Career Opportunities  

Opportunities for promotion are good, and a fire officer can begin to take on extra responsibilities even before he is promoted. Should you be promoted to a gazetted rank (see ranks below), you will undertake courses to prepare you to function at that level, broaden your management skills and build on your existing fire fighting knowledge. Progression through the ranks is as follows:

• Fire Officer
• Leading Fire Officer
• Sub. Officer
• Station Officer
• Divisional Officer
• Deputy Chief Fire Officer
• Chief Fire Officer

Members of the Fire Service work a 42 hour week, with four shifts: Red Watch, White Watch, Blue Watch and Green Watch. Personnel are divided into day (08:30 - 18:30) and night (18:30 - 08:30) shifts. Paid leave is 21 days a year (in addition to public holidays) for the first five years, and 30 days after five years. But if you are required to work on these days you are given time off in lieu of pay.

Basic Entry Requirements

To join the Barbados Fire Service, there are certain physical, medical and educational requirements a person will have to satisfy. The basic requirements are as follows:

• Applicants must be 18 years or older
• Applicants should be at least 5' 7" in height
• Applicants must take a general written test
• Applicants should have a good degree of fitness
• Applicants must undergo medical examination
• Applicants must not have a criminal record
• Applicants must be citizens of the Commonwealth.