Hundreds expected to apply for Halifax firefighting jobs

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency says it expects to get more than 1,000 applications in its current recruitment process.

Roughly 100 people attended a Dartmouth information session on Saturday as another 185 people attended an earlier session in Cole Harbour, Executive Fire Officer Phil McNulty said.

The fire service is hiring at least 16 new recruits immediately. However, a motion at council could push that number to 68 new recruits, McNulty said.  Councillor Steve Craig’s motion to hire the additional firefighters will be debated at a meeting on Jan. 19.

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The fire service says its trying to hire more people from minority groups.

“I’m seeing a lot of people that don’t look like me, that’s good,” McNulty said. “We want as many people to apply for this position so we can end up with a service that looks like the community.”

The application deadline for the fire service in Jan. 30.