Windsor, Ontario Hiring guide
Windsor Firefighter Recruitment: Requirements, Tests & Salary
What Windsor asks for, how FSO screening works, when to submit your résumé and what firefighter pay looks like.
Aptitude test
FSO entry-level aptitude examinationFSO describes a multiple-choice exam covering oral information, reading, mathematics and mechanical aptitude. Its public page does not identify the publisher.
Department size
7 fire stations
Serving Windsor
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 · 2026/2027 application window closed. This review is separate from board availability.
How to become a Windsor firefighter
- 1
Check the entry list
Confirm age, work eligibility, education, DZ licensing and current First Aid/BLS before the application opens.
- 2
Plan the full FSO screening
Budget for more than an aptitude test. Review all required assessments and any rules for using older results.
- 3
Keep your résumé ready
Windsor asks for the detailed résumé later in its published process. Maintain a complete draft and submit it when invited.
The department at a glance
Windsor starts with an online application, then uses Firefighter Services of Ontario (FSO) screening before asking successful candidates for a detailed résumé and processing fee. Build your preparation around that order: check your entry qualifications, plan the testing and keep your experience ready for the later résumé stage. The 2026/2027 application window ended in September 2026. The selection process continues beyond the application deadline. Use the City recruitment page for the next opening and the latest instructions if you are already in a competition.
More than firefighting
Windsor Fire & Rescue Services is a career department operating from seven stations. The work includes fire, medical, rescue and hazardous materials calls, along with apparatus checks, training, inspections and public education.
Pay & working pattern
Advertised top annual firefighter rate — rounded · $120,491 per year
Effective July 6, 2026
The 2026 employer advertisement listed $78,319.09–$120,490.90 annually. The headline uses the upper advertised rate, not starting pay or a separately verified first-class grid. The City’s 2026 FAQ lists probationary pay of $3,012.27 biweekly for the first six months and $3,243.99 for the second six months. The date shown is the posting date; a wage-change date was not confirmed.
The 2026 employer posting listed 42 hours a week with shift work. Recruits complete a 12-month probationary period; the City FAQ describes progression to third class after successful completion.
Minimum qualifications
These are the application requirements published by the City for the 2026/2027 recruitment. Keep them separate from later testing and employment conditions.
- 01Age and Canadian work eligibility
- Applicants had to be at least 18 and legally entitled to work in Canada at application. Keep the requested proof available.
- 02Education
- An Ontario Secondary School Graduation Diploma or Ontario Ministry of Education equivalency was required.
- 03DZ licence
- A current lawful Ontario Class D licence or higher, with Z endorsement, was required at application. A satisfactory driver’s abstract is an employment condition.
- 04First Aid and BLS
- The City required current Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support, or an equivalent from an approved provider. Do not substitute an assumed CPR level without checking.
- 05Testing and interview
- Successful aptitude, physical and tread-water testing and interviews form part of selection. Use the FSO screening list below to plan the full package.
- 06Employment conditions
- Later conditions include references, vulnerable-sector police clearance, a driver’s abstract and a City-designated medical examination. Follow the City’s timing before ordering documents.
What strengthens your application
The City lists further education and training as assets. They can help your application, but do not change the basic entry list.
Further education
University or college training in firefighting, medical care, trades, construction or technical rescue may be considered an asset.
NFPA courses and certification
Windsor’s FAQ lists NFPA certification and courses as potential assets. Do not automatically import another department’s NFPA 1001 entry requirement into Windsor’s minimum list.
Evidence from your work
Prepare examples of safe practical work, helping the public and working with others. Explain your decisions and contribution in the later résumé and interview.
Aptitude & physical testing
Windsor uses FSO screening. Passing the written exam is only one part of that package. Follow the recruitment-specific instructions for booking, deadlines, accepted previous results and fees.
Oral information, reading, maths and mechanics
FSO’s published exam is multiple choice, with a 70% pass standard. Calculators, phones and smartwatches are not permitted. Practise understanding instructions and solving problems without a calculator; review the current provider instructions before attending.
Plan the whole package
Windsor lists medical examination with hearing and vision, clinical assessment, CPAT, aptitude, tread water, acrophobia, and Emotional Stability and Resiliency assessment. Read the current instructions for scheduling and completion deadlines.
Tread-water testing
Swimming readiness matters alongside land-based fitness. Follow Windsor’s FSO instructions for the actual standard and required clothing; a different municipality’s swim certificate is not automatic proof of acceptance.
Ask FSO to confirm eligibility
The 2026 FAQ allowed some previously completed core-four results, with conditions on same-day completion and date. Clinical results had a six-month validity window; specified other assessments used one year. Obtain confirmation before assuming your whole package transfers.
Written test preparation
Work on the written skills FSO assesses
Our independent CPS-style practice covers related reading, mathematics and mechanical skills. It is a practice resource, not confirmation of the FSO exam publisher or a substitute for official testing.
Practise written-test skillsThe recruitment process
This sequence follows Windsor’s published recruitment process. Dates, fees and screening arrangements can change between competitions, so use the City’s current table rather than an old test calendar.
- 1
Submit the initial application
Apply online during the advertised period. Check every answer before submitting: the City says initial application information cannot be updated afterward.
Detailed résumés and certificates are requested later in the published process.
- 2
Complete FSO screening
Follow the City and provider instructions to book and complete the required assessments. Plan ahead for session capacity and registration cutoffs.
In the referenced process, online application and testing registration could occur during the same timeline.
- 3
Submit the résumé and processing fee when invited
Candidates who pass screening are invited to provide their detailed résumé and pay the City’s administrative fee.
The 2026 City fee was $55, separate from FSO testing costs. Confirm future fees and payment instructions directly.
- 4
Complete the interview stages
The published process includes two interview rounds with fire and Human Resources personnel. Prepare relevant examples and follow the scheduled dates.
The City may also use occupational personality and mental ability assessments.
- 5
Complete offer conditions
Follow the paperwork for police clearance, references, driver’s abstract and the City-designated medical assessment.
The FAQ distinguishes applicant-paid police clearance from the corporation-paid pre-placement medical.
- 6
Begin training and probation
Read the offer for attendance, start date and conditions. Successful recruits serve a 12-month probationary period.
Future class dates depend on the competition; do not use an old schedule as a guaranteed start date.
Your application checklist
Use this preparation checklist alongside the current posting. Checking an item does not confirm eligibility.
Get notified when Windsor hiring opens
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Common questions
Guidance for Windsor applicants. Confirm details with the referenced official sources and current posting.
Is Windsor accepting firefighter applications now?
The 2026/2027 application period ended in September 2026. Check the City’s recruitment page for a new application window. A competition can continue through interviews and offers after applications close.
Does Windsor require NFPA 1001 before applying?
Its published minimum entry list does not name NFPA 1001. The official FAQ treats NFPA certifications and courses as possible assets. Always recheck the full live posting for changes.
Does Windsor use CPS, FACT or another written test?
The City names FSO as its screening provider. FSO describes a multiple-choice entry-level aptitude exam but does not name the publisher on its public exam page. Prepare for its stated subjects rather than treating the provider name as proof of CPS or FACT.
When do I submit my résumé?
Windsor’s published process requests the detailed résumé after successful testing, when invited. Follow the current competition’s instructions rather than uploading a generic package at the wrong stage.
What does Windsor firefighter recruitment cost?
The 2026 City processing fee was $55 at the later résumé stage, separate from applicant-paid FSO testing. Use the current fee schedule and provider instructions for the next competition.
What is Windsor firefighter pay?
The 2026 employer advertisement listed $78,319.09–$120,490.90 a year. The City FAQ separately gives first- and second-six-month probationary rates. The upper advertised figure should not be mistaken for starting pay.
Can I reuse previous FSO results?
Possibly, but the City’s reference rules included a core-four same-day condition and specific date and validity limits. Ask FSO to confirm each component for your recruitment before booking only a partial package.
Go straight to the source
Reviewed against official Windsor sources on November 5, 2026. Requirements, certificate validity and intake dates can change.
Independent guide, not affiliated with the City of Windsor or Firefighter Services of Ontario. Current City and FSO instructions take precedence. Dated fees and salary figures are references to the identified competition, not promises about a future intake.
Your next step
Plan your application to Windsor Fire & Rescue Services
Confirm the City’s current requirements and application dates. Preparing for the written test? Start with independent practice.
Browse recruitment postings