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Insider info shared at Firefighter Career Expo

Packed into a classroom at the Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI), potential firefighter candidates received expert advice on what to expect during the hiring process and how to succeed.

Presenters included Richard Boyes, executive director of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, who spoke to the group about Candidate Testing Service (CTS) – a standardized and streamlined candidate testing process for career firefighters that was introduced in April.

“It was excellent,” Boyes said. “They were asking lots of questions.”

Peter Gatto, deputy fire chief for Brampton Fire and Emergency Services – which is recruiting career firefighters – also presented at the expo and encouraged the participants to connect with him by phone or email.

“Ask us questions. Ask us about your resumes, or the application process, or about sports; it really doesn’t matter,” Gatto said.

Other presenters included Isagenix International’s Tonya Rumas, who spoke about nutrition and athlete wellness; Chris Bedwell, president of Test Ready Inc., who provided test-writing tips; Jason Loyd, training manager with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, on online classroom training for firefighters; and expo organizer and firefighter Kory Pearn, author of the book The Complete Guide To Becoming A Firefighter.

David Siebring, who flew in from Kelowna, B.C., to attend the career expo, said the information he gathered made him more optimistic about the recruitment process.

“I’ll definitely be changing some things updating some things,” said Siebring. “I’m really excited and really happy I came.”

Learn more about Firefighter Career Expo

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