As part of your application to become a firefighter, you will be asked to provide medical and health information at an early stage so we can ensure that you are fit and well enough to take part in our assessments.
It will also be necessary for you to undergo an eyesight test and medical examination later in the recruitment process.
For your eyesight test, you will be asked to attend an appointment with one of our approved opticians, who will assess your vision in line with our eyesight entry standards – visual acuity, colour vision and field of vision – and advise the Service of any visual difficulties detected. If you have any concerns about your eyesight, you may wish to attend your local Specsavers prior to this stage of the recruitment process.
For your medical examination, which includes a hearing test, you will be invited to attend one of our Occupational Health Units.
Eyesight standards
For your eyesight test, you will be asked to attend an appointment with your local Specsavers opticians, who will assess your vision in line with our eyesight entry standards. If you wear glasses, please ensure you take these to your eyesight appointment.
A form will be provided to you which the optician must complete, and you will need to send back to the Service before attendance at your occupational health physician appointment. Our required standards are as follows:
- Vision must be binocular.
- Have a corrected visual acuity of 6/9 binocularly with a minimum of 6/12 in the worse eye.
- Have no more than +3.00 dioptres of hypermetropia in each eye.
- Be able to read N12 at 30cm aided with both eyes open.
- Have a normal visual field in each eye, as determined by confrontation techniques or formal testing methods.
- Have no history of night blindness or any ocular disease that is likely to progress and result in future failure of the visual standards for serving firefighters.
- Have an appropriate level of colour perception.
- Have not undergone refractive surgery in the previous 12 months.
If you have any concerns about your eyesight — including potential colour vision issues — we strongly encourage you to book an eye test with your local Specsavers before embarking on the selection process. This will give you reassurance and help avoid the disappointment of completing the process only to find you do not meet the required eyesight standards at a later stage.
Medical assessment
The medical will include:
- Height
- Weight
- Blood pressure
- Blood glucose test (finger prick or by urine sample)
- Eye test – near and distance vision (with and without spectacles if worn)
- Breathing test (lung function)
- Hearing test (audiometry)
- Fitness assessment – Chester Treadmill Walk Test (please refer to this useful guidance document on what this involves)
Hearing standards
Applicants for firefighting who meet the H2 standard should be considered fit for role. Applicants who score lower than H2 may be required to undertake additional functional testing before a decision on fitness can be determined.