FAQs – About the Job

No. You are responsible for your own travel arrangements and costs. Most medics drive their own vehicle, take the bus or fly.

No, unless you are assigned to work specifically in Prince George the following day and you arrive on the designated travel day. We do not provide accommodations for our staff while waiting for a job to start or if you are in between jobs. All deployments start in the morning of the travel / mobilization day to your work site. For example, if you are working at Buckinghorse River Camp which is a 7.5 hour drive from Prince George, you will pick up your vehicle and supplies around 8am. You are paid from the time you pick up the vehicle and equipment. All time, meals, lodging and travel costs prior to this are the responsibility of the employee. If you live within a few hours of Prince George and your assignment is less than 4 hours from the office, arrangements can be made to pick up the ETV ( Emergency Transport Vehicle also known as MTC or Mobile Treatment Centre ) later in the day so you can drive straight from home, pick up the vehicle and head to camp. As long as your total drive time and vehicle pickup time for the day is less than 12 hours, we will do our best to make it work.

No, the only full time positions in the company are related to office, management and training. All field medic positions are casual / on call and your availability and job performance will determine how much work you get. Moving to the Prince George area will not guarantee you work due to the nature of the industries we serve but doing so will result in you being available for more assignments.

Our main clientele are in the energy industries, mainly oil and gas. We also work in forestry, mining and construction.

Our orientation is comprised of two parts, written and practical. Once you have been offered employment, HR will send you our policy and procedures, safety manual, related documents and other materials that you are required to read in advance of starting work.

Before you are mobilized to the field, you must pass an exam to cover your knowledge and demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of company policies.

You will receive forms for you to fill out that provide us with pertinent employment information for tax and payroll purposes. A copy of all of your tickets, certificates and Drivers’ License will be made for Personnel Records. We must see all of the original certificates and scanned copies you have previously sent do not count.

The practical element of our orientation involves a detailed tour of our vehicles, equipment and medical supplies along with a review of protocols and procedures, including instruction on how to fill out required field forms. You will be trained in the practical use of bear spray.

THIS IS THE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS. It can be very difficult to deal with issues once you are out in the field, if there is anything you are unsure about you must ask at this time.

If HR thinks that you would benefit from on the job training, you may be assigned to go out with an experienced medic for a day or two until we are satisfied that you are comfortable with your role and you will be successful in the field.

We may evaluate your driving skills and give you some instruction and practical experience before mobilization or we may limit your assignments to nearby sites until we are confident that you are able to handle the extreme driving conditions that are often encountered.

Most of our jobs are in Northern BC and Alberta. Depending on our client’s requirements, you could be sent anywhere in Western Canada or the Arctic depending on operational need. For long distance travel outside of the normal Prince George service area, most of our clients will pay for air transportation from a major airport like Vancouver, Calgary, Kelowna or Prince George.

The typical shifts are usually 14 days on, and 7 days off. If HR observes that a medic is starting to burn out they may transfer them out at any time, for as long as they feel is necessary. A medic may also request time off and we try to accommodate this as best we can. Each work day is usually 8 to 10 hours but could go as long as 12 hours depending on travel and operational conditions.

Yes, there is a danger component to the work and that is why we have been hired to provide medic services. The main hazard is driving and next would be a dangerous wildlife encounter. We are looking for people who are capable of dealing with high stress situations while remaining in control. At times you may be several hours into the wilderness so you need to come to work each day well rested and ready to act when necessary.

Yes. The majority of work will require you to stay at camps, where your lodging and meals are paid by the company. However, we do assignments that require medics to travel to the jobsite and back to a city or town. In this case we will have hotel or motel accommodations available. In this case, you will be given a daily allowance for meals. You will pay for your meals upfront and then claim for reimbursement up to the allowable daily limit.

Typically no. Our clients give us a certain budget for hotel rooms and that can limit where we book our employees. Different contractors get different lodging rates so we can’t guarantee that you will be staying with other members of your crew. All booking is done by the office and once a room is booked you will be staying there for the duration. Moving mid assignment will not be allowed unless there is a major problem. If you are unhappy with the accommodations, speak to the hotel operator first about your concerns. If they are not resolved, contact the office for assistance.

If we know you have a preference we will take this into consideration, the office has the responsibility of assigning medics to jobs. They make their decisions based on who is available and what our clients require. In some cases there may not be much choice and medics need to be flexible and realize that office staff are required to make quick decisions and that does not always allow for preferences.

We have other medics to call so it’s not an issue especially if you have given advanced warning that you will not be available for work. If you make a habit of continually refusing assignments then HR will put you to the bottom of the list or take you off it all together. We are looking for people who want to go to work and not those who want to pick and choose the type of assignment they get or try to fit it in with other jobs or activities.

Once you are sent to a jobsite you could stay on until that job is finished. Exceptions are if you request a change or if there are problems between you and the client’s staff or subcontractors. Other reasons may if HR feels that you need a break. Sometimes HR will initiate a move to another jobsite for other reasons such as to allowing the medic to experience different operations in the Industry. We often get requests by our clients for a specific medic to work with their crew. This usually occurs when the medic makes a good impression with the client’s supervisor.

Anywhere from 10 days to several months.

During the busy season, you will most likely be working back to back assignments with 3 to 7 days off in between. As we get into the winter months, work will become scarce as our clients projects will slow down. To ensure you keep busy, read the next question carefully.

You will be the only medic working with the crew, you may be working with a wildlife safety monitor from our company on some assignments. In this case, you will be travelling together each day and you will be expected to work together to provide the highest level of safety to the crew as possible.

Each camp is different, with some being less than expected and others that are run very well. Different camp operators provide different services and amenities such as Wi-Fi, laundry, games room, lounges with TV. Most camps have private or shared rooms and bathroom facilities are generally shared. Meals are in a cafeteria and a wide range of food is available. Typically, you will eat breakfast and dinner at the camp and you will get a choice of lunch to take to the field with you.

While it happens to some extent, great strides in improvement have been taken in this area in recent years. Most women have a very positive experience working for the Backcountry Group as we screen our employees carefully and we will not send someone out on a job if we feel there is a good chance that discrimination or sexual harassment will occur.

We also require professionalism on the part of our medics at all times. We believe that how a person portrays themselves is often how they are treated and with any complaint we always look carefully at both sides before making a decision.

Any report of discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment is taken very seriously and we follow our policy and procedures with each case. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the incident, it could result in sanctions up to and including termination for the individual found to be causing the problem.

You will need appropriate work clothes, a winter jacket, gloves, hard hat, safety glasses, reflective vest and steel toed insulated boots. A complete listing of the personal protective equipment you must supply for work is listed in the secondary screening.

A medic’s biggest challenge is driving and navigating to and from the work site each day. Driving conditions often include resource roads that are slippery with ice or mud, low visibility from blowing snow, heavy rain or fog and high winds. Many roads are gravel and are not well maintained so four wheel drive is necessary. Occasionally you may be required to use chains for traction. You will carry tow straps in case you or another vehicle in your group gets stuck.

Finding your way to the work site can be challenging as there are few landmarks in the forest and roads are often unmarked. You must follow the supervisor’s directions carefully to ensure you do not get lost. Most supervisors will keep vehicles together in a convoy, especially when in the wilderness.

We use daily check-in protocols at the beginning and end of each day but there is not always communication between the medic and the office during the day. Our client’s supervisors typically carry a satellite phone or In-Reach two way device for remote communications when you are out of cellular coverage.

Another challenge is keeping your mind engaged. Sometimes you may be sitting for days in your ETV with no action and little interaction with other people. Other times you will be walking through dense bush and difficult terrain for many kilometers to a field site where you could sit all day while others are working.

Working with other people can be challenging as well. We work with a diverse client base and you could be working with supervisors, managers, biologists, scientists, engineers, first nations monitors, wildlife safety personnel, security guards and any other type of contractor. There are a wide variety of attitudes and personalities and you must get along with everyone, regardless of how they act.

Our clients have specific policies for bullying and harassment for their contractors so you have recourse if you are not being treated right. There is a balance that needs to be found as being overly sensitive can have a negative effect as well. This is not an office environment so you could expect to hear foul language. Although this may be the case for other contractors, you have to remain professional even if you feel others are not doing the same. It is the job of the client’s supervisor to ensure that the work is being completed on time and conflicts between crew members are addressed appropriately. You should report any inappropriate behaviour by other crew members to the supervisor first and if the problem continues, you can contact HR for assistance.

Our HR staff are all experienced and are quick to recognize signs that you need a break. The length of time medics can handle out in the field varies and is not something you can easily determine except through experience.

Being away from home for weeks at a time can take its toll on some people. If you feel that this will be an issue for you, we suggest you to get a cellular plan with unlimited long distance minutes so that you can keep in contact with family and friends. There are many solutions to dealing with personal challenges at work but ultimately they cannot interfere with your medic duties. We will do our best to support you.

Your main responsibilities are first and foremost to care for the medical needs of all workers on your jobsite and secondly to maintain a positive and professional relationship with the workers and the supervisor. The character and personality of our staff is just as important to the overall success of the service our company provides as is the quality of their medic abilities.

Another important responsibility is maintaining communication with the office, so that they are kept in the loop concerning any issues or changes at your worksite. You will be required to fill out and submit forms on a daily basis. As well, you are expected to keep your ETV in immaculate condition as they are considered a medical facility. The exteriors should be kept clean, although we realize this is not always possible in the extreme weather and road conditions we experience.

The Industry had a reputation in the past for being a dangerous place to work but safe work practices have greatly reduced the numbers of injuries and deaths. Extreme life threatening scenarios are rare and most accidents occur while driving. Because of the isolated locations of most camps, you will often deal with colds, flu’s, infections and minor injuries such as sprains, blisters and cuts.