WEST Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service is on the lookout for the next generation of firefighters with the start of a new major recruitment campaign.

The service is hiring new full-time firefighters for the first time in almost eight years.

It is encouraging people from all walks of life and communities to apply.

A number of awareness days are being held this month around the Bradford district and beyond for people interested in joining to get a better understanding of what it takes to become a firefighter.

Ahead of these awareness days, the service invited members of the media, including myself, to have a go at the various tests to see if we had what it takes to become firefighters.

The theme of the recruitment drive is Ordinary to Extraordinary, and the service is also trying to break down stereotypes and show anyone can be a firefighter if they are willing to put the work in.

West Yorkshire’s new Chief Fire Officer, John Roberts, is encouraging people to get involved in the force if they think they are “up to the challenge”.

He has been in the new role for just over a week after joining from South Yorkshire.

He said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the men and women of West Yorkshire to join our highly experienced and dedicated team.

“The role of a firefighter has changed considerably over the years, with prevention playing as much of a part as fire and rescue.

“If you join us, you will learn some incredible skills, work with some wonderful people and overcome obstacles you never thought possible.

“Ultimately, you will have an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career by serving to protect the people of West Yorkshire. If you think you’re up for the challenge, we want to hear from you!”

A new website has been created – joinwyfirefighters.com – which has information about the recruitment process and entry requirements.

To find out if they have what it takes to become a firefighter, people can attend awareness days at the service’s headquarters in Birkenshaw and stations around the county, and try their hand at a number of physical tests.

These will include a vertigo test, climbing up a ladder more than 13 metres off the ground before hanging off it using just a leg to hang on, and carrying the ladder, which weighs 100 kilograms, 100 metres with a colleague.

There is also a timed ground drill test, carrying firefighting equipment covering more than a kilometre, and a claustrophobia test, dragging a dummy through a set of tunnels lined with obstacles – while wearing an opaque mask which makes it difficult to breathe.

The challenges are designed to test a candidate’s physical and mental strength and determination.

Councillor Judith Hughes, chairman of West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority, is encouraging people from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.

She said: “West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service is a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment to work in and we are looking for people who share these positive values.

“We serve a diverse community and, as such, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.”

Crew Commander Ahsan Ali, 36, from Manningham, has been on the front line in Bradford for almost a decade, first at Bradford fire station in Leeds Road and now at Fairweather Green.

He said always wanted to be a firefighter from a young age.

“It was a fascination of mine, I’ve always wanted to help people and the fire service was the best way for me to do that,” he said.

“If people have always wanted to be a firefighter they can find out if it’s for them or not.

“Even if you’ve only thought about it I’d say put your name down and come have a go at the different selection tests.

“By the end you might be dying to do the job or it might not be for you, but you never know until you try.

“The most rewarding thing for me is I work in my own community and get to help and support people.

“Whether that’s fighting fires, helping families with escape plans and fire safety, or working with organisations, its very satisfying knowing we are all making a difference.”

Ian Brandwood, chief employment services officer at WYFRS, said: “It is a career which offers many opportunities for promotion and specialisation.”

To register for an awareness day, visit joinwyfirefighters.com.

Job applications will open on the website on March 1 and close on April 2. For more about the recruitment process, call 01274 655745 or email wholetime applications@westyorksfire.gov.uk.

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