Get paid to learn life-saving skills and support the community
Sturgeon County paid on-call firefighters are paid hourly for attending weekly training and responding to emergency calls. They receive professional firefighter training at no cost; this training is recognized across North America and can jumpstart a rewarding career in firefighting.
Emergencies can happen any day at any time. We’re looking for people who can respond to emergencies during the day, in the evening, and/or on weekends.
What You Need
- Live within 10 kilometres of the Bon Accord, Calahoo, Legal, Namao or Redwater fire stations.
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a valid Class 5 driver’s licence.
- Commit to attending a three-hour training session each week.
- Calahoo and Redwater train weekly on Monday night.
- Bon Accord and Legal train weekly on Tuesday night.
- Namao trains weekly on Wednesday night.
- Commit to attending formal training courses held in evenings and on weekends.
- Have or be prepared to get an Alberta drivers abstract.
- Have or be prepared to get a vulnerable sector check from the RCMP.
What You’ll Get
- Hourly pay starting at $21.47. You’ll be paid hourly for responding to emergencies, attending weekly training, attending courses, and participating in approved public engagement activities.
- Benefits including holiday pay, vacation pay, WCB coverage and life insurance.
- Access to ongoing professional training.
- Uniform, personal protective equipment and other equipment.
- Experience working in a challenging and rewarding field.
What it Takes to be a Firefighter
Primary duties and responsibilities
As a paid on-call firefighter with Sturgeon County Emergency Services, you must perform many important duties. These include but are not limited to:
- Responding to emergency calls for emergencies including:
- Vehicle or structure fires
- Wildland/urban interface fires
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Alarms
- Hazardous materials or dangerous goods
- Medical aid
- Participating in weekly training nights.
- Calahoo and Redwater train weekly on Monday night.
- Bon Accord and Legal train weekly on Tuesday night.
- Namao trains weekly on Wednesday night.
- Maintaining fire apparatus and equipment.
- Performing maintenance and housekeeping duties at the fire station.
- Participating in community activities.
- Participating in fire prevention activities
Working conditions
While working as a paid on-call firefighter, you will be exposed to challenging environmental, physical and emotional situations. Some of these will include:
- Being called on to respond to emergencies at any time of the day or night, including weekends and holidays.
- Being called on to respond to emergencies in any weather.
- Performing tasks while wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
- Working quickly to extinguish fires in extreme heat with limited or zero visibility.
- Experiencing physically demanding tasks in extreme temperatures.
- Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, raising and lowering heavy equipment and loads.
- Working in hazardous areas that could be hot, wet, slippery, muddy, icy, dirty and cramped.
- Working in very loud environments.
- Working from heights.
- Working on and around moving machinery, vehicles and equipment.
- Being exposed to a variety of hazards.
- Dealing with critically injured and/or sick patients.
- Dealing with high-stress situations.
- Having to effectively deal with various levels of physical and mental strain.
Assess your readiness to be a paid on-call firefighter
To take the next step and apply to become a paid on-call firefighter, you need to be aware of the commitment this entails. The following list of qualities and considerations will help you determine if this opportunity is right for you.
- I am prepared to maintain the minimum qualifications required for paid on-call firefighters.
- I respect authority and my peers and can operate within a team.
- I can respond to emergency calls at unexpected times.
- I am physically prepared to take on the physical demands of firefighting.
- I am aware of the impacts this opportunity will have on my family, and I am prepared to accept those impacts.
- I treat all people with respect, dignity and professionalism regardless of race, creed, gender or beliefs.
- I can disengage from emotional suffering, tragedy and/or loss of life to complete essential job tasks.
- I am prepared to maintain professionalism on and off duty.
- I make ethical and responsible choices and actions.
- I can follow and carry out complex oral and written instructions.
- I can and do take steps to maintain a positive attitude.
- I can motivate myself and others.
- I can work for extended periods under difficult and strenuous conditions.
- I can work from heights and in confined spaces and can maneuver with limited or no visibility.
- I am comfortable using different hand/power tools and technical equipment.
- I can work long hours under adverse weather conditions.
- I am committed to lifelong learning.