Civil Contingencies Officer – Training and Exercising – Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier.  Without them, we couldn’t do it.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well-being services.

As a Civil Contingencies Officer – Training and Exercising in the Civil Contingencies Unit you will:

• Coordinate the provision of training and exercising for Category 1 (core responders), Category 2 (co-operating responders) and other bodies (MOD, Voluntary Groups) for the Dorset Local Resilience Forum (LRF) in accordance with the Regulations laid down in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, statutory and non-statutory guidance, National Resilience Standards, National occupational Standards, and in line with good practice (local, regional and national).
• Manage and chair the multi-agency Training & Exercising Group to deliver a schedule of Exercises and a prospectus of courses for the Dorset LRF and assist with development, implementation and delivery of key projects and exercises to further build Dorset resilience.
• Create, maintain and deliver credible and appropriate Civil Contingencies Exercises in support of the ongoing development of the CCU’s Stakeholders and the validation of emergency plans.
• To co-ordinate the activation of multi-agency response for major incident, and to provide advice and practical support to all agencies of the LRF during the incident.
• To chair assigned Task and Finish Groups (TFGs) across, and the Standing Groups of, the Dorset Local Resilience Forum (Dorset LRF) to further build Dorset LRF’s resilience and/or to deliver internal service improvements in the Dorset CCU.
• To undertake the role of Duty Officer and to co-ordinate the activation of multi-agency response for incidents, and to provide professional advice, subject matter expertise and practical support to all agencies of the LRF during the incident and recovery at either Tactical or Strategic levels of command.

What makes you our ideal Civil Contingencies Officer – Training and Exercising?

• Qualified to relevant degree level, or equivalent managerial qualification in training and exercising or emergency planning, or able to demonstrate significant level of graduate calibre experience at a senior level in a relevant sector
• Sound knowledge of legislation pertaining to emergency planning including the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and other relevant emergency preparedness guidance, statutory and non-statutory
• Excellent communication skills and a positive attitude to internal/external customer care, including excellent IT skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office
• High level of interpersonal skills including the ability to influence, direct, negotiate and manage outcomes

For full details of the role and requirements please have a look at the job description and person specification.

Other Information:

• You must have a full current driving licence and be able to fulfil the significant travel requirements of the role. Use of your own vehicle will be required; however, a Service vehicle may be available. Please note Service vehicles are manual transmission only. Travel requirements are variable but would include face to face planned meetings and short notice exceptional out of hours response if required in an emergency when on-call.  If you are unable to drive due to a disability, we would still welcome your application and will explore any reasonable adjustments that could be put in place.
• The role involves some evening and weekend working, especially when covering Duty Week worked on a one in six-week basis.
• A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on the successful individual prior to offer of employment.
• The successful candidate will also require a Police Baseline Vetting process due to access to Police establishments.
• Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 3 years.
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