Recruitment

Requirements

Firefighting is a challenging, demanding, exciting and fulfilling career that challenges you to learn every day. It encompasses many attributes such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, problem solving, empathy, ability to work as part of a team and resilience. To ensure our applicants are suitable for the job, the recruitment process is competitive and has several steps.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to fulfill all requirements, meet all deadlines and be available to attend all scheduled dates provided as part of the assessment process, as outlined in this package.

The following conditions must be met to be considered for a firefighter position with Leduc County:

• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent and/or certification in the following:
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001-Level I and ll
  • NFPA 1002 Operator, pump, and aerial (or equivalent)
  • First Medical Responder (FMR) or higher ( AFA, EMR, EMT)
• Have at least two years firefighting experience with a recognized fire department.
• Be able to work shift work.
• Hold a valid Alberta class 5 driver’s licence.
  
• Provide driver’s abstract satisfactory to Leduc County (seven or less demerits).
• Provide a Vulnerable Sector Check.
• Complete a medical and psychological health assessment.
• Possess the following qualities:
  • clear and effective verbal and written communication, and the ability to communicate instructions
  • strong interpersonal skills
  • excellent problem solving and conflict resolution skills

 Principle duties and responsibilities

As a firefighter with Leduc County, you must perform your duties and responsibilities at a high level of consistency and in accordance with Fire Services’ policies and standard operating guidelines. Principle duties and responsibilities include the following:

• Responds to various emergency/disaster incidents, protects people and property, provides emergency medical aid and  carries out duties as assigned.
• Controls fire nozzles or appliances and performs fire hose work (e.g. connecting, loading and moving).
• Provides rescue in various forms
• Wears personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while performing firefighting tasks.
• Raises and climbs ladders and works from heights as required.
• As assigned, operates fire department vehicles in an emergency mode with emergency lights and sirens.
• As assigned, moves, assembles and operates various emergency equipment, such as generators, portable pumps and ladders.
• Provides scene safety such as public or traffic control.
• Completes daily inspections and station duties while on shift and completes varied maintenance tasks on apparatus, equipment and facilities.
• Performs public education and fire prevention work as assigned.
• Trains as required to maintain safety and competency.
• Works as part of a team and mentors others when assigned.
• Has the ability to communicate, such as giving and understanding verbal orders, while wearing PPE and SCBA under conditions with high background noise, poor visibility and drenching from hose lines or fixed protection systems, such as sprinklers.
• Has critical, time-sensitive, complex problem solving skills during physical exertion in stressful, hazardous environments, including hot, dark, tightly enclosed spaces, that is further aggravated by fatigue, flashing lights, sirens and other distractions
• Adheres to guidelines, rules, regulations, policies and procedures as outlined in the Leduc County Fire Services Policy and Procedure Manual.

Working conditions

Working as a firefighter will expose you to a variety of conditions. Some situations you should expect to encounter as part of normal routine are as follows:

• There is significant risk of exposure to hazards when attending fires or other emergencies. Firefighting work is dynamic and often includes unstable and changing environments.
• The work is also often strenuous. Many situations will require the use of specialized personal protective equipment.
• Firefighters face an increased risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, post incident psychological stress, and sprain or strain injuries.
• Exposure to toxic fumes, irritants, particulates, biological (i.e. infectious) and non-biological hazards, or heated gases, despite the use of PPE and SCBA.
• Unpredictable, prolonged periods of extreme physical exertion as required by emergency operations without benefit of a warm-up period, scheduled rest periods, meals, access to medication(s), or hydration.

Physical and mental demands

Leduc County views fitness and mental health and wellness as an important part of firefighting due to the physical and mental strain experienced on the job. Firefighters must report fit for duty, both mentally and physically.

Firefighters must be able to do the following:

• Maintain a continuous level of physical fitness to perform all required duties including but not limited to excellent cardiovascular fitness, physical agility, and stamina in extremely adverse conditions.
• Must have the ability to lift heavy equipment/loads.
• Climb at least six flights of stairs or walk a similarly strenuous distance and incline while wearing PPE and SCBA, commonly weighing 40 to 50 pounds (18 to 23 kg) and carrying equipment/tools weighing an additional 20 to 40 pounds (9 to 18 kg).
• While wearing PPE and SCBA, advancing water-filled hose lines up to 1 3⁄4 in. (45 mm) in diameter from fire apparatus to occupancy (approximately 150 feet or 50 meters), which can involve negotiating multiple flights of stairs, ladders and other obstacles.
• Working in shifts, including during nighttime, that can extend beyond 12 hours.

Step 1 – Submit application

The application provides Leduc County with information on the applicant’s education, relevant training, work experience and current references.

We recommend an applicant include a current driver’s abstract alongside their application. A driver’s abstract is available from any vehicle registry office. The driver’s abstract must detail seven or less demerits.

Applications will be reviewed by Leduc County, and a pool of candidates will be selected to proceed.

View and apply for current opportunities.

Note: If you are found to have falsified or intentionally misrepresented your credentials, your application file will be permanently closed and no future applications will be accepted from you.

Step 2 – Aptitude test

To be successful in this demanding role, firefighters must possess some specific skills. The aptitude test content areas are as follows:

• reading and understanding written information
• numerical skills
• maps, diagrams and mechanical reasoning
• teamwork and interpersonal skills

Applicants that proceed to this step will be invited to write the test at a specified date, time and location. There will not be any re-writes or rescheduling of the test.

Step 3 – Interview

We will contact applicants chosen for an interview. Applicants must bring the following items to their interview:

• current criminal record and vulnerable sector check, available from local police detachment
• any certificates and/or licenses you mentioned in your application

Note: Failure to bring the above items to the interview can result in cancellation of the interview.

Step 4 – Practical physical fitness test

We test applicants’ physical fitness to ensure they possess the physical abilities necessary for firefighting duties.

Applicants must participate in and successfully complete a practical physical fitness test administered by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Kinesiology. You can find more information here: UofA fitness test

You will need to have and demonstrate the following:

• flexibility
• muscle endurance
• muscle strength and power
• cardiovascular endurance
• healthy body composition
• fundamental movement techniques (pushing, pulling, lifting, squatting, lunging, carrying and dragging)

The practical physical agility test evaluates an applicants’ ability to perform basic firefighting tasks. Please review document found here: what to expect  

Step 5 – Medical evaluation

Applicants who are successful in reaching this step in the application process must attend a medical evaluation with a specified physician; all discussions with the physician are confidential.

Fitness is extremely important throughout a firefighter’s career. Our medical and fitness requirements have been set to enable firefighters to do their job safely, for themselves and others. Our requirements are based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 Standard; learn more at nfpa.org.

The NFPA standard also lists ​disqualifying medical conditions which deem you not fit to do the job safely. If you have or think you may have any of the disqualifying medical conditions in the standard, bring this NFPA information to your medical evaluation for assessment.

At your evaluation, you must provide your up-to-date immunization records, which include Hepatitis B, tetanus/diphtheria, MMR (measles, mumps rubella), polio and varicella (chicken pox). Depending on where you received your immunizations, records may be obtained through the following:

• contacting Health Link at 780-408-5465 or 8-1-1
• through registration with myhealth.alberta.ca/myhealthrecords
• your family physician
• a travel clinic
• your previous or current employer 
• your pharmacy 

The above list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to contact other sources to obtain your immunization records. If you are from out-of-province or out-of-country, contact the appropriate authorities in your home province/country for your immunization records. Failure to provide your immunization records will delay completion of your medical evaluation.

Step 6 – Reference checks

Applicants must provide the names and contact information for three references, including one recent employment reference (current employer preferred), on their application. At this stage of the process, the human resources business group contacts references for feedback.

Step 7 – Potential job offer

Following the successful completion of the recruitment process, Leduc County may offer a full-time firefighter position. A one-year probationary period is mandatory.