City Guides / Newfoundland and Labrador

How to become a firefighter in St. John's Regional

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

Opens by posting

The 2026/2027 recruitment guide states that recruitment runs approximately every two years, and that "Applications will not be accepted until the Notice of Employment Opportunity has been released." The notice is advertised through the St. John's, Mount Pearl and Paradise websites.

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 St. John's Regional requires before you can apply.

How hiring works here

Every stage St. John's Regional 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 B: Come pre-certified
Fire certification before applying: NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level II (IFSAC or ProBoard)
Medical requirement: Advanced First Aid, First Responder, or active paramedic certification
Driver requirement: NL Class 05 licence with 09 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.

The SJRFD serves St. John's, Mount Pearl, Paradise, and neighbouring communities and recruits roughly every two years, hiring Temporary Firefighters who move to full-time roles as permanent members retire. Its published recruitment guide is one of the most detailed in Atlantic Canada: candidates need Firefighter II certification from an IFSAC or ProBoard certified training facility, high school completion, a first aid or paramedic credential, a Class 05 Newfoundland and Labrador licence with the 09 air brake endorsement, a criminal record screening with vulnerable sector check issued within six months, and proof of a job-related physical test (York, CPAT, or the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal's FPFE) with a VO2 max of at least 42.5 ml/kg/min, all at the candidate's expense. Selection is a weighted five-stage process: application, a written exam on IFSTA Essentials of Fire Fighting, a cognitive ability assessment, an interview, and a fit/non-fit pre-employment medical.

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

How their intake usually runs

Recruitment roughly every two years; a posting was anticipated in early September 2026

Requirements

Required at application

NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level II (IFSAC or ProBoard)
Firefighter II certification from an IFSAC or ProBoard certified Fire Service Training Facility; candidates must quote their IFSAC seal number or ProBoard number.
Prepare with roadmap step 5
High school completion or equivalent
Prepare with roadmap step 2
Advanced First Aid, First Responder, or active paramedic certification
Advanced First Aid with St. John Ambulance, Rescue 7; First Responder with Red Cross; or an active paramedic certification as recognized in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Prepare with roadmap step 3
NL Class 05 licence with 09 air brake endorsement
Or out-of-province equivalents for non-residents. A copy of the front and back of the licence showing endorsements must be submitted. A Class 3 licence is no longer a minimum requirement but must be obtained within 24 months of hire at the employee's own cost.
Prepare with roadmap step 4
Criminal record screening with vulnerable sector check (within 6 months)
Issued by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary or RCMP within the last six months.
Prepare with roadmap step 7
Job-related physical test with VO2 max of at least 42.5 ml/kg/min
Accepted tests: York Test, CPAT, or the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal's Firefighter Pre-Entry Fitness Evaluation (CFFM's FPFE). The certificate must be dated within 6 months of the competition closing, must document the VO2 max result, and is at the candidate's expense.
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Three references from previous supervisors
Prepare with roadmap step 7

Preferred assets

ICS 100 and ICS 200 (online not accepted)Preferred asset
Listed in the guide as a desirable asset, not required at application.
Prepare with roadmap step 5
NFPA 1002 Fire Apparatus Driver/OperatorPreferred asset
Listed in the guide as a desirable asset.
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Other desirable assetsPreferred asset
College or university programs, a current Fall Protection course, NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor certification, work term or previous firefighter experience, and an OHS committee level course.

The hiring process

The application is worth 25 percent of your total score, and missing paperwork ends your run here. The guide is blunt: the committee will not call to confirm information or ask for missing proof, so treat the document checklist as pass or fail.
Upload proof of every advertised qualification: Firefighter II from an IFSAC or ProBoard certified training facility with your IFSAC seal number or ProBoard number quoted, a criminal record screening certificate with vulnerable sector check from the RNC or RCMP issued within the last six months, both sides of your NL Class 05 licence showing the 09 air brake endorsement (or out-of-province equivalent), and three references from previous supervisors.
You also need a job-related physical test certificate at your own expense: the York Test, CPAT, or the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal's FPFE, arranged by you at an accredited fitness appraisal centre. The certificate must show your name, the testing date, and a VO2 max of at least 42.5 ml/kg/min, and it must be dated within six months of the competition closing date, so time your booking carefully. If your facility does not run the VO2 max test, get it done elsewhere and include a letterhead letter confirming the result.
Applications are only accepted once the Notice of Employment Opportunity is released, which the city's job advisory anticipated for early September 2026 on the St. John's, Mount Pearl, and Paradise websites. Create your City of St. John's online candidate profile ahead of time so you are not building it against the deadline.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
The exam is 100 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes, drawn from chapters 3 to 20 of the 7th edition of IFSTA Essentials of Fire Fighting. You need at least 70 percent to stay in the competition, and the exam is worth 25 percent of your overall rating.
Study the IFSTA textbook and its official study guides. The department deems all IFSTA recommended answers correct and there is no appeal process, so learn the material exactly the way IFSTA states it rather than from other manuals.
The exam is written for entry level candidates with little or no fire experience, but eighteen chapters is a lot of ground. Strong candidates start months ahead and work chapter by chapter instead of cramming after the posting opens.
If you live outside Newfoundland and Labrador, say so during the application stage; there are provisions to write remotely, but everyone writes on the same day. The number of temporary firefighter positions is announced immediately before the exam begins.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
Candidates who pass the written exam are emailed a link to complete a cognitive ability assessment online. It is worth 10 percent of your overall rating.
This stage is a real cut point. After it, the SJRFD ranks everyone on their combined application, written exam, and assessment scores, and only the highest rated candidates move on to the interview. Tied candidates all advance.
The guide does not name the test provider or format, so prepare for general cognitive testing: verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning under time pressure. Free practice tests online will get you used to the pacing.
Watch your email closely after the written exam, including your junk folder, and complete the assessment somewhere quiet with a reliable connection.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
The interview carries 40 percent of your score, the largest weight in the process. Expect situational and behavioural questions about your education, experience, and suitability for the job.
The department's own guide recommends the STAR method: describe the Situation, the Task, the Action you took, and the Result, with numbers where you can. Relate your examples to some aspect of firefighting whenever possible.
The panel can only credit what you actually say, and it cannot assume what you meant. Give clear, detailed answers, and avoid memorized answers pulled from the internet, which the guide warns come across as scripted rather than genuine.
After the interview, your ratings from all four stages are tallied out of 100, and the recruitment team reviews them to decide who moves to the medical. Every earlier stage score still counts here, so a strong interview can lift a middle-of-the-pack file.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 11 Run a mock panel interview Interview playbook
The City of St. John's pre-employment medical is fit or non-fit rather than scored. It includes a PA chest X-ray, blood work, urinalysis, pulmonary function testing, a fitness assessment, an audiogram, visual acuity testing with depth perception and peripheral vision, and psychological health screening.
Candidates over 40, or with significant risk factors, also complete a stress EKG. Keep training after the interview: the fitness assessment is part of this examination, not just a re-check of your earlier physical test certificate.
Be honest and complete about your medical history, and follow any preparation instructions the city sends you. Confirm scheduling details with the department.
If you clear the medical, you are hired as a Temporary Firefighter with a 12 month probationary period calculated as 2,184 hours worked. The guide lists a starting salary of $62,301.74, rising to $113,275.54 after 37 months of service, and the SJRFD pays a portion of gym memberships even while you are on layoff status.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 3 Track your certifications Medical terms study sheet

Worth knowing

Hires start as Temporary Firefighters, recalled as needed, primarily covering summer and Christmas holiday periods; full-time positions open as permanent firefighters retire. Recall-period shifts run 24 hours on and 72 off, and the SJRFD pays a portion of gym memberships even on layoff status.
The probationary period is 12 months, calculated as 2,184 hours worked for temporary firefighters.
Salary starts at $62,301.74 (55% of the firefighter rate) and reaches $113,275.54 (100%) after 37 months of service.
There is no waiting list between competitions; unsuccessful candidates must reapply to future postings.
Applications require a City of St. John's online candidate profile; recruitment notices appear on the St. John's, Mount Pearl, and Paradise websites. The guide names accredited physical-test facilities including Health Guard Fitness and Testing, fireontario.com, York University, the University of Alberta, and the University of Manitoba.

Official sources

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

Semparo is not affiliated with or endorsed by St. John's Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) or any testing vendor. This guide is independent preparation content.

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