It has always been a job that I was interested in giving a go. A mix of physical work, continual training and turning up to work not knowing what would happen each day sounded appealing. In other jobs I have found satisfaction in helping others and in this job that is the primary mission of a firefighter.

I was working in a primary school as a Teacher’s Assistant as well as working towards becoming a teacher. I really enjoyed working with teachers, students and their families – it’s quite similar to my current role in that every day was different and full of surprises!

The variety that each shift, training or emergency incident offers. There isn’t a shift that goes by that you are not learning and striving to improve.

As a new firefighter, the support, guidance and leadership offered by fellow firefighters and officers makes coming to work something I really look forward to. There is nothing more enjoyable than working in a successful and dynamic team environment!

Taking the time to learn about the organisation and the wide variety of work that you will be undertaking is a great first step before starting your application. Thinking carefully about the skills and attributes required for the job will help you decide if it’s the job for you and also help you throughout the application process.

If you don’t go through the application process you will definitely not get a job! While the application process can be challenging, it is also very enjoyable and achievable. Throughout most of the stages it is very clear what is expected and there are no surprises. The support documents, videos and various pre application practice tests help you ensure you are as prepared as you can be. Don’t take too much notice of all the myths and rumours about the job and the application process. Lots of people offered me opinions about why I would or wouldn’t get a job based on what they thought the TFS was looking for and my previous work history. Talk to some people in the know and read up about the organisation and the job and make up your own mind if you’d be a good fit for the TFS and vice versa.

Being a firefighter in the TFS is a varied and diverse role. The organisation encourages people to explore different opportunities and often employs people with an existing set of skills.

We regularly attend emergency incidents that include elements of:

– structure and vegetation fires
– road accident rescue
– first aid
– technical, urban and confined space rescue
– HAZMAT

The job has so many facets and specialities that throughout your training and attending incidents you will find things that spark your interest or that you have a passion for.

As you progress through your career there are a wide range of leadership, training, and operational support rolls available which require further study or training. These rolls can include community fire education, volunteer support, emergency management and fire safety – it really does take a diverse bunch of people to help achieve the TFS’s mission.

At this very early stage in my career (and it sounds cliché) I still just want to be the best firefighter I can be. Every day I am trying to learn something new, practise my skills and be as ready as I can be for our next job. There is so much to learn, remember and improve on that I really just want to work hard towards completing my paypoint progression and reach the rank of senior firefighter. As I progress through my training and career, I’m sure I’ll be afforded various opportunities within the organisation and I look forward to seeing what they might be and the challenges they’ll offer.

Apart from that I also want to make the workplace better than it was when I walked in at the start of the shift. At my level that can be something pretty simple to do with the station, the trucks or my colleagues but I hope to continue that as I progress.

I enjoy working with people and I like to keep fit and healthy! Working with a close knit and supportive team on shift is very enjoyable and doing your best to help the Tasmanian community is very rewarding. Both in and out of work I like being active. As well as improving my mental and physical health, I also feel like my role has a physical requirement that I need to be well prepared for.

There hasn’t been one day when I’ve woken up and wasn’t excited to see what the day holds!

I enjoy spending time outside and being active – Bike riding, bushwalks/walking the dog, sailing, gardening, camping, reading etc. I also enjoy watching sport both on tv and live – particularly when the Swans are playing. I value time spent with family and friends but also enjoy time to myself either cooking, brewing and/or listening to music.