Firefighter Control

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is delighted to invite applications for a number of Firefighter Control vacancies in our Edinburgh Operations Control Room.

 

About Us

As the fourth largest fire service in the world, we are seeking motivated individuals who are passionate about serving our communities and who share our values of Safety, Teamwork, Respect and Innovation, to join the team in our front-line Control Room, where we work together for a safer Scotland.

Our Control Rooms are the first point of contact for members of the community who need assistance from SFRS in response to fires, road traffic collisions, flooding and other emergency situations. Our Control Rooms operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year to provide this exceptional and essential emergency service.

 

About the Role

A Firefighter Control answers emergency calls and uses Emergency Call Handling techniques to gather location information and details of the nature of the emergency from the caller. Using bespoke computer systems, the Firefighter Control records the information gathered and having established the nearest and most appropriate resources, then mobilises a response to facilitate a successful and safe conclusion to incidents. These situations may be stressful for the callers, requiring Firefighters Control to provide ongoing safety advice and emotional support during these calls.

A Firefighter Control is trained in the use of specialised emergency call handling techniques to support and protect callers in potentially life-threatening situations. They will identify risks to a caller’s safety and advise on immediate actions whilst awaiting the arrival of fire crews.

A Firefighter Control also supports the ongoing needs of incidents by managing requests from the incident ground, primarily via radio communications, recording this information within incident logs.

Although some of the work is routine, no two days are the same. The role is varied, challenging, and rewarding.

 

Some of the duties you will experience during a shift might include:

• Answering emergency calls
• Mobilising Fire Service resources
• Transmitting and receiving messages via radio
• Ensuring the correct availability of officers and appliances
• Liaising with other emergency services and utility companies where required
• Monitoring incidents from start to finish
• Maintaining accurate incident logs
• Supporting crews on the incident ground remotely

A Firefighter Control will work on average a 42-hour working week and will be aligned to a rotating shift pattern including nights, weekends, and public holidays.

 

Who We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate for this role will have a desire to work with members of the community, using excellent communication skills, and be calm and confident when working under pressure. We are looking for team players who are positive in approach and committed to learning and developing their skills. An ability to multi-task effectively and demonstrate good problem-solving and decision-making skills is also required. Successful candidates will show attention to detail, have excellent keyboard skills and be able to use Microsoft Office packages with confidence and accuracy.

If you think you have the right skills and are committed to a challenging but rewarding career, supporting public life and better outcomes for communities, we welcome your application.

 

What You Can Expect

Our selection process involves several stages, designed to assess your potential to carry out this challenging role and each step requires dedication and commitment. Candidates will be considered for current vacancies and may also be held in a pool for future vacancies in line with our workforce needs.

Alongside the rewarding nature of this role, SFRS offers:

• a competitive salary
• an attractive pension scheme
• a generous annual leave entitlement
• a range of family friendly policies which promote and support your life/work balance
• a wide range of employee benefits including retailer discounts and financial wellbeing resources
• excellent training, development and career progression opportunities

Full details of the role and our selection process can be found below in the Recruitment Information Pack, Job Description, and on our website. We would encourage you to review this information prior to submitting your application.

Further Information

To apply, you must be a minimum of 18 years old, and eligible to live and work in the UK.

SFRS recognise and celebrate the vast diversity of the local communities of Scotland and aspire for this to be reflected within our workforce. We encourage and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, with different experiences and beliefs who share “Our Values” and want to make a difference to our communities.

 

We are committed to being a “Disability Confident” Employer and will ensure that all applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for this post, will be invited to attend for interview.

 

This post is subject to the provision of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exemptions) Scotland Order 2013. Successful candidates will be required to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and to carry out regulated work with adults and children.

 

If you would like to apply in a different format, please email People Services at SFRS.PODVacancies@firescotland.gov.uk.

 

Please note, a fully completed application form must be submitted as SFRS do not accept CVs in support of applications for employment.