Public Safety
Firefighter
Firefighters and fire officers in Canadian municipal fire departments.
Disclosed compensation is not typical base pay. Provincial disclosure thresholds, coverage, reporting years and overtime differ. Figures below count matching records, not unique employees. The latest complete imported year is shown for each province.
| Province | Year | Records | Average disclosed | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2025 | 7,799 | $136,382 | $311,914 |
| British Columbia | 2023-2024 | 1,562 | $129,788 | $369,106 |
| Manitoba | 2024 | 0 | — | — |
| Alberta | 2024 | 0 | — | — |
Firefighter base salary — probationary to first-class
Starting/probationary rate to fully-qualified first-class firefighter at one representative municipal department per province; base only, excludes overtime, premiums and officer ranks. Municipal pay varies city to city.
Previously published benchmark snapshot; effective dates and agreement scope are shown below. These base-pay ranges differ from annual disclosure totals.
| Province / agreement | Base-pay range | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Toronto Fire (Local 3888) | $80,391 – $123,679 | Probationary (65%) → first-class; effective Jul 2026 Source |
| British Columbia Vancouver Fire (IAFF 18) | $82,176 – $117,396 | First 6 mo (70%) → 4th-year (100%); effective Jan 2024 Source |
| Alberta Calgary Fire (IAFF 255) | $81,816 – $125,868 | Probationary (index 65) → Firefighter 1 (100%); effective Jan 2026 Source |
| Manitoba Winnipeg Fire (UFFW 867) | $67,885 – $113,142 | Entry (60%) → first-class after 5 yrs; effective Jul 2026 Source |
Ontario · 2025
| Name | Job title / employer | Disclosed compensation |
|---|---|---|
| James Jessop | Fire Chief General Manager City Of Toronto | $311,914 |
| Deryn Rizzi | Director, Fire Chief City Of Mississauga | $285,062 |
| Larry Cocco | Deputy Fire Chief Director City Of Toronto | $278,599 |
| Kyle Christopher | Deputy Fire Chief City Of Belleville | $264,593 |
| Paul Fitzgerald | Deputy Fire Chief Director City Of Toronto | $263,715 |
| Steven Darling | Deputy Fire Chief Director City Of Toronto | $260,580 |
| Lori Ann Hamer | Fire Chief City Of London | $257,068 |
| Paul Hutt | Fire Chief City Of Ottawa | $255,562 |
| David Cunliffe | Fire Chief City Of Hamilton | $253,386 |
| Debbie Higgins | Deputy Fire Chief Director City Of Toronto | $251,812 |
| Kurt Poyhonen | Firefighter Operation City Of Toronto | $249,304 |
| Kristin G Chraba | Firefighter Operation City Of Toronto | $247,239 |
| Michel Desormiers | Assistant Fire Chief Municipality Of West Nipissing | $245,319 |
| Therese Chen | Deputy Fire Chief Director City Of Toronto | $245,101 |
| Ronald Jenkins | Director Emergency Services / Fire Chief Town Of Georgina | $244,196 |
British Columbia · 2023-2024
| Name | Job title / employer | Disclosed compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Bowcock | Fire Chief City of Burnaby | $369,106 |
| David Samson | Deputy Fire Chief Operations City of Burnaby | $341,289 |
| Ian Hetherington | Deputy Fire Chief Operations City of Burnaby | $306,506 |
| K L Fry | Fire Chief Fire & Rescue Services City of Vancouver | $298,092 |
| Gary Mulligan | Assistant Fire Chief City of Coquitlam | $272,241 |
| Michael Burgess | Fire Chief District of Saanich | $250,542 |
| Jefferson McMurdo | Assistant Fire Chief City of Coquitlam | $239,865 |
| J Schalk | Public Safety Dir & Fire Chief City of North Vancouver | $236,058 |
| Shawn Davidson | Deputy Fire Chief - Operations Support City of Coquitlam | $231,370 |
| Kelly Parker | Fire Captain City of Burnaby | $229,563 |
| G Howard | Fire Chief District of West Vancouver | $225,940 |
| D D Copeland | Firefighter City of Vancouver | $222,784 |
| Scott Young | Fire Chief City of Coquitlam | $220,523 |
| Ronald Beatty | Assistant Fire Chief City of Coquitlam | $219,271 |
| Robert Kipps | Fire Chief City of Port Coquitlam | $216,402 |