Speakers Corner: Pay to apply? It's still happening for some firefighters

Toronto.Citynews.ca
Aug. 18, 2022
Pat Taney

Months after CityNews first told you about firefighters being forced to pay a non-refundable fee in Ajax just to apply for a job, we were told it’s happening in another community. This time, in Vaughan, and it’s raising more questions.

There’s no secret about it, becoming a professional firefighter isn’t easy nor cheap.

“I think on average people spend between $15,000 to $20,000 in courses, training and tests before they even get to the point where they can apply for a job,” said a firefighter who asked not to be identified.

And after the tuition and course fees, applicants going for a job in the City of Vaughan are hit with another charge, a non-refundable $150 just to submit a resume.

“There is no additional course this fee goes towards. It’s just an application fee, nothing else,” the firefighter said.

He said he was worried about speaking out publicly, concerned about potential backlash. He is not applying for a job in Vaughan and is not a firefighter there but said these job application fees are not fair, considering no other city jobs in Vaughan require applicants to pay just to submit a resume.

“If you don’t get the job you’re still out that money,” the firefighter told CityNews. “They don’t get the money back if they’re not accepted. It’s just wrong.”

Back in January CityNews took you to Ajax where firefighters were forced to pay the same fee. After our story aired, Ajax Town Council changed course and voted to get rid of the fee.

“We can’t penalize people who are serious about getting a job by charging them to put in an application for a job,” said Ajax town councillor Joanne Dies at a meeting about the issue back in February.

This firefighter CityNews spoke with said the same should be done in Vaughan.

“This fee excludes a huge demographic of people who for whatever reason -- financially or socially -- are not able to apply,” he said.

CityNews reached out to the City of Vaughan for comment. Our requests for an on-camera interview were denied but a spokesperson did issue a statement, saying “Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service receives hundreds of applications each year.”

The recruitment process for firefighters is very comprehensive and significant staff time and resources are required to process the applications. Additionally, all potential recruits must undergo vigorous screening and testing to ensure they meet the qualifications of the position. Overall, the recruit process for firefighters is far different from other City employment opportunities.”

As CityNews reported in our previous series of stories on this, when there’s an open firefighter position, a city can receive hundreds if not thousands of applications. Screening all of those does take its toll on city staff.

But those against the fee say it’s still not justified.

“They are putting their hard-earned money for schooling and then they have to pay just to submit their resume? That’s unjust,” said Vaughan resident Jeffrey Hua.

“They have a budget to train and screen applicants, they should not be charging residents or potential firefighters to apply for a job,” the firefighter said.

Unlike in Ajax, where CityNews discovered the fee was being charged without proper prior approval in the town’s fees bylaw, the fee has been approved in Vaughan and is listed in that city’s bylaws. But some people say that needs to be revisited.

“I don’t think this is right and plan to reach out to my councillor,” said Vaughan resident Maria Kavrus.

“The screening of these resumes should not be taken out of the pockets of the applicants or the potential applicants who don’t make it through,” the firefighter said.