“With the introduction of the National Firefighter Selection Tests, there is a significant issue in Fire and Rescue Services being able to continue to deliver retained firefighter services in the community”

Do the role maps in their current form fetter our ability to do so? Do we accept the proposition that “a Firefighter is a Firefighter”: or are our IRMPs sufficiently sophisticated to differentiate roles, responsibilities and risk exposures at individual / team level? Do the role maps in their current form fetter our ability to do so?

If a “Firefighter is a Firefighter” and the NFST is job related, what defence exists to not using the tests in full; what are the implications of not using them?

If all operational personnel are selected via the same route (and therefore to undertake the same or broadly similar work), do RDS personnel ‘become’ part time workers and subject to the provisions of the Part-time Work Directive (97/81/EC); what would this mean?