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The application process is designed to give everyone an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to be a firefighter, irrespective of their professional or personal background.
The heightened emphasis placed on fire safety and prevention in recent years has not only reduced fires within our communities, but has also dramatically changed the role of the modern day firefighter. Anyone who wants to make a difference within their communities and to change and save lives should come and talk to us or contact us via the website.
It is also important that, as a modern, forward thinking organisation, we reflect the diverse communities we serve. Members of under-represented communities are encouraged to apply, especially women, people of all ethnic groups and LGBT+ communities. Vacancies are open to everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age (must be 18 as of 7 April 2026) or disability. No advantage will be given to any particular group of people during the application process, however, in order to properly serve Cheshire’s communities, it is important that we are as diverse as our community.
Prior to completing your registration and any online tests please read the following guidance for candidates:
1. Between Tuesday 26 August at midday until Tuesday 9 September at midday you will need to register your details and answer a number of eligibility questions on our online application system. You will be able to see on screen straight away whether you have passed or failed this stage. Sometimes your application might be referred to our recruitment team to who may need more information from you to assess whether you are eligible.
2. Once the initial registration period has closed, and if you meet the basic eligibility criteria, you will be invited to complete the next stage of your online application. This consists of two online assessments: behavioural styles questionnaire (BSQ), and situational judgement test (SJT). These help us understand if you have the right qualities to be a firefighter and you must complete both questionnaires by midday Friday 3 October.
3. If you pass these , you will be invited to complete the fourth and final part of the online application. These are three timed online tests which assess:
You can practice these tests by clicking on the links above.
You will have between midday Wednesday 8 October and midday Thursday 16 October to complete all three tests.
If you pass all three ability tests you will be invited by email to attend practical assessment which will take place at our Headquarters at Sadler Road, Winsford between Monday 3 and Friday 7 November. This will be a morning or afternoon session and you should allow approximately 2.5 hours for the assessment.
If you are successful at the practical assessment, you will be invited to attend an interview which will take place during the week commencing 17 November.
We will be running online Q&A sessions for successful applicants about what to expect at interview.
If you are among the successful candidates at interview stage, you will undergo a medical assessment and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (criminal records) check prior to commencing your training. We will also need to receive two satisfactory references, and proof of your identity and right to work in the UK.
If you receive a final offer of employment, you will be expected to start your initial 16-week training course as an Apprentice Firefighter on 7 April 2026. You will undertake a Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship, which typically takes up to 18 months in total to complete. The first 16 weeks of this journey are based at our state of the art training centre in Winsford before you are posted to a station within Cheshire.
All the online stages should be completed by yourself alone and unassisted on a computer, laptop or tablet. They are not compatible with a smartphone. You should ensure that you have a stable internet connection when accessing and completing all the online stages. Checks may be undertaken at a later stage in the selection process to verify that you have completed these tests without assistance.
The online assessments are managed by an external provider. If you experience any IT issues during any stage of the online process, please contact the support team using the email address provided in the instructions.
Support is available Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 18:00. Emails sent outside these hours will be responded to by midday on the next working day. Please note that support is only available via the email provided and they will not accept phone queries. The Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Recruitment Team does not have access to the assessment system, so all IT-related queries must be directed to the support email.
As we receive hundreds of applications, we will not be able to provide you with individual feedback on your results. Due to the high volume of applicants we will only be able to invite the top-ranking applicants through to the next stage of the process. Invitation to the practical session will be via email from Recruitment@cheshirefire.gov.uk so please ensure you add this to your safe contacts and check in your junk mail.
Should you require any information during the online sifting process described above, you should refer to this guide as it will have all the information you need.
We would like take this opportunity to thank you for applying to Cheshire Fire and Rescue and we wish you every success in your application journey.
Firefighting can be seen as a stereotypically male profession. However, we now employ more female firefighters than ever before, as well as people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). The diversity of our workforce is one of things that makes Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service so special. We want to represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve, so that we can better understand the risks they face and the service they require from us.
No one is given any unfair advantage during the recruitment process, and we assess everyone on merit and their ability to do their job. However, if you feel you genuinely need an adjustment to the recruitment process then please email recruitment@cheshirefire.gov.uk for advice.
We can offer a buddy, who is an existing member of staff, to anyone who feels they may need extra support or guidance during the process. If you wish to access a buddy please contact recruitment@cheshirefire.gov.uk telling us why you would benefit from this support so we can ensure you are allocated a buddy that will be best be able to support you.
Last updated: Wednesday, 6 August 2025