Fire service to trial tweaks to entry requirements

A fire service has said it will trial changes to hiring firefighters, including lowering the minimum qualifications, in a bid to remove "unnecessary barriers".

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said its previous entry requirement of five GCSEs, including Maths and English, would be replaced with a Level 2 qualification (equivalent to two GCSEs) for its next application window in early 2027.

The change followed from feedback it had received from focus groups in Peterborough last year, including individuals from different community groups and ages.

A fire service spokesperson said it wanted to ensure the criteria and entry tests "do not cause unnecessary barriers for attracting a diverse workforce".

Chris Morris, Liberal Democrat councillor and chair of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, wrote a report for Cambridgeshire County Council's full council meeting on Tuesday, which included the changes to its next recruitment of wholetime firefighters.

A "wholetime firefighter" is a full-time position at the fire service, based at a fire station - and available to respond to emergencies 24/7.

The trial would also include offering a treadmill assessment to those who failed a bleep test, introducing behavioural assessments to the interview stage using realistic scenarios and removing an element from its swim test.

The fire service said the changes would be trialled for the 2027 recruitment process to begin with, and an evaluation would take place to make future decisions.

A spokesperson added: "We have looked at all aspects of the entry criteria during the review and made some changes to ensure each is still essential for a modern day firefighter, plus to see what, if anything, needs adapting."

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