There are approximately 34 active participants remaining in Greater Sudbury’s 2024 volunteer firefighter recruitment process.
The year’s efforts started with 131 applications being submitted in time for Greater Sudbury Fire Services’ on April 15 intake.
Of this total, 48 people were immediately disqualified due to their not residing in a volunteer district, which brought the total down to 83.
Of this new total, 21 people either withdrew or did not respond to the city’s phone calls for physical testing, leaving 56 applicants scheduled to proceed.
“The physical fitness test was revised to best reflect the actual work a firefighter would be required to complete when responding to an emergency incident,” according to a recent report to city council by deputy chiefs Nathan Melin and Jesse Oshell.
Physical testing took place over two days, with a third date scheduled as a makeup.
During testing, two participants failed their blood pressure tests and were asked to follow up with a physician. Both returned on the makeup date and passed.
One candidate who failed their blood pressure testing was referred to a physician and was not able to complete physical testing.
Coming out of physical testing, 47 candidates advanced to the interview stage of the recruitment process.
Following an interview process spanning over a three-week period, 39 applicants were offered positions and split into two groups to attend certification training.
Five people resigned, leaving 34 active recruits.
“The main reason identified for resigning from the fire services is due to their primary work schedules being too demanding and they would not be able to make the commitment to attend the training,” the deputy chiefs said in their report.
With recruitment efforts ongoing, the deputy chiefs noted that 2025 efforts will focus on those stations with low volunteer firefighter numbers.
Meanwhile the Volunteer Recruitment Committee has committed to creating a new recruitment video, and opening fire stations for recruits to receive tours with a station captain throughout the year.
In 2023, 42 volunteer firefighter recruits were offered positions.
In 2024, the Greater Sudbury Fire Services hosted three National Fire Protection Association Level 1 courses specific to new volunteer recruits. Between the first two courses, 30 recruits completed all 10 days of training and participated in provincial certification testing, with 2023 recruits recording a 100-per-cent success rate (2024 recruits’ success rate is forthcoming).
The third Level 1 course started in November and will conclude in May.
Three National Fire Protection Association Level 2 courses were offered in 2024. In the first two groups, 35 volunteer firefighters completed all 10 days, of whom 82 per cent passed certification testing. Those who failed have been invited to write the provincial exam again.
Although 20 volunteers started the third course, only eight volunteers had completed all 10 days of training when it came to a close on Oct. 19. Their test results are forthcoming.
The province has set a July 1, 2026, deadline to bring volunteer firefighters up to snuff with these two training courses, which are required within two years of employment. As it stands, 137 volunteer firefighters have their Level 1 certification and 102 have their Level 2. As of early December, 21 were enrolled in Level 1 training and 21 had test results pending. Level 2 had 23 enrolled in training and 13 with test results pending.
As for additional training, five have Firefighter/Apparatus Driver certification, 96 have Hazmat Awareness and 44 have Hazmat Operations.
It appears as though some volunteer firefighters may drop off, with 39 volunteer firefighters neither certified nor signed up to participate in certification training (21.8 per cent of the city’s 218 volunteer firefighters).
With 11 volunteer firefighters on an approved leave of absence, that leaves 28, of whom 22 do not currently have a plan forward to achieve certification.
“In our continued efforts to provide some flexibility we requested a primary employment schedule to evaluate opportunities for additional (daytime) certification training dates,” the deputy chiefs reported. “Unfortunately, there were no weekday training opportunities identified based upon the employment schedules submitted.”
In 2025, there will be two Level 1 and Level 2 training courses offered, 10 Firefighter Apparatus/Driver courses, and one course of each Fire Service Instructor Level 1 and Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. Most class dates are scheduled for weekends to accommodate volunteers’ primary employment.
More information on becoming a volunteer firefighter, including qualifications, can be found by clicking here.
Although called “volunteer,” it’s a paid job, with members paid for both training and the time spent responding to calls, beginning at $18.33 per hour and hitting $26.19 after probation.