Employment

Forest Fire Crew How do you become a forest fire fighter for Boulder Mountain?

Physical fitness, stamina, outdoor experience and a positive attitude are the qualities we value most.

Physical Fitness

The minimum requirement for fitness is the ‘Arduous’ pack test. You must be able to carry a 45 pound pack for three miles under 45 minutes.

Note: In our experience, candidates who have difficulty finishing this test well under 45 minutes often don’t have the fitness level for the work we do. We strongly advise candidates to train carrying weighted packs well before the fitness test.

Stamina

The fire season is often long and difficult. We commonly work 12 hours a day, 14 days in a row. We routinely work on steep, rocky ground with a long (uphill) approach. We value firefighters who can work hard day after day and still have a sense of humour.

Outdoor Experience

Our best firefighters in past years spent their free time playing or working in the outdoors. These people own most of the gear we consider important:

Quality boots
Wool clothing
Good sleeping bag and mattress
Compass

Even more important, these folks have experienced bad weather, difficult trails, darkness, camp life, isolation, exhaustion and sore feet. They already know what to expect working outdoors and living in camp.

Positive Attitude

We value candidates with the following attributes:

Safety minded (looks out for self and others)
Initiative (looks for things to do)
Hard working (sets an example for others)
Sense of humour
Helpful (pitching-in if others are working)
Open to learning

The application for 2013 fire season has now closed.

Unfortunately, there are more people interested in joining the ranks than positions available. To stand out, stress in your resume the attributes we value and give examples.