London Fire Brigade firefighter interview guide

How London Fire Brigade selects firefighters: Take the Drill, online tests, an operational readiness day, two fitness tests and an assessment centre.

About London Fire Brigade

You can't apply to be a London firefighter right now. LFB's firefighter careers page says: "Applications opening soon! Recruitment isn't open just yet".¹ Use the wait to build your fitness and learn each selection step below.

LFB says the Brigade "is made up of over 5,000 people, split into three functions", and describes its job as "keeping nine million people safe, every day."² It has been "Serving and protecting London since 1866", and 2026 marks its 160th year.² It has "142 fire engines across 103 fire stations across the capital".³ Between April 2025 and March 2026, London firefighters rescued 2,455 people, an average of about 7 people a day.³ Jonathan Smith was confirmed as London's new Fire Commissioner in May 2025, after a confirmation hearing by the London Assembly's Fire Committee.⁴

The interview process

As LFB's firefighter careers page describes it. LFB calls its selection process rigorous and says "It can take between four and twelve months to complete."¹

1. Take the drillAbout 15 min

   "Before progressing, you must complete Take the Drill, our online firefighter challenge." It takes approximately 15 minutes, and you can only take it once every 24 hours.¹

2. Register & apply7 days

   After the drill, you fill out a registration form with a unique code that is used to verify you. You are then sent a link to the full application, which must be completed within 7 days. LFB notes that "Registration forms are limited per month".¹

3. Online tests

   If you reach this stage, you take online tests in English and mechanical comprehension. "There will be a practice round for each."¹

4. Operational readiness dayIn person

   LFB calls this "an in-person assessment at a fire station". It is designed to show how ready you are to be a firefighter, "from your physical fitness to how your values align with our organisation." "Progressing further is dependent on passing this stage."¹

5. Baseline fitness testPass/fail

   An in-person evaluation of your baseline aerobic fitness. Alongside a blood pressure test, you choose between the Chester Treadmill test and a 1.5-mile run. You must pass it to progress.¹

6. Assessment centre

   LFB says that here "you'll complete a wide range of activities": an interview, a group exercise, a written test, an observation test, process mapping, a maths test and English verification.¹

7. Work Related Fitness Test

   This test "will focus more on your physical aptitude for the job". LFB lists resilience, working from height, a dummy drag, a dexterity test, an equipment carry, a simulated ladder lift and a confined space test.¹

8. Medical checks

   Optima Health examines you. "As firefighters can experience potentially traumatising incidents, you'll be screened for mental health conditions." Your GP also needs to sign you off.¹

9. Pre-employment checks

   An Enhanced DBS check and a 3-year history, including proof of study, travel and unemployment. If you're self-employed, approximately 5 references will be requested. Personal references aren't allowed unless you have worked in a family business.¹

10. Offer

    "If employment checks go smoothly you will be sent a conditional offer." The Level 3 Operational Firefighter Apprenticeship, "totalling 15 weeks", is then yours to start.¹

Who can apply

• Age. "Be at least 17-and-a-half years old. There is no upper age limit."¹
• Right to work. You must be a UK or EU citizen, or a permanent UK resident with no work restrictions.¹
• Driving. You need a full UK or EU driving licence, manual or automatic. After joining, you must get an LGV driving licence within 12 months.¹
• Record. You must be free from unspent criminal convictions.¹
• Qualifications. No specific qualifications are required. Without GCSE English and Maths at Grade C/4 (or equivalent), you complete Functional Skills as part of your apprenticeship.¹
• Breathing apparatus. LFB asks you to "Be prepared to be clean shaven to safely wear breathing apparatus."¹

Training and pay

LFB tells trainees they "will need to pass your 15 week initial full time training (mon-fri)". "Training school is Monday – Friday from 08:00 – 18:00." "Venues are Barking, Beckton, Plaistow, Park Royal and Harrow."⁵

The training is a "Level 3 Operational Firefighter apprenticeship (equivalent to an A-Level academic standard)". Apprentices need to demonstrate competency in various areas over a minimum period of 18 months, ending with an End Point Assessment with Skills For Justice Awards.⁵

LFB's careers page says a Trainee Apprentice Firefighter will "start on a £36,302 salary", rising to £46,234 "once you're a Competent Firefighter".¹

The LFB values

LFB says: "We are looking for people who demonstrate behaviours that we value".¹ It lists these values:

• Service. "We put the public first."¹
• Integrity. "We act with honesty."¹
• Teamwork. "We work together and include everyone."¹
• Equity. "We treat everyone fairly according to their needs."¹
• Courage. "We step up to the challenge."¹
• Learning. "We listen so that we can improve."¹

The operational readiness day looks at how your values align with LFB's, as well as at your physical fitness.¹

Questions to expect

Based on what London Fire Brigade says each stage tests. These are our own practice questions, not ones LFB publishes.

How to prepare

1. Watch for applications opening. LFB's careers page says recruitment "isn't open just yet".¹
2. Plan your drill attempt. Take the Drill takes approximately 15 minutes and you can only take it once every 24 hours, so pick a time when you can focus.¹
3. Be ready to move quickly. Registration forms are limited per month, and the full application must be completed within 7 days.¹
4. Use the practice rounds. The English and mechanical comprehension tests each come with a practice round.¹
5. Train for both fitness tests. The baseline test is the Chester Treadmill test or a 1.5-mile run, and the Work Related Fitness Test includes a dummy drag, an equipment carry, working from height and a confined space test.¹
6. Build a story for each value. For service, integrity, teamwork, equity, courage and learning, have a real example from work, study, sport or home that you can talk through.
7. Gather your paperwork early. The pre-employment checks ask for a 3-year history with proof of study, travel and unemployment.¹

Worth mentioning in the interview

• Between May and August 2026, LFB firefighters attended 55,838 incidents and Control Officers took 99,329 emergency calls. LFB described it as one of the busiest summers in its history.⁶
• In September 2026, LFB said: "The number of wildfires has also surpassed 2022 levels, with 209 recorded so far this year."⁶
• The Commissioner's 2026 New Year message said lithium batteries "remain as one of the fastest growing fire risks in London", and that the #ChargeSafe campaign continues in 2026.⁷
• The same message said the Brigade has bought the specialist Wildfire Vehicles it had been trialling, and will make improvements based on "the recommendations from Phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry."⁷

Quick answers

Sources

1. Firefighters - LFBLFB Careers
2. About us - LFBLFB Careers
3. London firefighters rescue an average of seven people a dayLondon Fire Brigade · 28 May 2026
4. Jonathan Smith - London Fire Brigade CommissionerLondon Fire Brigade
5. Firefighter training school - LFBLFB Careers
6. London Fire Brigade records one of the busiest summers in its historyLondon Fire Brigade · 9 Sep 2026
7. London Fire Commissioner's New Year messageLondon Fire Brigade · 1 Jan 2026

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