Join our team

Gatwick Careers
Airport Fire & Rescue Service
The provision of rescue & firefighting services (RFFS)

PREVENT - RESPOND - PROTECT

Gatwick Airport is currently looking to create a pool of candidates for
the role of Airport Firefighter to join the Rescue and Firefighting Services
(RFFS) Team when positions become available.
You do not need previous experience in the Fire Service to join the team
whose principal objective is “to save life”.
Introduction from
Simon Petts
Chief Fire Officer
(CFO)

G
atwick Airport’s Fire Service Team is led by Chief Fire Officer,
Simon Petts.

Simon began his fire service career with the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal
Navy in 1985. He spent nine years in the service covering risks ranging
from the flight deck of HMS Illustrious to most of the Navy’s air stations
and even six months covering Faslane Nuclear Submarine base in
Scotland.

Leaving the Navy in 1994, Simon then joined Gatwick Airport’s Fire
Service. Once there he passed through the ranks to become the current
Chief Fire Officer in 2017. Along with being the Chairperson for AFOA,
he is an active member of the AOA RFFS Working Group, the Institution
of Fire Engineers (IFE) Transportation Special Interest Group as well as
heading up Gatwick Airport’s Resilience Planning Group.
Foreword from Simon Petts the right time to ensure we can re-
spond efficiently and effectively to
Welcome to the firefighter recruit- all types of incidents and emergen-
ment campaign 2023. cies,

“Firstly; I would like to take this Embarking on a career in our Res-

opportunity to thank you for taking
the time to find out more about Lon-
don Gatwick Airport, & it’s Rescue
& Fire-Fighting Service. A service
we are extremely proud of.
Our Rescue & Fire-Fighting Ser-
vice provides 24/7 365 emergen-
cy response cover to the UK’s sec-
ond busiest airport, & one of the
world’s busiest single runway oper-
ations. In 2019 our airport looked
after 47million passengers. To
support an operation as dynamic
& complexed as London Gatwick
our Rescue & Fire-Fighting Ser-
vice must be equally as capable.
We are a forward thinking, progres-
sive and dynamic Airport Rescue &
Fire-Fighting Service, we need the
right people, with the right skills, at
cue & Fire-Fighting Service may be
one of the most challenging profes-
sional things you undertake. It is not
easy and requires not only a good
standard of physical fitness, but
also an enquiring mind, the ability
to learn and adapt at pace, and the
personal skills to work as part of a
team in complexed and often rap-
idly evolving situations. If success-
ful, you will join a high performing
team and undertake a role that is
second to none in terms of personal
rewards.
Finally, I’d like to take this oppor-
tunity to wish you well on your next
steps and I look forward to possibly
meeting you in the future.
Good luck!
Gatwick Airport Fire & Rescue Service
More than just Fires…
Incident
Command
The Airport Fire and Rescue Service main-
tain operational readiness 24/7 to respond to
aircraft emergencies, in line with our regu-
latory requirements. The structure of each of
the 4 watches supports effective Command
and Control of these incidents, supported by
close liaison with Local Authority Emergency
Services.
Aviation
Response
Aircraft related incidents can present re-
sponders with unique challenges, and our
firefighters require specific training to main-
tain operational compliance. We achieve
this thanks to our in-house Maintenance of
Competence training program which sees our
teams undergo regular training and assess-
ment to enable our crews to operate safely
and effectively.
 Domestic
Response
Along with the airfield response, our airport
firefighters also provide a Domestic Response.
This covers a range of incidents, which in-
clude Automatic Fire Alarms (AFA’s), Railway
incidents, Road Traffic Collisions and Special
Service Calls involving hazardous substances
that occur in or around the airport’s boundary.
Our domestic appliance is crewed with a min-
imum crew of four personal and houses over
150 items of equipment.
Medical
Response
Fire Crews are trained as Immediate Emer-
gency Care (IEC) Advanced Practitioners, the
most advanced, up to date, evidence-based
trauma course currently available in the UK
for non-health care professionals. There is a
regulatory requirment for the AFS to provide
first aid and emergency medical assistance,
these provisions and arrangements are re-
quired as part of our CAA Aerodrome Licence.
Fire and Rescue
All firefighters at Gatwick complete a resi-
dential course upon joining. This accredited
course gives them the foundation for their ca-
reer. Following this, Gatwick run an in-house
Maintenance of Competence programme. We
have Trainers, Assessors and Quality Assurers
amongst the team. All staff will be regularly
assessed, and the training and development
team will manage the audit process.
 Winter
Resilience
There is a regulatory requirement for the
Airport to have an Adverse weather plan, the
Airport Fire and Rescue Service support this
Winter response plan by maintaining compe-
tence to drive and deploy the fleet of Øver-
aasen snow ploughs. Under the guidance of
the Airside Operations Manager, working as
part of a wider team to keep the runway and
taxiways open.
Flood
Response
Trained to DEFRA level 1 Water Awareness &
Rescue – the Airport Fire and Rescue Service
are not only available to respond to rescues
from water, but also support the Airports
Adverse Weather Plan by responding to in-
cidents involving flooding. On hand to help
protect the critical infrastructure across the
airfield.
Long Service
Recognition
Throughout our lives, we celebrate anni-
versaries to remind us how far we’ve come
and all that we have accomplished. It brings
a renewed feeling of excitement and respect
for the moment being celebrated.
So much of our lives are spent working, this
should apply to milestones in our careers
too.
The Fire and Rescue Service Long Service
and Good Conduct Medal, recognising 20
years of service, honours firefighters for their
dedication. Now, new 30 and 40 years’ ser-
vice clasps have been approved, with the
Royal Warrant governing the medal having
been rewritten to reflect these.
Let your career take off!
Working as part of a close knit and highly motivated team, you will play a pivotal role in
ensuring Gatwick has a fully effective Emergency Fire Service.

We are looking for people who are motivated, enthusiastic, physically fit and are great com-
municators.

In return, we provide a fantastic training programme to ensure we are constantly developing

our people to be the best they can be! Along with a unique opportunity, you will benefit from
a generous basic package as well as additional company benefits.

The role of a firefighter at Gatwick, is to:

> Deal with emergency situations in accordance with specified regulations/ procedures in
order to save life and protect property.

> Maintain required level of technical competences as specified within the CAP 699 guid
ance in order to uphold the airport certification.

> Respond to airport medical emergencies and accidents e.g., road traffic accidents, fires,
chemical incidents, and special service calls, both on and off the airport.

>Maintain effective working relationships with internal and external bodies to ensure an
effective integrated response to emergency situations and promote a professional image of
GAL.

> Participate in projects and working groups and to carry out any other duties that may be
outside the standard remit for the purpose of personal development, or as may be reasona-
bly required by the Company.

> Maintain all equipment for operational readiness to specified standards in order to meet
internal and external audit requirements.

> Comply with all legal and statutory obligations applicable to this role.

>Be responsible for personal and team compliance with Company Health and Safety Policies,
ensuring safe working practices to minimise risk to self, work colleagues, customers and
staff.

> To carry out snow clearing duties when required to support business resilience.

> To comply with all AFS policy and procedures.

Interested?
Are you:
> Willing and able to work 12 hour shifts, including Days / Nights / Weekends and Public
Holidays (07:00 -19:00 / 19:00 – 07:00)

> Looking for a long-term career in a fantastic environment

> A team player

> Physically fit and able to meet the required medical standard

> Dedicated with a flexible and “can do” approach

> Able to problem solve and work well under pressure

> Prepared to push physical and mental boundaries when required

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential:
> Valid full UK Driving License

> GCSE (or equivalent) in 5 subjects including Math’s and English

Beneficial:
> Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) License – Class C

> First Aid at Work

The Process:
Application Stage:
By following the link to the Gatwick Recruitment pages, candidates are invited to submit a
formal application to undertake further testing to be considered for employment within the
Airport Fire & Rescue Service

The Screening Process:

Applications will be evaluated for candidate suitability, based on their application submis-
sion.
Candidates will be contacted by email, and informed if their application has been successful or
unsuccessful.

The Written Tests:

Candidates who make it through the Application & screening process will be invited to attend
Gatwick Airport to undertake written testing.
Candidates must be available to attend on one of the following fixed
dates:
21st Sept / 22nd Sept / 25th Sept / 26th Sept / 27th Sept

The Physical / Functional Tests:

Candidates who make it through the Written Tests will be invited to attend Gatwick Airport
for Physical / Functional Testing.
Physical Assessment
> Group Bleep test - min 8.8 (V02 Max = 42.3)
> Dead Lift – 57kg
> Shoulder Press - 28kg
> Pull Down - 35kg

Functional Assessment:
> Ladder Climb - Ascend a fully extended 13.5-meter ladder to approximately second story-
Height and demonstrate a ‘leg lock’.
> Casualty Evacuation - Drag a 55kg casualty walking backwards (guided by an assessor)
around a 30-metre course.
> Enclosed Spaces - This is a test of confidence, agility and possible claustrophobia whilst
working in an enclosed space.
> Equipment Assembly - This is a test of manual dexterity - Assemble and disassemble items
of equipment.
> Equipment Carry - This is a test of aerobic fitness, muscular strength and stamina.
Candidates must be available to attend on one of the following fixed
dates:
25th Oct / 26th Oct / 27th Oct / 28th Oct / 29th Oct
The Interview:
Candidates who achieve the required standard in the Physical and Functional tests will be
invited to attend Gatwick Airport for an Interview.
> The interview will consist of motivational, situational judgement and competency based
questions.
Candidates must be available to attend on one of the following fixed
dates:
6th Nov / 7th Nov / 8th Nov / 9th Nov /10th Nov

The Candidate Pool:

Candidates who are successful will be invited to have their details held on file and will form a
candidate pool.
> This pool will be held for a maximum of 2 years.

Further Detail:
> Each stage MUST be passed for a candidate to progress.
In house training
& assessment

B
efore joining as an operational firefighter at Gat-
wick, all new starters first complete a 5 week
residential initial acquisition course (or a 2 week
bridging course for those joining from another service).

This accredited course is the foundation for their ca-

reer.

Gatwick have an in house Maintenance of Competence

(MOC) programme which is supported by a team of in
house Trainers, Assessors and Quality Assurers.

Firefighters can apply to be nominated to become in-

structors in a multitude of disciplines such as, Breath-
ing Apparatus (BA), Physical training, Road Traffic Col-
lision (RTC), Immediate Emergency Care (IEC) or Fire
Safety.

Our Watch Manager team are all trained and qualified

assessors, and all of our Station Managers, are quali-
fied internal verifiers. This enables us to ensure that
all staff receive quality structured training, which is
assessed, these assements are verified to ensure the
highest standards are maintained.

This whole MOC package is overseen by a Station

Manager who is accountable for training and compli-
ance, who also supports the CFO with external audit
processes.
 What our people have
to say...
Steve Bartlett
Station Manager

I started my aviation Fire Service career in

August 2000, where I was initially based at
Southampton Airport. I moved to Gatwick in
2004 joining Red Watch as a Leading fire-
fighter. Since then, I have worked on all 4 of
the Watches as well as having some time as a
Float Watch Manager.
I am currently the Station Manager of White
Watch, leading a team of 2 Watch Managers, 2 Theo Van Der Lugt
crew Managers and 14 Firefighters. Reporting Crew Manager
to the DCFO, I have various areas of accounta-
bility which currently include the facilities on I joined the Gatwick Fire Service at 23 and
our Fire Training Ground, Incident Command, have now been here over 13 years. The role
Contingency Plans and Recruitment. has afforded me many opportunities and al-
lowed me to really develop myself profession-
ally and personally.
When I first joined, I was in the middle of an
Open University degree, which the Fire Ser-
vice supported me in completing and I grad-
uated a couple of years after joining. More
recently, after two years of study and exams,
I have become a Graduate of the Institute of
Fire Engineers; a qualification that has vastly
developed my knowledge base.
I am also an Immediate Emergency Care and
Road Traffic Collision instructor and regular-
ly deliver training to my watch and other de-
partments.
Eddie Wharton
Firefighter

I joined Gatwick Airport Fire Service in 1996,

having previously worked as a security officer
in the South Terminal.
Within my role as a firefighter, I have a number
of personal references, one of these being an
Emergency Response Driving (ERD) Instructor.
This reference means that I, amongst others
within the Fire Service, are responsible for In-
structing and Assessing the other firefighters
on station with their driving standards on all
our Fire Service appliances.
There are many things that I enjoy about being
part of the Fire Service team here at Gatwick,
such as there are many opportunities to fur-
ther enhance your skills and undertake per-
sonal development if you so wish.

Annie Rebindaine
Firefighter

I have been part of the Gatwick family for 17

years in a variety of roles - cabin crew, check-
in, aircraft dispatch, airfield stand planning and
the last 5 years as a firefighter.
The common misconception of the fire service
is that it is a male job role, but the narrative
is changing. Anyone that has the drive and is
prepared to put in the effort to succeed can be
a firefighter. I train to be strong and healthy so I
can perform the role alongside my team to the
same standards, and yearly physical testing
ensures the standards remain in place.
Gatwick Fire Service strives to remain resilient,
and we are all encouraged to develop our ca-
reers by taking on the responsibility of training
our peers in our core functions. Two years ago
I took on the ambitious role of BAi (Breathing
Apparatus instructor) and I am part of the team
ensuring the watch remain competent through
theoretical and practical training.
Andrew Pinker
Firefighter

I have worked as a firefighter at Gatwick Air-

port for nearly 9 years now and I still absolute-
ly love the job. After graduating from the Uni-
versity of Sussex, I spent many years working
in Compliance roles in London. I found myself
working in the financial sector, which I did not
enjoy and looking forward to my weekends. As
an active person, I wanted a career that would
allow me to continue to keep fit, feel part of
a team and challenge me day-to-day. Being a
firefighter at Gatwick Airport fulfils these goals
totally. We have to be trained in a multitude of
skills, not just typical ‘firefighter skills’. Since
working at the Fire Service, I have realised how
much I enjoy the challenge of driving large ve-
hicles and I am now a Snow Plough Instruc-
tor for my watch, which allows me to drive
and train others on our Articulated Øveraasen
Snow Ploughs to help prepare the airport to
deal with and remain open during winter snow
events.

I am also a strong believer in continuous

personal development. Gatwick Airport Fire
Service are a member of the Institute of Fire
Engineers, and they encourage my ongoing
learning through study for recognised quali-
fications with this professional body. It might
be a cliche to say this, but I do look forward to
every shift and I would recommend the job to
anyone.
James Buckman
Firefighter

I started at Gatwick Fire Service in 2016 as a

firefighter on White Watch. As a firefighter you
have the opportunity to upskill yourself in dif-
ferent areas and help add value to the Watch,
there are many different avenues to go down.
Accreted prior learning enabled me to trans-
fer qualifications in Physical training from a
previous employment into my current role. I
am currently one of the Physical Training In-
structors, which takes care of annual fitness
assessments for the Watch. I am also an IECR
Instructor which means I plan and deliver the
training sessions around our Trauma and Med-
ical qualifications.

David Simpson
Firefighter

I joined Gatwick Airport in 2012 and spent

9 years in the role of Security Officer. When I
decided I wanted a new challenge I looked into
roles around the airport and the more I learned
about the Fire Service, the more I realised it
suited all my interests & skills. I joined Gatwick
Fire & Rescue in 2020 and spent my first two
years on probation learning the knowledge &
skills for my role.
In my role as an aviation firefighter I can attend
aircraft incidents, fires, RTCs, medical emer-
gencies amongst a variety of other tasks - all
in one day. It’s important for me to be com-
petant in all of these roles. I feel very lucky to
be working at Gatwick Airport Fire Service, we
are very furtunate to receive the training to
fulfil the role as a firefighter.
Julian Elliman
Firefighter

I joined Gatwick Airport FRS in 1992. After

nearly 32 years’ service I still see the role of a
firefighter here at Gatwick Airport as exciting &
motivating as when I first joined all those years
ago. The fire service has given me many oppor-
tunities beyond the operational role including
instructing on recruit basic courses, breath-
ing apparatus instructor courses & having a
big part in facilitating training for other ser-
vices who have used Gatwick for part of their
training. One of my other passions is driving &
I have also been a response driving instructor
for many years. The role of a firefighter here is
very dynamic, especially with all of the differ-
ent types of calls we respond to. This for me is
one of the most exciting things the job offers.
Being a team player with my other colleagues
has offered a sense of camaraderie which I val-
ue very much.
Gatwick History & Facts
Gatwick Airport has been in operation since 1930,
initially as the Surrey Aero Club, a small flyers club
used exclusively by flying enthusiasts. Four years
later, Gatwick was licensed as a public aerodrome
intended to provide regular services to Paris and to
provide relief for the then London Croydon Airport. It
was also in 1934 that Gatwick gained its first sched-
uled flights – Hillman’s Airways to Belfast and Paris.
Hillman’s Airways descendants still fly from Gatwick;
they form part of the company better known as Brit-
ish Airways. Today however, they have been joined by
56 other airlines, flying to over 200 destinations and
serving over 45 million passengers.
Gatwick Airport has come a long way since 1930.
Take a look at some of the key facts that highlight
the importance of this unique airport:
Facilities
> Number of runways: 1

> Planning application submitted for use of the Northern Runway to increase our
capacity

> Runway length: 3,316m long by 45m wide

> Number of terminals: 2 - South (opened in 1958) and North (opened in 1988)

> South Terminal is 160,000 square metres of which 14,768 square metres is retail facilities

> North Terminal is 98,000 square metres of which 12,530 square metres is retail facilities

> There are 119 stands, with a total of 186 centrelines - the ability to use a stand flexibly
means we can park up to 186 aircraft

> 31 South Terminal stands

> 31 North Terminal stands

> 57 remote stands served by coaches

> We have 245 check-in desks, 123 self-service check-in desks and 119 self-service bag drop
kiosks
Transport - We’re well connected
> Gatwick was the world’s first airport to have a direct mainline train link with a dedicated
railway station

> Gatwick is already the UK’s best-connected airport by rail and directly connects to more
stations than any other

> European airport station

> Number of direct rail connections: more than 120

> Time by rail to central London: 30 mins, with trains running every three minutes.

> With planned improvements, by 2030 there could be up to 50 trains an hour departing Gat-
wick and a train every two and a half minutes

> Gatwick has the largest rail catchment of any UK airport and 15 million people, more than ¼
of the population of England, can access Gatwick within 60 minutes.
 Our Owners & Managment

L
ondon Gatwick Airport is embarking on an exciting new phase. On the
14th May 2019, our business transferred to new management with
VINCI Airports now owning the majority shareholding of 50.01% and
the remainder owned by a consortium of investors and managed by
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), who have operated Gatwick since 2009.

About Vinci Airports

VINCI Airports is the world’s leading private airport operator, welcoming
240 million passengers per year, including 46 million at London Gatwick.
VINCI Airports operates the world’s largest and most diversified network,
with more than 50 airports in 11 countries in Europe, Asia and the Ameri-
cas. VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by pro-
viding its investment capacity and its know-how in optimizing operational
performance, modernising infrastructures and managing their operations
and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to
have committed to a global international environmental strategy in 2016,
to achieve the goal of net zero emission across its entire network by 2050.
Read more about VINCI Airports. https://www.vinci-airports.com/en
About Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)
GIP manages the remaining 49.99% interest in Gatwick and is a leading
independent infrastructure fund manager that makes equity and debt in-
vestments in high quality infrastructure assets in the energy, transport, wa-
ter/ waste and digital infrastructure sectors. GIP manages US$84 billion for
its investors. Its 46 portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of
US$61 billion and employ nearly 100,000 employees. For more information
on GIP please visit http://global-infra.com
Gatwick’s Values
 Discounts
Our people love to save. Get discounts and
earn rewards at a range of on-airport and
high-street shops and restaurants.
Travel
Save on your commute by up to 43% on local
buses, and 25% off many train fares with a
Gatwick travelcard. We also offer an electric
vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.
Health
We offer a private healthcare scheme and our
people can take advantage of an employee
assistance programme.
Bonus
All of our people are eligible for an annual​
performance bonus scheme.​
Insurance
We provide our people with a generous life
and disability insurance which gives protec-
tion and peace of mind.
Community
Every year our people get two days to volun-
teer for a cause that’s important to them, and
we’ll match fund money raised for charity.
Pay
Wherever you work, we make sure our pay is
competitive, fair and equal.
Shares
Most of our people are eligible to join a year-
ly share scheme with our parent company,
VINCI SA
Your payslip is only part of the
package
We’re committed to rewarding our people by offering a range of
benefits, depending on the role you have, you can expect to have
benefits such as:
 What are you waiting for?
Start a career like no other

Visit our careers page

to browse our exciting opportunities

WWW.GATWICKAIRPORT.COM/CAREERS/

Produced by
CM George Treadwell
White Watch