If you are considering a full-time career in civil protection, you can train as a firefighter or fire engineer. If you already have a job, but are interested in helping people in the event of an accident, perhaps working as a firefighter under the RIB (rescue personnel on standby) scheme is for you?
The profession of firefighter offers a varied job that can sometimes involve risky work in strenuous and stressful situations. Firefighter training lasts two years and takes place at one of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency's (MSB) schools in Sandö or Revinge.
The tasks as a fire engineer at the rescue service in Skellefteå are very varied and you are involved in most of the municipality's accident prevention tasks such as internal and external training, information and advice to municipal residents, construction and planning matters, risk management and the exercise of authority through supervision. In major rescue operations, the fire engineer sometimes acts as a rescue leader. Fire engineer training is available in Lund and Luleå and is at least 3.5 years long.
Part-time firefighter – Firefighter employed under RIB (rescue personnel on standby).
Do you live or work near a fire station outside Skellefteå city center? Do you want to help people feel safe in their everyday lives? Do you think the firefighter profession seems interesting? Then maybe you would make a good firefighter.
How to become a part-time firefighter
You should be healthy, able to swim, have a good level of fitness and enjoy working together and helping your fellow human beings.
To become a firefighter with RIB (rescue personnel on standby) employment, you need permission from your main employer. Most part-time firefighters have another main employer, but this is not a requirement.
The rescue service in Skellefteå follows MSB's (the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency) training program. This is what the steps look like in brief:
- You start with a short intro in Skellefteå (1-2 days).
- Then you attend a 2-week training course at MSB, either at Sandö or in Luleå, Course 1A.
- This is followed by a 2-week course in Skellefteå which includes Course 1B and smoke diving.
- When you have come so far in the training, you can start to be part of an emergency group in your home town and go on alarm.
- However, the training is not complete, you must supplement with a 3-week training at Sandö or Luleå, Course 2.
An individual training plan is determined for each person in connection with employment. For practical reasons, most people are usually followed throughout the entire training period. You choose whether to apply to Sandö or Luleå.
Getting a C driving license (truck license) is also part of the training. The plan is for everyone to have completed the entire training package within 2 years.
You can read more about the training at www.msb.se External link.
What does it mean?
Being a firefighter employed under RIB (rescue personnel on standby) means that you are employed by the rescue service. The rescue service pays for the time that you participate in call-outs, exercises and training. You will also receive a standby allowance during your standby weeks.
Since you must be able to report to the fire station within five minutes, it is a prerequisite that you live and/or work near the fire station. There are fire stations in Skelleftehamn, Burträsk, Bureå, Lövånger, Jörn, Boliden, Fällfors, Byske and Bygdsiljum.
As a firefighter employed under RIB (rescue personnel on standby), you are on standby at home or at the workplace every three or four weeks. It is possible to combine your regular work with being a firefighter. During the standby week, you must be available 24 hours a day, at the workplace or at home. When the alarm goes off, you must be ready to respond to the fire station within 5 minutes. You must also participate in regular training and exercises.
The structure of your standby time varies. Ideally, we want you to be on call throughout the week, but depending on where you live and work, it may also be possible to be on call in the evenings, nights or during the day.
The work is exciting and varied. It consists of rescue work at fires, traffic accidents and other accidents. You and your team will meet people in vulnerable situations. It is therefore important that you enjoy working together and helping others.
A rescue worker is a volunteer firefighter who responds to emergencies on a compulsory basis. This means that the rescue leader orders you as a rescue worker to serve when you go out on an alarm. In Skellefteå municipality there is a rescue squad in Kalvträsk.
We are looking for you who want to make an effort against the difficult forest fires. Do you live in Skellefteå municipality, are a forest owner, or are used to being in the forest and land? You can make a difference!
After training in forest firefighting, we register you as a volunteer. When the resources of the emergency services are not enough, we will call on you, and if you can, you will help us fight the forest fires. We will provide you with equipment and you will of course be compensated for your efforts.
Register your interest below!
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