How to become a firefighter in Prince George

Required at application

Required before hire

Required at conditional job offer

Preferred assets

1. 1Application

   Prince George posts firefighter competitions on its own website and asks candidates to check back regularly rather than phone the city. You apply through the city's online career portal, which requires an account, and each uploaded document must be 1 MB or smaller in Word, plain text, or PDF format.

   The posting asks for NFPA 1001 Levels 1 and 2 (IFSAC accredited), a current Occupational First Aid Level 3 or First Responder Level 3 certificate, and a valid BC Class 3 licence with air brake endorsement, or the ability to obtain it before the interview stage. An EMR licence or PCP is listed as preferred, and if your EMA credential is from outside BC, provide evidence at application that you have already started the equivalency process with the EMA Licensing Board of British Columbia.

   You can apply without every qualification. The city states that applications without full qualifications will be accepted and may be considered in shortlisting, but you must hold everything by the time of an official job offer. Use the application checklist the city provides and attach every document the form marks as required, because submissions are screened for completeness.

   Watch two quiet disqualifiers: a driving record with more than six points in the last three years may eliminate a candidate, and submissions received after the closing date may not be considered. Submit early and keep the confirmation email the portal sends.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
2. 2Online written aptitude and psychometric testing

   Prince George runs this stage online and it combines aptitude testing with psychometric testing. The city states that testing dates are not flexible, so once you receive a test window, protect it, because your scores feed directly into the interview shortlist alongside your qualifications.

   The city does not publish the test vendor or content, so prepare broadly: timed practice in reading comprehension, basic math, mechanical reasoning, and following written directions covers the ground most fire aptitude tests draw from. Confirm any format details with the department when you receive your invitation.

   For the psychometric portion, answer honestly and consistently rather than trying to guess an ideal profile. These instruments flag contradictory answers, and a straight self-report reads better than a coached one.

   Treat the online format seriously: a quiet room, a reliable connection, and a careful read of every instruction before you start. Small setup problems cost time you cannot get back on a timed test.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 12Polygraph guideReview your PHS answers
3. 3CPATRequired before the interview stage; valid 12 months.

   Prince George requires the Candidate Physical Ability Test before the interview stage, and only CPAT certificates issued within 12 months of the interview date count as valid. Book your test with that window in mind: early enough to allow a re-test if you fail, but recent enough to stay valid through the interview.

   All competition costs are yours. The city states that testing fees and travel costs, if applicable, are the candidate's own responsibility, so budget for the test and for getting to a testing site. The recruitment page does not name a test provider or location, so confirm with the department which CPAT certificates it accepts.

   The CPAT itself is a standardized, timed circuit of eight firefighting job tasks performed in a weighted vest, so train specifically for it: stair climbing under load, hose and dummy drags, and grip endurance. General gym fitness alone leaves most first-time candidates short on the stair event.

   Where a formal practice session is available from your test provider, take it. Candidates who have walked the circuit once pace the real test far better than those seeing the equipment for the first time.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 13Start a fitness program
4. 4Interview

   Shortlisting for the interview is based on your qualifications and your written test scores, and the city states that interview dates are not flexible. Treat the date you are given as fixed and plan travel around it, at your own cost.

   If you applied without the BC Class 3 licence with air brake endorsement, it must be in hand by this stage. The posting allows candidates to obtain it prior to the interview, so arriving without it undercuts an otherwise strong file.

   Prepare structured examples from work, volunteer, or training settings that show teamwork, judgment under pressure, and reliability, and practise delivering them in a situation, action, result shape. This is general interview craft, but it is what separates prepared candidates in any fire panel.

   Know why Prince George specifically. Read up on Prince George Fire Rescue and the community it serves, and be ready to speak honestly about relocating to and staying in northern BC, because retention matters to a department that trains every hire from entry level.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 11Run a mock panel interviewInterview playbook
5. 5ReferencesThree references.

   Prince George requires three references from each candidate. Line them up before you reach this stage so the check does not stall your file while others move ahead.

   The city screens for a satisfactory job performance history, so choose references who supervised your actual work: employers, officers from a volunteer or paid-on-call hall, or instructors who saw you perform under standards. Character references from friends carry little weight here.

   Tell each reference to expect the call, remind them of the dates you worked together, and let them know the role you are applying for. A prompt, specific reference reads far better than one who has to be chased or cannot recall your work.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 10Draft your PHSBuild your experience logbook
6. 6NFPA 1582 firefighter medicalAt offer.

   The firefighter medical examination is a condition of employment at the offer stage, and Prince George requires you to be able to pass it to the NFPA 1582 standard. The posting warns candidates up front that they must be physically fit enough to pass both the CPAT and this medical.

   NFPA 1582 is an occupational medical standard for firefighters covering areas such as cardiovascular health, vision, and hearing. If you know of a condition in one of those areas, see your own physician early in the process rather than discovering a problem at offer, and confirm any specific medical questions with the department.

   Come organized: bring corrective lens prescriptions, a current medication list, and records of any past conditions the examining physician may ask about. The city's blanket statement that all competition costs are the candidate's responsibility is worth keeping in mind when you budget for this stage; confirm with the department how the medical is arranged and billed.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 9Drill the question banks
7. 7Eligibility list

   Candidates who pass every stage are placed on an eligibility list used to fill anticipated vacancies. The city states that the number of candidates on the list and how long it lasts are at the City's discretion, so do not treat a list placement as a guaranteed job or a fixed timeline.

   Your job on the list is maintenance. The city requires listed candidates to keep all certificates and licences current, and the one that catches people is the CPAT: if more than 12 months pass since you passed it, you must complete another test at your own expense before you can be hired.

   Start dates vary with the city's staffing needs, so stay reachable and keep your contact details current with Human Resources. If your circumstances change, tell them rather than going quiet.

   Know what an offer means here: every hire starts as an entry-level firefighter with a 12-month probationary period, including experienced firefighters from other municipalities, and the city does not accept municipal transfers.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 14Academy preparation guideStart a fitness program