EMERGENCY CALL HANDLER – FIREFIGHTER (CONTROL)
Appointment Type: Permanent (there may also be opportunities on fixed term contracts)
Salary: £22,981 - £30,632 per annum (linked to training and development) Please note pay award pending.
Hours: Full Time - 42 hours per week (shift work)
Location: Potterne Support Offices, Wiltshire. There may be a requirement to work from other locations on occasion.
We are looking for Emergency Call Handlers, officially known as Firefighters (Control), based in our Service Control Centre in Potterne. Service Control Centre is crewed 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year, achieved by four watches on a rotating shift pattern averaging 42 hours per week. This is covered by staff working two consecutive days (08:00 – 18:00), followed by two consecutive nights (18:00 – 08:00) and four days off. Therefore, applicants must be able to work on days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.
Successful applicants will receive full and comprehensive training and be enrolled on an apprenticeship scheme (which is achieved through workplace experience). There is a requirement to gain key functional skills in Maths and English as part of the apprenticeship if this is not already evidenced through qualifications.
This is an exciting opportunity to become part of the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service that is committed and passionate about changing and saving lives. As well as being one of the largest combined Fire and Rescue Services in the country we are also one of the top performing. In February 2022, inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) looked closely at our Service and graded us as ‘Good’, ‘Outstanding’, and ‘Good’ across the three inspection pillars of Effectiveness, Efficiency and People.
Our Service offers a wide range of employee benefits and strives to ensure that our employees feel valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a Local Government Pension Scheme and a generous annual leave allowance. Other benefits include national and local discounts, a variety of family friendly schemes and health & well-being services.
The successful candidate will:
- Take emergency calls from the public
- Liaise with partner agencies, including police, ambulance and local authorities
- Provide guidance and support to the caller, which in some cases may be distressing
- Mobilise resources as required
- Work as part of a team to provide support to operational colleagues at incidents
You must:
- Have 4 GCSE passes - Grade A*-C / 9-4, preferably including English and Mathematics / equivalent Level 2 qualification / or higher-level relevant qualification or have at least six months of relevant experience of working in an emergency service/military environment. (if you do not have GCSE Maths and/or English at GCSE at minimum of Grade C/Level 4/Functional Skills Level 2, there is a requirement to achieve functional skills in Maths and English as part of the apprenticeship)
- Be a minimum of 17 and a half years of age at point of application; however, if successful, you will need to be 18 years old at the point of appointment
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Not have any unspent criminal convictions
- Be competent in the use of Microsoft Office and other software packages
- Be able to establish a rapport with callers