RAF Firefighter - Full Time Career with Apprenticeship
Royal Air Force
Leeds (LS1 2JY)
Closes in 14 days (Friday 1 August 2025)
Posted on 7 August 2024
Contents
Summary
A unique opportunity to complete an advanced apprenticeship in Operational Firefighter, with an Ofsted outstanding training provider. You'll be working with some of the most advanced equipment and aircraft in the world and play a key part in the UKs defence. With over 65 places available across the year, Apply today!
- Wage
-
£25,200 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Initial Annual Pay £25,200
- Training course
- Operational firefighter (level 3)
- Hours
-
Shifts to be confirmed on assignment to your first station after training.
40 hours a week
- Start date
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Saturday 2 August 2025
- Duration
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3 years
- Positions available
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65
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
RAF Firefighters provide a deployable Aerodrome & Rescue Firefighting capability to Defence in the UK and overseas. When in the UK your role will be to maintain immediate readiness to respond to fight fires and effect rescue from military aircraft.
Whilst in your role you will:
- Provide a first response to emergencies on the Defence estate and assist in providing fire safety awareness to Station personnel
- Be required to deploy within short time frame in the UK and overseas to support operations and exercises in potentially austere environments
- Be trained to use highly specialised vehicles and equipment including the new Defence capability of High Reach Extendable Turrets
- Resolve incidents involving aircraft, buildings, hazardous substances and incidents caused by hostile activities
- Work in a close-knit team on the aerodrome and your daily tasks will include ensuring that specialised vehicles and equipment is tested and inspected whilst also maintaining and honing your professional firefighter skills
Like most people in the RAF, you could move jobs every few years as part of your through service career management and have the opportunity to diversify and experience a wide range of jobs and equipment.
You will be able to set preferences for the location and type of employment you would like to undertake and there may also the opportunity to undertake roles outside of your specialisation.
(Note: due to the sophistication and efficiency of aircraft, and advancements in early fire detection on MOD establishments, fire crews spend significantly less time responding to aircraft and domestic fires than historically attended.)
Where you'll work
Leeds
LS1 2JY
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
ROYAL AIR FORCE
Your training course
Operational firefighter (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Carry out safe working practices in accordance with legal requirements as detailed within the knowledge section.
- Operate safely and effectively in emergency situations.
- Operate within an appropriate command and control system.
- Operate in hazardous environments using Breathing Apparatus.
- Safely resolve incidents involving hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive substances. These will be resolved by stopping further harm and then removal of/clearing up the substance.
- Safely work at height.
- Safely work in, on or around water e.g. to conduct rescues or extract water for firefighting purposes.
- Extricate casualties from situations of entrapment.
- Interact with and influence community members and business to reduce risks.
- Take responsibility for effective performance within their role.
- Support the development of their colleagues in their workplace
- Use and maintain specialist equipment
- Control and extinguish fires safely and effectively
- Communicate effectively, through listening, writing, speaking and presenting information
- Carry out safe working practices in accordance with legal requirements as detailed within the knowledge section.
- Operate safely and effectively in emergency situations.
- Operate within an appropriate command and control system.
- Operate in hazardous environments using Breathing Apparatus.
- Safely resolve incidents involving hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive substances. These will be resolved by stopping further harm and then removal of/clearing up the substance.
- Safely work at height.
- Safely work in, on or around water e.g. to conduct rescues or extract water for firefighting purposes.
- Extricate casualties from situations of entrapment.
- Interact with and influence community members and business to reduce risks.
- Take responsibility for effective performance within their role.
- Support the development of their colleagues in their workplace
- Use and maintain specialist equipment
- Control and extinguish fires safely and effectively
- Communicate effectively, through listening, writing, speaking and presenting information
Your training plan
Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Operational Firefighter.
On successful completion of the application and selection process, your apprenticeship will start with a 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle.
The 14 weeks specialist Firefighter training course takes place at the Defence Fire Training Unit Moreton-in-Marsh. The specialist course will teach you:
- Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
- Fire Service Drill
- Breathing Apparatus Operations
- Structural Firefighting Operations
- Road Traffic Incident Techniques
- Aircraft Construction
- Aviation Firefighting Operations
- You will deal with ‘live’ practice fires and gain experience of specialist crash rescue fire-fighting vehicles
As part of specialist training, you will be enrolled on to a Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship. This is a 12-24-month programme you will complete as part of your daily duties.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
- English Language (grade C/4 or above)
- Mathematics (grade C/4 or above)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
The role is varied and after training, you could be stationed across the UK and beyond.
About this company
The Royal Air Force work with our UK and international partners to watch the skies, respond to threats, prevent conflict, and provide assistance in an uncertain world. We provide all personnel with a varied range of training and activities to make sure you're ready for anything. A career in the Royal Air Force will provide you with a whole host of possibilities. You will receive world class training, allowing you to learn and develop throughout your career. We recruit throughout the year, so please ignore the closing and start dates.
After this apprenticeship
- The apprenticeship is a gateway to a full-time career in the Royal Air Force
- Promotion to the rank of Corporal and beyond is dependent on successful completion of the Operational Firefighter apprenticeship and then on merit by competitive selection
- As you advance through the ranks, you will have the increased opportunity to lead and direct people, managing resources and workforce within your area of work to deliver the required outputs whilst maintaining and instilling the highest standards expected within the RAF
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ROYAL AIR FORCE
0345 6055555
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000269949.
Apply now
Closes in 14 days (Friday 1 August 2025)
When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.
Company’s application instructions
You'll be directed through to the RAF Recruitment Website where more detail on the role is available. We have positions available for this role throughout the year and the process can take a few months. Once you have completed an application you will be invited to complete an aptitude assessment, selection interview, health assessment and a fitness test. More details of the requirement can be found at the application link.