career in fire fighting for newly landed migrant

[axeman]

i have just received my permanent residency visa from the canadian embassy and i planned to land in toronto between late jan to feb 2004. currently i am working in the fire fighting industry in singapore, holding a rank of captain. it's in my great interest to continue pursuing a career in the same industry. can anyone advise my on how i can go about doing this?

1) which dept should i write to, for submission of my resume?
2) will my working experience in singapore in fire fighting and fire safety building code, be useful?
3) will i be needed to undergo a formal course in fire fighting in toronto? i have already attended an officer 9 months in-camp training course in singapore, which includes full fire fighting of conventional and hazmat incidents.

please help.

my email: axeman@firehall.com

nizam.

[Smoke20286]

axeman check out this thread:

http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54458 (Firehouse.com)

[Mongoose]

Axeman, try out with Toronto. All the major cities in Canada love to hire Asian people and anyone who has any kind of second language. A second language is viewed as a real asset. Sounds like your chances are good,best of luck bro.

[axeman]

thanx mongoose

i've faxed and sent, an application to the toronto fire service..but so far no reply yet. since i'm landing in toronto next friday (13 feb 04), do u think the employment office of the toronto fire service will accept any walk-in application? i thought of paying them a visit to enquire about my application. what say you pal?

[Mongoose]

Yeah dropping in could really help. I dont recall off the top of my head how Toronto's process works but dropping in on them will answer some of your questions and you will probably learn a thing or two about the department which you will need to know come interview time. Oral boards like guys who have done their research. So, do the research right?

[colin911]

Just a little info on how Toronto hires ...

First they'll announce a recruitment (usually once a year) and then you register to write the entrance exam. (50 bucks).

Then you wait a few weeks, and if you scored over 70% you receive an application form. You fill out that and send it in with all of your qualifications and photocopies of certificates, diplomas etc.

Then you wait again, and if you have what they want, you'll get invited to a first interview. I believe it is an board type interview with at least 3 or 4 people. (I'm not totally sure of this, seeing as how I never made it to the interview portion.)

If you do well there, you wait some more and then get called for a second interview. (I don't know what more they could ask).

Then you wait some more and you're told to have your York physical certificate and your DZ licence and police check and all that jazz.

After that you're put into a hiring pool and they will hire in batches.

You could wait as long as a year after being put on the list.


Colin