South Wales FRS Firefighter Recruitment Process

Are you interested in applying for a Firefighter Job? Read our South Wales FRS Firefighter Recruitment Guide before you do!

Remember recruitment for most Fire and Rescue Services only opens for a short time, so it’s important to be prepared!

Step 1

The Application Form

The South Wales Firefighter recruitment application form contains the following sections:

It’s a good idea to write down your answers ‘in rough’ before you begin the online application, so you can refer to them and don’t miss anything out!

Step 2

The Psychometric Tests

If your initial application is successful you’ll then be asked to complete a series of written psychometric tests.

You’ll receive an invitation to attend these, with all the details you need of the time, date and location.

There will be three timed tests:

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.

Step 3

Fitness and Medical Tests

 If you’ve been successful in completing the written tests then you’ll be asked to attend a medical and fitness assessment.

The medical is a general assessment to check that you’re fit for firefighter duties, and includes looking at your weight, lung function and blood pressure. You’ll also have to undergo hearing, eyesight and urine tests, and take a drug and alcohol test.

The fitness test is in the form of the multi-stage shuttle run (bleep) test. You’ll be required to run back and forth between two lines 20 metres apart, maintaining the pace set by an audible beep sound.

The pace increases at one minute intervals throughout the test, and will end when you reach the required level or are unable to keep up with the audible signals.

Step 4

Physical tests

There are also various physical tests you’ll have to pass. These are made up of activities designed to assess your fitness, strength, stamina and coordination, as well as seeing how you cope with tricky situations you might encounter on the job such as heights and enclosed spaces.

The physical tests involve:

The Assessment Day

 If you’re successful in the testing processes you’ll be invited to the final stage, an assessment day.

The most important part of this day is the interview. This is your best chance to convince the panel that you are the candidate that they want to employ!

You’ll also be asked to take part in some role-play exercises, to see how you react to certain situations and how good your communication skills are.

The FRS will let you know either way if you’ve been successful, but even if you haven’t made it on this attempt you’ve done amazingly well to get so far!

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

This will involve checking the information on your application form, contacting your references, and performing a standard criminal record check.