Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

Information for applicants

There are many reasons why you may be drawn to aviation rescue fire fighting (ARFF), whether it is the idea of responding to an emergency, the flexibility of the shift work or making a difference in your community by helping people.

It is a really exciting and rewarding career but at the same time the work is varied and challenging, with no one day ever being the same. For example, you will be exposed to and be responsible for:

  • fighting fires in aircraft and buildings at airports
  • providing rescue and first aid services for aircraft passengers and crew
  • giving technical advice on fire safety
  • assisting in educating airport users about fire fighting and safety.

What comes with the responsibility of being a fire fighter is a need for stamina, resilience, physical fitness and the ability to manage your reactions in extreme situations.

The following information highlights the extremities associated with being a fire fighter to help you determine if a career in fire fighting is for you.

You need to be committed to the cause

You will be required from time to time to undertake duties that may be challenging. To prepare you, Airservices provides comprehensive training at its Learning Academy as well as at each ARFF station. This is to ensure you are regularly skilled and trained up to enjoy a long, rewarding and safe career with us.

Australia’s aviation safety record is excellent, however there are times you may be required to respond to a major aviation incident, first aid or structural fire. To support you after such an event, Airservices has a range of support services in place including our employee assistance providers.

You will have access to equipped gyms at each ARFF station location, qualified physical training instructors and ongoing training to assist you maintain your fitness and preparedness in the event of an incident occurring.

A great place to work

One of the benefits of being an aviation fire fighter is the flexibility of rosters, because it can offer you great work/life balance and allow you to spend quality time with your family and friends.

The shifts you work will vary depending on your location. For the locations of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Perth and Darwin – the roster is referred to as a 10/14. This is because the station is operational 24 hours a day.

The 10/14 roster is composed of:

  • two 10 hour days (8am – 6pm)
  • two 14 hour nights (6pm – 8am)
  • four days off.

This is a rotating roster of eight days so that all employees are given equal access to weekends and public holidays.

The shifts at the other stations may vary, but as they are not operational 24 hours a day, staff are only required when there are aircraft movements. A typical roster may look like:

  • two days of 16 hours (6am – 10pm)
  • four days off.

This is also a rotating roster providing equal access to weekends and public holidays.

There are down times during your shifts for which we provide recreation activities, full kitchens to prepare meals, shower amenities and in most locations, sleeping quarters.

Working at heights

Aviation fire fighters respond to a range of properties including high rise and medium density buildings, airports, major industrial complexes and residential buildings.

You will undergo formal training to work at heights and use ladders which may be up to 24 metres. While working at these heights you are fully harnessed and wearing full Personal Protective Equipment.

Working in extreme heat

Your training will include drills to prepare you for an emergency situation where you are required to fight a fire temperature that may reach as high as 200 degree celsius. At all times you will be wearing Personal Protective Equipment, however, you will need to feel comfortable remaining in this heat for minutes at a time whilst extinguishing the fire.

Working in confined spaces

At times you may need to crawl through confined spaces that may only be the width of a person. This can include planes, tunnels, cars, etc. Therefore it is important to assess whether you are confident when working in this type of condition.

Coastal locations perform water rescue

Several of our coastal locations require aviation fire fighters to assist in search and rescue in open water, assisting local authorities with locating and rescuing missing boats and/or people and helping them to the safety of the water vessel, these duties are performed across a number of ARFF fire stations.

If you are applying for a position with one of these stations you will be required to demonstrate a competent level of swimming ability before your commencement with Airservices. The stations that perform water rescue are:

  • Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart
  • Gold Coast, Townsville, Cairns, Hamilton Island, Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Broome.

If you currently possess any of the following below you will NOT be required to undertake a water competency:

  • Bronze Medallion: Pool Lifeguard Award
  • Bronze Star: Pool Lifeguard License
  • Bronze Cross: Other – please describe on your application form

If you do not possess one of the above competencies, you will be required to undertake a water competency assessment during the selection process in order to commence, and for your application be successful.

When required to complete an assessment you will need to successfully complete the following:

  • swim 50m in any stroke unaided
  • tread water for two (2) minutes unaided without stopping.

For further information please refer to our ARFF Water Competency Assessment Form.

Wearing personal protective equipment is mandatory

Overalls, jacket and helmet

Aviation fire fighters are required to wear turn-out clothing to an emergency response or during training for this; both the jackets and trousers (overalls) weigh approximately 1.5kgs each, as does the helmet which does up underneath your chin.

In total you will be wearing 4.5kgs of clothing. Our turn-out gear is state of the art with a breathable liner making it quite comfortable and cooler, however in potentially 200 degrees of heat you will still be hot!

Face masks

When attending to an emergency situation (or training simulation) where you maybe required to fight a fire you will be wearing a face mask that completely covers your face and is firm around the edges of the face this could be for approximately half an hour at a time.

Aviation fire fighters describe this feeling similar to wearing a snorkel or scuba diving mask but this mask covers you full face, not just your eye area.

Breathing apparatus

Breathing apparatus consists of a cylinder, mouth piece and harness. The cylinder sits on your back similar to a backpack and the harness consists of shoulder straps and waist straps. The set weighs approximately 12kgs and you would wear this in conjunction with a face mask and other Personal Protective Equipment. It can feel the same as wearing a scuba diving oxygen tank on your back.

There are medical requirements

Eyesight

For safety reasons, contact lenses or standard prescription glasses are not permitted during emergency responses or training simulations. Airservices will order specially made prescription glasses for you to wear whilst you complete any training and any emergency responses requiring you to wear a face mask. The glasses you will wear are as pictured below:

Image of the glasses you will wear for ARFF

Colour blindness

Due to CASA regulations, if you are colour-blind to a certain standard, this WILL preclude you from working as an aviation fire fighter with Airservices. The final stage of the selection process is to undertake a CASA Class 2 medical examination including two colour vision tests:

  1. Twenty four (24) plate Ishihara pseudo-isochromatic plates shown in random order – you must not make more than two (2) mistakes. If you do you will need to sit the second test.
  2. Colour vision-testing with the Farnsworth colour-perception lantern – you must not make more than two (2) mistakes.

If you make more than two (2) mistakes on the Farnsworth colour vision test we cannot offer you employment as an aviation fire fighter. We do NOT offer practical colour vision tests.

You need a licence

Airservices requires you to currently hold a manual licence and/or the ability to gain a Heavy Rigid (HR) license. Our fire trucks are the ultra-large fire vehicle Mk8 which requires the driver to possess a HR license.

Please see below for the entry requirements of your state. You must meet these requirements in order to apply.

  • ACT: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • VIC: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • QLD: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • WA: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • SA: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • NT: You must have held a Class C license for a minimum of 24 months. This can be either a full license or P Plates. This does not include L Plates.
  • TAS: You must have held a class C licence for 2 years (not P Plates or L Plates). You must also be at least 20 years of age.
  • NSW: You must currently hold your P2 licence.

For further information please email avrecruit@airservicesaustralia.com