City Guides / British Columbia

How to become a firefighter in Kamloops

Verified GuideModel B: Come pre-certifiedDepartment-specificDepartment-specific

Status not confirmed

The window we recorded closed on August 31, 2026. Check the department's page for the current intake before relying on anything below.

The recruitment schedule on the career recruitment page lists "Competition Open August 4, 2026" and "Competition Closed August 31, 2026", with the written test September 21 to 23 and physical performance testing October 19 to 20.

Checked August 10, 2026 against the department's own page. Intake dates change without notice, so confirm there before you plan around this.

Where are you starting from?

What you need

The credentials and documents Kamloops requires before you can apply.

How hiring works here

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

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At a glance

Entry model: Model B: Come pre-certified
Fire certification before applying: NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level 2 (IFSAC or ProBoard)
Medical requirement: FR III, EMR, PCP, or ACP licence
Driver requirement: Valid BC Class 3 or Class 1 licence with air brake endorsement
Written test: Department-specific
Physical test: Department-specific
Last verified: July 2026 · sources monitored daily for changes

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

Kamloops hires pre-certified: NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level 2 with IFSAC or ProBoard accreditation is mandatory, along with senior secondary completion plus a further education or experience block (30 post-secondary credits, a 2nd-year trades apprenticeship, 3 years of post-secondary work experience, 2 wildfire seasons, or 2 years of military service). Applicants need FR III, EMR, PCP, or ACP licensing at application and a BC EMA licence by hire, plus a Class 3 or 1 licence with air brake. The 2024 process ran a paid written test, VidCruiter video interviews, an in-town physical performance test with a swim component, and a job fit assessment before second interviews and an eligibility list.

NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II plus HazMat Operations are required before applying. Budget for fire school before you can compete.

Requirements

Required at application

Canadian citizen or legal entitlement to work in Canada
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Completion of senior secondary school
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Additional education or experience block
One or more of: 3 years of post-secondary work experience; completion of a 2nd-year trades apprenticeship; 30 post-secondary credits; two full seasons as a provincial wildfire firefighter; or 2 years of military service.
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Valid BC Class 3 or Class 1 licence with air brake endorsement
Applicants without it must show proof of a licensing appointment at application and hold the licence before the first interview stage. A record with more than six points in the last three years eliminates an applicant.
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NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level 2 (IFSAC or ProBoard)
Certificate must display the IFSAC or ProBoard seal; a fire school completion letter is accepted while awaiting the certificate.
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FR III, EMR, PCP, or ACP licence
Valid (within one year) or licensed in the applicant's province, maintained throughout the process. A valid BC EMA licence is required by the time of hire.
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Current driver's abstract
Must demonstrate responsible and safe driving. More than six points in the last three years is considered excessive and excludes the applicant.
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Required before hire

Vision and hearing standards per NFPA 1582
Far visual acuity at least 20/30 binocular corrected and 20/100 uncorrected, peripheral vision of 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and normal unaided hearing. Tested for candidates who make the final eligibility list.

The hiring process

Apply through the City of Kamloops Career Opportunities page. You create a candidate profile, apply to the Firefighter posting, and upload your resume plus every supporting document under the Resume Attachments section. Applications are online only, and the 2026 competition closes Monday, August 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm PST; late applications are not considered.
Follow the 2026 Recruitment Checklist exactly. Save your documents in the listed order using the exact filenames the City provides, from 1 Checklist through 13 References, plus any preferred qualification documents. The City states that incomplete applications will not be considered.
The package includes proof of citizenship or entitlement to work in Canada, your high school diploma or GED, one additional education or experience block, your NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level 2 certificate showing the IFSAC or ProBoard seal (a fire school letter is accepted if the certificate is still on its way), your BC Class 3 or 1 licence with air brake endorsement or proof of a licensing appointment, a current driver's abstract, a valid BC EMR, PCP, or ACP certificate, the Applicant Consent Form, and three references who have supervised you. More than six points on your abstract in the last three years excludes you from further consideration.
You should receive a confirmation email after applying; check your junk folder before phoning. Strong candidates gather documents weeks ahead, since transcripts, abstracts, and certificate copies take time to order.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
The 2026 written test runs online September 21 to 23. It is a moderated multiple-choice assessment covering verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, spatial reasoning, mechanical reasoning, and an English literacy test, with full instructions given on your test date.
The fee is approximately $90. Shortlisted applicants are contacted by the City's testing provider to register and pay, and fees are non-refundable and must be paid before you can take the test.
Scores from earlier Kamloops recruitments are not accepted, so everyone writes a fresh test. The City strongly recommends a laptop or desktop computer and a good internet connection.
Practise timed aptitude questions in all five areas before test week rather than cramming one. Mechanical reasoning is where first-time applicants most often lose marks, so give it extra attention.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
First interviews run online through VidCruiter from September 28 to October 2, 2026. In the previous cycle the format gave two minutes to prepare and two minutes to answer each recorded question; confirm the current format in your invitation email.
You must hold a valid Class 3 or 1 licence with air brake endorsement before reaching this stage. If you applied with only proof of a licensing appointment, the licence has to be in hand by now.
Record in a quiet, well-lit room with the camera at eye level, and test your microphone and connection beforehand. There is no interviewer to read, so answer the question that was asked and stop when you are done.
Prepare short, specific stories about teamwork, conflict, safety, and service before the window opens. Practise answering aloud against a timer so a two-minute limit feels natural instead of rushed.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 11 Run a mock panel interview Interview playbook
Physical performance testing is held in Kamloops on October 19 and 20, 2026, and is conducted by Ascent Lifestyle Management Inc. The all-inclusive York Fitness testing fee is $280, paid by e-transfer to ascentlifestyle@shaw.ca before your scheduled day, and a $25 processing fee applies if you cancel.
The battery starts with a 20 m aerobic shuttle run (Leger test), where reaching Stage 7 earns a Meets Standard rating after roughly seven minutes of running. It then moves to eight job simulations: a confined-space search wearing a blacked-out face piece, a 12.2 m ladder climb with a 9.1 kg pack, a 38.5 kg hose carry up and down stairs, a 22.5 kg hand-over-hand rope pull, a 31.4 kg hose advance over 15 m, a 25.5 kg ladder lift, a 91 kg victim drag through cones, and a sledgehammer forced entry. Most simulations are performed wearing a 14.5 kg vest plus 1.8 kg weights on each ankle.
There is also a swim test: five minutes treading water, a 150 m swim to a victim followed by a 25 m tow, and recovering a 20 lb weight from 7 ft of water. Bring appropriate swim apparel.
Your Physical Fitness Test Physician Consent Form must be reviewed, signed, and stamped by your doctor; if you did not submit it in advance, you must bring a copy on test day or you cannot participate. Train loaded stair climbs, drags, hand-over-hand pulls, and swimming well ahead, and watch the sample videos on the career recruitment page.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 13 Start a fitness program
The Prevue job fit assessment is completed online and is scheduled for October 26, 2026 in the recruitment timetable. The City has not published details of its content, so treat the invitation email as your instruction sheet.
Assessments of this type ask about your work style, interests, and abilities and compare your answers to a benchmark for the role. Answer honestly and consistently; contradictory answers stand out more than any single imperfect trait.
Complete it rested, in one sitting, and without overthinking individual items. There is no published pass mark, so treat it as one more data point the panel sees rather than a test to game.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 13 Start a fitness program
Second interviews are held in person in Kamloops from November 2 to 6, 2026. Candidates who advance are notified on October 26, 2026, and select their own date and time from the available slots.
Bring your original certificates with the IFSAC or ProBoard seals; the City states originals must be available for inspection if you are invited to an interview with the panel. Out-of-town candidates travel at their own cost.
Passing every test does not guarantee an interview. The panel reviews each file and invites only the strongest overall scores, and the number invited depends on expected hiring needs.
Prepare deeper, more specific answers than the video round: why Kamloops, what you know about Kamloops Fire Rescue, and concrete examples of judgment under pressure. If you would be relocating, be ready to speak credibly about your plan.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 11 Run a mock panel interview Interview playbook
The eligibility list is formed on November 13, 2026, and this competition fills vacancies that arise in 2027 and 2028. References, the Police Information Check, and the medical exam happen after that in Kamloops, with candidates advised of dates individually.
Your three supervisory references were submitted with your application, so let them know a call may be coming and confirm their contact details are still current.
Vision and hearing are tested only once you make the final eligibility list: far acuity of at least 20/30 binocular corrected and 20/100 uncorrected for hard contact or spectacle wearers, 140 degrees of peripheral field in each eye, and normal unaided hearing, all per NFPA 1582. A Vision Assessment Form is posted with the other recruitment documents.
A valid British Columbia EMR, PCP, or ACP licence is required by the time you are hired, and it is your responsibility to update your candidate profile with it. Keep your driving record and conduct clean while on the list, and remember that making the list is not a job offer.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 10 Draft your PHS Build your experience logbook

Worth knowing

At the time of research (July 2026) the City stated that current firefighter recruitment opportunities were not available; the posted material describes the 2024 competition, which ran August 1 to 31, 2024.
Preferred qualifications include related work experience, post-secondary education, an EMR licence, fire service courses, a BC Class 4 licence, emergency services volunteering, community involvement, a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, and a demonstrated fitness lifestyle.
A CPAT result may be submitted with the application if available, but the department runs its own physical performance test.

Official sources

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

Semparo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kamloops Fire Rescue or any testing vendor. This guide is independent preparation content.

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