How to become a firefighter in Mississauga

Required at application

Required before hire

Required at conditional job offer

1. 1Application submission($150 + tax (non-refundable))Resume, cover letter, and questionnaire answers. The administration fee is paid BEFORE submission through the city's payment portal, and the order number goes into the application as proof of payment.

   Pay the non-refundable $150 plus tax administration fee before you submit. The payment portal is linked on the job posting, and you prove payment by entering the Order number in the Job Specific Information section of your application. The fee is not refunded for any submitted application.

   Apply through the city careers site at jobs.mississauga.ca using a candidate profile. Submit a resume, a cover letter, and answers to the application questions. Once you submit, the system takes a snapshot of your application and you cannot edit it, so any later correction has to go through firefighter.recruitment@mississauga.ca.

   Hold every minimum requirement on the day you apply: NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II and NFPA 1072 (472) Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations with Pro Board or IFSAC seals, an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, a valid unrestricted Ontario Class D licence with Z endorsement, and current Standard First Aid with CPR C or BLS/HCP or higher. Certification earned outside Ontario must carry an IFSAC or Pro Board seal, and if you are invited to the next steps you must produce a letter from the Office of the Fire Marshal stating it is recognized in Ontario.

   Mississauga does not require and will not accept OFAI certification, so do not build your application around OFAI stages. Instead, make preferred qualifications easy to find on your resume: post-secondary education, a year or more of volunteer or community service, a trade certification, EMR, heavy vehicle experience, second-language fluency, or technical rescue training.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
2. 2Application screeningReview by HR and the hiring committee.

   Human Resources and the hiring committee review every application against the posted minimum and preferred qualifications. Only selected candidates receive an email invitation to move on, so a complete and accurate application is the whole game at this stage.

   All communication is by email. Use an address you check daily, watch your junk and spam folders, and reply promptly, because the city states that when emails are not returned with a response the hiring committee assumes you are no longer interested in the job.

   Make the screener's job easy. Name your certifications exactly as the posting does, include issue dates and the Pro Board or IFSAC seal for each, and keep the cover letter specific to Mississauga rather than generic. You can track your status any time by signing in to your candidate profile and expanding the Jobs Applied section.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 7Review your Gap ListCertification tracker
3. 3AssessmentsPractical, behavioural, fitness (York University), swimming, cognitive, and medical assessments plus reference and background checks. Candidates invited to the written cognitive test pay an additional fee of approximately $70; total assessment-phase costs are approximately $500.

   If invited, expect a wide assessment phase: a written test, practical assessments, behavioural assessments, performance assessments, the York University Firefighter fitness assessment scheduled by the City, a swim test, a medical assessment, and reference and background checks. Budget for it too, since the city lists approximately $70 for candidates invited to the written test and approximately $500 for candidates invited to physical and/or medical assessments, on top of the $150 application fee.

   Bring proof of everything. You must provide proof of all certificates, training, and qualifications named in the posting during the practical assessment phase, and failing to do so means automatic removal from the process.

   Train for the York University firefighter fitness assessment specifically, since Mississauga does not use CPAT. The city does not publish the swim standard, so get regular pool time in before test day and confirm details with the department. Your vision must meet NFPA 1582 requirements and hearing must be excellent without artificial aids.

   You may face one or several interviews during the process, with panels made up of Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services personnel asking job-related questions. Prepare specific examples from your training and work history that show teamwork, composure under stress, and clear communication.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 13Start a fitness program
4. 4SelectionThe committee evaluates all results; all committee decisions are final.

   The hiring committee evaluates everything together: your application, every assessment, and your interviews. Passing one assessment phase does not automatically qualify you for the next step, only candidates selected to move forward are contacted, and all committee decisions are final.

   Because the review is holistic, consistency matters more than one standout score. Treat every touchpoint, including how quickly and professionally you answer emails, as part of the evaluation.

   If you are not selected, use the gap before the next competition to strengthen your file. Mississauga posts firefighter competitions as needed, so adding preferred qualifications such as EMR, sustained volunteer work, or technical rescue training is time well spent.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 14Academy preparation guideStart a fitness program
5. 5Conditional job offerProbationary firefighter employment conditional on a valid Ontario D/Z licence, Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Screening, successful training completion, and a twelve-month probation.

   An offer of probationary firefighter employment comes with conditions. You must show a valid Ontario Class D licence with Z endorsement plus a driving abstract acceptable to the City, and provide a Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Check at your own expense.

   Start the Vulnerable Sector Check with your local police service as soon as you are asked, since processing times vary and can run to weeks. Confirm the current timeline with the police service that serves your home address.

   The offer also depends on successfully completing the training program and a twelve-month probationary period. Before you accept, be sure you can commit to the schedule: firefighters must be available 365 days a year for 24-hour rotating shifts from 8:00 to 8:00, averaging 42 hours per week over 28 days, including weekends and holidays.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 14Academy preparation guideStart a fitness program
6. 6Probationary firefighter trainingSeventeen-week training program following NFPA standards.

   New hires complete a seventeen-week probationary firefighter training program that follows NFPA standards. After training you are assigned to the Operations section at one of the city's twenty-two fire stations, or to another section as required.

   Training is the start of your twelve-month probation, not the end of the hiring process. Treat every drill, evaluation, and shift as part of your ongoing assessment.

   Arrive in the same condition that carried you through the York fitness assessment and hold it through the program. Keep your first aid, CPR, and D/Z licence valid, and confirm renewal expectations with the department.

   Department source for this stage

   Read roadmap step 14Academy preparation guideStart a fitness program