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 $21.99. 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.
Application Process
Step 1: Submit your application
Submit your application by Sept. 8, 2024, at sturgeoncounty.ca/careers. Only online applications are accepted.
Sturgeon County Emergency Services staff will review the applications and will select a pool of candidates from each station for an interview.
Step 2: Interview
We will contact you if you have been chosen for an interview. You must bring the following documents to the interview:
- Alberta drivers abstract, if not already provided
- RCMP Release of Results of Vulnerable Sector Check, if not already provided.
- List of references.
- Current copy of your resume.
- Any certificates relevant to the fire service, which you listed in your application form.
Failure to bring the above items to the interview could result in a cancellation of the interview.
Step 3: Reference checks
At this stage, Sturgeon County Emergency Services staff will contact your employer and personal references provided on your application.
Step 4: Job offer/acceptance
If selected to become a paid on-call firefighter, we will contact you with a verbal and written job offer
Step 5: Orientation
Successful applicants must attend orientation and onboarding on Oct. 5, 2024. At this time, you will be issued necessary personal protective equipment. Once complete, you will participate in a firefighter skills orientation camp.
Step 6: Probation
Paid on-call firefighters are considered probationary employees for 90 days, between Oct. 5, 2024 and Jan. 2, 2025.
During this time, you are expected to attend at least 60 per cent of all weekly training nights for your station and 30 per cent of emergency calls for your station.
- Calahoo and Redwater train weekly on Monday night.
- Bon Accord and Legal train weekly on Tuesday night.
- Namao trains weekly on Wednesday night.
Step 7: NFPA 1001 Level I course
For recruits who are not yet qualified to the NFPA 1001 Level I standard, you will start the course in January 2025.
This is a six-month course, running until June. It is conducted on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and on some weekends. You are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Failure to successfully complete this course could lead to dismissal from the fire department.