The SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate for Operational Firefighting, which has been mapped to the Operational Firefighter apprenticeship standard, is now open for consultation.
This qualification aligns with the apprenticeship standard to ensure that both on-call and full-time firefighters receive consistent training and achieve the same level of knowledge and proficiency.
On-call firefighters, also known as retained firefighters, play a vital role in the UK’s fire and rescue services. They are typically employed in rural areas or in small towns or communities where it may not be feasible to staff a full-time crew.
Despite their importance in keeping fire services running effectively in smaller communities, on-call firefighters find it challenging to partake in the Operational Firefighter apprenticeship standard due to their limited training hours. Additionally, each fire service has different policies and work schedules for their on-call personnel so there is no standard job specification. As a result for years there has been no formal qualification available to them.
With the development of this new Level 3 Certificate for Operational Firefighting, on-call firefighters will now be able to receive formal recognition of their training through a regulated qualification. The qualification is also available to whole-time firefighters who may not be in a position to undertake an apprenticeship.
The development of this qualification is close to being completed and we are now asking for feedback from fire services and any other interested bodies on the qualification, to ensure it meets the needs of the sector.
The consultation is open until Monday 11 November.
If you haven’t been invited via email you will need to contact qualificationsteam@sfjawards.com to receive a copy of the consultation draft.
Take part in the consultation →
