Ontario · Barrie
Requirements to be verifiedRecruitment watch
Posting PB-26-02, Firefighter 5th Class, posted 16 September 2026 and closing 14 October 2026 at 4:30 PM. Hard copies and late applications are not considered, and emailed applications are rejected. THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER OFAI CITIES: you do not need your OFAI certificates to apply. What you must already hold at application is NFPA 1001 Level I and II (IFSAC or Pro Board), NFPA 472 Hazmat Awareness and a completed Emergency Medical Responder course. OFAI Stage One, Two, Three and the Swim Test are listed as a condition of employment, with certificates valid by 31 January 2027. Class D licence with Z endorsement is required at the conditional offer, not at application, and six or more demerit points makes you ineligible. 2026 salary $73,918 a year / $33.73 an hour, 42-hour average week on 24-hour shifts. Employment is expected to start 1 March 2027. Checked 19 September 2026.
Last checked September 19, 2026Source
We watch official recruitment pages for Barrie Fire and Emergency Service and record the status here as soon as we see a posting open.
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Step 2 — Choose what to watch: Barrie Fire and Emergency Service
Organised in 1844 and operating from six stations in Central Ontario. Barrie screens through OFAI Candidate Testing Services, but unusually the certificates are a condition of employment rather than something you need on the day you apply.
OFAI FACT
Prep priority
Barrie does not ask for the certificate at application, so the trap is the opposite of Peterborough: you can be shortlisted and then run out of time. Certificates must be valid by 31 January 2027, so book Stage One well before the interview stage. Our bank covers the four scored aptitude sections including map reading and writing ability
Source: OFAI requirement taken from City of Barrie posting PB-26-02 (September 2026). FACT structure corroborated by three sources; confirm on ofai.ca before booking
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Stages are stored per department. Anything not yet confirmed against an official source is marked as requirements to be verified.
Apply through the City of Barrie online system with a resume, cover letter and the application questions. Do not attach extra documents - they are not viewed. Hard copies, emailed applications and anything after 4:30 PM are not considered. At this point you must already hold NFPA 1001 Level I and II, NFPA 472 Hazmat Awareness and a completed EMR course.
The selection committee reviews and evaluates every eligible application. Barrie states plainly that firefighter recruitments attract a high volume of applicants and that it gives no individual feedback during the process.
A select number of candidates are invited to a 20-minute assessment with the selection committee. This short screening step sits before the full interview and is unusual - most Ontario services go straight from the paper screen to a panel.
A select number of candidates from the rapid assessment sessions are invited to a full interview with the selection committee.
Conditional offers go to a select number of candidates, then references are contacted. A Vulnerable Sector Check at your expense, completed no more than 30 days before the offer, and a pre-placement medical and psychological examination by a practitioner the City designates are both required. A valid unrestricted Ontario Class D licence with Z endorsement is required at the conditional offer, with an abstract dated within 30 days; six or more demerit points makes you ineligible.
Stage One (the FACT written test), Stage Two (encapsulated treadmill test in full PPE with an SCBA of about 23 kg carried, not breathed from), Stage Three (physical and skills testing) and the OFAI Swim Test. The posting lists these as a condition of employment with certificates valid by 31 January 2027 rather than as a numbered phase, so it does not say exactly when in the sequence you must sit them - book early and confirm timing with ofai.ca and the City.
Candidates offered a position attend a uniform and bunker gear fitting. Formal offers follow once every condition is met, and employment is expected to commence 1 March 2027.
Source: City of Barrie posting PB-26-02 and ofai.ca, September 2026
No. Barrie screens through OFAI Candidate Testing Services, so the physical side is the OFAI treadmill test and Stage Three testing plus the swim test, not CPAT.
Most successful candidates prepare for one to three years before a conditional offer. Being test-ready and fitness-ready before a posting opens matters more than intense preparation after it opens.
No. Every question is original training content written to reflect common recruitment task types. No legitimate provider has access to live exam material.