The emergency services – 999

All British emergency services come together for search and rescue (SAR) operations in the zone that covers the UK and its surrounds. This includes:

• Department for Transport – co-ordination

– Maritime & Coastguard Agency

– Civil Aviation Division

• Ministry of Defence

– SAR on operations and exercises

– Military SAR to assist civilian coverage

– Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre

• Cabinet Office/Scottish Executive/National Assembly for Wales – civil disasters
• Police Service – co-ordinates land-based and inland water SAR
• Fire Service – may deal with emergencies as well as fires
• Ambulance Service – land and sometimes helicopter based
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution – inshore and all-weather boats
• Inland SAR organisations – voluntary mountain, cave and lowland SAR teams.

Clearly, many of the general and specific skills, qualifications and experience necessary for all of these roles are possessed by many people in the Services and a number of them are already working in some area of SAR and emergency activities. There is both paid and voluntary work available in this field, with some areas offering opportunities for Service leavers.

Police

Every year, many people leave the Armed Forces to join the Police. They enjoy working in teams, operating in a structured organisation and serving the community. There are, of course, many differences because the Police have an association, people have a greater say in their employment and the more senior managers all start on the shop floor. It is also perfectly possible for a Constable to spend a whole career in that rank. Recruiting is regional, with each force responsible for its own manning.

The 43 independent Police Forces in England and Wales (and the British Transport Police) employ 228,500 full-time equivalent staff; 144,500 are Police officers, 74,500 are Police support staff, 1,000 are traffic wardens and another 8,500 are community support officers. Readers will be aware of current debate about amalgamating or merging Police Forces into regions with some functions being undertaken nationally.

There are eight forces in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. There are also specialist Police in such areas as the MoD and nuclear establishments, while at the heart of every major Police station is the control room. In it, Police and support staff monitor and control Police activity using advanced ICT to direct officers in their tasks.

Around 10,000 people in England and Wales are recruited into the Police each year, with 1,200 of them transferring between forces. Physical and mental fitness, powers of observation, the ability to write and handle numbers, logical thought, stamina, common-sense and good judgement are key qualities. Anyone thinking of joining the Police is advised to attend the Potential Police Officers Course at the Resettlement Training Centre, Aldershot or the Catterick Regional Resettlement Centre. There are also courses preparing people for employment as a community support officer.

Because each force is independent, they all select and train their officers slightly differently. However, everybody joins the Police as a probationer (learner) under training for two years. A Constable is then considered ready to take on the full range of duties, and can also specialise in a wide variety of roles carried out by a modern Police Force.

Selection starts with an application form that is then sifted. The one-day selection includes the Police Initial Recruitment Test (PIRT), a fitness assessment including endurance and agility, and a short interview, followed by a formal two-day selection with an extended interview before a panel, individual and group exercises. The process can take anything between a few weeks and several months; depending on the force and the individual’s availability.

It can take a probationer seven months from selection to being out on the job, including:

• two-week introduction at a ForceTraining School
• 15 weeks at a Training Centre on the National Police Training Course
• two weeks back at the ForceTraining School on a local procedures course
• ten weeks on the job, working alongside a tutor Constable.

Probationers then consolidate this training and undertake further development so that the individual is fully ready for appointment as a Constable.

Promotion is through passing exams. The High Potential Development scheme is currently under review and is not taking new entrants at present. It is now managed by the National Policing Improvement Agency. People currently on the scheme will continue to benefit from it.

The minimum age for joining is 18, with a pension after 30 years’ service, and there is a latest retirement age of 55 (60 for inspectors and above). Constables’ salaries start at £20,000 a year, rise to £23,000 after the initial seven months’ training, and to £24,000 on finishing the probationary period; peaking at over £32,000. A Sergeant earns from £32,000 to £36,000 a year, while an Inspector earns between £41,000 and £46,000 a year.

The Fire Service

There are some 57,000 fire-fighters in 67 independent fire brigades in the UK, which may reduce to fewer regional authorities under current plans, and each is responsible for its own recruitment and career progression. Promotion is based on merit, experience and training at the FireServiceCollege in Gloucestershire.

Recruits attend initial training at a training centre and then join a station for operational duties. Further training follows, as well as in-service development leading to specialist training. After satisfactory completion of the two-year probationary period, recruits become fully qualified fire-fighters.

Retained fire-fighters are part-timers who need to live or work reasonably close to a fire station, and able to be called out for a couple of hours two or three times a week. They are paid for being on call and for training; they receive a fee if they are called out and another if they go into action. They train and work alongside their full-time counterparts.

Entrants to the Fire Service have to be aged over 18, possess good communication skills, have good all-round fitness, and pass written and practical tests. Salaries range from £20,000 to £26,500 per annum for a fire-fighter, through £34,200 to £37,700 for a station manager, to £50,800 for a senior area manager.

Ambulance Service

The 16 NHS Ambulance Services in the UK are organised into 13 regional English services and three single national Ambulance Services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They employ around nearly 38,000 people (8,600 paramedics and 9,700 technicians in 3,500 ambulances, 630 rapid-response vehicles and 80 motorcycles) answering 5.5 million 999 calls and responding nearly 5 million times, with other staff working in private ambulance operations such as those used by private hospitals and some large companies. Each service has its own rules and entry requirements. The minimum age is generally 18 and, while there is no maximum age for recruits, 35 to 40 is generally regarded as the upper limit due to the time it takes to train someone to the necessary standards.

Work includes managing control rooms, and acting as care assistants, ambulance technicians and paramedics. Training could be three weeks for a care assistant, 12 weeks for a technician and a further two months for a paramedic. Promotion also involves qualifying periods of experience, while paramedics can also qualify through a University of Hertfordshire specialist degree. More senior positions include operational management, control and training, and specialisation in some services into helicopter, car or motorcycle rapid-response units.

Most managers rise through the ranks. Salaries range from £14,000 to £16,800 for care assistants, £16,400 to £19,700 for technicians, £19,200 to £24,800 for paramedics, and higher for managers, with London allowances as appropriate.

HM Coastguard

HM Coastguard co-ordinates SAR at sea and on the coastline through a network of co-ordination centres, supported by 3,000 volunteer auxiliary coastguards, organised into response teams. Watch Officers have extensive relevant sea experience, although some training is provided. Academic qualifications and physical fitness are required, as is a valid UK driving licence for Group A–E vehicles. Coastguard Watch Assistants do not require any formal qualifications or previous experience. Recruitment is through local Coastguard stations.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)

RNLI crews are volunteers, at least 17 years old, medically fit with excellent eyesight; they live within four minutes of the nearest lifeboat station and are prepared to respond 24/7. They do not need to have maritime experience (although it is an advantage) because training is provided. Crew members come from a wide variety of backgrounds and the most important qualification is 100 per cent commitment.

Mountain, cave and lowland SAR teams

Over 60 teams operate in the UK, manned entirely by male and female volunteers, mostly aged between 30 and 50. The majority have good general mountaineering or caving experience and will attend specified training before becoming a full team member. Typical annual team running costs of between £15,000 and £70,000 are met through public subscription.

Contact information for all these organisations can be found in your local telephone directory