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Ontario

Ontario · Peterborough

Requirements to be verified

PETERBOROUGH FIRE SERVICES

Official careers page

Recruitment watch

Applications close 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM. This is a demanding posting: you must already hold NFPA 1001 Level I & II, NFPA 472/1072 Hazmat Operations, Standard First Aid with BLS, an Ontario Class D licence with Z endorsement (max 5 demerit points), a Pleasure Craft licence, and valid OFAI CTS certificates including the swim test. Peterborough recruits only every few years. Confirm every requirement on the official posting before you book anything.

Accepting applications now · closes September 30, 2026

Last checked September 6, 2026Source

Get an email the day this recruitment opens

We watch official recruitment pages for Peterborough Fire Services and record the status here as soon as we see a posting open.

Email delivery is not switched on yet, so no confirmation or alert email will arrive. Your choice is saved and the status is always shown on the department page.

About 100 staff across four stations including the Peterborough Airport. Peterborough posts firefighter competitions only every few years, and screens through OFAI Candidate Testing Services.

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Written / aptitude test

Verified against the official posting — confirm before applying

OFAI FACT

Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test, OFAI Candidate Testing Services Stage One

Format
110 questions in 3 hours: Reading Ability 15, Mathematical Reasoning 15, Map Reading 10, Writing Ability 10, Personal Characteristics 60
Scoring
Weighted 45% aptitude and 55% character. Pass or fail only - no numeric score and no published cut-off
Validity
Certificate valid 24 months. Retake lockouts are 15 days then 30 days
Administered by
Ontario Fire Administration Inc. (OFAI), owned by the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs

Prep priority

You must hold the certificate before you apply, so book and pass it well ahead of the closing date. Our bank covers the four scored aptitude sections including map reading and writing ability

Source: Structure corroborated by three sources; confirm against the current posting and ofai.ca before booking

Practice tagged to this exam

questions for the OFAI FACT

Every question in our bank is tagged with the exam families it prepares you for, so you can practise only what applies to this department. Some questions also carry a section prefix — MAP READING, WRITING ABILITY, HUMAN RELATIONS or MENTAL MATH — matching real exam sections.

Not sure this is the right exam? See which test every department in our database uses.

Recruitment roadmap

Stages are stored per department. Anything not yet confirmed against an official source is marked as requirements to be verified.

  1. 01

    OFAI Candidate Testing Services certificates

    Before you apply

    Peterborough screens through OFAI, so the certificates must already be valid and unexpired when you apply. Stage One is the FACT written test (110 questions in 3 hours) plus hearing and vision. Stage Two is the encapsulated treadmill test, progressive to exhaustion in full PPE with an SCBA of about 23 kg carried, not breathed from. Stage Three is the physical and skills testing, plus the OFAI swim test, which this posting requires. OFAI does not forward certificates to the city; you attach them yourself. The posting is reported to ask for Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 while OFAI publishes three stages plus the swim test, so confirm the exact list on the posting.

  2. 02

    Credentials checklist

    Required at application

    NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level I and II, NFPA 472/1072 Hazmat Operations, Standard First Aid with BLS, an Ontario Class D licence with Z endorsement and no more than 5 demerit points, and a Pleasure Craft Operator licence.

  3. 03

    Online application

    Closes 30 Sep 2026, 11:59 PM

    Submit through the City of Peterborough with every certificate attached. Confirm each requirement on the official posting before you book anything.

  4. 04

    Remaining selection steps

    The pages we checked do not set out the stages after application. Peterborough posts firefighter competitions only every few years, so missing this one can mean a long wait.

Physical requirements

OFAI Stage Two and Stage Three, plus the OFAI swim test

Note
Treadmill speeds and inclines and the Stage Three event standards are not published in detail here. Confirm on ofai.ca
Timing
Certificates must be valid and unexpired at the time of application, and you attach them yourself
Stage two
Encapsulated treadmill test, progressive to exhaustion in full PPE with an SCBA of about 23 kg carried, not breathed from. A VO2 mask is worn but VO2 does not decide pass or fail
Stage three
Physical and skills testing, plus the swim test required by this posting

Source: City of Peterborough fire recruitment page and ofai.ca, 2026

Questions candidates ask

Does Peterborough Fire Services use CPAT?

No. Peterborough 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. You need those certificates before you apply.

How far in advance should I start preparing?

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.

Are the practice questions here real exam questions?

No. Every question is original training content written to reflect common recruitment task types. No legitimate provider has access to live exam material.