How to become a firefighter in Hamilton

Verified GuideModel B: Come pre-certifiedCPSCPAT

Not accepting applications

The recruitment page states: "Full-time Probationary Firefighter recruitment is now closed."

Checked August 10, 2026 against the department's own page. Intake dates change without notice, so confirm there before you plan around this.

Where are you starting from?

What you need

The credentials and documents Hamilton requires before you can apply.

How hiring works here

Every stage Hamilton publishes, and how to do each one well.

Build your plan

Two minutes: see which requirements you already meet, and what to start first.

At a glance

Entry model: Model B: Come pre-certified
Fire certification before applying: Relevant provincial certifications under Ontario's firefighter certification legislation
Medical requirement: Basic Rescuer or Level C CPR certificate (Heart and Stroke); Standard First Aid certificate; Vision at least 20/30 corrected or 20/40 uncorrected, both eyes tested together; Medical assessment administered by the City physician (required at conditional job offer)
Driver requirement: Valid Class DZ licence with 0 demerit points
Written test: CPS
Physical test: CPAT
Last verified: July 2026 · sources monitored daily for changes

A summary of this record. The full detail is below, and the official posting governs.

Hamilton recruits through the Firefighter Services of Ontario stream rather than OFAI: candidates complete the FSO Firefighter Entry Level Test and then the FSO Applicant Assessment, which bundles a clinical assessment, the CPAT occupational assessment, a 30-foot ladder acrophobia test, a 15-minute tread water test, and the written CPS Firefighter Entry-Level aptitude examination. At the time of application you need a valid Class DZ licence with zero demerit points, an Ontario high school diploma or approved equivalent, Standard First Aid plus a Basic Rescuer or Level C CPR certificate dated within 12 months of applying, relevant provincial certifications under Ontario's firefighter certification legislation, and no criminal convictions without a pardon. A conditional offer adds a police vulnerable sector check, a City-paid medical, references, and a driver's abstract, followed by 18 weeks of recruit training.

NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II plus HazMat Operations are required before applying. Budget for fire school before you can compete.

How their intake usually runs

Apply online during posted recruitment windows

Requirements

Required at application

Valid Class DZ licence with 0 demerit points
Must be satisfactory to the City of Hamilton at time of application; a driver's abstract check satisfactory to the City is required at the conditional offer stage.
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Ontario High School Diploma or approved equivalent
International educational certificates require evaluation through ICAS, WES-Canada, or the Comparative Education Service of the University of Toronto.
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Basic Rescuer or Level C CPR certificate (Heart and Stroke)
Dated no more than 12 months before the date of application and valid throughout the process until time of hire; the original must be presented at the interview.
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Standard First Aid certificate
Canadian Red Cross, Canadian St. John's Ambulance, or WSIB-approved training is acceptable, dated no more than 12 months before the date of application and valid until time of hire.
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Relevant provincial certifications under Ontario's firefighter certification legislation
The posting requires relevant Provincial Certifications as per the Province's Firefighter Certification legislation (O. Reg. 343/22), without listing specific NFPA levels.
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Vision at least 20/30 corrected or 20/40 uncorrected, both eyes tested together
Normal depth perception and colour vision are also required. At the conditional-offer medical, the acceptable vision is 20/30 in each eye without corrective lenses plus a colour vision test.
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No criminal convictions for which a pardon has not been granted
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Able to communicate in English both orally and in writing
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Required before hire

Firefighter Services of Ontario Applicant Assessment
Completed upon request at the candidate's expense: clinical assessment (pre-appraisal screening, body composition, maximal aerobic fitness, trunk flexibility, 60-second sit-up test), occupational assessment (CPAT), acrophobia test, and tread water test.
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Required at conditional job offer

Police Vulnerable Sector Check satisfactory to the City
Obtained at the candidate's own expense from the police service where you live.
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Medical assessment administered by the City physician
The cost of the medical assessment is covered by the City.
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Employment-related reference checks
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The hiring process

Hamilton only accepts applications online while a recruitment window is open, and full-time probationary firefighter recruitment is closed as of the page's February 2026 update. Watch the City's recruitment page so you are ready the day a window opens.
The application is a mandatory online questionnaire with your resume attached. If you leave the questionnaire incomplete or forget the resume, your application is disqualified, and answers cannot be changed after the process closes, so check every answer before you submit.
After you register or log in, update My Profile with your current address, phone number and email. Every contact from the City goes to that profile, so a stale email address can end your candidacy silently.
Before applying, make sure you meet the published requirements at time of application: a valid Class DZ licence with 0 demerit points, an Ontario high school diploma or approved equivalent, a Basic Rescuer or Level C CPR certificate plus Standard First Aid dated within 12 months of your application, relevant provincial certifications under Ontario's firefighter certification legislation, vision of at least 20/30 corrected or 20/40 uncorrected with both eyes tested together, and no criminal convictions without a pardon.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
If your application passes screening, you will be contacted to complete this test with Firefighter Services of Ontario at your own expense. Neither Hamilton nor FSO publishes the fee for this test, so confirm the cost when you are invited to book.
The test is multiple choice and video based, built to simulate the emotional triggers of real calls. Your answers show how you set priorities around traits Hamilton lists, including adaptability, communication, compassion, integrity, safety orientation and consideration for coworkers.
The passing score is 70 percent or higher in the Human Relations section, and meeting it does not guarantee you move forward. Answer as the calm, safety-first teammate the job requires, and keep your answers consistent from scene to scene rather than guessing what sounds impressive.
Bring photo ID such as a driver's licence, military ID, passport or health card. Photo ID is required at this test and at every later step of the recruitment process.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
This stage bundles four tests, all at your expense: a clinical assessment, the CPAT, a 30-foot ladder acrophobia test and a tread water test. FSO's published fees are $200 for the CPAT (valid 1 year), $130 for the clinical assessment (valid 6 months) and $40 each for the acrophobia and tread water tests (valid 1 year), and FSO notes departments can require shorter validity, so confirm timing with Hamilton.
The CPAT is pass or fail on a 10 minute 20 second clock across eight events in a 50-pound vest, with 25 more pounds added for the stair climb. FSO offers a free online virtual orientation and a $120 practical orientation where you attempt all eight events with proctor feedback, and first-time candidates who take an orientation meet the course before the clock is running.
The clinical assessment is scored out of 30, and you need at least 18 points plus completion of all five components to pass, with each protocol run only once. Follow FSO's preparation rules for the body composition test: no alcohol within 48 hours, no caffeine or exercise within 12 hours, and no food within 4 hours of your appointment.
The acrophobia test has you climb a 30-foot ladder in a harness, anchor one leg through a rung, connect two hose couplings, then lean back and look down for 10 seconds. The tread water test is 15 consecutive minutes, vertical and unassisted, head completely above water, so build pool time into your training months ahead, not the week before.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
Firefighter Services of Ontario administers the Cooperative Personnel Services (CPS) Firefighter Entry-Level aptitude examination in a multiple-choice format, with metric versions for Canadian fire services. Hamilton lists four question types: understanding oral information, reading comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, and maps, diagrams and mechanical drawings.
FSO lists the exam at $90 with results valid for 1 year, and you must score at least 70 percent to pass. Test materials and scrap paper are provided, but cell phones, smart watches and calculators are banned, and you cannot leave the room during the exam.
If you need accommodations, contact FSO at least one week before your appointment with a psychoeducational assessment from a qualified professional that names the accommodation.
Prepare by doing arithmetic without a calculator, timed reading passages, and practice with basic mechanical concepts like levers, pulleys and gears. The oral section rewards focused listening, so practise taking in spoken instructions once and answering from memory.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 8 Drill the question banks Sit a timed mock
Hamilton requires a psychological assessment for applicants who pass the practical agility testing, to assess suitability for the firefighter role. The City does not publish who administers it, the format or the cost, so confirm those details with the department when you are invited.
As general advice, answer honestly and consistently. These assessments include consistency checks, and trying to guess a perfect profile usually reads worse than straightforward answers.
Treat it like any other test day: sleep properly, arrive early and read every question fully before answering. A calm, honest sitting is the strongest approach available.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 12 Polygraph guide Review your PHS answers
Interview invitations come by email. Bring the original and one copy of each of these documents: your Ontario high school diploma or approved equivalent, proof your Basic Rescuer or Level C CPR certificate is valid, and your Standard First Aid certificate, because missing documents mean disqualification from the process.
International education must be evaluated through ICAS, WES-Canada or the Comparative Education Service of the University of Toronto, so start that evaluation early. If a CPR or First Aid certificate is not available, a letter on company or department letterhead stating the training level and completion date may be accepted.
Both certificates must stay valid from the time of application through to time of hire, so renew before expiry rather than after.
Hamilton names its values plainly: trust, honesty, integrity, compassion and empathy, and teamwork. Prepare short, true examples from your work and volunteer history that show each one, and be ready to speak to rotating shifts and working within a highly structured environment.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 11 Run a mock panel interview Interview playbook
A conditional offer is not the finish line, four conditions still apply. First, you must obtain a Police Vulnerable Sector Check at your own expense from the police service in the municipality where you permanently live, and it must be satisfactory to the City.
The City books and pays for a medical assessment with its physician and provides the required medical documents once your appointment is confirmed. Your vision is tested there, and the published standard at the medical is 20/30 in each eye without corrective lenses plus a colour vision test, which reads stricter than the application-stage standard, so confirm with the department if you rely on glasses or contacts.
Complete the City's Reference Consent Form with employment-related references, meaning people you report or reported to. Pick supervisors who know your recent work and give them notice that a call is coming.
Your Class DZ licence must still be valid with 0 demerit points, backed by a driver's abstract check satisfactory to the City. Keep your driving record spotless from the day you apply through to hire.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program
Successful candidates start 18 weeks of training on their employment start date. Hamilton does not publish the training schedule or location on the recruitment page, so confirm those details with the department once your start date is set.
Arrive fit enough to repeat CPAT-level work day after day, not just once. Candidates who keep training after their testing dates absorb the recruit workload far better than those who peaked for the CPAT and stopped.
You are hired as a probationary firefighter, so the standards from your offer still matter: keep your CPR and First Aid certificates current through to hire and your driving record clean. Show up early, take notes, and treat every drill as an evaluation, because it is one.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program

Worth knowing

Full-time Probationary Firefighter recruitment was closed as of the July 2026 research date.
The tread water test requires 15 consecutive minutes of unassisted vertical treading with the head completely above water.
The acrophobia test involves climbing a 30-foot ladder, anchoring with one leg through the rung, connecting two hose couplings, and looking down for 10 seconds.
Photo ID (driver's licence, military ID, passport, or health card) is required at testing and throughout the recruitment process.
If a CPR or First Aid certificate is unavailable, a letter on company or department letterhead stating the level and completion date may be accepted at interview.

Official sources

Last verified July 2026. Requirements change: the official posting always governs.

City of Hamilton: Full Time Firefighter Recruitment

Semparo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hamilton Fire Department or any testing vendor. This guide is independent preparation content.

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