Appointment Type: Permanent (there may also be opportunities on fixed term contracts)
Salary: £25,819 – £34,415 per annum (linked to training, development and competency).
Hours: Full Time – 42 hours per week (shift work)
Location: Potterne Support Offices, Wiltshire. There may be a requirement to work from other locations on occasion.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 14 January 2024. Â Â
We are looking for Emergency Call Handlers, officially known as Firefighters (Control), based in our Service Control Centre in Potterne. Service Control Centre is crewed 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year, achieved by four watches on a rotating shift pattern averaging 42 hours per week. This is covered by staff working two consecutive days (08:00 – 18:00), followed by two consecutive nights (18:00 – 08:00) and four days off. Therefore, applicants must be able to work on days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.
Successful applicants will receive full and comprehensive training and will be required to work towards an Emergency Contact Handler Level 3 qualification.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. As well as being one of the largest combined Fire and Rescue Services in the country we are also one of the top performing. In February 2022, inspectors from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) looked closely at our Service and graded us as ‘Good’, ‘Outstanding’, and ‘Good’ across the three inspection pillars of Effectiveness, Efficiency and People.
We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff feel valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a Local Government Pension Scheme and a generous annual leave allowance. Other benefits include national and local discounts, a variety of family friendly schemes and health & well-being services.
The successful candidate will:
·        Take emergency calls from the public
·        Liaise with partner agencies, including police, ambulance and local authorities
·        Provide guidance and support to the caller, which in some cases may be distressing
·        Mobilise resources as required
·        Work as part of a team to provide support to operational colleagues at incidents
You must:
·        Have 4 GCSE passes – Grade A*-C / 9-4, including English and Mathematics; or equivalent Level 2 qualification; or higher-level relevant qualification; or have at least six months of relevant experience of working in an emergency service/military environment.
·        Be a minimum of 17 and a half years of age at point of application; however, if successful, you will need to be 18 years old at the point of appointment
·        Be able to provide a commitment to the shift working pattern
·        Have the right to work in the UK
·        Not have any unspent criminal convictions
·        Be competent in the use of Microsoft Office and other software packages, with good keyboard skills
·        Be able to establish a rapport with callers
You are:
·        Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills and a positive attitude to internal and external customer care
·        Able to commit to the requirements of the development programme and formal qualification, with a high degree of self-motivation
·        Resilient when dealing with distressed callers in emergency life or death situations
·        Able to manipulate datasets and databases
·        Able to display professionalism in line with working as part of a uniformed, disciplined service.
 Other Information:
·        The role involves day/night, weekend and bank holiday working on a shift pattern
·        A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on successful individuals prior to confirmation of employment. You will be required to register with the DBS Update Service and maintain this registration annually
·        Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical and receipt of satisfactory references
Additional Information – Raising Tax Awareness and Pension Considerations
·        Annual Allowance – Please note that it is your personal responsibility to check whether by applying/accepting this position it would result in any Annual Allowance implications. A breach in the Annual Allowance threshold could result in a Tax charge. Further information on Annual Allowance can be obtained from our Pensions team.
·        Lifetime Allowance – Please note that it is your personal responsibility to check whether by applying/accepting this position it would result in any Lifetime Allowance implications. A breach in the Lifetime Allowance threshold will result in a Tax charge.  Further information on Lifetime Allowance can be obtained from our Pensions team.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 14 January 2024. Â Â
The selection process will include the following stages:
·        Stage 1: Application form and eligibility checks
·        Stage 2: Online psychometric testing between 17 January 2024 and 23:00 hours on 24 January 2024  Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service | Online Psychometric Assessments (dwfire.org.uk)
·        Stage 3: Practical job-related tests carried out at Service Control Centre, Potterne, during week commencing 19 February 2024 (candidates are only required to attend one day) Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service | Practical Testing Assessments (dwfire.org.uk)
·        Stage 4: Interview at Service Control Centre, Potterne, on 13 or 14 March 2024 (15 March 2024 is a reserve date that will be used only if needed)
Candidates will need to be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage in the process. We will be unable to progress your application or offer alternative dates if you cannot attend or complete all stages of the process.
To find out more and apply:
For more detailed information please read the Firefighter (Control) Recruitment Information on our website: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service | Control recruitment (dwfire.org.uk).  If you have any queries, please check our FAQs: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service | Recruitment FAQs (dwfire.org.uk). If you have any additional questions not covered by our website, you can contact us using the following email address recruitment@dwfire.org.uk.
You should ensure you include satisfactory information in your application to support all the areas stated as being measured at the Application Stage. This will ensure you have the best opportunity of progressing to the next stage of the selection process.
We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training.
We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post to which they are applying. Please tell us in confidence if this applies to you, or if there are any reasonable adjustments that would help you apply for this post.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.
For further guidance on how to complete your application, please refer to the Job Application Guidance Notes. If you are experiencing difficulties completing your application or have a need to complete your application in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact HR Resourcing on 01722 691444 within plenty of time of the closing date of the position you are applying for.
Values & Behaviours Framework
Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Service. When recruiting, we identify the most important behaviours for the role, and these are used as part of the short-listing and selection process.