Mandatory retirement for firefighters expanded

NEWS RELEASE

MINISTRY OF LABOUR

************************* Ontario allows retirement of firefighters at 60

McGuinty government recognizes commitment to service and hazardous work

A new law in Ontario will allow mandatory retirement at age 60 for the province's salaried firefighters.

Changes to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, which passed in the legislature today, will help to standardize the retirement age across the province.

This change recognizes the unique physical and hazardous work firefighters do to keep communities safe.

Most municipalities already include a mandatory retirement age for firefighters in their collective agreements.

The new legislation will provide other municipalities two years to negotiate a new retirement provision.

The changes will only apply to salaried firefighters involved in front-line fire fighting duties.

A motion calling on the government to allow mandatory retirement of firefighters at age 60 was unanimously passed in the Legislature on March 10, 2011.

"The full-time firefighters who keep our families and communities safe do so with great bravery and dedication. They deserve our utmost respect. This new legislation recognizes their years of selfless service and the hazardous nature of the work," said Charles Sousa, Minister of Labour.

"We rely on our firefighters to keep Ontario's families safe, and now we have acted to recognize their health and safety needs," Jim Bradley,Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Quick facts

The average retirement age for a professional firefighter in the province of Ontario is 57.

The legislation also allows firefighters who believe their local association is not representing them fairly to take their complaints to the Ontario Labour Relations Board - as is the practice with most other unions.

Learn more

Read the Fire Protection and Prevention Amendment Act, 2011

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