Frequently Asked Questions

There is so much more to being a Firefighter than fighting fires. Your role can include attending fires, floods, road traffic collisions and providing medical responses; to educating the community, maintain equipment and completing paperwork.

Once competent there are opportunities for development in alternative roles and learning new skills for example, community safety, training and more specialised skills. Promotion can be achieved once competence is demonstrated in your existing role, through enrolment onto one of our specific managerial development programmes.

Yes.

An Optometric Assessment form is included with your application form, which must be completed by an Optician.

Recruits must fulfil the following visual standards: 

• Correctable to 6/9in each eye
• N12 at 30cmwith both eyes open-unaided.
• Normal visual field in each eye(as determined by confrontation techniques).
• No history of nyctalopia(night blindness) or ocular disease which is likely to progress and cause subsequent failure of eyesight standards.
• An appropriate level of colour vision(normally no more than two identification errors in the Ishihara set). Candidates who fail these standards will be allowed to undertake more specific tests of colour vision which will be arranged by the Occupational Physician advising the Service.

No, there are no maximum or minimum height restrictions

None.

You do not require any formal qualifications to apply for the On-Call Firefighter post. The Service has its own ‘ in-house’ tests. (See Stage 2 of Selection Process)

There is a physical assessment as part of the selection testing. (See Stage 2 of Selection Process)

Links to practice tests will be sent out once you are invited to the tests.

Online support is also available and prep books can be purchased online. This is a worthwhile investment as they provide hints and tip. These are not provided by MAWW but there are plenty out there. This is the individual’s decision.

Pay for On call Firefighters can be found here

The Service is currently predominantly looking for individuals who can provide some level of On-Call cover during the daytime. However, this may vary from station to station. The hours of availability you are able to provide can be discussed in depth during your initial meeting with your Station Liaison Officer.

There will also be drill nights, training courses and community safety tests that you will be paid to attend.

Complete the Online expression of interest form.

or

Contact the Human Resources Department and express an interest in the above post. Your details will be taken.

The Service's Human Resources Team will send you an application form and optometric (eyesight) assessment form.

A Station Liaison Officer will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss the recruitment process and hours of availability form.

Meeting completed - Submit your application form and optometric assessment form.

Application received at the Human Resources Department

Should the Application & Optometric Assessment form be deemed satisfactory, you will be invited to attend a Testing Day.

Full guidance will be provided.

Once your hours of availability have been deemed suitable you will be invited to attend the following upon successful completion on each stage:

• Criminal Background Check
• Medical Examination
• 2 x Reference Checks
• Induction Day & Initial Recruits Course

Your application will be kept on file until a suitable vacancy arises- the service will contact you.

You will receive feedback and be invited for re-assessment in the area(s) of the test

There are 5 stages: Sift, Ability Tests, Physical and Practical Assessments, Selection and Medical. Full details of the process and what you can expect can be found in our Recruitment Pack

If you have entered the process via our Online Registration and have met the basic Eligibility Criteria, you will receive an e-mail inviting you to complete our On-Line assessment. Details for the assessments can be found in the Information Pack

More information on the pay for Wholetime Firefighters can be seen here.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service operate rota systems, each involve the requirement to work anti-social hours, weekends and public holidays.

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Stations currently operating under a 2-2-4 system are:

• Neath
• Swansea Central
• Port Talbot
• Swansea West
• Morriston
• Llanelli

Wholetime Firefighters provide emergency response cover on a 24 hour basis. Working a shift system of 2 day shifts (0900-1800) and 2 night shifts (1800-0900), four watches (groups of staff) ensure that there is an immediate response capability at all times of the day and night.

We have an innovative approach to this national system that provides staff with flexibility and ownership, setting targets for crewing levels and encouraging staff to utilise the system to meet their needs as well as those of the organisation.

Flexible Day Crewed (FDC) Fire Stations (attracts 7.5% additional allowance):

• Carmarthen
• Haverfordwest
• Ammanford
• Milford Haven
• Pontardawe
• Pembroke Dock
• Aberystwyth

The FDC operates on the principle that during daytime hours the station is crewed on a Wholetime basis; at night stations are crewed by a combination of the Wholetime Duty System (WTDS) personnel that worked during the day and On Call personnel who are purely conditioned to that duty system. Each employee employed within the FDC system is required to be available to work 191 x 9.5 hour shifts per year. This is reduced to 159 when annual leave entitlements are taken off. This is equal to an average of 42 whole time hours per week. In respect of this 42 hours per week, an average of seven hours per week shall be on standby at home. FDCS Supervisory Officers must ensure that employees work their standby hours evenly throughout the year. FDC shifts operate for a 9.5 hour period between 0800hrs and 1800hrs with start and finish times varying dependent upon location. Employees are then required to provide on call cover from 18.00 to 08.00 the following morning.

While staff are providing on-call cover they will be residing at their home address or another location that has been approved by the Service. Staff will have freedom of movement while ‘on-call’ with the caveat that they must be able to respond to their station within acceptable time limits.