Fired up and making a difference

After nine years’ experience in restaurant kitchens, Ryan Draper, 29, hung up his chef’s hat to don a firefighter’s uniform.

“I wanted a career change. There were things I enjoyed about cooking, such as the teamwork aspect, but I wasn’t getting job satisfaction,” he says.

“I wanted something that was more challenging, rewarding and exciting.”

Having always had the “utmost respect” for the difficult and sometimes dangerous work of firefighters, he began exploring that as a potential new career.

Almost three years after his initial application and a gruelling recruitment process, he recently finished his first week on the job.

“It’s a very teamwork oriented role, like an extended family where everyone is looking out for each other,” Draper says. “It’s turned out to be a great change for me.

“You get a good sense that your career’s about protecting lives, property and the environment.”

The most recent crop of Queensland Fire and Rescue Service graduates includes a good proportion of career changers, with former lifeguards, teachers, construction workers and others among them.

“It’s not a bad idea to have that life experience behind you and not be fresh off the street,” says Nick McTernan, also 29, who left behind a career as a navy clearance diver.

Originally from Brisbane, McTernan spent 10 years with the navy in Sydney and Cairns, but when he became engaged he began hankering to return to his home town.

“It was really good being away when I was young,” he explains.

“But it seemed like the right time in my life [to make a change]. It was more of a lifestyle move than about chasing money.”

The Queensland Firefighter Recruitment and Selection process is extremely competitive, with a high number of applicants and only a few vacancies, on average about 70 a year.

It’s a similar picture in other states. For example, the NSW Fire Brigades notes that its selection process can take up to 12 months and that “placement on the waiting list does not guarantee progression to further selection stages as the number of positions available is limited”.

Applicants are subject to initial assessment online before progressing to a physical aptitude test designed to assess whether they have the minimum physical capacity that a firefighter might need in an emergency.

In NSWFB, the physical aptitude test includes a shuttle run designed to measure cardiovascular fitness and a series of activities that simulate actual firefighter tasks, such as ladder-climbing, tunnel-crawling, beam-walking, hose-reel dragging and chain cutting.

Yet while the physical requirements of the role can be demanding, there is a significant amount of mental discipline also required.

“People often underestimate the mental preparedness, how strong [firefighters] mentally have to be to perform their duties,” Draper says.

“They’re in control of their actions at all times.”

While working as a firefighter is an appealing prospect to many people, the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service urges prospective applicants to seriously consider their suitability for the role.

It provides a list of questions to assist people in making this decision. For instance: Do you have the sensitivity to deal with members of the public when they are distressed, confused or being obstructive? Are you prepared to work outside for several hours at a time in all types of weather, not knowing when a job may finish? Can you cope with severe physical discomfort?

While some state fire services only accept applications during recruitment campaigns, QFRS recruitment is a continuous process, which means applications can be submitted and updated on an ongoing basis.

Successful applicants undertake four months of recruit training at the School of Fire and Rescue Service Training at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy.

Incorporating an education centre, live fire campus, technical rescue cell and commercial training facilities, the academy trains firefighters, other emergency service agencies, community and industry.

The 1.5ha live fire training campus provides realistic fire training in a safe environment, with training props that simulate a variety of fire environments such as buildings, residential dwellings, light industry and industrial processes.

“These simulations allow trainees to safely view and participate in the control of fires in various learning environments,” a QFRS spokeswoman says.

The academy’s technical rescue cell has training props that allow firefighters to train in a diversity of rescue scenarios, including vertical, trench, confined space and urban search and rescue.

The confined space and trench rescue props are used to educate students in breathing apparatus use, confined space manoeuvring and rescue, and in shoring and recovery techniques, [while] the vertical rescue tower is used for rescue training and elevated hose operations.

Draper says his three-year-old daughter doesn’t understand the significance of his career change yet, but “she is excited when she sees the trucks and uniforms”.

“And my wife is very happy for me,” he adds. “She says, `This was your dream, and not many people get to be living their dream.’ ”

Article from CareerOne.com.au