Certi-Fire
Certi-Fire is the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario's Alarm and Protection Certification Program: four levels of 40 hours each, plus a Level 5 recertification course taken every five years. Completing it is one of two published ways to satisfy Ontario Fire Code Division C, Article 1.2.1.2, which requires a program or course acceptable to the Fire Marshal and names no provider. It is aimed at licensed electricians and apprentices, and it is an industry association certification rather than a government licence.
Last updated: September 2026
What it is
The Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario's Alarm and Protection Certification Program. ECAO describes it as meeting the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code, O. Reg. 213/07, and the Certi-Fire site describes the training as "Ontario Fire Marshal-approved" and administered by ECAO and the IBEW. Classes are delivered virtually, and each level ends with in person labs.
Levels and fees
From Certi-Fire's own course page, checked 5 September 2026. All fees plus HST, in Canadian dollars.
| Level | Subject | Hours | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Fire Alarm Systems | 40 | $800 |
| 2 | Intermediate Fire Alarm Installation | 40 | $800 |
| 3 | Advanced Fire Alarm Maintenance | 40 | $825 |
| 4 | Expert Fire Alarm Certification | 40 | $830 |
| 5 | Re-certification, every 5 years | 40 | $630 |
Levels 1 to 4 come to $3,255 plus HST. Level 4 graduates receive a Level 4 photo ID and certificate. Certi-Fire states there are no annual fees and that recertification is required every five years.
Who it is built for
Certi-Fire's published entry requirement for Level 1 is "licensed electricians or apprentices with basic electrical knowledge", and each later level requires the one before it. That is the sharpest practical difference from CFAA, which publishes no prerequisites at all. If you are not an electrician or an apprentice, this route is not designed around you.
What legal standing it has
Ontario Fire Code Division C, Article 1.2.1.2(1)(a) requires anyone doing annual tests or inspections, interconnection testing, or repairs, replacements and alterations to have successfully completed a program or course acceptable to the Fire Marshal. The regulation names no program at all.
Ontario answers the question administratively. Its fire safety legislation page names two accepted programs, the CFAA Fire Alarm Technician Training Program and this one. That page was updated 20 November 2025 and we checked it on 5 September 2026. Office of the Fire Marshal Communiqué 2016-08, from 9 February 2016, confirms the ECAO program was accepted.
Acceptance is administrative, which means it could be added to or withdrawn without O. Reg. 213/07 changing a word. Read the Ministry page, not an article about the Ministry page.
What it does not authorise
It is not a licence and not a trade certificate. There is no fire alarm technician trade in Ontario and no government body issues this.
It does not let you install. Electrical installation work needs the 309A, and offering services to the public needs an ECRA/ESA licence.
It does not settle who may verify. Verification to CAN/ULC-S537 is not among the activities listed in Division C, Article 1.2.1.1, so no Ontario provision names a qualified person for it. That remains an AHJ and specification question.
It is Ontario focused. CFAA is a national program with chapters across the country. Certi-Fire is run by an Ontario association around the Ontario code.
Choosing between the two
Both routes end in the same place under the Fire Code: a certificate you can produce for inspection under Article 1.2.1.2(1)(b). They differ on the entry gate, the renewal rhythm, geographic reach and how competence is tested. The comparison, built only from what each organisation publishes about itself, is in CFAA versus ECAO Certi-Fire.
Fire Alarm Academy provides educational content only. It does not confer any certification, licence or credential, and it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Canadian Fire Alarm Association, the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario, ULC Standards, UL Standards and Engagement, CSA Group, the Electrical Safety Authority, any authority having jurisdiction, or any manufacturer. Always work from the edition of any standard adopted by your authority having jurisdiction.
Sources
- Certi-Fire, courses and fees: Levels 1 to 5, 40 hours each, $800, $800, $825, $830 and $630 plus HST, no annual fees, recertification every five years, Level 4 photo ID and certificate. Checked 5 September 2026
- Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario, Certi-Fire for fire alarm electricians
- Ontario, fire safety legislation and Ontario's Fire Code: Certi-Fire and the CFAA program listed as acceptable to the Fire Marshal. Page updated 20 November 2025, checked 5 September 2026
- Office of the Fire Marshal Communique 2016-08, 9 February 2016: confirmation that the ECAO fire alarm technician training program has been accepted