London Fire Brigade is the UK’s largest fire and rescue service. In terms of the global picture, we are the third largest firefighting organisation in the world, protecting people and property right across Greater London. We employ around 7,000 people from all different cultures and walks of life. While their individual roles and skills within the organisation vary enormously, we’re all working together, 24 hours a day to keep London safe and sound.
Graduates play a key role. Because they have the opportunity to spend anything between 18 and 24 months training to be a firefighter, they gain a wide range of operational skills. From then on, these potential leaders are fast-tracked through supervisory managerial roles (including managing their own watch of firefighters) in order to reach a middle management role in just five years.
It’s only by understanding what it means to be on the front line that our graduates are in the best position to succeed in a management position. These roles are incredibly diverse, and they will be driven by the knowledge, experience and first-class mentoring that a graduate has gained in their operational training.