Orillia, Ontario Hiring guide
Orillia Firefighter Recruitment: Requirements, CPS Testing & Salary
Plan your Orillia career firefighter application with FSO testing guidance, qualifications, interview preparation and current first-class pay.
Aptitude test
CPS aptitude examination through FSOCPS is named in Orillia’s published 2024 career guide. Confirm the next competition’s provider, package and accepted certificate dates before booking.
Department size
2 fire stations
Serving Orillia
Operations firefighter recruitment
No active postings on our boardBoard listings update from our recruitment dashboard; they may not include every City opening.
Last official-source review: November 5, 2026 · Check City portal — no career opening verified. This review is separate from board availability.
How to become a Orillia firefighter
- 1
Check the posting before spending money
Start with the City’s employment portal. Compare the new advertisement with your qualifications and note every registration, testing and application deadline.
- 2
Confirm your FSO package
Ask FSO which results can be reused and which need renewal. The 2024 process required the core four tests on one day, plus three other screening components.
- 3
Prepare examples for the panel
Choose real examples of teamwork, judgement, accountability and working under pressure. Explain your own actions and what you learned.
The department at a glance
Orillia hires career firefighters as vacancies arise within a composite department. Its published 2024 recruitment guide used FSO screening, including CPS aptitude testing, followed by City selection and background checks. This guide explains that process alongside the current pay grid. A new posting can change the requirements, so check the City’s employment page before booking assessments.
More than firefighting
Orillia operates two fire stations. Headquarters at 500 Gill Street houses administration, prevention and communications, with career and volunteer crews responding from the site. Station 2 at 1 Commerce Road provides career coverage for the west end. The department responds to fires, medical calls, rescues and hazardous materials incidents, and delivers prevention and public education programs.
Pay & working pattern
First-class firefighter — annual base · $118,667 per year
Effective July 1, 2026
The July 1, 2026 column in Article 8 lists $118,667 for first class and $71,200 for probationary firefighters. Fourth class is $83,067, third class $94,934 and second class $106,800 annually. These are printed base rates, before overtime, recognition pay and other additions. The agreement runs through December 31, 2026.
Article 7 of the 2024–26 agreement describes rotating 24-hour suppression shifts starting at 8 a.m., averaging no more than 42 hours a week over the calendar year, excluding authorized overtime and day-off trades. The 2024 recruitment guide described twelve months of probation with extensive in-service training.
Minimum qualifications
These qualifications come from the 2024 career recruitment guide. Use them to plan ahead, then compare your documents with the next official advertisement.
- 01Education
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- 02Firefighter certification
- NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II certification, including NFPA 1072, as listed in the 2024 guide.
- 03First aid and CPR
- Valid Standard First Aid and at least CPR Level C.
- 04Driving and vehicle access
- Valid Ontario DZ licence, a clean driver’s abstract and access to a vehicle for corporate business.
- 05FSO screening
- Successful completion of all seven screening components identified in the recruitment guide. Confirm the next intake’s package and validity rules.
- 06Availability and clearance
- Availability for scheduled shifts, holidays and periodic unscheduled callouts, plus the required criminal and vulnerable-sector screening.
What strengthens your application
Orillia’s guide lists the following preferred backgrounds. State the qualification or experience clearly and be ready to explain how it would help you do the work.
Firefighting experience
Career or volunteer fire experience was preferred. Give specific examples of your responsibilities, training and contribution to a crew.
Medical or trade qualifications
Registered nurse, paramedic or a valid trade certificate were listed as assets.
Fire education, prevention and public education
The guide lists pre-service fire education, a fire protection technology diploma, prevention or inspection experience, and public educator experience.
Aptitude & physical testing
The published career guide names seven FSO screening components. It requires the core four—clinical, CPAT, tread water and CPS aptitude—to be passed on the same day, with a separate ESR deadline.
CPS aptitude test through FSO
The 2024 guide names CPS. Follow FSO’s booking, identification and permitted-material instructions. Practise under time limits and review the reasoning behind mistakes. Another department’s format or pass standard may differ.
Clinical evaluation and physical ability test
Clinical and CPAT were part of the core four. Build fitness gradually, learn the assessment instructions and follow FSO’s current preparation and medical-clearance requirements.
Water confidence, vision, hearing and heights
The package included tread water, medical screening for vision and hearing, and an acrophobia assessment. Give swimming its own preparation time and confirm whether any existing result is accepted.
Four tests on one day; ESR deadline separate
Clinical, CPAT, tread water and CPS had to be passed on the same day. Emotional Stability and Resiliency had an earlier deadline. Ask FSO to check any existing results against the new intake’s rules.
Written test preparation
Prepare for the CPS exam
Use timed practice to find the question types that slow you down, then review the reasoning behind mistakes. Firefighter Academy provides independent practice material; FSO handles official screening and results.
Explore CPS practice testsThe recruitment process
The sequence below follows the published 2024 guide. Its dates and eligibility-pool arrangements belong to that intake; they do not announce a new competition.
- 1
Read the advertisement and pre-register
Confirm that the role is a career firefighter competition, then use the provider and registration route named in that posting.
The 2024 guide directed candidates to FSO.
- 2
Complete screening and submit documents
Follow the assessment schedule and send the requested application package, qualifications and results through the specified route.
In 2024, FSO collected the documents, requested hard copies and a checklist on test day, and forwarded the package to the City.
- 3
Attend the City interview
Selected candidates were invited by email to a panel of Fire Department and Human Resources representatives. Questions were situational and behavioural.
Prepare real examples and explain your judgement in a scenario. No MMI format or fixed answer time is confirmed in the published guide.
- 4
Complete background and medical checks
Screening included education, driving record, criminal record, social media, references, vulnerable-sector screening and a medical examination on the City’s form.
The guide assigned vulnerable-sector and medical screening costs to the candidate.
- 5
Offer, onboarding and probation
The City reviewed the checks before making an offer. New firefighters then entered a twelve-month probationary period with extensive in-service training.
An eligibility list is not an employment offer. The pool described in the 2024 guide covered vacancies that might arise over the following 24 months.
Your application checklist
Use this preparation checklist alongside the current posting. Checking an item does not confirm eligibility.
Get notified when Orillia hiring opens
We’ll email you when a new OFD recruitment appears on our board. No account needed.
By subscribing, you agree to receive emails from Firefighter Academy about Orillia Fire Department hiring updates, plus occasional firefighter test-prep tips and offers. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy.
Common questions
Guidance for Orillia applicants. Confirm details with the referenced official sources and current posting.
Is Orillia hiring career firefighters now?
No active career firefighter posting was visible on the City’s employment portal when checked November 5, 2026. Check the portal for new opportunities. The 2024 guide is evidence of a past process, not an announcement of the next intake.
What written test does Orillia use?
The published 2024 career guide names the CPS aptitude examination through FSO. Read the next advertisement before booking, because the City can change its provider or assessments.
Does Orillia accept OFAI testing instead of FSO?
The 2024 guide specifically required the seven-component FSO package. It did not confirm OFAI as a substitute. Get acceptance confirmed for the competition you are entering before buying or relying on another provider’s certificates.
Can I reuse previous FSO results?
Possibly, depending on the competition and your test dates. The 2024 guide had different validity periods and required the core four to have been passed on one day. Ask FSO to check your record; the historical cutoff date does not establish eligibility for a future intake.
How much do Orillia firefighters earn?
The collective agreement lists annual base pay of $118,667 for a first-class firefighter and $71,200 for a probationary firefighter from July 1, 2026. Intermediate rates are $83,067 fourth class, $94,934 third class and $106,800 second class. Overtime and other additions are separate.
What is the Orillia firefighter interview format?
The 2024 guide describes situational and behavioural questions from a Fire Department and Human Resources panel. It does not identify an MMI or a set answer time. Practise both real examples from your experience and clear explanations of how you would handle a scenario.
Do career applicants have to live in Orillia?
The City publishes a local residence or response-area requirement for volunteer recruitment. The 2024 career guide does not list that same requirement. Keep the two routes separate and follow the residence and availability rules in the actual job advertisement.
What should I budget for the application?
Allow for qualifications, FSO assessments, any application processing fee and travel. The 2024 guide also put vulnerable-sector and medical screening costs on the candidate. No current total or application-fee amount is verified here; confirm prices and refund terms before paying.
Go straight to the source
Reviewed against official Orillia sources on November 5, 2026. Requirements, certificate validity and intake dates can change.
Independent guide from Firefighter Academy, not affiliated with the City of Orillia, Orillia Fire Department, FSO or CPS. Current official postings and candidate instructions take priority. Recruitment details from the 2024 guide are historical; salary rates are dated separately.
Your next step
Plan your application to Orillia Fire Department
Confirm the City’s current requirements and application dates. Preparing for the written test? Start with independent practice.
Browse recruitment postings