City Guides / Alberta

How to become a firefighter in High Level

Verified GuideModel A: We train you

Where are you starting from?

What you need

The credentials and documents High Level requires before you can apply.

How hiring works here

Every stage High Level publishes, and how to do each one well.

Build your plan

Two minutes: see which requirements you already meet, and what to start first.

At a glance

Entry model: Model A: We train you
Fire certification before applying: None listed before applying
Medical requirement: None listed
Driver requirement: Valid Alberta driver's licence, minimum Class 5
Written test: None published
Physical test: None published
Last verified: July 2026 · sources monitored daily for changes

A summary of this record. The full detail is below, and the official posting governs.

High Level recruits paid-on-call firefighters and publishes its recruitment requirements in a recruitment package: applicants need commitment to respond to emergency callouts whenever available, time for a two-weekend orientation session and Wednesday evening training with at least 50 percent attendance, good health, a clean criminal record confirmed by an RCMP search during recruit training, and a valid Alberta driver's licence of at least Class 5 with a driver's abstract. A Class 3 licence with air brake endorsement is preferred rather than required, and no fire certification is needed before applying; members are paid monthly for training and callouts.

Entry-level hiring with no fire certifications required. The department trains recruits in-house. Medical certifications and driver licensing are the differentiators.

Requirements

Required at application

Commitment to respond to emergency callouts
Emergencies happen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; firefighters are expected to respond whenever available.
Prepare with roadmap step 2
Time for orientation and weekly training
New applicants attend a two-weekend orientation training session scheduled each spring and fall, then three-hour training sessions every Wednesday evening with a minimum of 50 percent attendance each year.
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Good health
Firefighting is a strenuous job, both mentally and physically; the department conducts an annual fitness test for all members.
Valid Alberta driver's licence, minimum Class 5
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Driver's abstract
Prepare with roadmap step 7

Required before hire

Clean criminal record
An RCMP criminal record search is completed during recruit training.
Prepare with roadmap step 7

Preferred assets

Class 3 licence with air brake endorsement (preferred)Preferred asset
Prepare with roadmap step 4

The hiring process

Fill out the department's application form completely. It asks whether you can commit to Wednesday evening practices from 7 to 10 pm, whether you can respond to incidents during the day, at night, and on weekends, and how long you plan to live in High Level. Answer these honestly, because a paid-on-call department selects for availability first.
Send the completed form to hlfire@highlevel.ca and an officer will reach out, or drop it off at the High Level Fire Hall at 10201-100 Avenue or the Town Administration Office at 10511-103 Street.
List any firefighting experience and other training you hold, such as First Aid, CPR, H2S, confined space, WHMIS, or TDG, and attach a copy of each certificate. The form also records your licence class: a minimum Class 5 Alberta licence is required, a Class 3 with air brake endorsement is preferred, and a current driver's abstract will be required. Any cost of providing documents is your responsibility.
No fire certification is needed before applying, so do not wait for one. Strong candidates write a clear, honest answer to the form's question about why they want to join, name references who can speak to their reliability, and note the declaration they are signing, which includes being clean shaven for breathing apparatus use and consenting to reference and security checks.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
New members attend a two-weekend orientation training session, scheduled each spring and fall. Confirm the next session dates with the department, then clear your work and family schedule so you can attend both weekends in full.
An RCMP criminal record search is completed during recruit training, so be ready for that paperwork and expect to cover any document costs yourself. A clean record is a stated requirement, and it is better to raise any concern with the department early than to have it surface here.
Come ready to learn the basics rather than to show off prior experience, since the department teaches the skills it needs and requires no fire certification to join. Weekend courses run throughout the year and are scheduled in advance, so ask for the training calendar and start planning around it.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program
Probation lasts 90 days, and probationary firefighters are expected to attend the weekly practices on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 10 pm. Treat that expectation as close to absolute during probation, because attendance is the clearest signal you can send.
Members must attend at least 50 percent of all training sessions each year and respond to callouts whenever available. Build your attendance record now, since availability is exactly what the department selected you for.
Firefighting is strenuous and the department runs an annual fitness test for all members, so keep your conditioning up rather than treating the hiring process as the finish line. Stay clean shaven so you can wear self-contained breathing apparatus, which the department's own declaration flags as an occupational health and safety requirement.
The department also runs fire safety education programs that ask for extra volunteer hours, and saying yes to these is a simple way to show commitment. Members are paid monthly for training and callouts, and since a Class 3 licence with air brake endorsement is preferred, probation is a sensible time to start working toward it if you hold only a Class 5.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program

Worth knowing

The published recruitment stream is for paid-on-call members of this composite department; members are paid monthly for training and callouts, and no fire certification is needed before applying.
Member benefits include insurance coverage and Member and Family Assistance Programs.
Occupational health and safety regulations require members to be clean shaven for the use of self-contained breathing apparatus, and any costs for providing required documents are the applicant's responsibility.

Official sources

Last verified July 2026. Requirements change: the official posting always governs.

High Level Fire Department Recruitment Package (February 2023)

Semparo is not affiliated with or endorsed by High Level Fire Department or any testing vendor. This guide is independent preparation content.

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