Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment

Volunteer firefighters are responsible for a wide variety of duties including, but not limited to:

• Responding to fire and rescue emergencies.
• Performing manual work of a hazardous nature involving fighting fires, salvaging, and rescue work and administering first aid under direct supervision.
• Participating in regular training and maintenance work of the fire station and equipment.
• Making decisions and working without supervision until an Officer arrives on the scene.

To become a Volunteer Firefighter with the City, you must:

• Live or work an acceptable distance from the volunteer station you are applying to (see Catchment Area below)
• Be able to communicate in English both in speaking and writing.
• Be able to conduct routine maintenance and cleaning of stations and all types of apparatus and equipment used.
• Be able to obtain an Ontario class DZ driver’s licence during the probationary period.
• Be able to work in a highly structured work environment and follow the rules, regulations and procedures of the Hamilton Fire Department.
• Be capable of learning and performing the various methods and techniques used in extinguishing and preventing fires and in rescue techniques.
• Have a valid Ontario class G driver’s licence or higher with 0 demerit points satisfactory to the City of Hamilton and must be maintained throughout the entire process.
• Have Grade 12 or approved equivalent
• Have the ability to acquire a general knowledge of hazardous materials, poisonous substances, arson detection, life safety systems and other job related subjects, and be familiar with the procedures associated with these subjects.
• Have the ability to make decisions and to react calmly and quickly in emergency situations.
• Have visual acuity, minimum requirement of 20/30 corrected OR 20/40 uncorrected both eyes tested together, have normal depth perception, and have colour vision.
• Maintain the physical strength and agility to perform hard work and operate all firefighting/rescue apparatus and equipment, as well as safety equipment under adverse conditions, frequently, for prolonged periods of time.
• Be able to successfully complete a psychological assessment completed by a mental health professional of the employers choosing. Candidates will not be provided with the results of or feedback from their psychological assessments.
• Not have any criminal convictions for which a pardon has not been granted.
• Successfully complete the Hamilton Fire Department recruit-training program.

You must live (or work – with permission to leave work for any emergency calls) within an 8 minute respond-to-station catchment area for the Volunteer Fire Station to which you are applying estimate using Google Maps).

Confirm the approximate time and distance from these Fire Station you are applying for:

If you have any questions about whether you live within a catchment area contact the Area Commanders’ Office at 905-546-2424 ext. 6078.

Candidates who are selected to proceed in the recruitment competition process will be contacted to complete a written testing component, which is designed to evaluate general comprehension, reading and problem-solving abilities. Written and physical testing are now conducted in-house, allowing us to deliver a hands-on, and community-focused recruitment experience. 

No examination aids are permitted and the test takes approximately 1 hour to complete. The passing score for the written test is 70%. Meeting this criterion does not guarantee that you will move forward in the hiring process. Candidates selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted by email. 

Photo ID is required at time of testing and throughout the recruitment process. Please note that your address must match the address indicated on your application.

Successful candidates to the written test will be eligible to complete the physical agility testing, which is intended to evaluate general fitness, endurance, and the ability to perform activities similar to those encountered in everyday firefighting operations.

Candidates selected to attend a panel interview will be contacted by e-mail.

Candidates must confirm they possess a minimum valid Class “G” Driver’s Licence with 0 demerit points and satisfactory to the City of Hamilton at time of application (street address must match what is listed on your on-line contact information in “My Profile”) at this step in the process.

The City of Hamilton Reference Consent Form will be provided to you if you are contacted to attend a panel interview. The completed form must be submitted prior to attending an interview.

You must meet the passing threshold of the interview in order to be considered further in the recruitment competition. Please note that interviews could be scheduled in-person or online in conjunction with COVID restrictions in place at the time.

To be eligible to continue further in the process the following conditions must be met:

1. Police Vulnerable Sector Check (satisfactory to the City)
   You will be required to obtain a Police Vulnerable Sector Check at your own expense. To obtain your police check, go to the police service in the municipality where you permanently live.
   For your application to be considered, you must not have a criminal conviction for which a pardon has not been granted at the time of application and your police check must be satisfactory to the City.
2. Medical (administered by our physician)
   You will be contacted by the City with a date and time for your third-party medical assessment.
   The cost of the medical assessment is covered by the City.
   The required medical documents will be provided to you once your appointment has been confirmed.
   You must successfully complete the medical assessment to be considered.
   Your vision will be tested at the medical assessment. The acceptable vision required for this position is 20/30 in each eye without corrective lenses and the ability to satisfactorily complete a colour vision test.
3. Reference Checks
   Complete the Reference Consent Form(PDF, 195.28 KB). References must be employment-related and someone that you report or reported to.
4. Valid Class “DZ” licence with 0 demerit points (satisfactory to the City)
   Including a Driver’s Abstract Check that is satisfactory to the City of Hamilton. 

Successful candidates start 18 weeks of training on their employment start date.

Becoming a Probationary Volunteer Firefighter involves a significant commitment beginning with a comprehensive two-hundred and sixty (260) hour training program.

• Candidates are expected to attend bi-weekly, in-person training blocks, consisting of 16-18 hours over the course of a weekend, Saturday and Sunday. 
• In-person training will occur primarily at Hamilton Fire Department, Indoor Training Facility Building, 1227 Stone Church Road East, Hamilton, and instruction hours are typically 0800-1600hrs; however, on a limited number of dates, training hours will be adjusted to accommodate certain aspects of the training.  
• In addition, candidates are expected to attend additional training sessions on evenings during the week & complete several hours of mandatory self-study per week throughout the duration of the training program.
• Candidates are expected to commit to 100% attendance during the training program. 
• All candidates are expected to achieve identified minimum grading on assigned tests/examinations in order to successfully complete the training program.
• Please note that due to the ongoing and ever-changing situation regarding the COVID pandemic, training conditions and schedules may require to be modified
• The commitment to the position continues after the training program is complete as Probationary Volunteer Firefighters are expected to respond to calls in order to meet the requirements set out in the Collective Agreement.

After successfully completing recruit training, all Probationary Volunteer Firefighters are expected to meet the requirements as outlined in the Greater Hamilton Volunteer Firefighters Association (GHVFA) Local 911 Collective Agreement found here Collective Agreements in the following areas:

• Maintain the required attendance rate for regular training sessions.
• Weekly training may vary by Station. Probationary Volunteer Firefighters will receive more information regarding the training schedule when they are placed at their Station.
• In addition to regular training sessions, volunteer firefighters are expected to attend/complete other mandatory training programs as required which may or may not occur during their regular scheduled training sessions.
• In addition to training, volunteer firefighters are expected to attend a required number of all alarms dispatched out of their assigned station as outlined in the Collective Agreement.
• Volunteer Firefighters are required to participate in the regular cleaning of their station/apparatus and participate in apparatus/equipment inspection at their assigned station.

In addition to the above-noted requirements as a Volunteer Firefighter you will be expected to:

1. Successfully complete your probationary period.
2. Upgrade your driver's licence to a “DZ” class licence within the first year (training is provided by the department).