Careers
Conservation Officer, Field Operations
The requirements outlined below are dynamic and subject to amendment, without notification on this website, as a result of changes in organizational requirements. This page was last modified November 2008.
Preferred Education
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Hunter Compliance Check |
A university degree or technical diploma from a recognized post-secondary program in natural resources law enforcement or renewable resources management (e.g. fisheries, wildlife, forestry, environmental sciences). Applicants with a degree require a minimum of 12 months preferred work experience while applicants with a diploma require a minimum of 24 months.
Preferred Work Experience
Work experience in the field of natural resources law enforcement conducting:
- inspections to monitor compliance with statutes, regulations and standards;
- investigations of non-compliance with statutes, regulations and standards; and
- enforcement actions (e.g. issuance of tickets, recommendations for charges and/or administrative penalties or sanctions).
Minimum Education
A university degree or technical diploma from a recognized post-secondary program in law, justice or criminology. Applicants with a degree require a minimum of 12 months preferred and/or minimum work experience while applicants with a diploma require a minimum of 24 months.
Minimum Work Experience
Work experience with a municipal, provincial or federal agency conducting:
- inspections to monitor compliance with statutes, regulations and standards;
- investigations of non-compliance with statutes, regulations and standards; and
- enforcement actions (e.g. issuance of tickets, recommendations for charges and/or administrative penalties or sanctions).
Candidates with a Grade 12 diploma may also be considered if they have a minimum of 48 months preferred work experience (as defined above).
Note: For a competition that advertizes both preferred and minimum qualifications (as outlined above), a selection panel may restrict the short-list to those applicants who satisfy the preferred criteria only.
Physical Fitness
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Control Tactics Training |
As a pre-requisite to employment, candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of fitness by successfully completing the Physical Abilities Test for Conservation Officers (PATCO). The PATCO is comprised of three separate tests designed to assess a candidate’s ability against the minimum standard in: aerobic/anaerobic fitness; whole body muscular strength; and balance, agility, and flexibility. Based on a comprehensive task analysis, the test battery provides a reasonable indication of an individual’s ability to perform a conservation officer’s physically demanding job duties.
Additionally, successful candidates must pass a pre-placement medical exam before an offer of employment can be confirmed.
Security Screening
In its evaluation of prospective conservation officers, the COS must be sensitive to:
- the public trust vested in the position, including the value of discretion in the effective and judicious exercise of an officer’s authorities;
- those aspects of the job that pose significant personal risk to employees and the public; and
- the risk of personal and corporate criminal and civil liability.
To establish evidence of good character and sound judgement, a competition's highest ranked applicants must submit to pre-employment security screening which includes:
- submission of a driver’s abstract for the previous 5 years;
- a level 4 police records check;
- fingerprinting for the purpose of a certified criminal records check;
- a security interview;
- a detailed background investigation; and
- a psychological assessment.
While the process may cause some candidates a certain degree of anxiety, we are not looking for individuals with a perfect record. To build on our history of service and protection, we recruit men and women who embody our key values of integrity, service, accountability, impartiality and respect. If you are interested in learning more about the security screening process, please review the following documents:
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Member of Conservation Officer Service Ceremonial Unit |
Licenses / Certifications
The following are conditions that must be met prior to employment:
- Valid Class 5 Driver's Licence without restrictions or contraventions
- Valid Occupational First Aid (OFA) Level 1 or equivalent
Other Requirements
Before an offer of employment is made, successful applicants must agree to, and once hired, meet the terms and conditions of the Conservation Officer Service Willingness Statement and Standards of Personal Deportment Agreement.
Job Descriptions
Post-Secondary Education
The following is a sample of Canadian post-secondary institutions that offer specialized training in natural resources law enforcement:
- Malaspina-University College, Nanaimo, BC
- Lethbridge Community College, Lethbridge, AB
- Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Prince Albert, SK
- Fleming College, Lindsay, ON
The above list does not represent an endorsement by the COS as many other institutions offer acceptable training in renewable resource management and other relevant fields of study. If you would like to inquire about the applicability of a post-secondary program to the position of conservation officer, please email the Conservation Officer Service at: Conservation.Officer.Service@gov.bc.ca.
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Conservation Officer Service 
