A Firefighter is normally one of the first emergency services to arrive at the scene of a potentially life-threatening situation.  They respond to accidents, large scale fires, major incidents, chemical spills, water and flooding rescues.  Anywhere there is a risk to life and property, often working together with the Police and Ambulance services. To be a great Firefighter you will need several basic skills, to be able to remain calm in very difficult situations, have great listening and communication abilities, a genuine empathy for people, a basic level of First Aid and preferably have completed a Challenging behaviour course.  These intense training courses are aimed at anyone who may need specialised training in dealing with somebody displaying challenging behaviours and are run by professional companies such as https://www.tidaltraining.co.uk/learning-disability-training/challenging-behaviour-training-breakaway-techniques.

A firefighter will be required to use sophisticated and specialised equipment intended for extinguishing fires and rescuing people. They will maintain and inspect all their own equipment and undertake regular physical and mental evaluations. You don’t have to have specific qualifications to become a firefighter, but the rigorous entrance tests are designed to allow only the most suitable candidates through.

All potential firefighters undergo several weeks of intensive training so if you have already completed any relevant courses including a challenging behaviour course you will be one step ahead and more than ready to succeed. You will need to be physically fit, be resilient, be confident and remain calm under immense pressure.