Carol retired from Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) in 2021 after a successful 21-year career. She spent her first 12 years as a frontline Suppression Firefighter, 1 year as Lieutenant of the Fire Life Safety Education Division and then promoted to the rank of Captain Recruitment & Outreach for her remaining 8 years. Carol was also the first female ever to be promoted to an Officer in VFRS history.
In her role as Captain of Recruitment & Outreach, Carol led a team of Lieutenant’s and support staff in successfully developing and delivering all Outreach initiatives and events, as well as coordinating and running all the various steps in the hiring process.
Prior to her position in Recruitment & Outreach Carol honed her skills in several disciplines available in a large metropolitan Fire Department. Including but not limited to, positions as a Fire Boat Operator, First Responder Instructor, Critical Incident Stress Management team member and Fire Safety House/Extinguisher Instructor.
Through her many years in the Recruitment & Outreach leadership role Carol has attained a vast array of experiences and expertise in Candidate Interviews, FF Physical Skills Assessments, administration and delivery of multiple written Exams, Application-Resume Screening for thousands of Candidates as well as developing and delivering VFRS’s Ride-Along program in addition to managing the Health & Medical Screening.
In addition to her firsthand practical experience, Carol has continued to develop her skills, knowledge and abilities through ongoing education and professional development in Behavioral Based Interviews, HR Fundamentals, and various Leadership/Inclusivity & Diversity courses.
Carol’s background prior to a career in the Fire Service was as a Child & Youth Care Counselor, Special Education Assistant, Realtor, Tour Bus Operator and most importantly is a Mother and Wife.
In summary, Carol’s true passion and gratification is supporting Candidates in achieving their dream job every step of the way.
What People Say
“Starting your journey to become a Firefighter can be very daunting. It’s a long journey and can be difficult to navigate. I felt I needed some guidance and am so grateful to have found Carol. She has helped me through every step of the process, from my resume, to interviews, to ride alongs and everything in between. With a wealth of knowledge and experience in this very specific area, Carol knows what she is doing. She will help build your confidence and fill in all the gaps with a direct approach. Considering her professional background, there is no one more qualified to help get you hired. But where Carol shines even further, is how much she really cares. She has gone above and beyond for me and I now consider her a friend. I would highly recommend anyone trying to pursue their dream job to use Carol and her expertise.”
– GF, hired North Vancouver District Spring 2024
“Carol has been supportive of me from the day I met her. I was extremely new to the application process and didn’t know where to start. On multiple occasions I found myself reaching out to Carol looking for guidance, and she was always able to fit me into her busy schedule. When working with Carol you can feel her passion and her sense of drive to push you towards success. Her background is extremely resourceful, as she has a extreme welth of knowledge towards the recruitment process. I found this extremely helpful when we began our interview practice. She quickly taught me many tricks that made me feel comfortable and confident in myself to walk into a interview. I truly believe if you are someone who is looking to join the fire service Carol is the best person to help you achieve your goal. She is someone I will always look up to, and seek advise throughout my career in the Fire Service.”
–New Westminster FD Probationary Fire Fighter 2024
“Capt. Carol Messenger is an experienced, respected and very knowledgeable professional who works tirelessly in her pursuit of helping others who are aspiring to become a career firefighter. With her many years of service and her ability to connect to all ages, I’m happy to hear that she is available for consults and presentations to assist others in their pursuit of becoming a career firefighter.”
– Dave, Program Director, JIBC Fire & Safety Division
“Working with Carol was a game-changer in my journey to becoming a Firefighter. Her insight, personalized feedback, and unwavering support helped me feel confident, prepared, and focused heading into my interviews. From running mock interview sessions to refining my communication style and pinpointing key experiences to highlight, Carol knew exactly how to help me stand out. Thanks to her guidance, I secured a position quickly – and I have no doubt that her coaching played a pivotal role in that success.”
–Jenn Quehl, July 2025
“Carol was absolutely phenomenal to work alongside. She has a very clear passion to help others achieve their goals of working in the Fire Service. Carol was very friendly, always offering the best possible advice and mentorship which allowed me to gain the confidence necessary to participate in the hiring process. I would highly recommend any applicant to utilize the experience Carol has to offer with any step of a process that they may feel they need assistance with. “
– Bradon, new VFRS Recruit 2024
“I highly recommend Carol for her exceptional guidance and support during my Vancouver Fire recruitment journey. Her expertise made the extremely intimidating hiring process manageable by providing me with transparency on what to expect throughout every step and how to properly prepare for each, while ensuring that also I remained true to myself throughout the whole process. Despite short notice, she dedicated herself to guiding me through the recruitment process, demonstrating unwavering enthusiasm and responsiveness to all my inquiries and comments. What truly distinguishes her is her profound understanding of and extensive experience with VFRS, providing invaluable insights that were instrumental to my success. With Carol’s assistance, I navigated the process confidently and was lucky enough to receive a job offer at the end of it. Thank you Carol for your invaluable contribution to my achievement, I truly couldn’t have done this without you!”
-Elishah, new VFRS Recruit 2024
“Working with Carol was a fantastic experience and I am super grateful for our time together. I reached out to Carol as I had never been through a career firefighting process before, and she was there to answer my questions and guide me through each step. I was definitely nervous for my first ever panel interview, but after a couple of sessions with Carol, her feedback made me confident that I would have success. Carol’s proactive approach and guidance ultimately led me to getting hired in my dream job, and I cannot thank her enough. For anyone going through a recruitment process, I highly recommend working with Carol.”
– Thomas, new VFRS Recruit, 2023
“Carol is a caring, authentic and integral individual. I have known Carol as a friend and colleague for over 7 years.”
– Kiran, VFRS Deputy Chief
“Upon first contact, Carol was, and still is, very friendly and warm and asked me specifically what I was looking for and what I needed help with. Carol took the time to review an application and my resume and suggested changes that were very insightful and professional. She has been a huge help in my career search to become a full time firefighter and has given me confidence in my applications. Carol is incredibly knowledgeable in what she does and she genuinely cares and takes the time to ensure she is giving the best information and advice possible. I would highly recommend Carol and her services to anyone looking for help in their current or future job applications.”
– Tristan, new VFRS Probationer, 2022
“I had the privilege of working with Capt. Carol Messenger (Ret) through Interview Preparation as well as Physical Assessment training. Her insight was extremely valuable and gave me the confidence to go into the different stages of testing feeling very well prepared. It is clear that she has extensive experience in the Fire Service. I consider her a role model and I look forward to continue learning from Carol as I work through my career as a Firefighter. Thank you for all of your help!”
– Esmee, 2022
Carol is the definition of a great coach. She was helpful and available 24/7 to answer any questions and offer guidance. I received help with my resume and mainly my interviewing skills. Prior to Carol’s interview prep I bombed a big interview, after having her mould me into a great interviewee I felt confident and prepared. The next interview I took I passed, which has lead me to the final stages in a hiring process! She has been there every step of the way providing positive feedback and constructive criticism when needed. She plays a big part in my success as an applicant. 10/10 I highly recommend Carol to others!”
– Justin, new VFRS Probationer, 2022
“Hey Carol, I just wanted to get in touch to say thank you for your assistance in my interview success and getting a full time spot here in Squamish. After our session I felt well prepared and equipped to take on my interview. Our discussion definitely helped me identify my positive attributes, skills and experiences and communicate them in a well laid out manner when questioned. I am coming up on three months since my contract start date and it has been awesome. Like they say, best job ever! Thank you for your knowledge sharing and being a positive contribution in my FF journey.” Kind regards,
–Noel Bolso, April 2025
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