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The London Fire Brigade is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). We are the third largest firefighting organisation in the world. Our main aim is to make London a safer city and our two main plans – our corporate plan and London safety plan - set out how we intend to achieve this.
We are part of a group of organisations operating under the 'umbrella' of the Greater London Authority (GLA). We are the third largest firefighting organisation in the world, protecting people and property from fire within the 1587 square kilometres of Greater London which has a resident population of 7 million, increased by another 500,000 during working hours.
Making London a safer city by minimising the risks and social and economic costs of fire and other hazards is our principal aim and underpins what we do.
What we do
As well as dealing with fires and other emergencies, we enforce fire safety laws, give advice about fire safety and carry out various emergency-planning activities. These all form part of our services, which includes helping the London boroughs to plan for emergencies.
We want to reduce the number of fires, deaths, injuries and false alarm calls. If we are going to achieve this our resources must be directed where the fires happen. Our plans must concentrate on where they will have the greatest opportunity to reduce the risk of fire.
Becoming a firefighter
Do you see yourself sliding down a pole and jumping onto a gleaming red fire engine? Then screaming off into the night, lights flashing and sirens blaring? Think again. Nowadays there's more to being a professional firefighter than wearing a uniform and racing around. The emphasis for us is on preventing fires. This means firefighters helping to educate the community about the importance of fire safety.
Clearly, it's still crucial to fight fires when they occur - and in fact, the London Fire Brigade is now better trained and better equipped than ever for this necessity.
We also get involved with serious emergency scenes. Road, rail and air traffic accidents call for our attendance, along with chemical spillages and floods - or rescue work where people are trapped in lifts or tunnels.
If you pass the necessary tests, you can look forward to a career that gives you the chance to form incredibly strong bonds with the rest of your team and touch the lives of many ordinary people.
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