Mississauga’s newest firefighter recruits start training on Monday

Mississauga firefighters have bolstered their ranks with 21 new recruits, who’ll start training for the job on Monday. 

The trainees, chosen from among some 1,200 applicants, are being brought on board mostly to fill spots left vacant by retiring firefighters, said Mississauga Assistant Fire Chief Stephane Malo.  

Malo added that as the City of Mississauga looks to add six new fire stations in the next 12 years, which will increase the number of stations to 27, they’ll have to double up some years in terms of recruiting. 

“So, when we’ll be adding new stations, that’s when you’ll see an additional (recruit) class,” said Malo, adding the City attracts more than 1,000 applicants annually, so recruiting is never difficult. 

“There’s always lots of interest, and it’s a very competitive process,” he continued. “It’s a well-paid job, with great benefits.” 

Upon successfully completing the 17-week training course at Garry W. Morden Centre in Mississauga, which includes both in-class instruction and practical training on site, the recruits will be deployed to stations across the city as probationary firefighters, adding to the 636-strong Mississauga firefighter complement. 

To start, the new hires will earn just over $60,000 annually (60 per cent of first-class firefighter salary) as probationary firefighters for one year. From there, they’ll move up the ranks from fifth-class firefighter to first-class, earning 10 per cent annual increases until reaching the top rung, where they’ll make $105,000. 

In addition to their on-site training the next four months, recruits might also get to work a fire at a real building if a training exercise can be scheduled at a structure slated for demolition, said Malo.