Oshawa, Ontario Hiring guide
Oshawa Firefighter Recruitment: Requirements, Testing & Salary
Get ready to apply to Oshawa Fire Services: OFAI and FACT requirements, current first-class pay, interview guidance and the documents you need.
Aptitude test
FACT through OFAI — Stage 1Oshawa’s published pathway requires a valid FACT certificate alongside all other OFAI components when you apply.
Department size
6 fire stations
Serving Oshawa
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 careers — current intake not verified. This review is separate from board availability.
How to become a Oshawa firefighter
- 1
Check the dates on every certificate
List all seven OFAI components and their expiry dates. Plan backwards from the application deadline, leaving room for booking availability, results and any retests.
- 2
Line up two supervisory references
Oshawa asks for people who directly supervised your work. Get permission, confirm their contact details and choose supervisors who can speak to your reliability, safety and teamwork.
- 3
Make your experience easy to assess
Use clear employment dates and describe your own responsibilities. Prepare examples showing sound judgement, mechanical problem-solving, working with others and service to the public.
The department at a glance
Oshawa’s published career firefighter pathway requires completed OFAI testing before you apply, followed by City screening, interviews and employment checks. The details worth sorting out early are certificate expiry dates, your DZ licence, one year of full-time work experience and two suitable supervisory references. This guide walks through those requirements and the current first-class salary. Check the actual competition notice before submitting.
More than firefighting
Oshawa Fire Services operates six stations and serves residential, commercial, urban and rural areas. Crews handle fires, medical calls, collisions and alarms, alongside hazardous materials, technical rescue and ice or water rescue. The job also includes public education, equipment and station upkeep, training, and call-taking or dispatch duties as assigned. Show that you understand the routine work as well as emergency response.
Pay & working pattern
First-class firefighter — annual base · $123,394 per year
Effective July 1, 2026
The first-class annual base rate is $123,394 from July 1, 2026. Article 10 of the 2025 interest arbitration award (printed page 9) sets the rate for the 2024–26 agreement. Overtime and other additions are separate. Check the current posting or offer for the probationary starting rate.
The City describes 24-hour shifts averaging seven shifts in a 28-day cycle, including nights, weekends and holidays. Recruits complete in-house training before joining a shift, then continue training during a twelve-month probationary period. Firefighters belong to IAFF Local 465.
Minimum qualifications
Oshawa’s recruitment page lists the requirements below. Some must already be completed when you apply; a conditional offer brings further checks. Read the live posting for the exact documents and deadlines.
- 01Age, work eligibility and education
- Be at least 18, legally entitled to work in Canada, and have a secondary school diploma or academic equivalent.
- 02Accredited firefighter certification
- Complete NFPA 1001 Levels I and II before applying. The City identifies OFM accreditation for Ontario institutions, and IFSAC or Pro Board accreditation for institutions outside Ontario or Canada.
- 03Valid OFAI assessments, including swimming
- Complete Stages 1, 2 and 3 plus the OFAI swim test before applying. Oshawa states that expired certificates will not be accepted.
- 04At least one year of full-time work experience
- The City lists a minimum of one year of prior full-time work experience. Give accurate dates and employment status rather than leaving the reviewer to infer them from job titles.
- 05Current first aid and CPR
- Hold at least current Standard First Aid and CPR C, or higher as accepted by the City, before submitting. The first aid certificate must be from a WSIB-approved trainer.
- 06Unrestricted DZ licence and driving record
- Hold and maintain an unrestricted Ontario Class D licence or higher with Z endorsement. The firefighter recruitment page rules out applicants with more than six demerit points; follow the live posting and any stricter offer conditions.
- 07Shift work, fitness and communication
- Be able to work 24-hour shifts, meet the role’s physical and psychological demands, communicate clearly under pressure and work safely within a crew. Medical, driving and police checks follow later.
What strengthens your application
Oshawa identifies relevant work backgrounds as assets. Use your résumé and interview examples to show what you actually did, how safely you worked and how you contributed to a team.
Fire and emergency-service experience
Fire suppression, emergency medical work and fire prevention are listed as assets. Explain the tasks you performed and the standards you followed.
Construction, trades and mechanical work
Show practical examples of using tools, identifying a fault, maintaining equipment or completing physically demanding work safely.
Large vehicle operation
Relevant driving experience is an asset. Describe the vehicle, operating conditions, inspections and safety responsibilities; a DZ licence still needs to meet the mandatory requirement.
Aptitude & physical testing
The City lists seven OFAI components: FACT; hearing, vision and encapsulated treadmill assessments; FPAT and technical skills; and the OFAI swim test. All must be completed and valid at application. Book with enough time for results, renewals and any retesting.
Written aptitude and personal characteristics
OFAI describes a 110-item, multiple-choice assessment with up to three hours allowed. It covers reading, mathematical reasoning, map reading, writing and personal characteristics. Use the official instructions for test-day rules and answer character questions honestly.
Three separate components to keep valid
Oshawa requires hearing, vision and the encapsulated treadmill assessment. Check each result in your OFAI account rather than assuming that a single Stage 2 date covers everything. Follow the official medical and preparation instructions.
FPAT plus the technical skills assessment
Both components are listed by the City. Read OFAI’s current candidate guides, practise safe movement and equipment handling, and build fitness well before the booking. Passing the written assessment alone does not complete the package.
Swimming is an additional required component
Oshawa specifically names the OFAI swim test alongside Stages 1–3. Its page does not offer a general substitute. Check your swim certificate and the current posting instead of assuming another department’s accepted swim option applies.
Written test preparation
Prepare for the FACT before you book
Start with a timed practice test, then spend more time on the skills costing you marks. Work on reading, practical math, map reading and writing, and answer character questions honestly. Our original practice material is independent; OFAI administers the official assessment.
Explore FACT practice testsThe recruitment process
This is the sequence described on the City’s firefighter recruitment page. Passing an assessment or meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an interview; the competition notice and your invitation give the instructions for your intake.
- 1
Find the competition and apply online
Use the City’s careers system, read the firefighter posting and submit the requested résumé, supporting documents and screening answers before the deadline.
Oshawa accepts applications online. Save the submission confirmation and check your email, including spam.
- 2
Qualifications and application screening
Have the required firefighter education, OFAI results, DZ licence, first aid and work experience in place. Make the dates and evidence easy for the reviewer to find.
The City says OFAI certificates must be complete and unexpired at application.
- 3
Interview with the City
The panel may include Fire Services and Human Resource Services representatives. The published process uses situational, behavioural and practical questions.
Prepare examples that show your actions, decisions and results. Learn Oshawa’s values—authenticity, courage and trust—and connect them to real conduct rather than memorized slogans.
- 4
References and conditional offer checks
Provide two people who directly supervised your work. A conditional offer is subject to the pre-employment medical, driver’s abstract and criminal record check with vulnerable-sector search.
The City excludes personal, coworker and professor or teacher references. Its firefighter page requires the police check to have been performed within the previous six months. Follow the City’s instructions on when to obtain it.
- 5
Recruit training and probation
New firefighters complete in-house training before going on shift, with further training and assessment during twelve months of probation.
Keep practising the basics and arrive ready to learn the department’s equipment, procedures and expectations.
Your application checklist
Use this preparation checklist alongside the current posting. Checking an item does not confirm eligibility.
Get notified when Oshawa hiring opens
We’ll email you when a new OFS recruitment appears on our board. No account needed.
By subscribing, you agree to receive emails from Firefighter Academy about Oshawa Fire Services hiring updates, plus occasional firefighter test-prep tips and offers. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy.
Common questions
Guidance for Oshawa applicants. Confirm details with the referenced official sources and current posting.
When is Oshawa’s next firefighter recruitment?
The City says it typically runs one or two firefighter campaigns per year, but it does not promise a particular month. No next application window is verified here. Check the City’s careers page or join its Talent Network for posting alerts. A current application window was not verified in our November 5, 2026 review.
Does Oshawa use FACT or CPS?
The City’s published pathway names the Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test, or FACT, through OFAI Stage 1. It also requires the other OFAI components. Use the current competition notice to confirm the pathway before booking.
Do I need OFAI Stage 3 before applying?
Yes, under Oshawa’s published process. Stages 1, 2 and 3, plus the OFAI swim test, must be successfully completed and valid at application. The City states that expired certificates will not be accepted. Check every component’s expiry date.
Can I use Swim to Survive instead of the OFAI swim test?
Oshawa’s page specifically lists the OFAI swim test. It does not confirm Swim to Survive as an alternative. Follow the current posting and obtain written clarification before relying on a different swim qualification.
What is the Oshawa firefighter salary?
The annual first-class base benchmark is $123,394 from July 1, 2026, supported by the 2025 interest arbitration award under Article 10. Overtime and other additions are separate. This is not a confirmed recruit starting salary; use the applicable probationary classification in the current posting or offer.
Who can I use as an Oshawa firefighter reference?
The City asks for two people who directly supervised your work. It does not accept personal, coworker or professor/teacher references for this requirement. Ask permission first, explain the role you are applying for and confirm current contact information.
What questions are asked in the interview?
Oshawa describes situational, behavioural and practical questions. Prepare real examples of teamwork, judgement, safety, accountability and solving a practical problem. Explain what you personally did and the outcome. The public process does not specify an MMI or a fixed answer time.
What should I budget for before applying?
Allow for OFAI bookings or renewals, the swim assessment, licence and first aid requirements, documents and travel. Fees and retest rules are set by the relevant provider. Check those before paying and avoid booking a full package again if only a particular certificate needs renewal. Follow the City’s instructions for later police and medical checks.
Go straight to the source
Reviewed against official Oshawa sources on November 5, 2026. Requirements, certificate validity and intake dates can change.
Independent guide from Firefighter Academy. We are not affiliated with the City of Oshawa, Oshawa Fire Services, OFAI or the FACT publisher. The current City posting, candidate instructions and official assessment rules take priority. Salary is dated separately from recruitment information.
Your next step
Plan your application to Oshawa Fire Services
Confirm the City’s current requirements and application dates. Preparing for the written test? Start with independent practice.
Browse recruitment postings