To gain entry into the Fire and Rescue Service, candidates are required to meet the following Personal Qualities and Attributes which will be assessed within the recruitment stages.

It is recognised that potential recruits may have little to no experience of the job role and it would therefore be unreasonable to expect you to know about it in advance. We therefore, require you to complete a detailed application form, which will be assessed against National Personal Qualities and Attributes (PQAs).

The PQAs cover your ability to work with others, to act appropriately in conflict situations, to be part of a team and to communicate effectively. Because they measure your behaviour, they are also known as Behavioural Indicators. These are measured to see if you have the potential to carry out the new role.

This measurement of your potential will be assessed continually throughout the recruitment stages, from your initial application through to your Interview.

Personal Qualities and Attributes of a Firefighter

• Working with Others - working effectively with a variety of people whether they are in your team or in the community.
• Commitment to Development – being committed to, and being able to develop yourself and others.
• Commitment to Excellence - adopts a conscientious and proactive approach to work to achieve and maintain excellent standards.
• Commitment to Diversity and Integrity - understanding and respecting other people’s differences and treating people fairly and ethically.

Further to the core attributes above we are also looking for the following attributes:

• Openness to Change - is open to change and actively seeks to support it.
• Confidence and Resilience - maintains a confident and resilient attitude in highly challenging situations.
• Effective Communication - communicates effectively both orally and in writing.
• Problem Solving - understands, recalls, applies and adapts relevant information in an organised, safe and systematic way.
• Situational Awareness - maintains an active awareness of the environment to promote safe and effective working.