Recruitment
In Algoma you will experience a world of emergency medical services where the serenity and beauty of Nothern Ontario collide with the exhilaration of emergency prehospital care. Please feel free to browse our website and contact us if you have any questions about our service. Algoma District Paramedic Services welcomes inquiries and applications from Primary Care Paramedics who are interested in working in our jurisdiction. We offer both full-time and part-time employment as well as casual opportunities for Primary Care Paramedics.
Unsolicited Applications:
We welcome your application even if we do not have a current vacancy. Applicants should submit a cover letter stating the type of employment sought (full time, part-time or casual) and the desired base location(s) (in order of preference) along with an up-to-date résumé. Please note that the preferred method of communication is via e-mail to: hrdepartment@adsab.on.ca.
All applications are handled with strict confidentiality and are retained for a period of six (6) months from the date of receipt.
Application Packages
If you wish to apply for a specific external posting listed above, you must submit a complete application package as outlined below. Please ensure that all copies are clear and legible.
- a completed A-EMCA Application Checklist (see below)
- a current résumé and cover letter identifying the position(s) for which you are applying
- a summary of your expected availability, if applying for part-time or casual position(s)
- A-EMCA or EMCA Certificate
- College Paramedic Diploma (or Ambulance & Emergency Care), if applicable
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent
- statement of your Base Hospital Certification Status for the controlled acts of Symptom Relief (SR) and Semi-Automatic External Defibrillator (S-AED); proof of current certification, if applicable
- Valid “F” Class driver’s license (front and back)
- A driver’s record abstract obtained from your local MTO office within the last 3 months
- A criminal record search obtained from your local police service within the last 3 months
- A valid CPR Certificate (Basic Rescuer / Level C) issued within the last 12 months
- Detailed history of MOH<C Core Training (if requested)
- Proof of immunizations/immune status: Tetanus/Diphtheria/Poliomyelitis (vaccination within 10 years); Measles/Mumps/Rubella; Varicella Zoster (vaccination, or titre verifying immunity, or certificate from a Physician verifying previous Chicken Pox infection); Hepatitis B (full course of vaccination, or titre verifying immunity); Hepatits B booster (if original vaccination was administered >10 yrs. ago)
Forms
Contact
Shannon Gaynor, Manager of Human Resources, Ext. 253
F: (705) 842-3747
E: hrdepartment@adsab.on.ca
Human Resources Department
1 Collver Road,
Thessalon, Ontario
P0R 1L0
(705) 842-3370
What’s Next: The Selection and Hiring Process
For information on our Selection and Hiring processes, including: applicant screening, skills testing, interviewing and physical capacity testing see below.
Advanced Emergency Medical Care Attendant (A-EMCA) Training
Go to the following website for the most current information regarding what is required to become a paramedic, links to colleges/schools that offer approved A-EMCA training programs as well as information regarding the A-EMCA provincial examination:
Equivalency Process for Out-of-Province/Country Paramedics
Go to the following website for the most current information regarding what is required for out-of-province/country trained paramedics to be eligible for employment in Ontario:
Notes Regarding Selection Process:
Our Human Resources Department will endeavour to schedule candidates to attend the Pre-employment Evaluation, Employment Interview and Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics in the same day; however, this may not always be feasible.
Successful completion of these components of the selection process does not guarantee an offer of employment. Several candidates may be evaluated with respect to a specific external posting and employment will be offered to the qualified candidate who best meets the service’s staffing needs.
Selection Process
The selection process for the hiring of Advanced Emergency Medical Care Assistants (A-EMCAs), for any position, involves the following steps:
- review of application packages for completeness (see main recruitment page for requirements)
- shortlisting of applicants based on qualifications, experience, suitability and availability, in relation to current staffing needs
- Pre-employment Evaluation with Algoma District Paramedic Services Supervisor at Head Office, Thessalon
- Employment Interview with Human Resources Department at Head Office, Thessalon
- Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics with Back in Motion Physiotherapy, Sault Ste. Marie (Candidates are responsible for the $150.00 fee for this testing.)
- Reference checks by Human Resources Department
- Identification of suitable candidates to be recommended for hiring
Pre-employment Evaluation
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted and invited to attend a Pre-employment Evaluation. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether a candidate can demonstrate the following:
- appropriate patient assessment and treatment through completion of multiple orally simulated clinical evaluations;
- knowledge and ability with several pieces of patient care equipment consistent with the standards outlined in the MOH<C Patient Care Equipment Manual
Algoma District Paramedic Services Supervisor responsible for Quality Assurance and Staff Development conducts individual Pre-employment Evaluations at our Head Office location. Candidates are advised to review patient care and equipment standards in preparation for this evaluation.
Candidates who successfully complete the Pre-employment Evaluation will advance to the next stage in our recruitment process, the employment interview.
Employment Interview
The Employment Interview is conducted by a Human Resources Administrator.
Candidates who successfully complete the Employment Interview will advance to the next stage in our recruitment process, Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics.
Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics
Due to the high physical demands and potential hazards associated with work as a Paramedic, it is necessary to evaluate the physical capacity of candidates to ensure that they are capable of performing this type of work without undue risk of injury to themselves, patients, or their coworkers.
Physical Capacity Testing for Algoma District Paramedic ServicesParamedic candidates is performed by Back in Motion Physiotherapy, located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Candidates are responsible for paying a fee of $150.00 to Back in Motion Physiotherapy prior to the administration of this test. This fee is non-refundable and non-reimbursable and is payable by cash, credit card, or debit card. Candidates must consent to the release of their Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics results to the Algoma District Services Administration Board if they wish to be considered for employment.
The Physical Capacity Testing for Paramedics is approximately one hour in length and requires the candidate to successfully complete the following:
- informed consent form and Par-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire)
- baseline physiological measurements: acceptable resting heart rate and blood pressure
- visual acuity, hearing screening, and pulmonary function tests to required levels
- musculoskeletal screening test: range of motion, sensory discrimination, power and joint stability to required levels
- aerobic capacity testing of step mill to VERY HEAVY level (10 METS), 5 minutes, within 85% of age predicted maximum heart rate
- lifting test: torso lift 110 lbs; leg lift 135 lbs; power lift 145 lbs; shoulder lift 75 lbs; overhead lift 75 lbs; frequent power lift 75 lbs (heart rate <85% age predicted maximum)
Hiring Candidates:
A candidate who has successfully completed or satisfied all steps of the selection process and who has been identified as the successful candidate to an external posting will be issued a written conditional offer of employment. All offers of employment for Paramedic positions are conditional upon the candidate meeting and maintaining all employability requirements prescribed by the Ambulance Act, including acquiring Sault Area Hospital – Base Hospital Program certification for Symptom Relief and Semi-Automatic External Defibrillation.
Application packages will be kept on file for a period of one year following the completion of the selection process for candidates who successfully completed the process and have been identified as suitable candidates, but to whom an offer of employment has not been made. This period may be extended with the agreement of the Director of Human Resources and the candidate. In such circumstances, the candidate may be required to complete all or certain aspects of the selection process if he/she is to be considered for a future vacancy. Protection of candidates’ private information shall be in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Newly hired full-time Paramedics must serve a probationary period of six months. Part-time and casual Paramedics must serve a probationary period of 130 shifts.