High Volume Pump Tactical Advisor Initial Acquisition Course

NFCC National Resilience – High Volume Pump Capability

Tactical Advisor Initial Acquisition Course 2026

Background

The National Resilience programme is an essential part of Government’s arrangements to protect the national infrastructure in the event of catastrophic incidents.  Within the Fire and Rescue Service the Government has invested over £200 million on vehicles, equipment, training and procedures to provide the best possible response capability.  This includes equipment to deal with mass decontamination, urban search and rescue, flooding and command & control. An existing network of FRS based capability specific Tactical Advisors also form part of the structure of the National Coordination Advisory Framework (NCAF).

The Opportunity

Applications are welcomed from those individuals currently employed by an English FRS.

Due to the retirement profile within the current cadre, there are a limited number of places available for suitable individuals to attend a course. The provisional date for the course is February 2026 with the location yet to be determined. The course will be residential, and all accommodation and meals will be provided throughout. The course will be funded and delivered by the National Resilience Team (HVP Capability). Delegates will be expected to arrive the evening prior to the course commencement.

The HVP Tactical Advisor Initial Acquisition course will appeal to enthusiastic, self-motivated and innovative HVP practitioners willing to undertake a dynamic role in providing effective national support to HVP operations and affected FRSs.

Successful completion of this course will equip the individuals with the skills and competencies enabling them to support affected FRSs or Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) as listed below. This will be achieved by supplementing their existing HVP Capability knowledge with a thorough understanding of operational HVP Tactical Planning, the NCAF and how it supports national level HVP operations:

Course Outline

The duration of the course is 4½ days and will run from Monday to Friday. The course will commence at 08.30 hrs and finish at 17.30 hrs Monday – Thursday and 08.30 hrs – 14.00 hrs on Friday.

The course will be demanding in both its technical and practical input. All areas of the course input will be deemed as assessable via a range of methods

Delegates should be aware that there may be a requirement to undertake early evening tutorial sessions or exercises outside of these hours. This are at the discretion of the course instructors and may be used to confirm or enhance the knowledge of the delegates.

To complete the course delegates are required to attend for the full duration.

There will be a requirement to undertake pre-course learning and be available to attend (online) various presentations delivered by key partners prior to the start of the course. The dates of such presentations will be provided once a course position has been achieved.

Following successful completion of the course, individuals’ names will be added to a register of those persons formally qualified to provide nation-wide support to HVP operations. This register is held within the NCAF Electronic Support System (ESS) and maintained by the NR HVP Capability Advisor.

Course Application Process

The process will involve the completion of an application form and should the applicant be successful, this will be followed by a general discussion.

Applications

Applications are invited from suitably qualified individuals who wish to be considered for the opportunity to attend this course. Application forms are available from the person named at the end of this advertisement or from the HVP Capability Team whose contact details can be found on the NR website HVP Capability pages. https://mfrsnrwebapp.fireresilience.org.uk/

Please email the team and request a Role Opportunities Form and an Application Form.

A sift of all submitted applications will be conducted and applicants will be advised as to whether they have been successful in progressing through to the next stage by no later than the 26th August 2025.

General Discussion

Delegates who are successful at application stage will be invited to a general discussion with the Capability Team during the week of the 29th Sept 2025 (with a mutually agreed date held over Microsoft Teams). The discussion will include a small technical assessment. The discussion will provide an opportunity for the Capability to ascertain the suitability of the individuals to undertake the course. It will also allow the delegates to confirm their own understanding of the role requirements.

Applicants successful in the sift must be able to dial in to the general discussion to be able to progress.

Once through the general discussion, applicants will be informed if they have been successful in gaining a course place via e-mail, by no later than the 3rd October 2025.

Essential Criteria

To be considered to attend this course, applicants must meet the essential criteria as detailed in the role opportunities document. Applicants must also have written approval from their Chief Fire Officer prior to applying, as the role may involve nationwide deployments for protracted periods.

Closing date

The closing date for applications is midday on the 15th August 2025.

Further Information

The HVP Capability will also be providing 2 awareness sessions (via Teams) to talk about the role and give attendees the opportunity to ask questions on the 29th & 30th July @10am. It will also provide an opportunity to meet and ask questions of some of the current cadre of Tactical Advisors.

If anyone would like to discuss the role prior to applying, or to register their interest for the awareness sessions, please contact the following person or any member of the HVP Capability Team, whose details can be found within the HVP Capability section of the National Resilience Website. https://mfrsnrwebapp.fireresilience.org.uk/

Russ Moore – HVP Capability Officer
Contact Number: 07395 285307
Email: rmoore@fireresilience.org.uk