How to become a firefighter in Oshawa

Verified GuideModel B: Come pre-certifiedOFAI FACT OFAI FPAT

Opens by posting

Step one of the City's firefighter recruitment process reads: "When a recruitment campaign opens, the opportunity will be posted on the City of Oshawa's Career page." Applicants are encouraged to join the Talent Network "to receive notifications as new positions become available."

Checked October 15, 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 Oshawa requires before you can apply.

How hiring works here

Every stage Oshawa 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: NFPA 1001 Level I/II from an accredited institution
Medical requirement: Standard First Aid and CPR C or higher (for example EMR)
Driver requirement: Valid unrestricted Ontario licence, minimum Class D with Z endorsement
Written test: OFAI FACT
Physical test: OFAI FPAT
Last verified: July 2026 · sources monitored daily for changes

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

Oshawa hires pre-certified firefighters and requires all seven mandatory OFAI assessment components at the time of application: Stage 1 (Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test), Stage 2 (hearing, vision, encapsulated treadmill), Stage 3 (FPAT and the Firefighter Technical Skills Assessment), and the OFAI swim test, with no expired certifications accepted. Applicants must be 18 or older, legally entitled to work in Canada, hold NFPA 1001 Level I/II from an accredited institution before applying, carry Standard First Aid with CPR C or higher such as EMR from a WSIB-approved trainer, and hold a valid unrestricted Ontario Class D or higher licence with Z endorsement with no more than six demerit points. A minimum of one year of full-time work experience is expected, and job offers are conditional on a pre-employment medical, a driver's abstract, and a cleared criminal record check with vulnerable sector search.

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

Requirements

Required at application

18 years of age or older
Prepare with roadmap step 2: Lock the minimums
Legally entitled to work in Canada
Prepare with roadmap step 2: Lock the minimums
Secondary school diploma or academic equivalent
NFPA 1001 Level I/II from an accredited institution
Completed prior to the date of application submission. Institutions within Ontario should be accredited by the OFM; institutions outside Ontario or Canada should be accredited by IFSAC or ProBoard.
Prepare with roadmap step 5: Get fire-certified where required What NFPA 1001 certification covers
OFAI Stage 1 (Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test)
All seven mandatory OFAI assessment components must be complete at the time of application; expired certifications are not accepted.
Prepare with roadmap step 8: Aptitude testing How OFAI testing works
OFAI Stage 2 (hearing, vision, encapsulated treadmill)
Prepare with roadmap step 8: Aptitude testing How OFAI testing works
OFAI Stage 3 (FPAT and Firefighter Technical Skills Assessment)
Prepare with roadmap step 13: Physical testing How OFAI testing works
OFAI swim test
Prepare with roadmap step 8: Aptitude testing
Standard First Aid and CPR C or higher (for example EMR)
Current and valid, issued by a WSIB-approved First Aid trainer prior to the date of application submission.
Prepare with roadmap step 3: Build the medical-response foundation What this medical certification involves
Valid unrestricted Ontario licence, minimum Class D with Z endorsement
Applicants with more than six demerit points are ineligible for consideration.
Prepare with roadmap step 4: Upgrade the driver's licence
Minimum one year of prior full-time work experience
Fire suppression, construction, trades, mechanical, emergency medical, large vehicle operation or fire prevention related experience is an asset.

Required at conditional job offer

Pre-employment medical
Ministry of Transportation driver's abstract
Criminal record check with vulnerable sector search
Cleared and performed within the last six months.

The hiring process

Oshawa only accepts firefighter applications while a recruitment campaign is open, and campaigns are posted on the City of Oshawa's Career page. Nothing is submitted between campaigns.
Join the City's Talent Network so you are notified as new positions become available. The City does not publish upcoming campaign dates, so that notification is your reliable trigger to apply.
Use the quiet time between campaigns to finish everything the posting will demand on day one, especially NFPA 1001 Level I/II and all seven OFAI assessment components. Oshawa screens for these at application, not after, so a posting is too late to start them.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
Before you submit, you must be 18 or older, legally entitled to work in Canada, hold a secondary school diploma or equivalent, and have completed NFPA 1001 Level I/II from an accredited institution. All seven mandatory OFAI assessment components must also be complete, and the City will not accept expired certifications.
The seven OFAI components are the Stage One Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test (FACT), the Stage Two hearing, vision, and encapsulated treadmill assessments, the Stage Three FPAT and Firefighter Technical Skills Assessment, and the OFAI swim test. All assessment costs are your responsibility; ofai.ca lists $75 for the FACT, $50 for the hearing assessment, $110 for the treadmill test, $212 for the FPAT, and $270 for the technical skills assessment, each plus HST. The vision assessment is completed by an eye care professional of your choosing at your own cost, and no swim test fee is posted.
OFAI certificates expire on different clocks: the FACT, hearing, and vision certificates last two years, the FPAT, technical skills, and swim certificates last one year, and the encapsulated treadmill certificate lasts only six months. You must also pass the FACT and the hearing assessment before you can take the treadmill test, and OFAI runs the swim test only as needed, so book it whenever it is offered and sequence everything so every certificate is still valid on the day you apply.
The preferred qualifications are a minimum of one year of full-time work experience, current Standard First Aid with CPR C or higher from a WSIB-approved trainer, and a valid unrestricted Ontario Class D or higher licence with a Z endorsement. Applicants with more than six demerit points are ineligible. Strong candidates arrive with every preferred item in hand, because screening compares you against a large pool.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 7 Review your Gap List Certification tracker
Expect a panel that may include Oshawa Fire Services and Human Resource Services representatives. The questions are a combination of situational, behavioural, and practical questions.
Prepare specific stories from your own work history that show teamwork, judgment under pressure, customer service, and integrity. Practise telling each one in three parts: the situation, what you did, and the result.
For the practical questions, review your NFPA 1001 training and be ready to explain how you would actually carry out core tasks. If you do not know an answer, say so plainly and explain how you would find out; guessing tends to cost more than honesty.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 11 Run a mock panel interview Interview playbook
Oshawa asks for two supervisory references, and each must be someone who directly supervised your work. Personal, coworker, and professor or teacher references are not accepted.
Line up your two supervisors before you reach this stage, confirm their current phone numbers and email addresses, and ask their permission to list them. A reference who cannot be reached slows your file at the worst possible moment.
Brief each referee on the role you applied for and remind them of concrete examples of your reliability and safety habits, so their answers are specific rather than generic.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 10 Draft your PHS Build your experience logbook
An offer from Oshawa is conditional on a pre-employment medical, a Ministry of Transportation driver's abstract, and a cleared criminal record check with a vulnerable sector search performed within the last six months.
Watch the six-month clock on the vulnerable sector search: order it when the City directs you rather than far in advance so it is still current when reviewed. It is ordered through your local police service and processing times vary, so start promptly once asked.
Keep your driving record clean through the whole process, since the abstract is pulled at this stage and more than six demerit points made you ineligible at application. Do not resign from your current job until Oshawa confirms every condition has cleared.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program
New recruits complete in-house training before being placed on shift, then serve a twelve-month probationary period with extensive in-service training. Recruits who do not meet performance expectations during this period may be terminated.
Oshawa firefighters work a twenty-four-hour shift schedule, averaging seven shifts in a twenty-eight-day cycle. Arrange your family, sleep, and fitness routines around that pattern early so the schedule does not catch you off guard.
Treat probation as a year-long working interview. Keep your fitness at hiring-test level, arrive early, take notes, and ask your officers what good performance looks like at each evaluation point.
Department source for this stage
Read roadmap step 14 Academy preparation guide Start a fitness program

Worth knowing

Firefighters work a 24-hour shift schedule, averaging seven shifts in a 28-day cycle.
All costs associated with OFAI assessments are the responsibility of the applicant.

Official sources

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

City of Oshawa: Firefighter Recruitment Process

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

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