How to become a firefighter in London

Required at application

Required before hire

1. 1Application submission

   London hires pre-certified firefighters, so the application stage is really a document check. Before you apply you need a Grade 12 diploma, GED, or equivalent, current IFSAC and/or Pro Board endorsed NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level 1 and 2 and NFPA 1072 HazMat Awareness and Operations, current First Aid, CPR, and AED certification, and a valid unrestricted Ontario Class D licence with a Z endorsement. You also need proof of a three-year uncertified driver's abstract, and other IFSAC or Pro Board certifications count as assets.

   The City lists OFAI Candidate Testing Services as its physical testing, so plan your OFAI stages months before a posting opens. OFAI's published fees are $75.00 plus HST for the Stage One FACT written test, $110.00 plus HST for the Stage Two Encapsulated Treadmill Test, and $212.00 plus HST for the Stage Three FPAT, and OFAI states the FACT certificate is valid for 24 months and the FPAT certificate for 12 months. Read the actual job posting for exactly which OFAI certificates London wants, and make sure yours will still be valid at the closing date.

   Windows are short. The 2026 competition, Probationary Firefighter FS5301, opened July 15 and closed August 15, 2026, so have every certificate and document scanned and ready before the next posting appears on the City of London careers portal at careers.london.ca.

   A criminal reference check with a vulnerable sector screen dated within the past 12 months is on the qualification list, and police services can take weeks to issue one, so order it early. Recruitment questions go to mycareer@london.ca or 519-661-4930.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
2. 2Pre-qualifying written exam

   London lists a pre-qualifying written exam as the step after application, but it does not publish the exam's format, content, length, or any fee, so confirm the details with the department when you are invited. Do not assume an OFAI written result replaces it; the City lists this exam as its own step in the process.

   Entry-level firefighter written exams commonly test reading comprehension, basic math, mechanical reasoning, and situational judgment. Practise under timed conditions so your pacing is automatic on test day.

   Treat the invitation email as your instruction sheet: bring the identification it names, arrive early, and respond quickly to scheduling requests. Answer every question, since a blank answer scores nothing, and read each question fully before choosing.

   Read roadmap step 8Drill the question banksSit a timed mock
3. 3Interview

   London does not publish its interview format, so confirm the details in your invitation and prepare for a structured panel with behavioural questions, which is the common pattern in Ontario fire recruitment.

   Use the department's own language when you prepare. Its recruitment page stresses teamwork, a healthy lifestyle, strong physical and mental fitness, and reflecting the diverse community it serves, so bring real examples that show those exact qualities.

   Know the department. London describes itself as a large service of over 400 working personnel responding to more than 13,000 alarms a year for a city of over 400,000 residents plus students at two major post-secondary schools. Its recruitment material has also noted duties on special teams such as ice and water rescue, hazardous materials, and technical rescue, so be ready to explain why that work interests you.

   Prepare six to eight short stories from work, volunteering, or training that show teamwork, conflict resolution, integrity, and calm under pressure. Practise telling each one as situation, action, and result in under two minutes.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 11Run a mock panel interviewInterview playbook
4. 4Psychological and medical assessments

   The City lists psychological and medical assessment as the final posted step but does not publish who runs it or what it includes, so follow the instructions in your offer package and confirm anything unclear with the department. In most fire services these assessments come after a conditional offer.

   Answer psychological questionnaires honestly and consistently. They screen for suitability, not perfection, and trying to guess the right answers tends to produce inconsistent results that raise more questions than a straight answer would.

   For the medical, bring glasses or contacts if you use them and a list of any medications, and be ready to discuss your health history plainly. Keep your First Aid, CPR, and AED certification current through this stage, since London requires these to be current.

   London requires a criminal reference check with a vulnerable sector screen from within the past 12 months. Order it from your local police service early, since processing can take weeks, and confirm with the department exactly when they want it dated and submitted.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 12Polygraph guideReview your PHS answers