Firefighter
Protect and save people and property from fire and other dangers, by responding to emergency situations. Give people advice to help prevent fires.
Also known as: firewoman, fireman
About the job
What it's like
You would protect and save people and property from fire and other dangers. You’d respond to emergencies, and rescue people from life-threatening situations.
You’d also help to prevent fires by giving people advice about fire safety.
You would provide emergency services. You would:
Control and put out fires
Deal with bomb alerts
Rescue victims from burning buildings, accident sites and other dangerous situations
Manage chemical or hazardous substance spills
You’d need to be able to react quickly and remain calm in dangerous situations. You’d inspire the public’s confidence in rapidly-changing situations. Self-discipline, teamwork and following safety regulations are crucial.
In the fire prevention side of the job you would give talks and presentations to schools and other community groups.
You would inspect buildings to make sure that they meet fire safety regulations. When new buildings are being constructed you’d advise on fire safety measures.
You would also have routine station duties.
You would:
Inspect, clean and maintain equipment
Carry out practice drills
Take part in training
If you reach senior officer rank, you’d be responsible for writing detailed reports of incidents, and carrying out management and policy work.
Hours
You could work full-time or as a part-time (retained) firefighter.
If you're full-time, you'll usually work 42 hours per week, which includes day and night shifts to cover a 24-hour service.
As a retained firefighter, you'll usually be based in rural areas or smaller towns. You may have another job but you would make yourself available in emergency situations.
Environment
This job can be stressful and physically demanding, and you'll often work in very uncomfortable situations, for example at heights or in enclosed spaces.
You'll work in all weather conditions.
Collapsing buildings, vehicle fumes and explosions are all part of the job.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- firefighting
- body mass index (bmi)
- fire safety
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- problem solving
- social conscience
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- risk taking
- making decisions
- reflecting
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Care
PE (Physical education)
Science
Skills for Work: Uniformed and Emergency Services
Currently there are no set entry requirements for this role however this may change in the future.
Entry is very competitive.
Firefighters usually work for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, but some are employed at airports and some by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The recruitment process for jobs outwith the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is different. You would need to check the MoD or airport websites for job vacancies and requirements.
Qualifications that demonstrate understanding of protective services, physical and mental fitness and commitment to your community such as Skills for Work Uniformed and Emergency Services (SCQF level 4), SQA Leadership Award (SCQF level 5/6).
There are uniformed service preparation courses available up to SCQF level 5; entry is usually by interview but these courses do not guarantee entry to fire and rescue services.
You need to be at least 18 years of age and legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom.
Applicants will need to complete:
an online application form
then a situational judgement test (SJT) This is an assessment carried out online and is designed to measure judgements in a realistic work setting. This test presents the candidate with a series of scenario-based questions and a list of possible responses to the situation from which the respondent can choose.
numerical tests - these are online and consist of numerical problems for which quick and accurate calculations are required.
Candidates who are successful after this stage of the recruitment process will be invited to attend:
a pre-fitness assessment which comprises of a multi-stage shuttle run, also known as the ‘bleep' test,
then Practical Selection Tests (PSTs) which are designed to assess whether candidates have the ability to carry out the more physical aspects of the role and therefore closely reflect the wide range of physical tasks carried out,
then competency-based interviews which assess candidates against specific behavioural indicators
and finally a medical and fitness assessment.
For eyesight requirements please check on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website.
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