Other Requirements

The other requirements that form the recruitment process include

• Satisfactory Medical
• Satisfactory Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau
• Eligibility to Work in the UK check
• Satisfactory References

Medical

All successful applicants will be required to have a full medical. This is carried out at the Occupational Health Unit at Fire Service Headquarters. You will be seen by the Occupational Health Nurse and Doctor. You will be expected to declare any medical problems.

During the medical you will have the following checks:

Blood Pressure - raised blood pressure may require further investigation from your GP.

Breathing/respiratory function - this will be assessed using a lung function machine which will identify a sufficient respiratory capacity to carry out firefighting. This is to ensure adequate oxygen intake is maintained to carry out duties requiring exertion over prolonged periods of time.

Hearing - A good standard of hearing is required as firefighting is a safety critical role. Hearing is assessed using an audiometer in a sound proofed booth.

Height/Weight - This will help to assess general health and fitness.

Urine test - A sample of urine will be required to test for signs of Diabetes or other medical conditions.

Vision - A good standard of vision is required. You should have uncorrected vision of 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 in the worse eye. Corrected vision of 6/9 in both eyes and 6/12 in the worse eye is acceptable. Colour vision defects will be assessed on an individual basis. If you are unsure of your level of vision please consult an optician.

Fitness - It is essential to have a good level of aerobic fitness. This will be assessed at the medical using a Step Test.

It will be a matter for the occupational health doctor to consider whether any physical or mental impairment is incompatible with the duties of a firefighter. Each individual will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that there is no discrimination against individuals with a disability, however where safe adjustments cannot reasonably be made it may be necessary to reject a candidate on medical grounds. You will be required to give your consent for the Occupational Health Unit to obtain all your health records from your GP.

If you require further advice, you should contact the Occupational Health Unit at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Old Hall, Burton Road, Littleover, Derby DE23 6EH in writing marked Private and Confidential enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for the response.

Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau

As this post will involve contact with children and/or vulnerable adults, employment is subject to a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Standard Disclosure. Only those convictions that are relevant to the post will preclude your application being progressed further. The policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is detailed below.

Registered persons and other recipients of disclosure information are required to comply with the CRB Code of Practice, a copy of which is available from the Human Resources Department upon request.

Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service actively promotes equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with an offending background where that does not create a risk to children, young people or vulnerable adults.

We select candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience and make every effort to prevent unfair discrimination against those with criminal records.

As an organisation using the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust, DFRS complies fully with the CRB Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.

This written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is made available to all Disclosure applicants at the outset of the recruitment process.

Unless the nature of the position allows DFRS to ask questions about your entire criminal record we only ask about "unspent" convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

A Disclosure is only requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. DFRS jobs which are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 usually involve work that brings the person into contact with vulnerable groups such as the infirm, elderly, mentally ill and young people under the age of 18. For those positions where a Disclosure is required, all job adverts and recruitment packs will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position.

Where a Disclosure is to form part of the recruitment process, we encourage all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process. We guarantee that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.

We ensure that all staff in DFRS who are involved in the recruitment process has been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

At interview, or in a separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment

We make every subject of a CRB Disclosure aware of the existence of the CRB Code of Practice and make a copy available on request.

We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of your offences.

Eligibility to Work in the UK

In order to comply with the law under Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, we are required by law to check all candidates are entitled to work in this Country before offering a position.

If you are selected for a role, you will need to provide the following evidence of eligibility to work in the UK. Further details will be issued to you with any provisional job offer.

A passport showing you are a British Citizen and have a right of abode in the UK or a national passport or national identity card from a European Economic Area Country or Switzerland.

If you do not have one of the above documents you may alternatively produce a P45, P60 or National Insurance Card showing your NI number, PLUS a full birth certificate (including names of parents) issued in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland.

Satisfactory References

You need to provide the names of two people who will provide a reference. One of the referees should be your present or most recent employer.

Once all these checks have been made you will be placed on a list and will be contacted as vacancies arise.