Ten New Firefighters Now Ready to Serve Saskatoon & Area Residents

The City now has ten new firefighters ready to provide emergency rescue, medical and firefighting service to our community.  The Saskatoon Fire Department today graduated ten firefighters who will now begin their careers with the fire service.

“Today we celebrate the accomplishment of each one of these individuals,” says Fire Chief Morgan Hackl.  “They’ve been through a rigorous process and this public recognition is an appropriate celebration of their tremendous achievement. We welcome them to our fire family.”

In addition to being firefighters, the graduates are also Primary Care Paramedics. Saskatoon Fire Department ensures that every fire crew has members who are firefighter/paramedics. In 2016, the Saskatoon Fire Department responded to 12,286 incidents. Of those, 5,573 were life-threatening medical emergencies.

Hackl says the graduation also demonstrates a move toward enhanced front-line emergency care and the investment City Council continues to make for emergency services.

“The Fire Department’s ability to help visitors and residents of Saskatoon in a wide variety of emergencies makes our department a unique and fulfilling place to work.  It also makes our city a great place to live.”
-30-

Backgrounder

• The new firefighters graduated from a fire college recognized by the Saskatoon Fire Department.
• All are licenced Primary Care Paramedics by the Saskatchewan College of Paramedics.
• At Fire College, each of the new firefighters completed basic training in firefighting, technical rescue, hazardous material mitigation and fire inspections.
• The Saskatoon Fire Department received 99 applications; 48 applicants had every requirement, including proof of a fitness test to confirm they are capable of such a physically demanding job; 31 of the qualified applicants were selected for an initial interview and 24 were invited to an eight-hour ride-along at a fire station.
• The candidates underwent a second interview which narrowed the search to the ten recruits. Candidates still had to successfully complete a medical, vision and hearing test as a well as undergo a Criminal Record Check.  The recruits began their orientation with the department January 16, 2017.
• Throughout their careers, firefighters have opportunities to receive further technical training if they join the Saskatoon Fire Department dangerous goods team or technical rescue team which includes: water, dive, night dive and ice rescue; low and high angle rescue; confined space rescue and trench rescue.