A few more tips for you to consider, mainly about preparing for the selection process:
1. As mentioned elsewhere be prepared to apply and travel to any FRS across the South East including London as most have had a freeze on recruitment due to the financial situation. Opportunities are very rare...
I know that most of the comments on here are rather tongue in cheek but to begrudge any of the emergency services a decent pension is probably going a bit far, not many would want to do some of the stuff they have to.
Their pensions aren't quite as gold plated as some think they were many years...