Would-Be Firefighters Flood B.C. Wildfire Service With Applications

The Canadian Press, 27 Jan, 2016 01:23 PM

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — There is no shortage of candidates to fill the estimated 200 vacant positions expected this summer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Provincial information officer Kevin Skrepnek says just under 1,500 applications were received by the Jan. 24 deadline.

He says the number is above average, exceeding applications received in 2015.

But Skrepnek notes submissions usually climb in the year following a busy fire season.

More than 1,800 blazes were recorded during what the Wildfire Service calls a "major" season in 2015, with homes lost in Rock Creek and Puntzi Lake, while total fire fighting costs topped $282-million.

Successful 2016 Wildfire Service applicants must first survive a rigorous interview and screening process before being invited to boot camps slated for Merritt in April and May.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Enbridge Boosting Security After Recent Cases Of Pipeline Sabotage

CALGARY — In a field on the outskirts of Sarnia, Ont., there's a big blue wheel surrounded by a chain-link fence.

Enbridge Boosting Security After Recent Cases Of Pipeline Sabotage

The Cash Crunch Of Commitments: Uncosted Spending Vows Lurk For Liberals

Morneau must also wrestle another major mathematical threat to Canada's bottom line: uncosted Liberal promises made during and since the election campaign.

The Cash Crunch Of Commitments: Uncosted Spending Vows Lurk For Liberals

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island Digging Out After Intense Winter Blast

HALIFAX — Crews are cleaning up Sunday after an intense winter storm dumped more than 40 centimetres of snow and ice pellets on parts of Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island Digging Out After Intense Winter Blast

Health Ministers Signal New Relations With Federal Government At Vancouver Talks

The federal government's election promises are expected to be closely examined by the country's health ministers during an annual meeting that's expected to be more co-operative than in past years.

Health Ministers Signal New Relations With Federal Government At Vancouver Talks

Robots To Drones: B.C. Puts Focus On Tech Into Hyperdrive With First-Ever Summit

VANCOUVER — Greg Caws calls home a cattle ranch in the East Kootenay community of Wardner and says he appreciates the perspective of rural British Columbia, where relatives have worked as miners and loggers.

Robots To Drones: B.C. Puts Focus On Tech Into Hyperdrive With First-Ever Summit

Feminism Missing From Consultations On Murdered Women's Inquiry: Advocates

Fay Blaney, who co-chairs the February 14th Women's Memorial March Committee said the starting point of an inquiry must be the barriers indigenous women face in Canadian society.