Please Help Me

[BGuy]

Hello everyone, I am currently 20 years old and thinking of a career in fire fighting and i live in vancouver. I am wondering on the amount of competition out there, in getting on to a full time fire department. Also does diversity play a role in hiring. Thanks for any inputs.

[iamvff]

Originally posted by BGuy
Hello everyone, I am currently 20 years old and thinking of a career in fire fighting and i live in vancouver. I am wondering on the amount of competition out there, in getting on to a full time fire department. Also does diversity play a role in hiring. Thanks for any inputs.

Hey, welcome to the site. Start your career off properly and answer almost all of your questions by taking the time to read every post you possibly can on this site. I am not kidding, you will learn more on this site about the real world of the firehall then you will from any brochere or book. There is probably not a topic that is not touched on somewhere on this site. Plus, you get the + and - of each issue from real people who are in the field every day. Hope this helps, it will be the best investment you have made in your career. (NOTE- ignore the spelling...we're working on JG to clean it up...distance education on the internet:D )

Be safe,
sincerely,
iamvff

[FiremanMDM]

Look at the following site:


http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/fire/

under recruitment it will show the current process application results.

The most recent application process for the Vancouver Fire Dept. had 432 applications. Of the 432 applications 81 were rejected for various reasons. So there will be 351 people going to the exams. I would "guess" that probably 200 - 250 would pass. In the past they have then screened the resumes and picked a number that they feel are the strongest. They might cut it to maybe 150 or so (DON'T REALLY KNOW FOR SURE) and then interview that number of people for maybe 12 - 20 jobs. I hope this gives you a little bit of an idea what you would be up against.

Some dept's do things in a different order. Some screen the resumes first and then have smaller exam crowds. Anyways.....it is fairly competitive.

[Red_Devil]

BGuy, the competition is pretty tough, there is a lot of guys and gals out there all in competition for a job. On the positive side, your a young guy still, take as many courses as you can, take a pre service course cause thats they way of the future, get life experience too, show em your not just book smarts, obtain your DZ and drive truck for a few years, do volunteer work. I know the list is endless but your young you got your youth on your side do all this and by the time you get into your upper 20's the depts will be all knocking at your door with job proposals.

[hrecruit]

words of wisdom from the RD. :)

[FiremanMDM]

You're lucky to be only 20.....Wish I was just 20 when I knew I wanted to become a firefighter. I was hired in my early thirties.....Reminds me of the saying "If I only knew then what I know now"

[intrepid]

firemanmdm

hey buddy im also 20 and i dont know if these guys mentioned that you should also start reseraching schools im off to cotr in 15 days :D


hope to see you in the race :D

[BCFFFV]

Actually I think you misread my post.....I'm in my thirties but just said I wish I was still in my twenties. I was lucky to be hired within a year of completing my qualifications but would have done many things different in life had I known at 20 I wanted to be a firefighter. But good luck on your goal!!!!!

[intrepid]

woops my bad i made that last post out to the wrong guy that was supposed to be to "bGuy" sry bout that :D :eek: