Career Firefighter – West Kelowna – 2025

Becoming a career firefighter takes time and effort, but when you succeed, you will have found the career that will keep you engaged and fulfilled for the duration of your professional life. The City of West Kelowna is seeking mature, well-educated individuals interested in working in a challenging and dynamic team environment.

Firefighters hired during this process will work in accordance with WKFR Career Firefighter – Flex Schedule, totaling 336 hours in a 56-day cycle. During their shifts, firefighters are engaged in a variety of activities such as emergency responses, on and off duty training, annual fire inspections, hall chores, vehicle and equipment checks, public education and hall assigned tasks such as first aid supply, administration, or hose testing. Crews also cook and eat meals together and maintain their physical fitness.

Outside of working hours, firefighters take part in many charitable functions organized by the Union, Local 4457 of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Thousands of dollars are raised each year for the West Kelowna Fire Rescue Charitable Society. This money supports many firefighter-sponosred programs, local charities, and community organizations, with a focus on the well-being of children.

Like any career, there are challenges to working as a firefighter. Ensure you understand what you are committing to prior to pursuing all of the required certifications. Things to consider include:

• Due to the rotating shifts and the demands of the WKFR Flex Firefighter Schedule, you will frequently work weekends and statutory holidays, often on short notice, which may mean adjusting your personal schedule significantly. The shift work also means you will be away from home overnight.

• The work of a firefighter is physically demanding. You must maintain your physical fitness and lead a healthy lifestyle to perform your duties and guard against the health risks of the job, which include heart disease and several forms of cancer.

• Consider the situations you will be exposed to as an emergency responder. Some of the calls you will respond to will be gruesome and tragic. You must have the emotional fortitude to deal with these situations and have healthy coping mechanisms.

We hope we have given you a realistic view of a career in the fire service. If you choose to become a firefighter with West Kelowna, we wish you the best of luck. In this document, you will find an outline of the West Kelowna Fire Rescue’s hiring process.

During their shifts, firefighters are engaged in a variety of activities such as emergency responses, on and off duty training, annual fire inspections, hall chores, vehicle and equipment checks, public education and hall assigned tasks such as first aid supply, administration, or hose testing. Crews also cook and eat meals together and maintain their physical fitness.

Grade 12 education
NFPA 1001, Level 1 and 2
NFPA 472 Hazmat Awareness and Operations
Valid BC EMA First Responder License
Valid Class 3 Driver’s License with Air Brake Endorsement
Personal Driving Record with no more than 6 points in the last 3 years, and no suspensions or prohibitions in the same period
Previous firefighting experience (career IAFF, Paid-on-call or BC Wildfire)

Post-secondary education or training (i.e. academic, technical, trades)
Other fire/rescue-related certifications (i.e. NFPA 1006, NFPA 1002, etc.)
BC EMA EMR License
Prior police, military, ambulance or search and rescue experience

Tips to the Recruitment Process

We cannot offer you a guaranteed method for successfully securing a position with West Kelowna Fire Rescue, but we can provide some tips to help the hiring process run smoothly. Please keep the following suggestions in mind while you work through the application process:

1. If your personal contact information changes during the process, inform Human Resources.

2. Take time to review all materials on the City’s website (www.westkelownacity.ca/careerfirefighting), including general information about the City and West Kelowna Fire Rescue.

3. Ensure that you comply with all the essential requirements of the job. It would be unfortunate to invest the time and money in the process only to be disqualified because your education, driving record, health or certifications do not meet the required qualifications. You must have the required qualifications and requirement at the time of applications.

4. An ability to accurately follow instructions is an important attribute in firefighting. Ensure you understand and execute instructions you are given during the hiring process. Failure to do so may affect the hiring decision.

5. The length of time between hiring stages can be lengthy, with limited communication from the City, as we tabulate results and prepare for the next stages. Please be patient.

6. You may receive notice to participate in testing with little advanced warning. While we will make every effort to keep you informed and schedule testing in a convenient fashion, you are expected to be ready and willing when it is scheduled.

7. You must have copies of the required certifications when you submit your application. If you indicate in your application that you do have a certain certification and it is discovered that you did not receive that certification until later in the process, you will be disqualified from the current hiring process.

8. Your attitude, demeanor and enthusiasm are noted throughout the process and can influence the hiring decision.

9. If you contact the City with questions which are answered and covered in this information package or in the Frequently Asked Questions document, the City will not reply. It is your responsibility to review and understand the process. The City will update the Career Firefighting employment page on the website when needed. You are encouraged to check regularly. All stages and activities in the hiring process are unpaid.

THE PROCESS

STAGE 1: THE APPLICATION
• Your application will only be accepted for a specified period, please note the closing date on the job advertisement. Applications will only be received online at www.westkelownacity.ca/jobs.

STAGE 2: FIREFIGHTER KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT
West Kelowna Fire Rescue requires candidates to be pre-qualified in structural firefighting knowledge and as such, candidates must possess a strong knowledge base.
• 100 question NFPA 1001 Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 examination based on IFSTA Essentials 6.
Only the candidates with the top scores will be selected to advance to the next stage.

STAGE 3: PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT
The Psychometric Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation that will assess the skills, abilities and other characteristics candidates need to bring to the job in order to become proficient and perform effectively.
What to expect:
• The testing is conducted by a third party and takes 3 to 4 hours to complete.
• There is not really any way to prepare for the assessment. Try to answer the questions as honestly as you can, and do not overthink what you are being asked.

STAGE 4: PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING
To take part in this stage of the process, you will need to have a medical evaluation completed by your doctor. A Doctor Consent Form will be available to you should you move to this stage. If you arrive at the testing without the form or it is incomplete, you will not be allowed to participate and will be disqualified from the process. It is your responsibility to ensure your doctor has provided all the required information on the form.
What to wear:
• You should arrive in appropriate workout clothing that includes runners, comfortable clothing and swim trunks and suitable t-shirt for the swim test.
• You will be provided structural firefighting gear and/or full breathing apparatus for tests that require them.
What to bring:
• Bring two pieces of government issued ID, one with a photo. These must be brought to every stage of the recruitment process.
• You will be working physically hard. Consider bringing water and a snack for after the testing.
The Test:
• There are multiple stations in the Test.
• At each station, you either will complete a task in a specific amount of time or be timed on how long it takes to complete the task.
• If you fail to complete the station in the allotted time, you will not be allowed to continue with the Test.
• You must follow the instructions and adhere to safety guidelines during the Test, failure to do so will result in elimination from the Test.
• There will be no rest periods between the stations, you will move to the next station immediately upon completion of the prior station.

THE EVOLUTIONS

Evolution 1: Minimum Swimming Assessment
West Kelowna Fire Rescue provides Swift Water Rescue, Static Water Rescue, and Ice Rescue services. Candidates must be strong swimmers and demonstrate confidence working in and around aquatic environments. The following swim tests must be completed wearing appropriate attire (shorts/trunks and t-shirt). Failure to successfully complete the following tests will result in elimination from the selection process:
• 200-meter freestyle swim.
• 50-meter rescue tow with the simulated victim wearing a life jacket.
• Object retrieval from pool bottom (20 lbs at depth).
• 5 minutes treading water.

Evolution 2: Firefighter Physical Aptitude Evaluation
West Kelowna Fire Rescue provides structural firefighting and rescue services. Candidates must possess strong musculoskeletal and cardiovascular fitness and demonstrate comfort working in both confined spaces and at height.
The physical evaluating program will be administered by a 3rd party. Information and instructions will be shared with candidates moving forward to this stage.

STAGE 5: SKILLS ASSESSMENT AND RIDE ALONG
West Kelowna Fire Rescue requires candidates to work in a team environment for extended periods and provide the public with excellent customer service. Applicants will be asked to complete a work-experience based ride-along. Failure to successfully complete the following tests will result in elimination from the process.
Complete a 12-hour ride-along (approximately). Some of the tasks candidates will take part in:
Vehicle maintenance Emergency response*
Equipment maintenance Inspections
Hall chores, meal prep and maintenance Public education
Training
Drills and general firefighting skills