Meet Izzy, 24, from Acton. Find out more about her life as a firefighter in London. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Izzy:
I'm Izzy, I'm 24 years old and I'm a firefighter. Firefighting is so much more than running into burning buildings. We engage with the community every day. We attend lots of different incidents from road traffic collisions, to floodings and water rescues. Before attending an incident, I must wear the correct PPE. That stands for Personal Protective Equipment. That includes boots, leggings (which are my trousers), tunic a jacket, gloves, and my helmet. And, if it is a fire call, I will be required to wear my breathing apparatus set. Whilst on shift, I can be called out at any moment which means I have to be ready at all times. When we get called out to an incident we work in a pair. Teamwork is essential and we rely on one another.
I've always wanted to be a firefighter. When I was four years old I attended a fire station open day. Some of the reasons why I wanted to be a firefighter are: I enjoy working as a I love helping people and it's a practical job where I'm active.
At school I struggled in some subjects, being dyslexic, however, one of the subjects I thoroughly enjoyed was physical education as what I learnt in PE was very useful to me and has become very useful as a firefighter now, because as a firefighter, you need to keep fit.
To continue my journey to becoming a firefighter, when I was old enough, I applied to become a volunteer fire cadet instructor. Volunteering was really useful for me to becoming a firefighter. It allowed me to develop my skills in communication, leadership and teamwork.
Izzy's Colleague:
Izzy is a prime example of the kind of people we want in the fire brigade. She's an encouragement to female firefighters and those who think that this is only a male-dominated job, well, look at Izzy and see, she's one of the fittest firefighters on the station.
Izzy:
I'm really proud I get to keep London safe. I love my job, I love working as a team, and I love helping people. This really is the dream job.
I'm really proud I get to keep London safe.
- From the age of four, Izzy always wanted to be a firefighter. She loves helping people and likes being active
- At school she struggled with some subjects as she is dyslexic, but she really enjoyed PE. Her physical fitness is now a really important part of her role
- She became a volunteer fire cadet instructor, which developed her skills in communication, leadership and teamwork. Izzy works in a pair to attend incidents so these skills are essential
- Firefighting is much more than running into burning buildings. Izzy works with the community every day and attends lots of different incidents, from road traffic collisions to floodings and water rescues.
What to expect if you want to be a firefighter
- Firefighter average salary: £24,191 to £32,244 per year
- Firefighter typical working hours: 41 to 43 hours per week, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
What qualifications do you need to be a firefighter?
You could get into this role via a college course, an apprenticeship, a fire service training course, or by applying directly.
Sources: LMI, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
If you’re interested in becoming a firefighter but are not sure if your skill set matches up, take a look at the Wheel of Strengths from Barclays Lifeskills.
It’s a nifty interactive tool you can use to identify your skills, interests and personality. It will also suggest jobs that might suit you and identify how building other skills could open up other job roles.
Take a look - your future awaits!
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