Communications & Technology

The Communications & Technology Division of Toronto Fire Services provides front line support and response to both the public and emergency responders.

With operational links to communications systems such as the Fire/Police/EMS Radio Systems and the Subway System Radio infrastructure, the Mobile Workstation (MWS) and Global Positioning/Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL/GOPS) the Communications & Technology Division is a significant part of the continuing development of the Toronto Fire Services.

Check out our active incidents page to see our where our Call/Taker Dispatchers have sent vehicles to.

Under the direction of a Communications Division Captain, responsibilities for this position include the following:

  • Receives emergency calls from the public and other agencies
  • Quickly analyzes the information received from the caller and dispatches the required emergency vehicles
  • Efficiently operates console equipment, including telephone, radio, status control and computer aided dispatch
  • Follows established procedures in making calm, cool decisions as required in an emergency services environment
  • Has a good working knowledge of available resources to support emergency scene operations
  • Liaise with senior staff to provide situation updates.
  • Liaise with TFS Apparatus Command Vehicles, Police, TTC and other authorities to provide fluent situation updates
  • Liaise with communications technical support and other service agencies and reports to ensure proper operation of call during response situation and to ensure continuous and efficient operation of all equipment associated with operating of communication centre
  • Must be able to follow direction of a senior officer

In addition to the above duties the successful candidates are required to:

  • Continually maintain a high standard of professionalism, integrity, reliability and credibility, which are fundamental requirements for this position
  • Function as an integral member of the City of Toronto workforce to support corporate vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services workforce to deliver and support Division specific vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services emergency response team to deliver and support Division specific goals of emergency response and preparedness

Minimum Qualifications

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada
  • Possession of a current and valid minimum level C, CPR Certificate issued prior to the date of application submission
  • Possession of a current and valid minimum level Standard First Aid Certificate by a WSIB approved First Aid Trainer issued no more than 1 year prior to the date of application submission
  • Successful completion of NFPA 1061 from a recognized post-secondary institution, or equivalent APCO certificate, prior to date of application submission. Note: This requirement is temporarily waived until further notice
  • Must be able to work day, night and weekend rotating shifts (incl. holidays).
  • Must be able to distinguish between colours codes for dispatch functions and must be able to hear within normal range
  • Must successfully pass Critical communications testing
  • Accurate and efficient keyboarding skills (minimum 40 words per minute)
  • Good knowledge of Toronto streets, major public buildings and general city topography
  • Must be familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations that apply to this work
  • Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions
  • Excellent communication skills with ability to speak clearly, calmly and in an easily understandable manner on radio and phone
  • Problem solving and decision-making ability
  • Interpersonal/Interaction skills when dealing with the public, Fire Services staff and all other levels of City personnel
  • Ability to work within a team environment
  • Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
  • Takes initiative
  • Able to effectively prioritize and multi-task incl. handling both call taking and dispatching functions using computer aided dispatch and radio communications systems
  • Ability to work and positively interact within a diverse work environment
  • Customer service skills
  • Psychometric testing may be required

Assets

  • Experience related to Call-taking/Dispatch
  • Post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
  • Experience with Microsoft Office and Windows operating system
  • Possession of Valid Class “G” Ontario Driver’s licence
  • Volunteer and community service
  • Multilingual
  • Commitment to personal and professional development and in continuing education through ongoing learning

Assessment of Candidates

May include the pre-screening of candidates, resume reviews, interviews, presentations, tests or exercises, which may be in addition to any listed in this document or in the job posting.

Additional Requirements

Medical Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate may be required to participate in the following:

  1. Participate in a comprehensive medical examination, and
  2. Receive medical clearance by TFS Chief Medical Officer.

Employee Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide at least three employment references, and
  2. Receive employment reference clearance from TFS.

Criminal Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide a criminal record check from their local Police Service, and
  2. Receive criminal reference check clearance from TFS.

Under the direction of a Division Captain, as a Firefighter, Information and Communications Systems within the Radio section the successful candidate will be responsible for the installation, repair and preventative maintenance of various telecommunications, data communications and electronic equipment, as well as the provision of technical guidance to field personnel.

The primary functions associated with the Firefighter Information & Communication Systems, Toronto Fire Services include, but are not limited to, the following core services:

  • Provide technical support/maintenance of: Communications Centre control equipment; Radio Communications equipment; Fire Station Alerting subsystems, voice logging systems, switching equipment; Dispatcher consoles; RF equipment; repair of Communications peripherals
  • Limited design/fabrication of custom assemblies
  • Maintenance of CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) to radio and Fire Station Alerting (e.g. SCADA) interfaces
  • Specialized installation of radio and related equipment in Fire vehicles and stations
  • Ascertain and repair faults in a variety of telecommunications equipment (e.g. mobile and portable radios, mobile data terminals, antenna subsystems) using a variety of diagnostic test equipment including software based applications and interfaces
  • Ascertain and repair malfunctions in various digital, GPS, marine equipment and components, P.A. equipment
  • Install and service radio communications equipment, mobile data terminals, audio and video equipment, monitors, computer equipment, etc.
  • Service and perform preventative maintenance on all telecommunications and various electronic equipment as scheduled
  • Test and evaluate electronic equipment and prepare reports
  • Perform field service on all types of electronic equipment where it is impractical for the equipment to be brought to the shop for service
  • Performs typical duties inherent to the job (e.g. fabricates equipment to meet special requirements)
  • Must be able to follow direction of a senior officer

In addition to the above duties the successful candidates are required to:

  • Continually maintain a high standard of professionalism, integrity, reliability and credibility, which are fundamental requirements for this position
  • Function as an integral member of the City of Toronto workforce to support corporate vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services workforce to deliver and support Division specific vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services emergency response team to deliver and support Division specific goals of emergency response and preparedness

Minimum Qualifications

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada
  • Must possess a valid Ontario Driver’s License Class “G” and meet the requirements necessary to receive a City Equipment Operator’s License
  • Post-secondary degree/diploma in the field of Electronics, Telecommunications, Computer Science or an approved equivalent combination of education, training and experience
  • Considerable experience troubleshooting at an advanced skills level at both the system and component level
  • Working knowledge of SCADA systems
  • Experience and knowledge of trunked and conventional two-way radio systems
  • Experience and knowledge of RF propagation and coverage techniques, i.e. Simulcast, Voting, Enhancers, Antenna arrays, etc.
  • Working knowledge of Public Safety Communications
  • Working knowledge of Fire Station Alerting platforms
  • Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel etc.)
  • Must be able to participate in the on call rotation, 24 hour 7 days per week basis
  • Must be physically capable of performing required duties
  • Mechanical aptitude
  • Must be familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations that apply to this work
  • Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions
  • Well-developed verbal and written communication skills with an ability to prepare reports and statistics
  • Well-developed problem solving /analytical skills with considerable experience analyzing and synthesizing information from operational systems in order to determine root cause
  • Interpersonal/Interaction skills when dealing with the public, Fire Services staff and other personnel
  • Ability to work within a team environment
  • Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
  • Takes initiative
  • Ability to work and positively interact within a diverse work environment
  • Ability to effectively prioritize tasks/demands
  • Customer service skills
  • Psychometric testing may be required

Assets

  • Vendor certification(s) in area of specialization
  • ITIL Certification(s)
  • Familiarity with Project management principals
  • Experience with large scale system implementation
  • Commitment to personal and professional development and in continuing education through ongoing learning

Assessment of Candidates

May include the pre-screening of candidates, resume reviews, interviews, presentations, tests or exercises, which may be in addition to any listed in this document or in the job posting.

Additional Requirements

Medical Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate may be required to participate in the following:

  1. Participate in a comprehensive medical examination, and
  2. Receive medical clearance by TFS Chief Medical Officer.

Employee Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide at least three employment references, and
  2. Receive employment reference clearance from TFS.

Criminal Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide a criminal record check from their local Police Service, and
  2. Receive criminal reference check clearance from TFS.

Under the direction of a Division Captain, as a Firefighter, Information and Communications Systems within the CAD/RMS section the successful candidate will be responsible for supporting and maximize benefits from TFS specific technology environments utilized to support program delivery.

The primary functions associated with the Firefighter Information & Communication Systems, Toronto Fire Services include, but are not limited to, the following core services with a focus on the required area of specialization:

  • Provides support of software and hardware. This includes the implementation, installation, configuration, maintenance, security administration, account management, performance tuning, upgrade, firmware/software update and patching of multiple Intel and Linux servers, client work stations, network switches, telecommunication devices, Network Operating Systems (NOS), Storage Area Network (SAN), data centre equipment, backup devices, applications and tools
  • Provides helpdesk for Fire applications, including routine maintenance and performs backups and data restoration when required
  • Evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of deployed or future technology and determines information systems strategies. Analyzes business requirements, conducts feasibility and cost/benefit studies
  • Assesses information technology and data/systems needs and requirements of the Division and identifies and evaluates feasibility of various technological options using current best practices.
  • Assesses impact of technology on service delivery/resources/business and costs/savings, and develops recommendations, including opportunities for maximizing technology and improving efficiency of business practices
  • Assists in the development, testing and configuration of the specific applications and the fine tuning and implementation of upgrades, new releases and enhancements to the applications and systems
  • Liaises with the software suppliers to resolve technical problems, maintains up to date knowledge of new releases and changes to applications
  • Designs system specifications; preparing requirements for ensuring proper system testing, implementation and operation
  • Prepares system and user documentation and network diagrams to facilitate transfer of knowledge and provides consultation, technical support and user training to the Division on the specific technology application being implemented
  • Liaises with internal stakeholders to analyze and resolve system software and related operational problems
  • Participates as a member of the Systems Team and serving on project teams engaged in, e.g. development of technology performance standards; evaluating or developing new utility routines and providing practical technological input to innovative applications design and development approaches
  • Performs complex analysis, programming and manipulation of source data from Oracle and other data that supports the business organization
  • Monitors networks and systems for performance and capacity
  • Performs analysis of software and hardware using diagnostic tools to ensure the optimum operation and maintenance of technology solutions
  • Maintains an up to date understanding of City information and technology platforms and applies this understanding to enhance information and technology usage for TFS
  • Must be able to follow direction of a senior officer

In addition to the above duties the successful candidates are required to:

  • Continually maintain a high standard of professionalism, integrity, reliability and credibility, which are fundamental requirements for this position
  • Function as an integral member of the City of Toronto workforce to support corporate vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services workforce to deliver and support Division specific vision and mission statements.
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services emergency response team to deliver and support Division specific goals of emergency response and preparedness

Minimum Qualifications

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada
  • Must possess a valid Ontario Driver’s License Class “G” and meet the requirements necessary to receive a City Equipment Operator’s License
  • Post-secondary degree/diploma in the field of Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information technology or an approved equivalent combination of education, training and experience
  • Considerable experience in the requested area of specialization (infrastructure, Data Centre, Application, Database, Network, GIS, BI etc.)
  • Proven technical and analytical skills to develop, support, and adapt complex applications such as mission critical fire dispatch systems and data centre operations
  • Experience in tuning and monitoring technical environments to optimize performance utilizing tool sets typical of the area of specialization
  • Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel etc.)
  • Must be able to participate in the on call rotation, 24 hour 7 days per week basis
  • Must be physically capable of performing required duties
  • Mechanical aptitude
  • Must be familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations that apply to this work
  • Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions
  • Well-developed verbal and written communication skills with an ability to prepare reports and statistics
  • Well-developed problem solving /analytical skills with considerable experience analyzing and synthesizing information from operational systems in order to determine root cause
  • Interpersonal/Interaction skills when dealing with the public, Fire Services staff and other personnel
  • Ability to work within a team environment
  • Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
  • Initiative
  • Ability to work and positively interact within a diverse work environment
  • Ability to effectively prioritize tasks/demands
  • Customer service skills
  • Psychometric testing may be required

Assets

  • Vendor certification(s) in area of specialization
  • ITIL Certification(s)
  • Familiarity with Project management principals
  • Experience with large scale system implementation
  • Commitment to personal and professional development and in continuing education through ongoing learning

Assessment of Candidates

May include the pre-screening of candidates, resume reviews, interviews, presentations, tests or exercises, which may be in addition to any listed in this document or in the job posting.

Additional Requirements

Medical Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate may be required to participate in the following:

  1. Participate in a comprehensive medical examination, and
  2. Receive medical clearance by TFS Chief Medical Officer.

Employee Reference Check Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide at least three employment references, and
  2. Receive employment reference clearance from TFS.

Criminal Reference Check Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide a criminal record check from their local Police Service, and
  2. Receive criminal reference check clearance from TFS.

Under the direction of a Division Captain, as a Firefighter (BI/Data Analyst) within the Data Analytics and Decision Support Division, the successful candidate will be responsible for providing business intelligence (BI) or geospatial analysis and data services for turning data into critical information and insights that can be used for making sound business decisions. The primary functions associated with the role include, but are not limited to the following core services, with a focus on area of specialization (BI or GIS):

Business Intelligence / Geospatial Analysis:

  • Conduct research, make recommendations on BI or GIS solutions, products, services and standards
  • Lead projects in implementation of new BI or GIS software tools, interfaces or systems
  • Support development of ETL processes, tools, technical design
  • Design, build, test and deploy BI/GIS system improvements
  • Analyse user requirements and based on findings design functional specifications for BI/GIS front-end applications
  • Develop sematic layer, metadata, reports, report definitions, visualizations for requested projects
  • Develop and maintain technical or procedural documentation
  • Provide and apply quality assurance best practices
  • Trouble shoot business intelligence solutions, data warehouse related systems, working with members of Technology Division to resolve issues or performance-tune applications as necessary
  • Provide stakeholders guidance or training on problem solving, analytical practices, or business intelligence or GIS front-end solutions

Data Science:

  • Provide support in the definition of metrics, data governance business rules and strategies for using data to support evidence based decision making
  • Develop and execute database queries and participate in analysis work
  • Assist to identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns in complex data sets with the goal of providing actionable results
  • Create informative visualizations that intuitively display large or complex data relationships
  • Collaborate with teams with design of data warehouses, data mining or analytic architectures, master data development, data analysis methodologies, predictive models, or other data related strategies to solve critical business problems
  • Acquire data from primary or secondary data sources or leverage existing data sets to create new data assets, and maintain assets according to established business rules and data governance practices
  • Assist with improving data quality through use of data analysis and tools

Freedom of Information Requests and Open Data:

  • Create queries and supply statistical data to fulfill information requests
  • Organize, supply and maintain datasets for Open Data portal or other public facing
  • Ensure products comply with organizational policies and laws such as MFPIPA

Key Qualifications:

  • 18 years of age or older.
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada
  • Must possess a valid Ontario Driver’s License Class “G” and meet the requirements necessary to receive a City Equipment Operator’s License.
  • Post-secondary degree or diploma in the field of Mathematics, Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Geomatics, Geographic Information Systems, Geography, or other related field
  • Proven working experience as a data analyst, business data analyst, or GIS analyst
  • Knowledge of and experience related to data warehouse analysis, design, dimensional modeling, integration and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes and technologies
  • BI Specialist: Strong experience with database queries, reporting tools, for example SQL queries, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
  • GIS Specialist: Extensive experience in ESRI ArcGIS, Geodatabases, ArcGIS desktop, ArcGIS map services, ArcGIS Online, and Portal for ArcGIS in an enterprise environment
  • Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel etc.) and Visio
  • Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
  • Strong technical documentation skills
  • Strong customer service orientation
  • Analytical mind with a problem-solving aptitude and keen attention to detail
  • Proven abilities to take initiative and be innovative
  • Work independently with minimum supervision
  • Positively interact with others within a diverse work environment
  • Manage multiple simultaneous assignments, effectively prioritize tasks and demands
  • Sitting for extended periods of time
  • Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and to handle other computer components
  • May require travel within City
  • Psychometric testing may be required
  • Assets:
    • Project Management or Business Analysis certification
    • Commitment to personal and professional development and in continuing education through ongoing learning
    • Knowledge of and experience with programming (XML, JavaScript, or ETL frameworks)
    • Knowledge of statistics and experience using statistical packages for analyzing datasets (Excel, SPSS, SAS etc.)

Assessment of Candidates

May include the pre-screening of candidates, resume reviews, interviews, presentations, tests or exercises, which may be in addition to any listed in this document or in the job posting.

Additional Requirements

Medical Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate may be required to participate in the following:

  1. Participate in a comprehensive medical examination, and
  2. Receive medical clearance by TFS Chief Medical Officer.
Employee Reference Check Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide at least three employment references, and
  2. Receive employment reference clearance from TFS.
Criminal Reference Check Clearance

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide a criminal record check from their local Police Service, and
  2. Receive criminal reference check clearance from TFS.

Under the direction of a Communications Division Captain, responsibilities for this position include the following:

  • Receives emergency calls from the public and other agencies
  • Quickly analyzes the information received from the caller and dispatches the required emergency vehicles
  • Efficiently operates console equipment, including telephone, radio, status control and computer aided dispatch
  • Follows established procedures in making calm decisions as required in an emergency services environment
  • Functions effectively during periods of intense stress by maintaining focus
  • Understands personal stressors and takes steps to limit their impact
  • Has a good working knowledge of available resources to support emergency scene operations
  • Liaise with senior staff to provide situation updates
  • Liaise with Toronto Fire Services Apparatus Command Vehicles, Police, Paramedic Services, TTC and other authorities to provide fluent situation updates
  • Liaise with communications technical support and other service agencies and reports to ensure proper operation of call during response situation and to ensure continuous and efficient operation of all equipment associated with operating of communication centre
  • Must be able to follow direction of a senior officer
    In addition to the above duties the successful candidates are required to:
  • Continually maintain a high standard of professionalism, integrity, reliability and credibility, which are fundamental requirements for this position
  • Function as an integral member of the City of Toronto workforce to support corporate vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services workforce to deliver and support Division specific vision and mission statements
  • Function as an integral member of the Toronto Fire Services emergency response team to deliver and support Division specific goals of emergency response and preparedness

Minimum Qualifications

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Legally entitled to work in Canada
  • Possession of a current and valid minimum level C, CPR Certificate issued prior to the date of application submission
  • Possession of a current and valid minimum level Standard First Aid Certificate by a WSIB approved First Aid Trainer issued no more than 1 year prior to the date of application submission
  • Must be able to work day, night and weekend rotating shifts (incl. holidays).
  • Must be able to distinguish between colours codes for dispatch functions and must be able to hear within normal range
  • Must successfully pass “Criticall” communications testing
  • Accurate and efficient keyboarding skills (minimum 40 words per minute)
  • Good knowledge of Toronto streets, major public buildings and general city topography
  • Must be familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Actand the regulations that apply to this work
  • Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions
  • Excellent communication skills with ability to speak clearly, calmly and in an easily understandable manner on radio and phone
  • Problem solving and decision-making ability
  • Interpersonal/Interaction skills when dealing with the public, Fire Services staff and all other levels of City personnel
  • Ability to work within a team environment
  • Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
  • Takes initiative
  • Able to effectively prioritize and multi-task incl. handling both call taking and dispatching functions using computer aided dispatch and radio communications systems
  • Ability to work and positively interact within a diverse work environment
  • Customer service skills
  • Psychometric testing may be required

Assets

  • NFPA 1061,Standard for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel Professional Certification is an asset.
  • Successful completion of Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) training, and/or Community college certificate in Emergency Communications, is an asset
  • Experience related to Call-taking/Dispatch
  • Post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree
  • Experience with Microsoft Office and Windows operating system
  • Possession of Valid Class “G” Ontario Driver’s licence
  • Volunteer and community service
  • Multilingual
  • Commitment to personal and professional development and in continuing education through ongoing learning

Assessment of Candidates

May include the pre-screening of candidates, resume reviews, interviews, presentations, tests or exercises, which may be in addition to any listed in this document or in the job posting.

Additional Requirements

Pre-Screening Questions

Please note that all applicants are required to prepare a response to the following questions. We suggest that you prepare your response prior to initiating the application process. During the application process, you will be prompted to input your response in the system. (Maximum 2000 characters allowed for each question)

  1. The Firefighter Communications role is critical to the Toronto Fire Services, acting as the first point of contact to emergency calls from the public and other agencies. In this role, you are expected to continually maintain a high standard of professionalism, integrity, reliability and credibility. Why do you think you are the right fit for this role?
  2. In this role, you will handle emergencies under stressful conditions. What is the most stressful situation you have been faced with? Provide an example from your life experiences that demonstrates your ability to work effectively in stressful situations.
  3. Firefighters Communications are expected to be calm and make decisions methodically based on their critical thinking skills, TFS protocol and training. Describe a time you had to make a quick decision on your own, based on logical, rational thinking without having all the information. What was the situation, what did you do, what was the result?
  4. Provide an example from your life experiences that demonstrates your ability to effectively work within a team. What was the situation, what was your role, what was the result?

Medical Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate may be required to participate in the following:

  1. Participate in a comprehensive medical examination, and
  2. Receive medical clearance by TFS Chief Medical Officer.

Employee Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide at least three employment references, and
  2. Receive employment reference clearance from TFS.

Criminal Reference Check Clearance:

Prior to being hired, the successful candidate must:

  1. Provide a criminal record check from their local Police Service, and
  2. Receive criminal reference check clearance from TFS.
Notes
  • Priority will be given to applicants covered by the Local 3888 collective agreement.
  • Applicants are required to demonstrate in their applications/resumes that their qualifications match those specified in the job posting. Additional information submitted after the job posting closing date will not be accepted.
  • For purposes of OMERS pension, this position is a Normal Retirement Age 60 position. If you are currently enrolled in OMERS under the Normal Retirement Age 65 program, your service established under the NRA 60 provisions will be reduced by one quarter unless you establish this credit in the fund by paying into OMERS the additional cost as established by the OMERS board.
  • Information in preparing for City job competitions is available on the Job Opportunities website.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.