How to become a firefighter?

    Becoming a full time firefighter isn't an easy task to accomplish, due to the amount of training required once you have been hired by a full time fire department, and competetion for the jobs available.
    I have talked to a lot of people in the industry and have concluded the prior firefighting experience is one of the greatest assets for those who have been hired on full time. So the suggestion is to join a volunteer fire department for a few years get some valuble training and experience under your belt and increase your chances of getting hired.
    I have had a few people ask me how do I get on with a volunteer fire department? well in Alberta in is very easy, some fire departments have junior firefighter programs where you can start training and responding to emergencies at the age of 16. However depending on your area, the process of getting on may  differ from that of other areas. For example, I have alway been interested in volunteering so I went to the town office and asked who I would talk to and they directed me in the right direction, and at that time the fire department was suffering on membership so they were wide open to new members. I went to 3 practices to learn and talk about policies what is expected of me and so forth. After the 3rd practice I was given a pager, which ment that I was an active member. Now three years down the road with some training and experience I am on my way into full time firefighting.