How to become a firefighter in Prince Albert

Required at application

1. 1Application with resume packagePhotocopies of education, licence, EMR, CPR, and NFPA 1001 Level II certificates, plus the medical clearance form, eye examination form, and a 5-year driver's abstract.

   This is a document-heavy application. You must submit a completed resume plus photocopies of your Grade 12 or equivalent certificate, NFPA 1001 Level II (IFSAC or ProBoard), Class 3A licence with G endorsement, EMR certificate, and CPR certificate, along with a 5-year driver's abstract that is current within 3 months.

   Two forms need appointments, so start them early. The Medical Clearance Form needs a health care provider to confirm you are cleared of physical and mental restrictions, and the Eye Examination Form must come from an ophthalmologist or optometrist exam within the previous 12 months and confirm uncorrected 20/40 vision. If you have had corrective eye surgery, you must wait one year after the surgery before you apply.

   The CPR level is listed differently in the city's two sources: the recruitment page says Level C and the 2025 handbook says Level HCP. Hold HCP to cover both, or confirm with the department before you book a course.

   The current posting is open until September 18, 2026 and applications go through the city's online application portal linked from the recruitment page. Order your driver's abstract close to your submission date so it is still current within 3 months when the city reviews it.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
2. 2Stage 1: minimum qualification screeningThe city screens applicants for the minimum qualifications, which must also be met at time of hire.

   The city screens your package against the minimum qualifications: Grade 12 or equivalent, NFPA 1001 Level II with IFSAC or ProBoard accreditation, a SCOP licensed EMR or higher, valid CPR, and a Class 3A licence with G endorsement or better. A course still in progress does not meet a minimum qualification; certificates must be complete and in hand.

   The handbook states that minimum qualifications must also be met at time of hire, so keep everything valid through the whole competition. Renew anything that will expire mid-process, especially CPR and your EMR licence.

   Make the reviewer's job easy: clear photocopies, certificates that show the IFSAC or ProBoard seal, and matching names across every document. If a certificate is under a former name, include proof of the name change.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
3. 3Stage 2: NFST written exam and Physical Performance Assessment($175 (combined written and physical testing fee))The written exam is a National Fire Select Test covering personal characteristics, mechanical ability, math reasoning, reading, writing, map reading, problem solving, and strategic decision-making. The Physical Performance Assessment runs a swim assessment (6 lengths of a 75-foot pool, any front stroke, no stopping) plus job-related stations in SCBA and turnout gear: a confined space simulator and 56 lb ladder lift (untimed), a 100-foot aerial ladder climb at a 75 degree angle completed twice (timed), then a combined-time circuit of a stair climb with a 40 lb hose pack (3 complete round trips on 2 flights, every tread used, one hand on the handrail), a 75-foot rope pull, forcible entry (moving a 165 lb metal sled 3 feet with an 8 lb sledgehammer), a 155 lb hose drag, and a 175 lb rescue mannequin drag weaving cones placed every 10 feet; the drag distances are each 50 feet (per the 2025 Recruitment Handbook).

   Budget for the $175 combined written and physical testing fee. The written exam is a National Fire Select Test covering personal characteristics plus mechanical ability, mathematical reasoning, reading, writing, map reading, problem solving, and strategic decision-making, and you must achieve a successful rating to continue.

   The physical assessment opens with water testing: swim 6 full lengths of a 75-foot pool in a swim suit using any front stroke, without stopping or touching the bottom. If swimming is your weak point, start pool training months out, because there is no alternative to this station.

   The job-related stations must be completed in successive order. The confined space simulator (SCBA with a blacked-out face piece) and the 56 lb ladder lift are untimed, the 100-foot aerial ladder climb at a 75 degree angle is timed and climbed bottom to top twice, then stations 4 to 8 run on one combined time: a stair climb with a 40 lb hose pack, a 75-foot rope pull, forcible entry driving a 165 lb sled 3 feet with an 8 lb sledge, a 155 lb hose drag over 50 feet, and a 175 lb mannequin rescue drag over 50 feet weaving cones.

   Points come from your time on the timed portion, and assessors also score observed ease and effort. How you carry yourself matters beyond the clock, because Stage 3 invitations weigh overall effort, ability to follow directions, teamwork, and attitude.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 13Start a fitness program
4. 4Stage 3: panel interviewInvitations are based on Stage 2 performance, overall effort, ability to follow directions, teamwork, and attitude.

   You earn this interview at Stage 2: invitations are based on test performance plus overall effort, ability to follow directions, teamwork, and attitude. Treat every interaction during testing as part of your interview.

   The department does not publish the panel format or questions, so prepare on fundamentals. Be ready to explain why Prince Albert, what you know about the department and the community, and how your certifications and work history prepared you for the job.

   Bring specific stories about teamwork, conflict, safety, and working under pressure, and structure each answer as the situation, what you did, and the result. Listen to the full question and answer it directly instead of steering to a rehearsed speech.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 11Run a mock panel interviewInterview playbook
5. 5Stage 4: reference checks and offer conditionsReference checks precede shortlist placement; the offer of employment is subject to favourable security screening, medical and eye examinations, and the driver's abstract.

   Reference checks happen before you are placed on the shortlist, so line up your references early and tell them to expect a call. Pick people who have supervised your work directly, such as employers or instructors, and confirm their contact details are current.

   Any offer of employment is subject to favourable security screening, medical and eye examinations, and your driver's abstract. Keep your driving record clean through the whole competition, because new infractions can surface at this stage.

   Successful candidates go onto a shortlist the department draws from when openings come up, not a guaranteed start date. Keep your certificates, licence, EMR, and CPR current while you wait, since minimum qualifications must be met at time of hire, and confirm with the department how long the list stays active.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 10Draft your PHSBuild your experience logbook