If you spent your childhood daydreaming about fighting fires and riding around in a big red truck, now’s your chance to join the Victoria Fire Department (VFD) during their 2019 Firefighter Recruitment Competition.
If this is something you’ve thought about before, you’d better act fast as the VFD only conducts a recruitment competition every two to three years in order to establish a firefighter eligibility pool. The number of hires from the pool differs each year as the number of vacancies available is based on attrition due to retirement or staff turnover.
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According to the VFD Application Guide, candidates must be able to work in a team, volunteer in the community, have experience as a fire fighter, boating knowledge and knowledge of Victoria’s geography plus a few more qualifications.
Some of the duties outlined in the guide include conducting fire inspections and operating fire boats and specialized vehicles. But before you can put on the gear and head into the heat there are few things to consider: giving up your weekends and statutory holidays to work, staying in top physical shape and having the ’emotional fortitude, healthy coping mechanisms and mental resiliency to deal with tragic or traumatic situations.
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Submissions for the competition are open until Aug. 30 and any applications received after this date will not be accepted. Successful candidates will be brought on the VFD at a monthly rate of $5,768.
To apply visit victoria.ca/jobs and click on the firefighter option to upload one document containing a cover letter, resume and a copy of the needed qualifications.
From Sept. 1 to 15 applications will be reviewed and selected individuals will be notified to move on to the next step, a written exam taking place on Sept. 21. The whole process includes two written exams, a panel interview and the last step — an interview with the fire chief.
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