Frequently asked questions
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If you miss your appointment, contact our Bookings Team as soon as possible on 0800 389 5525 to rearrange your visit.
Whilst we can assist with animal rescues, often the best people to speak to are the RSCPA. If an animal or pet is trapped or stranded in a way that could put its life at risk (such as stranded in water, or trapped between wires, fences or buildings) then call us on 999 first. Our skilled operators will be able to assess the situation and give you the best advice. If it involves pets or animals who are in no danger, such as cats up trees, you should always contact the RSPCA first. We do not attend unless they are at the scene and they require our assistance. If in doubt, and it’s not urgent, contact us on our non-emergency number 03300 589 000 for advice.
When trying to apply to be a firefighter for us, you need to enter a national insurance number. If you’ve applied before, you may get an error saying your national insurance number has already been used and won’t allow you to continue. Our teams can unlock this for you, provided the appropriate time has passed since your previous application. Please email your details and the issue you’re experiencing to recruitment@wmfs.net and they can do this for you.
The Equality Act 2010 permits employers to take positive action measures to improve equality for people who share a protected characteristic. Section 158 of the Act enables us to take proportionate action to reduce disadvantage or increase participation of a particular group who are underrepresented in the workforce. We are committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities to give us the widest spectrum of ideas, backgrounds, cultures and skills. Our service is currently underrepresented by: Examples of the types of positive action activity we carry out include targeted advertising, ‘meet and greet’ sessions, recruitment programmes and female fitness sessions. Positive action does not include giving someone a job based on their protected characteristic. This is unlawful.
The treadmill will be set at 6.2km/h (3.8mph) throughout the test. The test will begin with 0% gradient for 2 minutes. The gradient will then be increased by 3% every 2 minutes. The test takes 12 minutes to complete.
Alcohol can impair a driver’s reaction time, coordination and judgement of speed and distance. In England and Wales, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. For more information on road safety and driving, visit our road safety page.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points added to your licence. If the case goes to court, fines and penalty points can vary. For more information on road safety and driving, visit our road safety page.
For cars and vans, the minimum tyre tread depth is 1.6mm and for motorbikes and heavy goods vehicles the minimum tyre tread depth is 1mm. For more information on tyre treads and how to check yours visit our road safety page
The Safelincs online home fire safety check is a free tool designed to help you identify fire risks in your home. It guides you room by room, offering personalised advice and creating a fire safety action plan. If further support is needed, you can securely share your details with WMFS for a follow-up Safe and Well check.
In 2015, the government introduced new laws which resulted in a new pension scheme for firefighters – the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015). These laws included protections which meant that some members of the existing schemes (FPS 1992 and FPS 2006) didn’t join FPS 2015 either straight away or at all, depending on their age. Following a legal challenge known as Sargeant, the courts determined that the protections given to members were age-discriminatory. Following consultation, the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 came into force on 1 April 2022 to “remedy” the discrimination. Following further consultation, the Firefighters’ Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023 were laid and came into force on 1 October 2023 to allow for retrospective remedy which covers the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022.