Around 40 people attended an information session on the County of Brant Fire Department’s 2026 recruitment at Cainsville Fire Station #4 on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
The session, which was the first of two, was all about the department and what’s involved in being a volunteer firefighter.
“This is just an information session to hopefully lead them towards filling out the application and going through the process correctly, and giving them enough information so they can decide if this is something they’re even interested in,” said Mark Stouffer, Fire Training Officer for the County of Brant Fire Department.
To kick off the morning, Fire Chief Darren Watson told those in attendance about the department as a whole.
“We have roots back to 1885 and we were amalgamated in 1999 when six services became the County of Brant Fire Department. The department has 28 fire truck apparatus, including pumpers, tankers, rescues, aerial; four boats, three UTVs, and six admin vehicles. Last year, we responded to 1,145 emergency incidents. We have nine full-time staff and approximately 185 volunteer firefighters. We currently have eight stations: Paris, Airport, Burford, Cainsville, Mt. Pleasant, Onondaga, St. George and Scotland. Station #9, which is going in the north end of Paris, is under construction right now with a planned opening date of April 30, 2027.”
Deputy Fire Chief Brent Cain then went over the different positions and roles within the department including training officers, fire prevention officers, support staff, communication specialists, captains and more.
Cain went on to say that the department is always trying to build an efficient team of firefighters and that they’re looking to hire 24 people for the municipality.
“We need to build teams of highly-skilled problem solvers that can figure out their way through all kinds of things. Obviously, fire is our bread and butter, but we also do search and rescue, auto extrication, and medical assists,” he said. “A lot of our firefighters also work with our fire prevention team and fire education students so we’re helping with inspections, reporting anything that we see, and doing school visits and public events.”
Those who are interested in applying, must do so online by Monday, April 3, 2026. To apply they will have to submit a resume, provide references and will be required to answer a list of questions related to their qualifications and experience.
Cain encouraged interested individuals to be honest in their applications.
“We ask about your daily routine and work schedule, things like where you live and where you work because our on-call fire service is very dependent on geography. We need the right people, but the right person can’t live 20 minutes away from the station and work in Vaughan 40 hours a week; that just doesn’t work,” he explained. “Obviously, emergencies happen all the time for each station and each station has its own different dynamic that changes every year. Sometimes we need more of this, but next time, we need more of that, and we can’t figure that out unless we know exactly what we’re looking at. The initial screenings are done based on what’s on your application. So just be very honest.”
Those who meet the minimum qualifications will be contacted via email and invited to attend the practical assessment on Saturday, May 9.
During the assessment, individuals will go through a series of circuits and have their heart rate and blood pressure checked throughout. Those candidates who are selected to move forward will then have to interview for the job.
Offers will later be sent out to the successful applicants after their reference check.
Those who are successful in getting hired will then move into recruit training as of Saturday, September 12, and the program will run over a ten month period. The training will include both evening and weekend sessions.
“It’s ten months of long nights and long weekends, and it’s a lot of work. It’s a real commitment. You’re going to read and have assignments to do every week,” said Stouffer. “You’ll also have quizzes and tests to do every week. …It’s 233 hours of being in-class, and 300 hours of online work. That’s a lot so make sure you’re willing to do that. You can’t let any of it slide and back up, or you’ll get buried.”
For those who may have missed the information session and want to learn more about the department, application process, what is expected of them for training and what the job entails, another session is being held on Tuesday, March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Cainsville Station #4.
Stouffer said that while the information session is not mandatory, he suggested people attend if they can.
“You don’t have to attend but I strongly recommend it. Part of the practical assessment is a written test, and there’s a chance some of the information they receive during this session might be on the test,” he said. “But also, we’re trying to get rid of this preconceived image of what people picture when they think of a firefighter. That’s not what we’re looking for. It’s all about the individual and how well they fit with the group; it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, or what age you are. Obviously we have to retire at 65, so there’s a limit, but other than that, I wouldn’t want anybody to think, ‘I can’t do this because I’ve got two kids at home,’ or ‘I’m too old to try.’ If you think this is something you’re interested in, come to the information night.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
