Applications closed on December 14, 2025

A part-time career where you can help those in need through teamwork, physical readiness and quick response can be very fulfilling. Strathcona County Emergency Services has part-time Firefighter/First Responders stationed out of Fire Station #2 in South Cooking Lake and Fire Station #3 in Ardrossan.

Please Note: Applicants must reside in the communities of South Cooking Lake or Ardrossan or in the immediate rural surrounding areas within a 12-minute drive to one of the Stations to qualify. To determine this, please click on the station below and enter your home address into Google maps.

• Station #2, South Cooking Lake 
• Station #3, Ardrossan 

Recruitment process

Emergency Services follows various steps in selecting applicants. These steps take place over a number of weeks and include the following:

• Competition opens - November 21, 2025

• Competition closed - December 14, 2025

• Aptitude test - To be scheduled

• Physical fitness test at the University of Alberta - January and February 2026

• Interview - February 2026

• Letter of offer - February 2026

• Anticipated start date - March 2026

Any applicant deemed not qualified at any stage will not proceed further in the selection process. Unsuccessful applicants are invited to reapply in any future recruitment program, but must submit a new application and proceed through the selection process once again.

Recruit training

Training is an important aspect of the job. Successful applicants will be required to attend initial recruit training. Training will be conducted on 12 consecutive weekends (one day per weekend). There will also be an additional six to 10 training days (also on a weekend) throughout the year. 

Recruit training sessions will include:

• Firefighter Safety and Survival

• Fire Behaviour and Science

• Basic Firefighting Techniques

• Structural fires

• Vehicle fires

• Wildland (grass) fires

• Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

• First Aid and CPR

During and after basic training, all members attend regular weekly training nights at their designated station. Currently, this training occurs as follows:

• Station #2, South Cooking Lake - Wednesday evenings,
  7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Station #3, Ardrossan - Thursday evenings, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Minimum qualifications and skills:

• Minimum High School Diploma or equivalent

• Current Standard First Aid with CPR and AED, or the ability to obtain and maintain

• Ability to respond to fire, medical, rescue and other emergency and non-emergency related calls 

• Mechanical aptitude, with agility and strength to perform prolonged and arduous work under adverse conditions

• Capacity to acquire and maintain new knowledge and competencies, striving to continuously develop skills

• Commitment to maintaining a high standard of physical fitness and mental well-being

• Ability to apply an understanding of: 

  • Current firefighting techniques, strategies, and tactics

  • Basic dangerous goods response procedures

  • Current pre-hospital emergency medical care at the First Responder level

  • Basic rescue procedures

Conditions of Employment

• Submission of a Satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Check 

• Valid Alberta Class 5 Driver’s license and submission of a 5 year Driver’s Abstract with less than 7 demerits

• The ability to obtain Class 3 Drivers license with Q endorsement  

• Ability to perform physical labour as part of the job duties and stand/walk for extended periods of time  

• Able to respond to call-outs that can occur on evenings or weekends to ensure response times are met 

• Commitment to and participation in continuous training

• Ability to pass all physical and medical standards as outlined in the NFPA , including a satisfactory firefighter fitness assessment and pre-employment drug and alcohol screening 
  

Part-time fire fighting service in Strathcona County

A trained part-time Firefighter/First Responder in Strathcona County is a skilled member of the community who, when called, uses modern equipment, methods and techniques to undertake a range of activities to preserve life and property. These activities will range from: 

• providing initial first response care to medical emergencies

• fire/rescue skills at the scenes of motor vehicle collisions and fires

Part-time fire crews, led by a Fire Officer, work with the full-time staff as a team, at a variety of incidents. Members are compensated at an hourly rate whenever they attend a scheduled training session or respond to an emergency.

Part-time stations in Strathcona County

• Station #2 - South Cooking Lake

• Station #3 - Ardrossan