest is 54 years.
You must have a minimum of GCSEs at Grade C (Grade 4 to 5 with effect from Aug 17) or equivalent in English language and Mathematics or SCE Standard Grades at Grade 3 in English and Mathematics or equivalent. Current full driving licence is also required
All applicants are required to complete background checks, including:
Declare any previous spent and unspent convictions
Check eligibility under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 through this summary of its provisions
Undergo a basic background check to obtain Security Check level clearance
All applicants must be fit in order to complete initial and specialist training and perform their roles effectively. To assess fitness, every candidate undergoes two or three separate fitness tests as part of the application process: Selection Fitness Test, Pre-joining Fitness Test or Pre-recruit Training Course. The fitness requirements for these tests vary according to role, age and gender. The Reserve Pre-Joining Fitness Test is used to demonstrate physical preparedness for the RAF and will be either a 2.4km (1.5mi) run or the Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT or Bleep Test), press ups and sit ups.
There are three main health requirements that must be met by all applicants; Body Mass Index, eyesight and medical conditions that may preclude entry into the RAF Reserves.
Disqualifying Factors are considered.
Have and maintain high standards, whilst demonstrating good teamwork and strong communication skills
Work well under pressure and in challenging scenarios
Be prepared to undertake and pass Situational and Behavioural tests during the recruitment phase.
Please follow the link below to view full detail of the eligibility criteria:
https://recruitment.raf.mod.uk/how-to-apply/eligibility-check#fitness-requirements
About Defence Fire and Rescue
Capita are creating a world class Fire and Rescue Service with the UK Ministry of Defence. We are game changing the future of firefighting within Defence with significant investment in technology, including the introduction of 128 state of the art fire fighting vehicles, and creating the conditions to provide Defence with a balanced approach to managing fire risk through an improved Prevention, Protection and Response strategy. We care about the safety of every firefighter, which is why we have invested in innovative training technology at our Fire Service College, providing state of the art scenario-based training in a realistic training environment. We are committed to our UK Armed Forces, just as we are to protecting our firefighters, whilst ensuring that Defence's operational capability is always supported.
Capita is a long-standing member of the Armed Forces Covenant and was awarded Gold member status in the Employer Recognition Scheme in 2021 in recognition of the support we offer our Reserves and Veterans. Encouraging and aiding the recruitment of Reserves is a key part of Capita’s commitment to the Covenant.
We are an inclusive employer and seek to offer opportunities to all parts of society.
What’s in it for you?
A great starting salary of £25,841 increasing to £29,071 when achieving full development and competency within CFR.
Each time you deploy you will receive a rewarding deployment remuneration package
As a Sponsored Reserve you will qualify for an Operational Training Supplement (OTS) payment of £1500 if you satisfactorily achieve the required annual training obligation as specified for the RAF.
The skills you acquire as a Reserve won’t just prepare you for the RAF, they will enhance your work and civilian life.
We will provide you with a full training programme to ensure that you are trained and safe to do your job, following which, you will maintain your competencies in accordance with the CFR Firefighter Competency Management System. We will also offer you:
23 days holiday with the opportunity to buy extra leave, Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks' fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave...and plenty more
Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle - from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
You’ll get the chance to follow your chosen career path anywhere in Capita. You’ll be joining a network of more than 50,000 experienced, innovative and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do just that. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.
What we hope you’ll do next:
Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.
We’re an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format (such as large print or audio), or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email Iqbal at [email protected] or call 07784 237318 and we’ll get back to you. For more information about equal opportunities and process adjustments, please visit the Capita Careers website.
More ways to contact us
This job provides a whole host of possibilities. So If you have a question about being a Sponsored Reserve, or want to know more about what it’s like serving on an RAF Station in the UK, or being deployed operations. please get in touch with us via email to [email protected]
Location:
Basingstoke
,
United Kingdom
Time Type:
Full time
Contract Type:
Permanent