Frequently Asked Questions

You can find the link to the form via the Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue website on the ‘Join Us’ page or directly through Greater.Jobs (link opens in new window).

Please email JoinUs@manchesterfire.gov.uk and a member of the recruitment team will contact you to discuss.

If you attended over 12 months ago, then yes.

If you attended within the last 12 months, you will receive an email explaining the process, once the next round of recruitment opens.

Taster Day invites will only be emailed out as and when they are arranged. Please be patient while waiting for a Taster Day as there will be lots of opportunities to attend.

It is also your responsibility to ensure you monitor your Greater.jobs account inbox and that your contact details (email address) is correct and kept up to date.

Once you have attended a Taster Day, you will be eligible to apply to the Wholetime Firefighter application form as and when the recruitment is live.

Internal candidates will find the link to the application form through InsideGMCA and external candidates will receive the link to the application via the email address we have already contacted you with previously.

There is huge interest in the Wholetime Firefighter role and due to this high volume, we might not be able to accommodate everybody at Taster Days.

However, there will be more opportunities with future recruitment planned and your details will remain on our Greater.Jobs database for us to contact you with any updates.

The end-to-end recruitment process can take up to 6 months.

This includes both the recruitment and pre-employment checks/on-boarding for those candidates that are successful.

The minimum standard required for the bleep test is level 8.8, however on the bleep test day, the test will be ran to level 9.6 allowing candidates to show a greater level of fitness.

Candidates successful in the recruitment process will be advised they must be aiming towards level 10 in the bleep test, prior to starting their initial training course.

You need to be 18 years or older at the time of application and there is no upper limit.

When the Wholetime Firefighter recruitment advert is live, internal candidates will be able to access the link through the intranet (InsideGMCA) using the ‘Jobs’ tile in key info. It will also be listed on the internal jobs page on Greater.jobs.

No. We welcome applications from everyone no matter their age, gender, sexuality or ethnicity.

Expressions of interest forms are welcomed from anyone passionate about keeping the people of Greater Manchester safe and from this we will only recruit the very best.

This role is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

All applicants are obliged to disclose any convictions cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not “protected” in their application forms.

Please be assured that any information disclosed will be treated in the strictest of confidence and will be reviewed on an individual basis in relation to the job.

This means that you will not necessarily be excluded from a job offer process if you have a criminal record; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence.

For more information on what is classed as ‘protected’ please visit the Ministry of Justice Website

Due to Health and Safety reasons, GMFRS requires candidates to remove all piercings. However, tattoos are acceptable, as long as they are not considered offensive.

No, candidates applying for the Wholetime Firefighter role are applying to work anywhere in Greater Manchester. Although we will try to place you as close to home as possible, placements will be assigned as per organisational need and where there are vacancies.

With both the Taster Day and fitness tests throughout the recruitment process, you will be required to sign a declaration of health prior to participating. Therefore, we often recommend candidates who are currently injured do not apply at this time, as there will be future opportunities available.

However, if you would like to speak to a member of the team please email the recruitment team at JoinUs@manchesterfire.gov.uk

Yes, candidates can apply for the Wholetime Firefighter role without a full UK driving licence. However, within the 2-year (minimum) apprenticeship, you must pass their driving test prior to taking their end point assessment.

Please email your details (name and contact number) to JoinUs@manchesterfire.gov.uk and a member of the recruitment team will contact you to discuss.

The medical screening and assessment that a Firefighter goes through are comprehensive due to the safety critical role.

A medical history will be taken via a Health Questionnaire pre-medical, and any pre-existing conditions will be assessed on an individual basis at the medical appointment by Occupational Health medical practitioners.

Considerations for suitability for role for any medical condition, include recent symptoms, the use and types of medications, impact of heat and shift work on stabilisation of condition, and the risk of sudden incapacity that might affect safety. 

We will also review recent health changes, investigative referrals or recent surgery, history of fits, dizziness or blackouts, Musculoskeletal Injuries, and history of stress, anxiety and depression.

Medical standards that need to be met at the medical appointment

Vision

1. a) Distance:

• Uncorrected (without glasses or contact lenses) - no worse than 6/18 in stronger eye and 6/24 in weaker eye
• Corrected with glasses (contact lenses can not be worn) - 6/9 in stronger eye (corrective power no more than +8) and minimum of 6/12 in weaker eye

1.b) Near: uncorrected/corrected - no worse than N12 in both eyes at 30cm

1.c) Normal depth perception and field vision are required

1.d) Colour vision – individuals must pass both the Ishihara test (by making no more than two colour confusion), and Farnsworth D15 test (must be 100% correct)

1.e) Post refractive surgery – Individuals must wait 12 months after laser eye surgery (LASIK, PRK,LASEK or EpiLASIK) before commencing the role of firefighter. At 6 months after surgery the individual should produce a letter from the Optometrist/eye care centre (on headed or original paper) where the surgery was performed covering the following :

• Any complications in the first 6-8 weeks following surgery
• Confirmation that there is no keratectasia
• Has medication ceased (including eye drops)
• Has the refraction stabilised
• Provide the pre-operative refractive error and if possible post-operative corneal thickness
• Any night vision problems (including halos or starbursts)
• Have completed a low illumination eye test
• Results of eye test

*The additional time allows for risk from focal trauma to be reduced while training.

Hearing

Individuals must achieve H1 or H2 which allows for minimal hearing loss, without hearing aids.  The worse ear is used to grade the individual’s result with the summative measures used to assign the overall score for each ear.

Lung function

No evidence of restrictive, obstructive or combined airways disease on spirometry testing. 

Blood pressure

Within normal acceptable limits with or without prescribed medication. 

Body Mass Index (BMI) 

Routinely acceptable between 18.5 and 30. 

Urine test

Looking for blood, protein and glucose to check for possible indicators for diseases such as diabetes.