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The Penticton Fire Department is trying out a new hiring process to fill their upcoming vacancy, aiming to make sure new additions are a good fit.
Four candidates are in the running to fill a new spot with the department, following Cpt. Ken Younghusband’s imminent retirement. Fire chief Larry Watkinson said the candidates will be going on ride-alongs with existing fire crew members this week, ahead of their formal interviews.
“It’s a new element to our hiring practice,” Watkinson said. “It’s not unheard of in B.C., but it’s new to the Penticton Fire Department.”
He said the process is intended to engage current firefighters in the process of selecting new crew members, as well as demonstrate to the public that the department is doing its due diligence in hiring candidates that fit well with the needs of this community.
“Who better to say how well they fit than those who are currently doing the job today?” Watkinson said.
Watkinson and others involved in the hiring will receive reports about the ride-alongs ahead of the interview process and will be taking those findings into account when they make a decision.
The new hire will be announced in the coming weeks.
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