LFB Training Venues for New Firefighters

[Lumie]

Residential? Jesus I envy you a lot. Do you know if you have to pay or is it covered? If not, seems incredibly unfair that for the same course in the same Brigade by the same training company, we have to payout £1600 in AirBnB rents for 8 weeks and you guys aren’t... especially when we aren’t getting paid for December until the last day of January?

[JonnyHolbs]

@Joke1698 when are you starting? We’ve had some FSC instructors with us at Park Royal for a couple of days- they seem like a good bunch of guys.

You’ve lucked in with the residential side of things to be honest- it’ll free up a lot of study time and potentially save quite a bit of cash.

[Joke1698]

Yeah I feel I've landed on my feet it if I'm honest. @Lumie I can only imagine that, like when I was in the army, they'll take the rent straight from the pay, I've not had my welcome day so I'm sure that will be covered on on the day. I start on the 14th of January with my welcome day on the 5th of December. Claire did say that this is the first time it has ever been offered and there is 2 other courses being run the same. 

[Lumie]

@Joke1698 you've scored there mate. Do let us know when you find out if you're paying or not when you find out. The 15 of us on the 18/18 course are incredibly interested.

[Aspire]

4 hours ago, Lumie said:

Residential? Jesus I envy you a lot. Do you know if you have to pay or is it covered? If not, seems incredibly unfair that for the same course in the same Brigade by the same training company, we have to payout £1600 in AirBnB rents for 8 weeks and you guys aren’t... especially when we aren’t getting paid for December until the last day of January?

I understand your frustration, however, there is a stark difference here. You have applied for, and accepted a job within the London Fire Brigade and, in doing so, agreed to work anywhere in London (which you are doing).

The FSC guys have done the same, but been sent miles away from the City they have agreed to work in, so must be ‘put up’. 

The non Londoner’s were upset when we kept recruitment within London (eliminating the need for AirBnB) and now get upset because of AirBnB rents when you are able to join? Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it! 

So, unfair, I think it is not... You chose to travel to work in London. How unfair is it for the Londoner who expected to be trained here, but must now do 8wks resi in the sticks whilst paying their astronomical london rent/mortgage?

like I said, I understand the bitter taste but disagree with it being labelled ‘unfair’, swings and roundabouts fella.

[Mike]

Bloody hell Aspire, didn’t have to fella the man, that’s fighting talk!

@Aspire But I do agree with you. To everyone else joining soon, On the note of getting sent across London, have fun moaning when you get a 2 am partial standby to the arse end of no where, or when you get booked on a course that is two venues further away than your closest one ?‍♀️)

[Lumie]

@Aspire I didn't realise the FSC is out of the city, just assumed it was as it was LFB. I guess with 3 courses running at the same time, they've run out of space at a venue so sending them off.

Everything you said is fair enough and totally understand. If they're out of London, then it's fair play to put them up for the 8 weeks. 

[Aspire]

No, FSC is in Gloucestershire, a considerable distance.

[LFB92]

I agree with @Aspire on this one, you’ve applied for a job within the London fire brigade, if you have to pay for Air BnB that’s your choice.

Another point I may add @Lumie, I wouldn’t worry too much about what other courses are doing, I promise you after your first 2 weeks you’ll forget your own name let alone worry about not getting a resi course!

[Lumie]

No dramas mate. About 6 or 7 of us are sorting out a house share now which is working out a lot cheaper than AirBnB anyway

[Noddy]

I work at moreton part time so ill keep an eye out for you london bods when you start and say hi 

[Carefree]

On 10/11/2018 at 18:10, MikeyKP said:

Bloody hell Aspire, didn’t have to fella the man, that’s fighting talk!

@Aspire But I do agree with you. To everyone else joining soon, On the note of getting sent across London, have fun moaning when you get a 2 am partial standby to the arse end of no where, or when you get booked on a course that is two venues further away than your closest one ?‍♀️)

Exactly this^^

Forget the injustices you are feeling about what training courses you are on because once you are on station there will be a hell of a lot more.  As Mikey has said, when that partial standby comes in at 2/3 am to a fire station miles away you’ll be embarrassed about ever moaning about your training course.  Also, think yourself lucky that you aren’t doing your initial training for 17+ weeks like most of us did.

Regardless of whether you have bagged a residential course or not try to think yourself lucky that you even have a course at all, there are plenty behind you who would swap places with you in a heartbeat.

[Noddy]

Well said that man 

[Keith]

Rewinding this one slightly and looking at it form a different angle, if I'm reading this correctly LFB have contracted out recruit training to one company (Babcock) who have now subcontracted it out again to the FSC (Capita).  This is absolute madness.

[Aspire]

Capacity issues.

[Jet]

I wonder how many capacity issues there were in the mid to late 80s during LFBs biggest intake of recruits? ???

[Carefree]

Indeed^^

[Firestorm]

It's almost as if the brave new world of contracting out our training isn't wholly sufficient for our needs.

Now all they need to sort out is

• checking STARS to see where you work and get you a course at the station you actually work at, or maybe even checking it to see you're about to retire or have retired.
• Having enough training capacity to fill the many station vacancies.
• Running enough courses for the various specialisms we have.
• Running enough driving courses.
• running enough EFADS
• Having an online lecture system that's fit for purpose.

Apart from that, it's all peachy.

 

[Cashybai]

^Thus speaks another getting to the end of their time. One reason I'm trying to get a sideways move.

[Keith]

With all the on going issues, do you think that Babcock have found that they aren't making money out of the contract? Does it sound suspiciously like AssetCo again?

[Jet]

I doubt any Babcock head honchos are losing any sleep. Given the portfolio of the company, this contract with LFB is just a drop in the bucket for them. And I’m sure their legal team is vastly more powerful than LFB’s anyhow. 

[Charlie_]

I had a phone call with claire today, the next two courses are 

• 2 weeks Park Royal
• 8 week (residential) Moreton in marsh 
• last week at harrow for pass out

My proposed start date is the 11th Feb 

[Slade1890]

lucky you mate

[Lumie]

must be nice

I've just rinsed my savings for AirBnBs in Harrow and Plaistow 😂

[Charlie_]

Yeah Harrow would have been fine for me as I’m near Watford but the rest would have been a nasty commute each day. 

I’d probably look at relocating once training is done