Durham and Darlington FRS Firefighter Recruitment Process 2024

Looking to apply to Durham and Darlington FRS in their next Firefighter intake? Our guide to the Durham and Darlington FRS Firefighter Recruitment Process is here to show you how!

Durham and Darlington FRS Firefighter Recruitment Process

Online Registration and Realist Job Preview

The first step in the recruitment process is to complete an online registration form. You will need to provide your National Insurance number so have that available before you proceed with registration. Please note: CVs or any other form of application will not be accepted.

Once you have registered, you will then have the opportunity to complete a Realistic Job Preview questionnaire, which will give you more information about being a Firefighter and help you to understand some of the challenges and demands involved. The questionnaire is not assessed, but it will allow you to decide whether working as a Firefighter is right for you.

Once you have completed the Realistic Job Preview, you will then proceed to an Eligibility Assessment to assess whether you are eligible to become a Firefighter. If you meet all of the requirements, you will be invited to complete some online assessments which will be used to determine your suitability for the role.

It will take approximately 30 minutes for you to complete the initial process of registering your details, completing the Realistic Job Preview, and checking your eligibility. If you are dyslexic and require reasonable adjustments, you can contact the human resources team at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Services.

Ability Tests

You’ll now be asked to complete a series of online behavioural and psychometric tests.

You’ll receive an email with a link to these.

You’ll first be asked to complete a Behavioural Styles questionnaire, and Situational Judgement Test – these are untimed.

Next, there will be three sets of ability tests to complete:

All the questions will have multiple choice answers, and you’ll be given a specified amount of time to complete them.

It’s really important to prepare for these types of tests! They can seem daunting if you’ve never came across them before, but you can take a look at some sample questions here.

Role related (Practical) Tests

There are also various physical tests you’ll have to pass. Fitness is a crucial part of the Firefighter role. These are made up of activities designed to assess your fitness, strength, stamina and coordination. They’re also designed to see how you cope with situations you’ll encounter as a firefighter such as heights and enclosed spaces.

The physical tests include:

The Interview

If you make the grade in the physical assessment tests you’ll be invited to the final assessment stage, a competency based interview.

In these types of interview you’ll be asked questions relating to your behaviour on certain occasions or in specific circumstances, which you’ll then need to provide evidence for by using concrete examples from your past work and life experience.

This is your best chance to convince the panel that you are the candidate that they want to employ.

Again, it’s really important that you prepare adequately for the day – forewarned is forearmed!

Spend a bit of time thinking about what you might be asked, and write down your responses so that they’re fresh in your mind before the interview.

If you’re successful at the interview day and have been offered the job, there are some final checks that the FRS will need to run.

Final Checks

You’ll be asked to attend a medical and fitness assessment with the Occupational Health department.

The medical is a general assessment to check that you’re fit for firefighter duties, and will check:

The last stage, the final pre-employment checks, will involve checking the information on your application form, contacting your references, and performing a standard criminal record check.