General Information
Our career guide provides a summary of key components of the Operations Firefighter position, the eligibility criteria and the requirements to be met at each of the Steps of the Recruitment and Selection Process.

The City of Toronto has established an online application process for all employment opportunities including application for the Toronto Fire Services Operations Firefighter position. Applications for this position are only available during an active Operations Firefighter Hiring Campaign.

To apply and proceed through the recruitment and selection process candidates must have and maintain an active e-mail address. It is the candidates’ responsibility to provide and maintain current contact information in their online application. All correspondence to candidates will be via e-mail.

The current starting salary for Operations Firefighter is $52,756.

• 2012 Operations Firefighter Recruitment Campaign
  (updated March 20, 2013)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The Ontario Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Program is designed to effectively prepare potential firefighters for entry into Ontario's Fire Service. This three-semester Community College Certificate Program is the result of a partnership between the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC), the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (Community Colleges) and partnering fire departments.

Note that preference will be given to candidates who have successfully completed one of the following:

1. OFM/OAFC Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Program Certificate
2. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001: Firefighter I & II Certification
3. Ontario Firefighter Certification (OFM)
4. Full-time Structural Firefighter experience

Applicants from any of the above four categories will be required to participate in a General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination to confirm that they possess the knowledge expected of candidates with the defined enhanced qualifications. This written examination will be based on information from the following reference textbooks: "Firefighter's Handbook," Delmar, 2nd Edition; "Essentials of Fire Fighting," IFSTA, 4th or 5th Edition; "Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills," Jones and Bartlett, 2nd Edition.

Toronto Fire Services recognizes that the training of recruits is of significant cost to the City. Therefore, it is expected that new recruits / firefighters will commit to employment with the City of Toronto for a minimum of five (5) years after they are trained. Any firefighter who voluntarily terminates employment with Toronto Fire Services prior to completing five (5) years of service will reimburse the City in the amount of $16,000.00, the cost of training. This is in accordance with the Collective Agreement between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, Local 3888. In the recovery schedule, the amount will be reduced based on the length of service the firefighter completes prior to voluntarily terminating employment. The amount of reimbursement shall be considered an amount to which the firefighter is indebted to the City.

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Operations Firefighter Career Guide

• Event Calendar
• Join Our Team
• The Firefighter's job
• Getting Started
• Eligibility Criteria and Qualifications
• How to use the on-line application (PDF)
• Recruitment and Selection:
  • Step 1 - Career Information Sessions
  • Step 2 - Application Form
  • Step 3 - Written Aptitude Test
  • Step 4 - General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination
  • Step 5 - Application Review
  • Step 6 - Hiring Pool
  • Step 7 - Interview
  • Step 8 - Conditional Job Offer
• Firefighter Screening Services

Information contained in this Career Guide is subject to change without notice.

If you want to print this document, download a copy of the TFS Operations Firefighter Career Guide (PDF).
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Join Our Team
If you are committed to helping people, work well with others, enjoy learning and are physically fit, you may be an ideal candidate for a career with Toronto Fire Services.

Committed to employment equity, the City of Toronto encourages applications from Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, members of visible minority groups and women. For more information please visit the City of Toronto’s Vision Statement on Access, Equity and Diversity.

Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process (Accommodation in Employment and in the Hiring Process). Applicants must make their requests for accommodation known in advance of attending the written test.

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The Firefighter's Job
A career as a Toronto Firefighter is both challenging and rewarding. Apart from fighting fires, you will perform many duties, some of which include:

• responding to medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents
• providing emergency patient care
• performing fire ground and rescue operations
• educating the public about fire prevention and fire safety practices
• responding to emergency hazardous materials situations
• conducting inspections
• maintaining firefighting apparatus, equipment and fire stations
• working as part of a team

Firefighters are expected to maintain a high standard of professionalism, solve problems, work as part of a dynamic team and possess excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.

You must be physically fit to handle the sustained, intense, physical effort often required to perform these duties.

firefighting is not a 9-to-5 job. It is a 24-hour a day, seven day a week public service that involves working weekends and holidays. As a Toronto Firefighter, you will work an assigned shift averaging 42 hours per week over a four week period.

Teamwork is of the utmost importance in the position of firefighter; firefighters live and work together in close quarters throughout their shifts. This means that all team members are responsible for station housekeeping and depend on each other to perform their duties successfully whether sharing routine tasks at the fire station, providing services at an emergency scene, or providing service assistance to other emergency agencies and/or the public.

When not responding to calls or performing other duties, a significant amount of time is spent training, upgrading and maintaining skills/knowledge and physical requirements to current job standards, inspecting, cleaning and maintaining personal protective gear and other firefighting equipment.

Working under the direction of the Fire Chief, through a chain-of-command, firefighters are stationed in one of four Commands in the Operations Division providing emergency response. Our Operations Division is the largest in Toronto Fire Services with in excess of 2,800 full time employees. On average, firefighters respond to approximately 140,000 emergency incidents resulting in approximately 300,000 vehicle runs annually. Over fifty percent (50%) of these responses are medical calls.

All firefighters are members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, Local 3888, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

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Getting Started
It is important to read and understand all information provided during the recruitment and selection process.

The recruitment and selection process for an Operations Firefighter position with Toronto Fire Services is highly competitive and includes several candidate evaluation Steps. All candidates must successfully meet the minimum standards at each step to advance to the next step of the recruitment process.

Candidates are asked to meet specific criteria and submit documentation throughout the recruitment and selection process. The information you provide and all related documents are an integral part of your overall assessment.

The recruitment and selection process is lengthy, with up to several months between Steps. Our Human Resources team will keep all candidates informed of their status throughout the process. In addition, general information and updates are posted at www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment.

To begin the recruitment process, you should:

• familiarize yourself with the eligibility requirements and the eight (8) Steps of our recruitment and selection process

• attend Career Information Sessions to ask questions and hear information about our recruitment and selection process

To successfully compete and attain a job offer for the position of Operations Firefighter, candidates must meet all eligibility criteria and possess all required qualifications in addition to meeting the standards at each of the Steps of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed in a hiring pool that will remain in effect until it is exhausted, or until a defined date determined by Toronto Fire Services and specified during the hiring campaign, whichever comes first.

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Eligibility Criteria and Qualifications

1. Employment Eligibility
   Candidates must:
   • be eighteen (18) years of age or older
   • be able to understand and communicate clearly in English under stressful conditions (this ability will be assessed throughout the selection process)
   • have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (Grade 12) or academic equivalent (minimum)
   • be legally entitled to work in Canada
   • have a pardon if previously convicted of a criminal offence
   • be able to work shifts (days, nights, weekends and statutory holidays)
     
     
2. Application Requirements
   At time of application and throughout the recruitment and selection process, candidates must:
   • have a valid Ontario unrestricted Class A, B, C or D Driver’s Licence with Z air brake endorsement (or approved equivalent)
   • have a Standard First Aid certificate (minimum), dated not more than 12 months prior to the date of application and maintained current within 12 months throughout the recruitment and selection process  (this certificate must be issued by a WSIB Approved First Aid Trainer)
   • have a Healthcare Provider (HCP) CPR certificate (minimum), dated not more than 12 months prior to the date of application and maintained current within 12 months throughout the recruitment and selection process
     
     
3. Conditional Job Offer Requirements
   At time of conditional job offer, candidates must:
   • meet medical standards required for Toronto Fire Services Operations Firefighters as determined and assessed by the Chief Medical Officer of Toronto Fire Services
   • have 20/30 uncorrected vision in each eye with colour vision, depth perception and peripheral vision that is safe for firefighting
   • have prescribed normal unaided hearing -- hearing thresholds no greater than 40 decibels (dB) in either ear at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 3000 Hz, and no greater than 35 dB average between both ears at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 3000 Hz
   • provide proof of having successfully completed the Firefighter Screening Services fitness standards (Clinical Test, CPAT, Medical Exam, and Acrophobia Test), within six ( 6) months of conditional job offer
   • provide a Province of Ontario Driver’s Abstract, current to within 30 days of the conditional job offer, showing not more than five (5) demerit points and no unpaid fines (out-of-province candidates will be required to provide a driver’s abstract from Ontario and from the province, territory or state from where their licence was transferred)
   • provide originals of all credentials referred to in the online application
   • provide three (3) employment references

Important notes:

Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
If information is required regarding Ontario educational qualifications, candidates should contact their high school for a copy of their diploma or their district school board for a copy of their transcript. Candidates who completed secondary school outside of Ontario should contact a Credential Assessment and Qualification Recognition Service (contact information can be obtained from Ontario Ministry of Education at 1-800-387-5514). Candidates may provide a college or university diploma or transcript instead of proof of a high school diploma.

First Aid Certificate:
Standard First Aid certificates (minimum level) must be issued by WSIB Approved First Aid Trainers. For more information on WSIB Regulation 1101 or Approved First Aid Trainers, visit the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board . 

Toronto Fire Services considers a First Aid Certificate valid only for 12 months from date of issue. 

CPR Certificate:
There exist several levels of CPR training. In connection with the Operations Firefighter recruitment and selection process, Toronto Fire Services requires a Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (HCP) Level CPR Course, as defined by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. This course is offered by many First Aid and CPR training organizations, including many of the First Aid Trainers approved by WSIB.

Toronto Fire Services considers a CPR Certificate valid only for 12 months from date of issue.

Step 1: Career Information Sessions
Career Information Sessions provide candidates with an opportunity to learn more about Toronto Fire Services and the Operations Firefighter recruitment and selection process. The sessions are delivered by our recruiters at various community locations across the City of Toronto. Families are welcome to attend these free sessions.

While attendance at a Career Information Session is optional, we encourage candidates to attend at least one session to get more information, have the opportunity to ask questions and meet the recruiters. A candidate’s readiness to apply and compete for the Operations Firefighter position should include a thorough understanding of the job and responsibilities. Candidates should be familiar with the Steps of the recruitment and selection process including the eligibility criteria.  It is the candidate’s responsibility to satisfy all application requirements, meet deadlines and provide required documentation.

For information about the dates, times and locations of the Career Information Sessions visit our webpage calendar at www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment/calendar.htm

Step 2: Application Form
The City of Toronto has established an online application process for all employment opportunities including the Toronto Fire Services Operations Firefighter position. Applications must be completed and submitted online.

The Operations Firefighter application form is only available for the duration of the job posting. To stay informed of any planned hiring campaigns and/or job postings, candidates are advised to refer regularly to the Toronto Fire Services recruitment website at www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment.

Candidates may be asked to provide the originals of any/all credentials referred to in their application at any time, which may or may not include the time of written aptitude testing and/or conditional job offer.

All credentials must be valid and current as of the application deadline date.  Failure to provide original proof of credentials when requested will result in disqualification from the selection process.

Completing the Online Application
Candidates will select a unique User ID and secure access password to complete the online application. To assist us in maintaining a secure database, candidates are reminded not to share their User ID or secure access password with others. The candidate should be the sole person accessing the database to manage the online application.

Candidates must complete and submit the application form during the active hiring period. An active email address must be provided on the completed application.

Only the person whose name appears on the application form will be permitted to write the Written Aptitude Test (photo identification will be required). Only those applicants who are selected to attend the Written Aptitude Test will be contacted.

Step 3: Written Aptitude Test
The Written Aptitude Test is designed to assess various aptitudes of the entry level firefighter. Candidates do not require previous firefighting education or experience to write the test.

Candidates will be advised of their test date, time and location via their e-mail address.

The test uses a multiple-choice format to assess candidates’ skills in the following areas:

• Memory and Understanding of Oral Information
• Understanding of Written firefighting Material
• Mathematics / Arithmetic / Arithmetic Reasoning
• Mechanical Aptitude
• Interpersonal Relations

Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 70% in each of the five test categories identified above, as well as achieving a minimum overall test score of 70% before being invited to continue in the Toronto Fire Fighter Applicant Selection process.

Candidates will be charged a non-refundable administration fee, payable at the time of testing, to write the test. Only cash, money order or certified cheque (payable to Treasurer, City of Toronto) will be accepted.

To be admitted to the test, candidates must identify themselves using government issued photo identification showing a current likeness (driver’s licence, passport, or military ID).

Candidates attending the Written Aptitude Test will be required to present the original, as well as a photocopy of the following qualifications (all documents must have been valid and current as of the application deadline date):

1. Standard First Aid (maintained current within 12 months)
2. Healthcare Provider (HCP) CPR (maintained current within 12 months)
3. Ontario Class AZ, BZ, CZ or DZ Driver’s License (or approved equivalent)
4. Ontario Secondary School Diploma or transcript (or approved equivalent)

Original documents will be returned on the test day.

Testing will take approximately two and one-half (2.5) hours to complete.

Late arrivals will not be permitted to write the test.

Candidates who write the aptitude test will be required to demonstrate a minimum level of competence in each of the aptitudes assessed as well as achieve a minimum overall aggregate test score to proceed to the application review stage.

Candidates may write the test only once during any Operations Firefighter recruitment campaign. All candidates who write the aptitude test will be advised of their status.

To assist in preparing for the Written Aptitude Test, there are firefighter exam study guides available online, in libraries and bookstores. These guides can help candidates to review the types of questions that might be expected on the Written Aptitude Test. While preparing for the test, please remember that our test uses metric units. Calculators and other aids are not permitted during the writing of the test.

Step 4: General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination Process
This test is administered for candidates who successfully meet the required standards of the Written Aptitude Test and who have successfully completed one or more of the following enhanced qualifications:

1. OFM/OAFC Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Program Certificate
2. NFPA-1001: Firefighter I & II Certification
3. Ontario Firefighter Certification (OFM)
4. Full-time structural firefighter experience

Applicants from one of the above four categories will be required to participate in a General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination process, based on information from the following reference textbooks: "Firefighter’s Handbook", Delmar, 2nd Edition; "Essentials of Fire Fighting", IFSTA, 4th or 5th Edition; “The Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills”, Jones and Bartlett, 2nd Edition.

This test will be scheduled at a date, location and time convenient to Toronto Fire Services, and will be communicated to candidates by Human Resources. Candidates who successfully achieve the required standard of the test (70% minimum) will be placed in the enhanced stream of the hiring pool.

What happens to candidates who fail the General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination?
Candidates who have been identified as being in possession of one or more of the enhanced qualifications, but who do not achieve the required standard of the General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination, will not be placed in the enhanced stream but will be placed in the general stream of the hiring pool.

Step 5: Application Review
Candidates who successfully achieve the required standards at the Written Aptitude Test will have their applications reviewed to verify their placement into the candidate hiring pool.

Step 6: Hiring Pool
Candidates who successfully meet the required standards of the Written Aptitude Test and who successfully meet the screening criteria of the application will be placed in a hiring pool.

The hiring pool is divided into two (2) streams: general and enhanced. Candidates who possess one of the enhanced criteria and successfully complete the General Firefighter Knowledge Written Examination (70% minimum) will be placed in the enhanced stream of the hiring pool. All others will remain in the general stream of the hiring pool.

The hiring pool will remain in effect until it is exhausted or until the specified period of time, whichever comes first (refer to current posted timelines). Candidates in the hiring pool are eligible to attend an interview as set out in Step 7 of the recruitment and selection process.

Step 7: Interview
When TFS determines the need to hire a class, candidates from the hiring pool will be invited to attend an interview to further assess their qualifications and suitability for a career with Toronto Fire Services at a time and location to be determined by Toronto Fire Services and communicated to candidates by Human Resources.

At the interview, candidates will again be required to identify themselves using photo identification showing a current likeness (driver’s licence, passport, or military ID).

The interview is a panel format conducted by staff from Toronto Fire Services.  Staff from the City of Toronto Human Resources may also attend and/or participate in the panel interview.  All candidates who attend an interview will be advised of the results.

Step 8: Conditional Job Offer
When Toronto Fire Services has sufficient vacancies to warrant a recruit class, Conditional Job Offers will be made to those candidates successful in the interview process. Human Resources will periodically update all candidates with information regarding hiring expectations.

At the time of Conditional Job Offer, candidates will be required to meet the criteria defined in the Eligibility Criteria and Qualifications section of this document. This includes but is not limited to meeting medical standards and providing: three (3) employment references, originals of all application credentials, proof of successful completion of Firefighter Screening fitness standards, and an Ontario 5-Year Statement of Driving Record (Restricted).  Candidates who provided an equivalent driver's licence at the time of application must also provide an original driving record from their issuing jurisdiction.

Those candidates who have not, within the past six (6) months, successfully completed the Firefighter Screening Services fitness standards (Clinical Test, CPAT, Medical Exam, and Acrophobia Test) will be advised to contact the testing facility for specific dates and times to attend testing.

Candidates will be required to attend a medical examination with the Chief Medical Officer for Toronto Fire Services and successfully meet the standards required for Toronto Fire Services Operations Firefighters. The medical examination includes, but is not limited to:

• a comprehensive review of past and present medical history
• an electrocardiogram, blood work, urinalysis and chest x-ray
• a physical examination related to Firefighter duties
• a test of eyesight and colour vision (candidates must possess the prescribed visual requirements of 20/30 uncorrected vision in each eye and colour vision that is safe for firefighting)

Candidates who provided an equivalent driver's licence at the time of application are required to provide Human Resources with a valid Ontario unrestricted Class A, B, C or D Driver’s Licence with Z air brake endorsement prior to attending the medical assessment.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to attempt this challenging testing at least once prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment. All fitness testing (Clinical Test, CPAT, Medical Exam, and Acrophobia Test) is at the candidate’s own expense.

The testing components for Toronto Fire Services are:

1. Clinical Assessment
   • Pre-appraisal Screening
   • Body Composition
   • Maximal Aerobic Fitness
   • Trunk Flexibility
   • 60-second Sit-up Test
2. Occupational Assessment (CPAT)
   • Stair Climb
   • Hose Drag
   • Equipment Carry
   • Ladder Raise and Extension
   • Forcible Entry
   • Search
   • Rescue
   • Ceiling Breach and Pull
3. Medical Examination
   • Hearing Examination
   • Visual Examination
4. Acrophobia Test

Note: Candidates’ vision will also be assessed at the medical examination with Toronto Fire Services’ Chief Medical Officer. In the event of differing assessments, the Chief Medical Officer for Toronto Fire Services will make the final determination of whether or not a candidate meets the prescribed visual requirements.

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Information contained in this Career Guide is subject to change without notice.

Ongoing information about the recruitment process is available on our web site at www.toronto.ca/fire/recruitment, through our Toronto Fire Services Facebook page and by calling 311.