About Us
The City of Merritt is located in the interior of British Columbia, only 2 hours from Vancouver and an hour from Kelowna. Merritt supports a diverse economic base, from agriculture to manufacturing and offers numerous recreational and tourist-based opportunities.
For over 100 years the Merritt Fire Rescue Department has protected the Citizens of Merritt and the Nicola Valley. The Merritt Fire Rescue Department is a progressive department consisting of 25 paid-on-call firefighters led by two career officers.
The MFRD is also home to the Fire Service Work Experience Program. The program was developed in response to the department’s decreasing ability to provide service as the demand for service increased; with the most notable demand being the ability to provide response during daytime working hours.
WEP attracts candidates from the many Fire Academies / Colleges from across Canada. Successful candidates arrive certified to the National Fire Protection Association’s 1001 Firefighter Standard. Many bring previous firefighting experience from their volunteer firefighting backgrounds.
During working hours WEP firefighters assist career staff by conducting public fire safety education, perform maintenance level fire safety inspections and conduct station and equipment maintenance. The Work Experience Program bridges the gap between the career and volunteer fire services, offering the Citizens of Merritt a higher level of service. Most WEP firefighters are hired from the Program to Career Fire Departments.
WEP firefighters live at the fire station, supplementing the response of the City’s volunteer (paid-on-call) firefighters.
