New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services is looking for some “highly motivated and adaptable individuals” to fill some vacancies in the fire department.
“We are currently actively seeking new recruits for firefighter positions,” said Deputy Fire Chief John Hatch, who was not allowed to say how many positions are being filled. “They are filling vacancies.”
According to Hatch, the fire department last hired new recruits in January 2018. The deadline for applications is Feb. 14 and the start date for those hired would be June 14.
“There is some minimum qualifications they have to meet,” he said. “There is an application guide and manual online.”
Hatch said the fire department has as nine-stage hiring process includes a written test March 3, 4 and 5 at Douglas College and a first round of interviews beginning in mid-March. For those who continue through the process there will be a two-day skills assessment in April, final interviews in May, reference checks and police information checks and a medical/fitness evaluation in May.
From there, Hatch said the fire department will make job offers to successful candidates. Others will remain on a list that the city can draw from if it needs to hire again within the next 18 months or so.
“We are not a big job. We have about 86 firefighters, plus a fire-prevention division,” Hatch said. “We are about 90 staff. Every year or two we get a couple of retirements.”
Some of the requirements to become a New Westminster firefighter include being a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, having graduated from high school, being physically and psychologically fit for the position of firefighting, having a Class 3 licence and living with 24 kilometres of New Westminster city limits.
Application guidelines, job requirements and other details are found on the city’s website at www.newwestcity.ca (go to services, public safety, and fire and rescue services.)
