Jon's Story

I work as an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) at one of the licenced nuclear sites the CNC protects. A typical shift can involve me doing a variety of tasks, such as conducting patrols inside and outside the perimeter and providing armed back up to the site security staff. 

Sometimes I can be on vehicle patrol, inside and outside the site. This involves keeping an eye on what’s going on in the local area, looking out for anything or anyone suspicious, speaking to local people, conducting checks on drivers and their vehicles and providing armed back up to the local police force if they need assistance with anything, which they sometimes do.      

I’d say the key things needed in my job are a high level of concentration, good teamworking skills and good interpersonal skills. A key part of my job is talking to people, as it is in other policing jobs. 

I’m aware that I carry a lot of responsibility in my job, I know a lot of people’s lives depend on me and my abilities. But I’m confident in what I do because I’ve been well trained and I get to do a lot of training to help me do my job, and I’m part of a good team who all support each other.