Recruitment

Yes, absolutely.

We are a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and have policies in place to support those who are reservists or ex-serving personnel working for us.

We welcome applications from serving personnel or those who have served previously.

We recognise the value of serving personnel, both regular and reserve, veterans, military families and cadet forces contribute to our organisation and the country. Therefore, we will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:

• no member of the Armed Forces Community should face a disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen
• in some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate, especially for the injured or bereaved

You can see our full covenant pledge on the gov.uk website.

You can opt-out, although it is important that you carefully consider the implications of opting out of the scheme. We would recommend you read the benefits of the 2015 scheme, and always take regulated, independent financial advice.

You will be re-enrolled into the pension scheme on the auto-enrolment date as required by The Pension Regulator.

We strongly discourage business owners from introducing a sleeping risk to premises by permitting anyone to sleep in a premises that is not designed to provide sleeping accommodation.

Business owners should be mindful to prevent unauthorised sleeping on the premises, such as employees who have not requested permission, or contract cleaning staff.

Further information on fire risk assessments for premises used as sleeping accommodation – which differ from normal commercial premises, can be found on the .gov website.

Yes, professionals, carers, or concerned individuals can refer someone else for a Safe and Well check. You’ll need to provide details about the person, their address, risks and vulnerabilities. If the person is eligible, our team will arrange a visit.

Visits can be arranged through a third-party, such as a close friend or family member, if appropriate.

To refer someone, use our Safe and Well referral form or call us on 0800 389 5525 for assistance.

Yes, but the pension administration team are only required to provide you with one estimate every twelve months – if you request more than one estimate, we cannot guarantee that all will be delivered within statutory deadlines – i.e. two months.

It is worth noting that your Annual Benefit Statement, which you receive automatically, will provide you with information on your pension estimate.

You can transfer out of the pension scheme, but it is important you consider the implications of doing so. If the value of your pension is more than £30,000 you must provide evidence that you have sought independent financial advice before we can transfer your pension, and we would recommend you seek financial advice before making any decision on transferring out of the scheme.

The Government recommends the Unbiased website to find an independent financial advisor.

Yes, WMFS offers training for professionals and carers on identifying fire risks and making referrals for Safe and Well checks.

We also provide guidance on specific topics like hoarding and disorganised living.

To book our fire risk presentation training, complete the form below. Alternatively, for bespoke training or further questions, email us at prevention.queries@wmfs.net

Eyesight standards for firefighters are as follows and it is to the standard for LGV (Group 2) driver requirements and to National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) standards:

• the minimum uncorrected vision for trainees should be 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 in the worse eye
• corrected visual acuity should be 6/7.5 in the better eye and a minimum of 6/12 in the worse eye
• an upper hypermetropic limit of +3.00
• ability to read N12 at 30cm unaided with both eyes open (applicants aged 25 and over)
• ability to read N6 at 30cm unaided with both eyes open (applicants under 25 years of age)
• no history of night blindness or any ocular disease that is likely to progress and result in future failure of the visual standards for firefighters.

You must also pass a test to see if you are colour-blind.

Laser Eye Surgery Standards

If you have had eye laser surgery, you must wait 6-12 months before applying to allow for stabilisation.

If you have undergone laser eye surgery, a report should be requested from the treating ophthalmologist to include the following details:

• confirmation that the eye has returned to normal and that there is no significant loss of corneal transparency over the pupil area
• confirmation that there is no keratectasia
• details of their pre-operative refractive error and any complications that may have occurred during or following the procedure with confirmation that the post-operative corneal thickness does not put them at increased risk from indirect trauma or from rubbing the eyes
• confirmation that they do not have significant sensitivity to scattered light and that they retain good low-light performance.

For alarms that are hard-wired into a building (wired into the electricity) we, unfortunately, cannot offer advice or guidance as every system is different. If there are faults or issues with your alarm system and it is part of the property, you should consult either an electrician or alarm engineer. If the property is rented, the landlord or responsible company for the property should be contacted for guidance first.

Whilst we wouldn’t directly assist with a fire risk assessment for your business premises, there is government provided advice which you should follow to be legally compliant.

This government advice for businesses is freely available to all and should aid you in ensuring your business or premises is compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The above government advice breaks down the different assessment documents required, depending on the type of premises, you should ensure you choose the correct one for your premises or business.

We do offer general guidance on our website for Fire Risk Assessments, you’ll find this on our Fire Safety section. We also offer training courses which are available to those responsible for carrying out Fire Risk Assessments for their premises.