Work Experience Program (Fire) – Yellowhead County – 2025

The Yellowhead County Fire Department (YCFD) Work Experience Program (WEP) is designed to offer opportunity to new graduates from accredited fire schools the opportunity to gain firefighting experience that will help bring them closer to a career in firefighting. New graduates must have graduated within the last 24 months. All experience levels welcome to apply.

Work Experience Program Firefighters will spend 12 months working with the Yellowhead County Fire Department at our two full-time staffed fire stations located in Edson and Evansburg. This program provides the WEP Firefighter with fire station accommodations (a taxable benefit), uniform, training opportunities and wages paid for all worked shifts. Living accommodations at the fire station allows for an immersive fire service experience. Currently, scheduled shifts at our fulltime fire stations are 0700-1900 hours, with a 4 on 4 off shift rotation.

YCFD is a composite department made up of 22 Full-Time staff and a variety of Casual and Volunteer Firefighters. All YCFD Firefighters provide emergency response within the large area of Yellowhead County from the 7 stations across the County.

The successful WEP Firefighter will have a year with YCFD which includes a dynamic range of calls.  YCFD works with each WEP to build career skills and are mentored by our experienced Firefighters through training and shift routines.  This repetitious routine in training will help the WEP Firefighters use and build upon skills acquired during their training obtained at the fire academy program. WEP Firefighters will also be able to join the Paid On-Call Volunteers outside of their shift rotation, which will provide additional experience and training opportunities.

This helps each WEP Firefighter enhance, build new and maintain skills for their future career in Emergency Response.

WEP Firefighters are remunerated at the rate of $27.67/hr. + 4% holiday pay for hours worked in 4-days-On and 4-days-Off rotation working 12 hour shifts, this is paid out every 2 weeks.

There will be the opportunity to complete accredited certification programs, enhanced training and education for career development offered to the WEP. The program also offers mentorship and personal development including resume writing and interview techniques.

YCFD covers an area of 22,000 square km responding to a variety of fire and rescue related incidents. YCFD call volume each year ranges from 550-600 incidents.

Being a WEP Firefighter provides knowledge and experience that fire departments will be looking for in a new recruit’s application.

WEP firefighters are placed on a platoon where they join existing fulltime staff in a scheduled rotation covering Yellowhead County 7 days a week. In the WEPs off hours there will be opportunities to attend incidents and functions as a Paid On-Call Volunteer firefighter.

The Work Experience Program offers a 12-month term, with daily duties balanced between but not limited to fire suppression, technical rescue, medical first response, fire prevention, public education, preplanning, maintenance of equipment and the fire station, as well as participation in community events throughout the year. As part of the program, WEP firefighters will be asked to volunteer within the community, in schools and during community events as they occur.

ITEMS CONSIDERED ASSETS (not required)
□ Advanced First Aid Training
□ Previous firefighting experience or other related work or volunteering
□ Class 1 or 3 Driver’s License
□ Air-Brake Endorsement
□ Post-Secondary Degree(s) or Diploma(s) (provide copies)
□ Technical, Trades, or equivalent level of certification (provide copies)
□ Considerable Mechanical Aptitude

The YCFD Work Experience Program is accepting applications.

Application Deadlines:
2025 intake cut off: July 15 (or sooner if there is a vacancy)
2026 intake cut off: December 15

Please indicate in your application whether you would be interested in future intakes if not chosen for the current intake. Your application would be held for up to 12 months.

You can find the application online at https://yhcounty.ca/ycfd-wep/. Please review the "Application and Submission Details" page to ensure your application will be received correctly.

Fall 2025 Intake Dates

• April 1 to July 15, 2025: Application Submission Period
• July 15 to August 31, 2025: Review and Interview successful WEP applications
• Early September 2025: Job offer for successful candidates.
• October 2025: Tentative start date.