Kitchener/ / Waterloo / Guelph / Cambridge

[FrAnToS]

just a little side note, the joint recruitement has extended invitations to qualified individuals for a written test at the end of this month. i got the letter today and for those of u who haven't cheked the mail yet, it might be there waiting for you to open it.

good luck

[mikeeps]

What is the date on that aptitude test? Sure letter is in the mail but I am at work now and need to take off the days. Thanks

Michael

[DoubleHelix]

Jan.29 registration at 10:45

[mikeeps]

Thanks

Michael

[dentedhead]

The registration time is actually 1:45.I got a letter today as well,since I am pretty happy where I am I probably wont write.

In case I change my mind,what is the test like.I heard lots of math YIKES!

dentedhead

[DoubleHelix]

There's more than one test time

[dentedhead]

I did not know that.Sorry

dentedhead

[Jurassic]

Just curious, where is the test being held? Is it the Manulife Sports complex (or something along those lines) on university ave. in Waterloo? If it is that's where the test was held last year. Last year I *think* there was one one test time, and it held 900 people. So if there are two, I guess there might be more applying, or otherwise smaller room. Here's hoping for the latter, as having approx. 1500 people in the people is just comical. Somebody is making some serious cash on this. Why can't recruitments be free like they are in some other provinces? Why does London only except York and not Waterloo? Oh yeah, he also admisiters the OS out there...I guess London must really like him. I swear Ontario is about 100 years beyond the times in recruiting Firefighters.

[scoop422]

Jurassic, I don't understand you. One time on the forums you slammed your employer and now you say Ontario departments are 100 years behind. If this kind of attitude presents itself at interviews you'll never get hired. Try to be less critical.;)

[Jurassic]

I didn't slam my employer...that was taken way out of context. And yeah, I guess i'm just venting that's all. But it is true...ALL other provinces have the same standard...I guess it just had to be different here in ontario cuz of all the colleges we have right. I dunno, I just don't understand how other cities outside this province can do recruitments completely for free, provide their own fitness tests (usually practical...combat challenge, etc.), have free driver's abstracts, etc.

I don't have a poor attitude in interviews...i guess i just like to keep the forums active, and maybe just maybe play devil's advocate and stir the pot a bit ;-)

A month or so ago these forums were pretty quiet...i'm glad there is some life now!

Cheers.

[iamvff]

Originally posted by Jurassic
I don't have a poor attitude in interviews...i guess i just like to keep the forums active, and maybe just maybe play devil's advocate and stir the pot a bit ;-)

Oh, now your treading in the RED_DEVIL's territory...be carefull....be very carefull:eek:

Be safe,
iamvff

[rescue65]

I agree with you Jurassic, Ontario runs a pretty good scam! I think alot of it is b.s. too.

[Gan12]

Yes I think all recruitments should be free, I spent 100 on the joint rec. and will be out of province on the day they write. Bad luck i guess. They should at least offer the date of the test the day you apply. A refund would be nice too if there is no way you can write on the time and date given.

Oh well I hope they spend my donation wisely

[Red_Devil]

****lurking in background...watching....listening...*******

Did I hear my name called..............

Oh so you wanna have a bitch fest eh!!!

Bring it on tough guy!

[scoop422]

There's no doubt, money is being made. By charging though they eliminate lots of your competition! And they also get only people who are serious.

[Jurassic]

scoop are you serious? >1600 people didn't have a problem paying $85 in 'sauga. I promise you there were at least some Taxi drivers with nothing more than CPR/first aid applying. They would be better off making their minimums that of London. Those are "serious".

Vancouver, a large city, will only get approx. 250 applicants. I can promise you they are serious. Oh yeah, almost forgot, their recruitment doesn't cost a dime. Come to mention it, the requirements to get your NFPA in B.C. are tougher than minimum's in Ontario for Career dept's.

Nothing but the highest respect for Vancouver's process and for being so professional and upfront about every single step.

[mikeeps]

Good luck to all of those writing the test on the 29th. I register at 1045. Finally got my airfare and car rental. Fly into Toronto at midnight on the 28th and get to sleep in the airport till the morning. Only the best for me. Such a cheap skate. Is it the same format as the Mississauga CPS test? Either way hope everyone does well and see ya there!

Michael

[bestcoast]

Originally posted by Jurassic
scoop are you serious? >1600 people didn't have a problem paying $85 in 'sauga. I promise you there were at least some Taxi drivers with nothing more than CPR/first aid applying. They would be better off making their minimums that of London. Those are "serious".

Vancouver, a large city, will only get approx. 250 applicants. I can promise you they are serious. Oh yeah, almost forgot, their recruitment doesn't cost a dime. Come to mention it, the requirements to get your NFPA in B.C. are tougher than minimum's in Ontario for Career dept's.

Nothing but the highest respect for Vancouver's process and for being so professional and upfront about every single step.

Jurassic, did you get your application in for the latest recruitment??

[Jurassic]

Bestcoast,

Hell yeah. Just waiting for that confirmation letter to book my flights. Should know next week. I've been studying my ass off every day and training like a beast.

[dentedhead]

I decided to write for the h@#l of it.I paid so why not.What test does K/W,etal use?How many questions ?General knowledge apptitude or mostly fire related?

As I have stated before, I am happy where I am, so its just kind of a self satisfaction thing.

Thanks

Dentedhead

[Jurassic]

Dentedhead, what city do you work for?

The Joint Recruitment test will be CPS. Last year it was a VERY easy one. This year no one knows although likely it could be the very same easy one since it is for the same pool as last year's applicants. You should be able to pull 80%+ without a sweat.

good luck!

[mikeeps]

I hope there is not alot of those damn gear questions! Good luck tomorrow!

Michael

[dentedhead]

Mikeeps, the gears I can deal with its the LxWxH=R I suck at.
I think I saw you are writing also,good luck to you as well brother!

Dentedhead

[dentedhead]

Jurassic,thanks for the input.

To be honest I dont really know a CPs from an OS from an XYZ.The three tests I have written were all pretty much the same, old Toronto about 20 years ago,Brampton about 10 years ago and my departments. I passed them all with a decent mark,there were the usual things, recall, some math, some science, some job related stuff.I hope thats what it is.But I really am writing with no pressure so what the hell.

I would prefer to remain departmentally anonymous.I am on a medium sized Dept in Ontario and my views often are frowned upon by those with the tight gold hat braid.One in particular reads this site regularly, nuff said.

Good luck with Vancouver. Its a sweet town, got quite a few friends out there.To quote Joe Strummer" they aint never comin back."

Dentedhead

[DoubleHelix]

Am I the only one who thought that test was fairly hard?

[rescue65]

nope, it was a tough test....i was expecting easy!

[DoubleHelix]

if anything I thought that was harder than mississauga

[Jurassic]

wow, i would have expected them to use the same easy one when I wrote last! I don't know what the test was, but tell me this...was there NO community living section but an extra math or mechanical section? If so, yeah that is a hard cps...same one was used to get into the school i went to. Boasts a 60-70% failure rate.

Hey double, you did good in mississauga...you should still do ok on this one if it's what i'm thinking.

How many people wrote??

[dentedhead]

Glad I was doing it for fun.I figure after the math portion my test will be marked out of 80 and not 100.

That was probably one of the harder tests Ive written for anything in a long time.

I was talking to the D/Chief of training from Barrie a while ago, I think he said there were about 5 different 100 question CPS tests.

Dentedhead

[Jurassic]

hey dented...no hard done in writing right? Good experience.

Here's the cps site for breakdown, version,etc:

http://www.cps.ca.gov/ExaminationServices/TestRental/FireServices/fs_Entrytests.asp

cheers

[dentedhead]

You got it Jurassic. It was both humbling and a good reality check,for me anyways.I am really glad I work for a decent dept with a great bunch of guys.If I was hoping for an out, it wont be K/W,Guelph or Cambridge.

Its also a safe bet that is the LAST component of any recruitment process I will be involved in.....WHOOHOO!!!!

Good luck to all competing to get on anywhere you apply.It really is like winning the lottery.


Dentedhead

P.S it was 2102M we wrote today

[mikeeps]

I found the test easier than Mississauga's by far. Especially the reading comprehension at the begining. Well we will see in a couple of weeks how tough it was. Good Luck getting to the next stage!

Michael

[dentedhead]

In retrospect I guess a fair bit of it was not too challenging.Maybe its only because I am sure I only got about 4 questions out of 20 on the math.But thats just me.

I can use math practically, I just cant figure out number stuff on paper,I knew I should have listened to my highschool teachers.

I still feel it was a tough write.As you say, we will know soon enough.

Dentedhead

[DoubleHelix]

What did you guys put down for that knot question?

I put a running bowline just because it seemed alot different than the other 3 knots. There's probaly a good explanation for the answer but I sure didn't know it at the time.

[mikeeps]

yes it is a running bowline. Its the only one you can tie without the ends of the rope.

Cheers
Michael

[rescue65]

from what I have learned a running bowline isnt meant to connect 2 ropes.....

[rescue65]

wait a minute, now you have me doubting what the question was....was it
1) what knot can be used to connect 2 ropes without using the ends?

OR

2) what knot can be tied without using the ends?

OR

????

I dont remember the question

[DoubleHelix]

it had nothing to do with tying 2 ropes together. It said what knot can be tightened or something without untying.

[Pumper99]

You see, I don't agree that it's like winning the lottery gaining employment in the Fire Services. A lottery win is complete luck. I think those who are getting hired have every certificate under the sun coupled with either their Pre-Service, NFPA1001, Volly experience/certification or they're a Certifified municipal firefighter looking for a transfer.
I'm in the middle of the process right now........I'm knee deep in this Pre-Service thing.......I've worked so hard at this process it's sick................so I believe, that the day I do get the call.......it won't be from luck. It will be a result of hard work, determination and persistance.............

One Day..............

Yours in Fire Safety,

Pumper99

[Jurassic]

Very well said Pumper. I think people just say that because it would be the same "feeling" of overwhelming joy and happiness that the impossible became possible. And although I don't want to argue, I disagree with the bit about "every course under the sun". Although personally I think those hired should have some bit of emergency experience, ultimately I think it comes down to the interview, how prepared you are and sell yourself, life experience, personality, and how well of a "fit" you are. Nothing more, nothing less.

[dentedhead]

Pumper99 you are right. It is not just luck to get hired.It takes all of the skills and determination you talk about.It also helps to have a well rounded and diversified resume.

Jurassic summed up what I meant by it.I heard it when I got hired so will you, and after you have been around for a while you will be telling NUGS the same thing.

Dentedhead

[mikeeps]

The question I read was what knot can you use to shorten a rope without use of the ends? or something that sounded like that.

Michael

[DoubleHelix]

Yeah something like that. I knew it said something about ends.

Nice hopefully that will give me some marks.

My question is are the people still in the pool just discredited or how can they compare test scores when people wrote different tests?

[Jurassic]

Well, since Kitchener recently hired outside of this pool (from before the joint recruitment - one of their "lists" and Guelph just did the same thing with one, does it really matter? I don't think they care. Then again Waterloo and Cambridge hired from it, but those guys were already preselected co-op guys.

I just take this $1000 that I spent ($100+$200 fitness+$700 flight) and add it to the $250 that I spent for London and just accept it.

If 700 wrote this, and say, maybe 4-500 passed? Then that would now leave 1100-1200 in the pool. I think it's hilarious.

Good luck to those in London in their 2nd interviews! I vow to never write an OS again! Hahaha.

[iamvff]

Originally posted by mikeeps
The question I read was what knot can you use to shorten a rope without use of the ends?

Try a butterfly knot, works well.

Be safe
iamvff

[scoop422]

The answer is sheep shank.

[colin911]

Used for crowd control ... at least that's what were told it's for. :)

[mikeeps]

A sheep shank is for tying two ropes together. The question on my test was what know can you use to shorten a length of rope "key word" WITHOUT using the ends of the rope? Example if both ends were tied off to something and you needed to shorten the rope. And out of the answers they gave me a running bowline was the only knot you could tie with out having to use the ends of the rope. But what ever test is over now. Find out in a couple of weeks the marks.

Michael

[scoop422]

A SHEET BEND is for tying two ropes of different size together. A SHEEP SHANK is for shortening without the ends as collin said for crowd control.

[bestcoast]

Originally posted by scoop422
A SHEET BEND is for tying two ropes of different size together. A SHEEP SHANK is for shortening without the ends as collin said for crowd control.

Scoop, maybe they need to see it to believe you...

www.tollesburysc.co.uk/Knots/Sheepshank.htm

[scoop422]

Thanks Brother and what a great link!

[mikeeps]

Seeing is believing, good link.

Michael

[dentedhead]

Excellent! ive got 1 out of a hundred im on my way.

Dentedhead

[Pumper99]

Jurassic, who hired from outside the joint applicant pool ?

[Jurassic]

Kitchener did from a list they had pre-joint recruitment. I'm positive of that 100% And i'm pretty sure that Guelph did as well (didn't you maybe tell me that?)

[Pumper99]

NO, it wasn't me that told you that..........that's why I asked.
Thanks,
Pumper

[dentedhead]

I dont know about Kitchener,Waterloo hired a handfull last March from the joint list I know a guy who was hired then. I was at fire college last summer two guys in my group were from Guelph,they said that they hadnt hired anyone in about two years.They expected to hire 3-5 last October from the joint list,more when the new station(s) were built.As for Cambridge who knows.

Ialso heard from a very reliable source that April is when they are looking at a joint recruit class.

Dentedhead

[Jurassic]

Hey Dented, what do you mean a "joint recruit" class this spring? For what city?

Apparently guelph's budget sucks and the new station will still be ready in sept. however it will remain empty and unstaffed until 2006. Perhaps you mean they will go through their process this spring in order to have the guys ready for when they can afford the staff and equipment?

[dentedhead]

Jurassic,I dont know about budgets etc.I am only relaying what a couple of senior guys told me, alot of you are certainly more in tune with some of that stuff,I am just trying to help out.

The joint recruitment class from what I understand will be compromised of all who are being hired by the 4 departments after doing initial admin training with the department that hired them, they will all do their core fire training together at the selected training area.I heard Waterloo because it is the newest.
I may have the wrong end of the stick,thats what I thought was implied .I got this from an old friend who is involved in training with Waterloo EMS, he also plays hockey with the Kitchener Fire team.

Dentedhead

[fireto412]

hey guys and gals correct me if im wrong but the reason why they charge the big bucks is to 1.pay for training, bunkergear , and all of that other stuff. I also think is shows that you really want the job. For example don"t you think that if you had a company and you needed the right person for the job that you would take the best canidate with their york ofc modules certified instucktor, you get the picture. Im not braging but i went out and did all of this on my own and the city that wants you is going to say in an interview hey why not hire this person they have experience this will save the city some money. IM sorry guys and gals but things are not free anymore. SOOO im willing to pay for a long firefighting career... PS you have all heard the saying JUST DO IT

Well suck it up pay the money and go out and get your stuff done.


PSS Iwould rather be a ONTARIO FIREFIGHTER than anything else.

[scoop422]

"PSS Iwould rather be a ONTARIO FIREFIGHTER than anything else"

Oh Oh I hope this doesn't offend anyone! How about a CANADIAN FIREFIGHTER.

[bestcoast]

Originally posted by scoop422
"PSS Iwould rather be a ONTARIO FIREFIGHTER than anything else"

Oh Oh I hope this doesn't offend anyone! How about a CANADIAN FIREFIGHTER.

No it's OK you guys can have him....;) ...BC....

[iamvff]

Hey...bite me....from a Manitoba Firefighter:p

Ah...just kiddin...It had to be said!

Be safe
iamvff

[mikeeps]

Anyone hear back from the CPS test yet! Man I hate waiting!

Michael

[dentedhead]

3-4 weeks,coming up for week 2.Almost there.

Dentedhead

[SuperfriendBLAZE]

Ya so I wrote for the joint recruitment a few weeks ago. and as I am walking out I stopped one of the chiefs to ask a few questions. I asked how many guys they are looking to hire, and his answer shocked me. he said that most of the cities have not even got approval from counsel to bring on more Firefighters. It may be up to 2 years before they recieve approval to bring on more guys. That was to me really frustrating. its a money grab for the cities in most cases, and this is a perfect example of just that.

[mikeeps]

Still waiting! Well as a reply to the above post, I have a bit of faith in the cities that they are not just putting these job listings out there for a money grab. And even if they are, hopefully you will get some experience out of writing the test and going through a interview process. So when your dream firehall starts to hire, you will be well prepared and have had the chance to correct any of your early mistakes. But ya it does suck if that is true.

Michael

[dentedhead]

Just got my results.....passed.So all the rest of you should know soon too.Good Luck to you all.If it isnt what you hoped for, just remember rejection isnt fatal, and you will get it the next time!

Dentedhead

[scoop422]

Congrats Dent! How much was the adrenaline pumping when you heard?

[dentedhead]

Thanks scoop,after my initial excitment mostly over getting more than 10 on the math section...LOL an old clash song started in my head,should I stay or should I go!I know it is only one step in the overall process, but I am pretty happy with the dept. I am on.

If I made it through all the steps and was offered a job thats when it will all become so confusing. I think it will make my brain hurt. But yeah I was pretty happy I passed.Thanks again

Dentedhead
p.s your with T.O. I presume 422 is your hall, what was the old preamalgamation number?

[scoop422]

My hall was station 3 City of York.

[dentedhead]

Jane and Lambton?

Dentehead

[scoop422]

Jane and Dundas.

[dentedhead]

Close,I worked that area for a couple of years.Im sure the guys have told you about the fire on Dundas.Two guys got caught in a flashover and had to bail from a second story.They were hurt badly but I think they both returned to work.A two year old died as well,he started it and hid .....in a closet.Gotta love those crack houses.

Dentedhead