CPR & First Aid Requirements for Firefighter Applicants – Ontario

Firefighters act as medical first responders, often arriving at emergencies ahead of other emergency medical services. Because of this, every fire department in Ontario requires valid CPR & First Aid certification before beginning NFPA 1001 Firefighter I & II testing or applying to municipal fire services.

Most Ontario fire departments including the Toronto & Ottawa Fire Services¹ (Hamilton, Durham, York, Waterloo, and Kingston) require:

• Standard First Aid & CPR / AED Level C (mandatory prerequisite)

• Basic Life Support – BLS (recommended for medical response)

Our Standard First Aid is Canadian Red Cross certified, WSIB-approved, and valid for 3 years, while our BLS certifications (Heart & Stroke or Red Cross) meet requirements for advanced programs such as ACLS, PALS, paramedicine, and professional emergency response roles.

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Why CPR & First Aid Are Essential for Firefighters

Firefighters respond to a wide range of emergencies:

• Cardiac arrest

• Trauma and fractures

• Severe bleeding

• Unconscious or unresponsive patients

• Smoke inhalation and respiratory emergencies

• Environmental emergencies

• Multi-casualty scenes

Standard First Aid and CPR Level C ensure applicants have core life-saving skills needed before beginning NFPA training.

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CPR Requirements for Firefighter Applicants

Standard First Aid & CPR / AED Level C

Accepted by:

• Toronto Fire Services (explicit requirement) ¹

• OFAI Candidate Testing Program (explicit requirement)

• Ottawa Fire Services (explicit requirement) ²

• Ontario Pre-Service Firefighting Programs (explicit requirement)

• Every NFPA 1001 program in Ontario

This training includes:

• Adult, child, infant CPR

• AED usage

• Choking response

• Multi-rescuer CPR

• Emergency recognition

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Why Firefighter Applicants Should Consider BLS

Many fire services require / recommend BLS because firefighters often work in team-based medical response environments.

Basic Life Support (BLS) teaches:

• High-performance CPR

• BVM ventilation (bag-valve-mask)

• Airway and breathing management

• Team-based resuscitation

• Clinical decision-making under pressure

BLS is especially useful for:

• Applicants pursuing medical first responder roles

• Firefighters planning to pursue paramedicine

• Candidates preparing for advanced training (ACLS, PALS)

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Ottawa-Specific Requirements

In Ottawa and surrounding regions, First Aid & CPR / AED Level C is required for:

• Ottawa Fire Services applicants

• NFPA Pre-Service Firefighting Programs

• OFAI testing candidates

• Volunteer fire departments

• First responder positions

All accept:

• Standard First Aid & CPR / AED Level C

• BLS (required by some academey programs (such as the Ontario Fire Academy)

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Where to Take CPR & First Aid for Firefighter Applicants – Ottawa

First Aid Connect offers:

• Standard First Aid & CPR / AED Level C

• BLS Provider Training

With:

• Evening, weekend, and weekday availability

• Fast certificates (1–3 business days)

• Training centres in Kanata & Saint Laurent

Register now →

Book CPR & First Aid Training for Firefighter Applicants

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Sources

https://ontariofireacademy.com/become-a-firefighter/

https://ottawa.ca/en/health-and-public-safety/ottawa-fire-services/jobs-ottawa-fire-services/career-firefighter-recruitment/career-firefighter-minimum-qualifications

NFPA 1001 Standard – Firefighter I & II Job Performance Requirements

https://www.nfpa.org/

Ottawa Fire Academy

https://ontariofireacademy.com/become-a-firefighter/

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