MORE than 1,000 candidates applied for just six firefighter positions in Shropshire last year, with the successful recruits starting over the summer.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service advertised the roles last year and put applicants through six rounds, including behavioural, skills and practical tests and culminating in interviews.

In a report for fire authority members, Chief Fire Officer Rod Hammerton and HR chief Germaine Worker say the posts attracted record levels of women and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates.

The successful recruits are all white and comprise four men and two women but a further pool of 10 standbys “that will be recruited as part of succession planning over the next 12-18 months” includes one BAME person, the report says. It adds that the brigade will seek advice from recruitment consultants to help more qualified non-white candidates make it through to the later stages of future recruitment drives. 

Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority’s Strategy and Resources Committee will discuss the report when it meets at the brigade’s Shrewsbury headquarters on Thursday, September 16.

“The initial registration stage attracted 1,047 applicants,” the report states, but a computerised sift eliminated ineligible candidates, including those living too far away from Shropshire, leaving 911.

Of these, 173 were woman and 71 were BAME candidates, the report says, representing 19 per cent and eight per cent of candidates respectively. In both cases a rise on 12 and 2.5 per cent in the 2016 campaign and 15 and three per cent in 2018, the report says.

“Overall results concluded with six firefighter recruits starting employment on July 1, 2021,” the report says

“In addition, the service has also selected a pool of 10 further candidates that will be recruited as part of succession planning over the next 12-18 months. This consists of one female, one BAME person and eight males.” 

Officer Hammerton and Ms Worker write that the process was a “positive outcome for female representation”, but note that the six recruited candidates were all white.