Progressing well under the tuition of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s (HIWFRS) Learning and Development (L&D) team, the latest intake are now honing the skills they will use every day to help keep our communities safe.
When recruitment opened for one weekend at the end of September last year, more than 1,300 applications were received. A thorough selection process followed, before 16 successful applicants were welcomed back in March to begin their new careers.
Station Manager Pete McClemont said:
“The trainees are progressing really well.
“I think the new recruitment process, which is based very much around our Service priorities and values has had such a positive influence on the selection of our trainees.
“This has meant we have got the people with not only the right aptitude for the job, but importantly the right attitude as well.
“You can tell they really want to be here, for the right reasons, they are so keen to learn.”
The trainers have adapted the course to ensure it is run in line with Covid-19 guidelines, with the trainees split into two squads and were initially based at different locations.
Green Squad made use of the facilities at Hardley Fire Station, but are now receiving their training at Service Headquarters in Eastleigh, where their Red Squad counterparts have been based.
All the relevant assessments have been passed to date and the feedback from the trainees is very positive and they are really enjoying being part of HIWFRS with a great team ethos and enthusiasm.
Green Squad trainee firefighter, Ben Taylor said:
“The course is going great. We are all relishing every new module we get to learn and all the different physical and mental challenges they bring.
“The variety of the course has given everyone a chance to show their own individual strengths, allowing us to learn from each other, and as a result develop better as firefighters.”
The squads are trained by a dedicated watch and crew manager, exposing the trainees to a similar management chain they will experience on station.
The course’s scenario-based training, strong emphasis on community safety and the built environment, and its focus on the use of technology, will see the trainees arrive on fire stations prepared for life as modern-day firefighters, having graduated from a training programme shaped around the service’s values and priorities.
SM Pete McClemont said:
“This year’s course is very different. We have developed a brand-new format, which better reflects the modern fire and rescue service. From week one our training has been scenario-based, which makes it far more realistic for the trainees, better preparing them for life on a real fire station.
“By the second week of training, we could already see a real difference in the confidence of the new intake. They were more relaxed which in turn increases their ability to learn in an environment where they already feel valued and part of the team.”
The service is currently planning to open another firefighter recruitment window early next year.