News Release

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency

18 New Firefighters Hired

(Monday, May 14, 2007) – After completing a long and stringent recruitment process in 2006, today Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency hired eighteen firefighters. This new group is made up of thirteen females and five males, and signifies the single largest female hiring in the history of Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency.

In the spring of 2005, a committee comprised of current female firefighters and other HRM representatives developed and promoted the successful initiative. Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency female firefighters and representatives of management organized community meetings to present the entrance requirements and job responsibilities. The response was overwhelming.

This latest diversity recruitment program, launched in May 2005, drew 242 female candidates to write a general aptitude test. 124 proceeded to the Candidate Physical Abilities Test, and 29 successfully completed this fitness test, as well as a confined space test and ladder climb. This intense process is exactly the same for both males and females.

Since 1996, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency has made efforts to support a diverse workforce by attracting under-represented groups to the Fire Service. Those efforts included a successful African Canadian recruitment conducted in 2003, which resulted in hiring 14 new firefighters.

Acting Chief Director Bill Mosher said “Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency wants to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our community, and is pleased with the large number of high caliber female and male candidates.

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Acting Chief Director Bill Mosher
Director, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency
(902) 490-4239