Kirkland Lake Fire Services is looking for a couple of good people to become full-time firefighters.
To test the mettle of prospective recruits, a training session was held on June 6.
In an interview with the Northern News, Kirkland Lake Fire Chief Earl Grigg said, “Today we are hosting our first recruiting class for our two new hires for the Kirkland Lake Fire Service.”
According to chief, the department received 134 applications from across the country. That number was whittled down to 21 candidates who were invited to come up and participate in the testing.
“It is a great number to have, and we are trying to get the best of the best to take the spots,” Grigg said. “We have had applicants from the Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia apply.
“We are looking to promote Kirkland Lake and to show people we have a lot to offer. It is a beautiful place to live and we are trying to promote the town.”
The recruitment process involved the applicants taking a written exam in the morning, followed by the physical/agility testing. Once that process is completed, the numbers again will be cut down and the ones who survive the cut will be brought back for interviews.
One of the candidates who went through the testing was Tim Vennstra, from Barrie. Speaking with the Northern News after finishing the physical test, he explained why he applied for the position.
“I think it is just giving back to the community,” Vennstra said. “I really like doing that and helping people out. Hopefully, I can impress the chief and move forward in the recruitment.”
Vennstra currently serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Township of Springwater and while he stated there are similarities in the training he has received with that department, these tests were tougher.
These two firefighter positions were negotiated into the new collective agreement with the union, designed to add two more members to the service.