Treat it like you were taught in school! Verbalized everything from the way you raise the ladder “sliding on the beam” to making sure you’re clear of overhead obstructions or hazards. When it comes to climbing the ladder to vent the roof make sure you ask if it’s safe to do so, then sound the roof as you climb each rung. Ensure 3 points of contact at all times when climbing the ladder. For cutting the hole, I was always taught you want to make sure you’re cutting in the proper order. Away side first (top down), then top side (far to close), close side to you (top down), ending with bottom side (far to close). The hole has to be within the square marked on the prop, if it’s smaller you can recut but if it’s larger it’s a fail. It’s been a while since I did the skills test, but that’s what I remember from when we had to do it and what I was taught!

When I did it there was a snowstorm, so they allowed for an attachment on the ladder to not slip. But from what I recall you need to keep contact with the ladder at all times I.e feet on the rungs. No need to think about a leg lock here because the ladder is flush to the roof

@Rob Maxwell yea normally they give a date to have all the testing completed by. If I recall correctly from the posting until the testing has to be done is normally about 6-8 weeks. But the test dates can fill up fast, so definitely keep your eye on the job boards! I always found it better to sign up as soon as possible, that way I could make sure my schedule leading up allowed me to study and prep for the physical testing. Have you ever done the CPAT before?

@Rob Maxwell exactly! When you go to apply they’ll have a list of what you need to bring to your FSO testing (usually cover letter, resume, copy of your NFPA 1001, copy of your DZ etc.). Then you’ll take all your testing in one day, and that will get submitted along with your other documents to the department! There’s some great info on the FSO website for how to train and prep for CPAT, but you can also find a ton of videos of it online! If you’ve got any other questions feel free to ask!

I used Firerecruitment for mine! It gave a pretty solid update for my first applications to departments. I did find that as I applied to more departments I made changes and tweaked it to really showcase skills that different departments put an emphasis on.

Hey @Jordan Ford, I interviewed once for Welland about 2 years ago now. Only made it through first round interviews, but they were pretty similar to others I’d had in the past. The interview was full of the typical questions where your answers are based on your previous job experiences. Hope that helps a bit!