How to become a firefighter in Yorkton

Applications go through the City of Yorkton careers portal only, and only selected applicants are contacted. The department does not accept applications between competitions, so monitor the city jobs page for open postings.

The published minimum is NFPA 1001 Level I and II I.F.S.A.C firefighter certification, with preference given to graduates of recognized fire colleges or equivalent NFPA or IFSAC certification. The recruitment package also lists standard first aid and a Class 3 driver's licence with air endorsement among the basic qualifications for temporary firefighters.

Download the recruitment package before you apply. It is written as a document you carry with you, and the department states you are required to bring it when you attend the hiring competition.

The recruitment package sets the shape of the exam: 200 questions, a two hour limit, and a minimum score of 75 percent to advance. That works out to roughly 36 seconds per question, so practise at pace rather than only for accuracy.

Content is drawn from Firefighter Level I and Level II material, so revise your certification course content rather than general fire trivia.

The package is strict about conduct. Referencing any written or electronic material, or soliciting help from another candidate, means automatic elimination. When the exams are complete candidates leave and are phoned within the hour if they are advancing, so stay reachable and keep the rest of your day open.

The recruitment package describes this as a skills and abilities evaluation run across individual stations, with a cumulative 30 minutes for the whole circuit. The 45 second rest and hydration breaks between stations are the only breaks allowed, and slowing down between stations is treated as extra break time and fails the evaluation.

The published stations are a blind mask search drill, a tower climb, a hose pull, an entanglement tube, a nozzle and hydrant connect, a hose load, and a hose drag. They test more than strength: colour vision, comfort in tight spaces and at height, comprehension, safe lifting, and basic firefighting knowledge are all named.

Turnout gear is provided and cannot be modified, and the department uses MSA slide-to-connect SCBA. If you have not used that SCBA, say so when you are called so a demonstration can be arranged, because once the evaluation starts you cannot stop for instruction. Critical fail benchmarks include giving up, removing your mask, running out of air, and signs of heat exhaustion.

The recruitment package describes a series of fire related questions designed to assess how you think through specific situations, so practise talking through your reasoning out loud rather than reciting textbook answers.

The package lists exactly what the department hires on: skill, ability, knowledge, character, professionalism and experience. It also says experience in other trades is valued, naming heavy trucks, electrical, HVAC and agricultural machinery, so bring that up if you have it.

Start the criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening early, since processing times vary, and warn your referees that a call may come.

The recruitment package adds what follows: the most qualified candidates receive a letter of offer naming a start date and new hire expectations, and candidates are phoned with their status after the interview.

Temporary firefighters then work a preceptor period of up to 16 weeks, with in-house training, online tools and practical evaluation, before being made operational. The department states it typically hires for full-time firefighting positions from its temporary firefighter ranks, so this route is the usual way in.