Career & volunteer firefighters
There are opportunities to fight fires and educate the public on fire safety as a career or volunteer firefighter with the Kelowna Fire Department.
The recruitment and hiring of career firefighters is handled through an eligibility list selected after a rigorous recruitment process. These candidates are placed in positions that become available for a specific period.
Paid-on-call (volunteer) firefighters work out of three fire halls in Kelowna. After receiving extensive training, each volunteer is issued a pager and asked to respond to their assigned fire hall or directly to an emergency scene when the pager is activated.
Paid-on-call firefighters may be asked to respond to a variety of emergency calls, including structure fires, and occasionally participate in public education events.
The Kelowna Fire Department offers a stipend for paid on-call firefighters based on their attendance to calls and practices.
Required qualifications
- Be a minimum of 19 years of age
- Be able to meet the NFPA medical standards
- Any medical condition that would render an individual's vision unsafe for the position of firefighter or commercial driver would exclude the individual from the position regardless of visual acuity score. The individual must have colour and peripheral vision safe for the duties of a firefighter.
- Possess a valid Class 5 BC driver's license without restrictions and a have a good driving record – driver's abstract required. More than six points in the last three years is considered excessive
- Have high school graduation or equivalent
- Consent to a criminal records check
- Be able to perform duties in a manner that upholds the high degree of public trust that the position holds
Preferred qualifications
- A Class 3 Driver's License with an air brake endorsement
- First aid training
- Building construction or trade background
- Fire-related courses or work history
- Be available during the day
Stay notified of opportunities to become a paid-on-call member of the Kelowna Fire Department by visiting our Career/job opportunities page. We also post newspaper ads. Applications and resumes will only be taken at this time.
To get hired as a paid-on-call member, you must:
- Pass a physical job performance assessment
- Participate in an interview
- Pass a medical examination, which includes minimum visual and hearing requirements
- Successfully complete the fire service training program
- Live or work within a three-kilometre response zone of the following locations:
- Hall 7: 3275 Gulley Road
- Hall 8: 550 Valley Road North
- Hall 9: 2186 Bennett Road
The Kelowna Fire Department is entrusted to protect the community we proudly serve. As a paid-on-call firefighter, you'll play an important role in providing a timely response to emergency situations, so we'll invest a great deal in your hiring, training and personal protective equipment. We also set service and participation standards for our paid-on-call members. You'll be required to:
- Participate in an eight-week training program that runs three days a week on evenings. During the course, you'll be evaluated and expected to meet minimum performance standards. The training usually takes place Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, but it sometimes may be necessary to train on a Saturday or Sunday.
- Earn your drivers license Class 3 with air brake endorsement
- Attend weekly practice nights at your assigned hall once you’re cleared to do so. You must log at least 56 hours of training on your practice nights per year. Practice nights are held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays in Halls 7, 8 and 9.
- Successfully complete a nine-month probationary period after completing your training program
- Respond to a minimum of 20 per cent of your emergency call-outs on an annual basis
- Maintain an acceptable driving record and good community standing during the course of your employment
- Refrain from engaging in any behaviour that might reflect poorly upon the Kelowna Fire Department or the City of Kelowna
