Firefighter Training and Certification in Ontario, Canada

Written By SFC Capital

Overview

In Ontario, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) trains and certifies firefighters to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards, including standards for:

  • firefighters

  • fire prevention

  • fire investigation

  • public education

  • emergency telecommunications

As part of the OFM, the Ontario Fire College (OFC) develops and delivers over 300 courses per year online and at Regional Training Centres across Ontario. OFC instructors work with over 200 adjunct instructors to deliver these courses in partnership with fire services across the province.

The OFM’s Academic Standards and Evaluation is responsible for:

  • written testing

  • practical evaluations

  • other assessment methods for certification courses

In addition, this unit issues certificates with International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) seals and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board®) applications as appropriate. The OFM is only able to certify ISFAC Seals from institutions under their jurisdiction. Which is unfortnate news for some applicants applying to jobs in Ontario that require and only accept IFSAC seals from the OFM to prove their qualifications.

There are many other places across the United States of America and Canada that you can complete firefighter training. Ontario has a high concentration of facilities (17 community colleges and 3 private career colleges) and many firefighting hopefuls fly in to complete the courses here. The Greater Toronto Area is home to many large career fire departments that hire well over 500 career firefighters each year. Proximity matters and there are some firefighter recruitments, like the 2024 Probationary Firefighter job call made by the City of Vaughan, which require candidates to have IFSAC seals issued by the Ontario Fire Marshall.

Across North America there are several facilities that people can attend to complete NFPA 1001 Pre-Service Firefighter Training. All of them work hard to train high quality candidates and meet the tough standards set out by NFPA, IFSAC and Proboard. When choosing which school you should go to make sure you take notice of the overall cost of tuition, how close it is to your permanent residence, and the schedule/delivery method. Many schools offer hybrid boot camps that allow you to complete the theory portion online then come into the station to complete the practical portion in person over a short period of time.

There are benefits and drawbacks to going the hybrid boot camp route. We will make another blog post discussing it shortly.

For those that are interested in learning about some of the other pre-service programs across North America, here’s a quick list of programs, with links attached to their main home page, the location, and program tuition costs (the prices listed are up to date as of June 1, 2024):

British Columbia:

Alberta:

Saskatchewan:

Manitoba:

Quebec:

Nova Scotia:

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland:

California:

Texas:

Florida:

Alabama:

Ontario Pre-service firefighter programs

If you are interested in becoming a firefighter, you can complete a pre-service firefighter program. The OFM provides recognized colleges of applied art and technology (CAATs) and registered private career colleges (PCCs) with certification examinations and practical skills evaluations for new firefighter candidates.

The Pre-service Firefighter Program is defined as:

  • NFPA 1001 - Firefighter, Level I

  • NFPA 1001 - Firefighter, Level II

  • NFPA 1072 - Hazardous Materials Awareness

  • NFPA 1072 - Hazardous Materials Operations

When a candidate successfully completes all training requirements through a recognized Pre-service Firefighter Program, they will be eligible to complete the certification examinations and practical skills evaluation.

Candidates have a maximum of three attempts for each written examination before additional training is required. After the third attempt, candidates are required to complete the full course again before attempting another certification examination. Candidates must work with the program coordinator at their school for additional training and demonstrate that they have completed it.

There is other non-accredited firefighter training available in Ontario, but the Ontario Fire Marshal does not recognize their training. See below for a list of recognized schools.

Recognized educational institutions

If you want to be a firefighter in the province of Ontario this is the list you have been looking for! Examinations and skills evaluations are conducted by the OFM at the colleges listed below. Exact courses offered by each institution may differ and may include pre-service and courses for working firefighters. Contact the institution for details.

Universities and Colleges With NFPA 1001 Pre-Service Firefighter Training Programs in Ontario

Registered Career Colleges that offer NFPA 1001 Pre-Service Firefighter Training Programs in Ontario

Ontario Fire College

Since 1949 the OFC has developed and delivered training and educational programs that meet the needs of the Ontario fire service. OFC courses are available to members of any Ontario municipal fire department, whether full-time or volunteer.

The OFC supports firefighters working at different stages of their careers with municipal fire services by offering:

  • training and education programs based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards

  • other specialty courses that meet the needs of Ontario’s fire services

OFC courses are now available locally at Regional Training Centres to provide more accessible training options for firefighters and fire services. Regional Training Centres are strategically located in municipalities across the province to make it easier for firefighters to train closer to home and to reduce demands on their home fire service. These options, plus eLearning modules for some standards, help address the increasing demand for firefighter training across the province.

Contact AskOFC@Ontario.ca for more information on:

  • current course vacancy list

  • application form

  • course calendar

  • pre-class packages

Ontario Fire College courses

To provide the high-quality training and educational programs needed for Ontario’s fire services, the OFC continually updates and develops new courses.

Here is the current list of courses on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards that are offered to members of the fire services:

  • NFPA 1001 Firefighter Levels I and II (Recruit)

  • NFPA 1002 Pump Operations

  • NFPA 1006 Technical Rescue – Awareness, Operations and Technician levels (Surface, Swift and Ice Water Rescue, Confined Space, Rope Rescue, Trench Rescue, Vehicle Extrication and Structural Collapse)

  • NFPA 1021 Fire Officer Levels I, II, III and IV

  • NPFA 1031 Fire Inspector Levels I and II

  • NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator

  • NFPA 1035 Fire and Life Safety Educator Levels I and II, and Public Information Officer

  • NFPA 1041 Fire Instructor Levels I and II

  • NFPA 1061 Telecommunicator Levels I and II

  • NFPA 1072 Hazardous Materials (Awareness, Operations, Technician and Mission Specific)

  • NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer

Additional fire prevention and Ontario Fire Code courses include:

  • Legislation

  • Courtroom procedures

  • Fire Code Division B Part 2 and 6 – Fire Safety and Fire Protection Equipment

  • Fire Code Division B Part 3 and 5 – Industrial, Commercial, Hazardous Materials: Process and Operations

  • Fire Code Division B Part 4 – Flammable and Combustible Liquids

  • Fire Code Division B Part 9 – Retrofit

Other specialized or advanced firefighting courses are offered on a rotational basis, including:

  • Chainsaw Operations

  • Community and Environmental Impact of Fire

  • Commercial Cooking

  • Fire Dynamics

  • Alternate Energy Source Firefighting (Solar and Wind)

  • Railroad Emergency Response Management (partnership with CN Rail)

  • Flammable Liquids Firefighting (partnership with CP Rail)

  • Fire Service Driver Training Certification

  • Industrial Firefighting

Check with your fire chief or fire training officer and refer to the current course calendar for course offerings.

Ontario Fire College course calendar

The OFC releases its course calendar approximately six months before the start of the summer, fall and winter semesters.

Firefighters are encouraged to review the calendar on a regular basis and work with their fire chiefs to find the courses and locations that best meet their needs. You can request the current course calendar through the OFC registrar at AskOFC@ontario.ca.

There is minimum enrolment for each course and the OFC can cancel courses if there is not enough demand. The OFC will provide as much advanced warning as possible if there is a cancellation.

Library services

The Fire Sciences Library and OFC Resource Centre maintain an extensive collection of information materials on:

  • fire engineering

  • fire investigations

  • firefighter training and education

  • public fire safety and prevention

  • hazardous materials

  • emergency management

  • Ontario legislative materials

  • complete the registration form to receive access to OFM publications and fire safety resources

The library is open by appointment to:

  • OFC students

  • fire services

  • public sector

  • broader public sector entities

Other clients, including the general public, must arrange for an interlibrary loan through their municipal public library or institutional library.

Contact information

Ontario Fire College Resource Centre
Office of the Fire Marshal
2284 Nursery Road
Midhurst, Ontario
L9X 1N8
Tel: 705-571-1560
Email: Ginette.McCoy@ontario.ca

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Testing and certification

The OFM’s Academic Standards and Evaluation unit issues and assesses testing, practical evaluations and other assessment methods for firefighter certification. The OFM tests to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards, which are the benchmark for firefighting training in North America.

The OFM is the only authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for issuing Ontario firefighting certification. It is the certifying body for NFPA Standards in Ontario and is accredited by the:

If a candidate successfully completes both knowledge and skill requirements, where appropriate for an NFPA Standard, they will receive certification with an IFSAC seal and Pro Board® application where applicable. These seals and certifications are recognized world-wide in the fire service, and represent completeness, fairness, security, validity and correlation to international standards.

The OFM:

  • provides instructional guidance through development of standardized curriculum forms that outline what a course should contain and what areas will be tested for all National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) courses at the:

    • Ontario Fire College

    • fire departments

    • colleges of applied art and technology

    • registered career colleges

  • prepares and administers knowledge (written) testing and practical skills evaluations for all accredited NFPA levels and their latest standard edition within two years of release

  • keeps certification data for every individual that takes certification testing in Ontario

  • keeps its AHJ status by successfully passing mandatory IFSAC and Pro Board® Site team visits once every five years

Available resources

Fact sheets, standardized curriculum forms and practical skills booklets for the following NFPA Standards are available upon request. Email OFMtestingandcertification@ontario.ca and let us know which NFPA Standard resources you require. 

NFPA 1001, Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1002 

  • NFPA 1006, Chapter 5 

  • NFPA 1006, Ice Water Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1006, Surface Water Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1006, Swift Water Level I & II

  • NFPA 1021, Levels I & II & II & IV  

  • NFPA 1031, Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1033  

  • NFPA 1035, Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1041, Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1061, Levels I & II 

  • NFPA 1521  

  • NFPA 1072, Hazardous Materials Awareness, Operations, Technician, & Mission Specific

Getting tested

In Ontario, the OFM is the only entity with the authority to test for, and provide students with, NFPA certification. Where you can test depends on whether you are looking for work in a fire service (pre-service) or are already working in one.

Pre-service candidates typically test at the following private career colleges (PCCs) or colleges of applied arts and technology (CAATs) where they studied.

Firefighters that already work with a fire service may be tested at PCCs, CAATs, the Ontario Fire College (OFC), regional training centres or fire departments, where permitted.

If you have questions about testing or certifications, email OFMtestingandcertification@ontario.ca and tell us if you are a candidate in pre-service or a firefighter working with a fire service.

SFC Capital
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