Emergency Management & Fire Safety Officer

Department: People and Culture

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year)

Campus: Waterloo

Reports to: Manager, Compliance and Risk Assessment

Employee Group: WLUSA

Application Deadline: 11/22/2026

Requisition ID: 11819

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

This job posting is for a current vacancy.

Position Summary

The Emergency Management & Fire Safety Officer is responsible for leading and developing the University’s Emergency Response Plan under the guidance and direction of the Manager, Compliance and Risk Assessment and Director, SHERM, including maintaining and communicating of emergency preparedness measures and strategies. In addition, has responsibility to keep abreast of industry standards that advance prevention, mitigation, response and recovery elements of emergency management. The incumbent also provides fire/life safety advice and expertise to the Laurier community, working with internal and external partners to ensure compliance with applicable legislation, codes, standards and best practices.

The incumbent leads, implements and maintains the Fire/Life Safety Program. They are responsible to conduct fire/life safety audits and risk assessments, and provide advice on practices, policies, codes and standards. In addition, the incumbent reviews plans for code compliance, compiles lists of deficiencies and develops, implements and maintains fire safety plans, programs and policies for all campuses. The incumbent is also responsible for all training and education related to fire/life safety.

The incumbent leads, implements, and maintains the Emergency Management Program. This includes implementation of prevention techniques, mitigation strategies and preparedness activities. In addition, the incumbent develops and maintains Laurier’s emergency response plans and helps oversee recovery activities during and after emergencies.

The incumbent will lead the development of Event Safety Risk Management Plans for large scale events. The incumbent will also support the safety planning for smaller scale events, as required.

This position has a university-wide mandate. The incumbent provides subject matter expertise to all campuses, requiring regular interpersonal interactions and collaboration with departments at the Waterloo Campus, Brantford Campus, Kitchener location, Milton Campus, and any future locations. The incumbent liaises with local fire departments within the jurisdictions that Laurier operates.

Accountabilities

Emergency Management

• Lead the development, implementation and ongoing review of the University’s Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA), using findings to prioritize emergency management, mitigation, preparedness, response, business continuity and institutional resilience initiatives. Develop and implement pre-emergency safety planning to ensure continuity of operations with internal and external partners.
• Responsible to review and recommend amendments to the Emergency Management policy and Multi-Campus Emergency Response Plan as needed.
• Leads the development and maintenance of the NWT Emergency Response Plan and coordinates and leads exercises with the NWT Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to test the plan and support ongoing emergency preparedness.
• Maintaining the University's emergency management operating structure, including Emergency Operations Centre procedures, role descriptions, activation protocols, documentation standards and alignment with applicable incident management system principles.
• Participation in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) during emergency situations and exercises, as required.
• Responsible to ensure the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is in a constant state of readiness and to ensure all necessary equipment needed for its function is located within.
• Provide functional guidance to members of the Emergency Operations Centre during emergency response.
• Coordinate with key university partners, including Special Constable Service, Facilities and Asset Management, External Relations and Information Communication Technologies to provide technical and consultative support in all areas and activities, including fire/life safety systems, necessary to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency incidents, crisis and/or disasters occurring at or impacting the University.
• Responsible to liaise with external partners including fire departments, police departments, emergency medical services etc. to ensure continuity of operations and compatibility of response plans.
• Leads, implements, and executes emergency preparedness training awareness and exercise activities at all levels within the University community to continually improve the University’s preparedness.
• Coordinates the activities of any internal working groups related to Emergency Management.
• Lead post-exercise and post-incident reviews, including the development, assignment and tracking of corrective actions to support continuous improvement of the Emergency Management Program.
• Supports business continuity activities, including business impact assessments, continuity planning and recovery strategies with University departments and partners, and facilitate periodic review and testing of continuity plans.

Fire/Life Safety

• Develop and conduct risk assessments to determine and prioritize risks.
• Leads the development, implementation, maintenance, promotion and training of the fire/ life safety program including: policies, programs and procedures and fire safety plans.
• Respond to, when needed, fires occurrences, including those occurring after hours, to assist Municipal Fire Departments and assists building emergency teams and investigates and follows-up on building fire alarm activations.
• Oversees the “hot work” and “shut-down” permits for all contactors.
• Responds to, investigates and follows up on fire safety complaints.
• Liaises with the fire departments and municipalities on a regular basis and other regulators, as necessary, for fire/life safety issues. Conduct inspections and investigations to support regulatory investigations.
• Perform fire/life safety audits and inspections in all Laurier buildings (leased or owned), as required, to ensure compliance with codes, standards and procedures.
• Perform due-diligence inspections to ensure compliance of new building construction, new acquisitions and renovations.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to staff, faculty, students, fire safety volunteers and others on fire safety issues. Recommend and initiate corrective actions to ensure a fire safe environment.
• Monitor and evaluate maintenance of fire protection systems (e.g. sprinklers, fire alarms, fixed suppression systems etc.) and recommends repairs as they impact Facilities and Asset Management & project budgets.
• Assist Facilities and Asset Management and the Department of Residence in ensuring all external inspections, maintenance and record keeping of fixed fire extinguishing systems and fire alarms systems are in conformance with applicable codes and standards.
• Leads and maintains the University's Emergency Warden Response program, including recruitment requirements, role expectations, training, exercises, coverage assessment and program evaluation.
• Supports the EHS Officer in the implementation in areas relating to fire safety, as requested (Milton/Brantford/NWT Campus).
• Provides fire/life safety training and public education to the Laurier community, including students, staff, and faculty.
• Works with internal partners to develop and implement training and public education initiatives with regards to fire safety.
• Monitors legislative, regulatory, technical and industry developments related to fire/life safety and assess their implications for University policies, programs, plans and operations.
• Develop and maintain performance measures, program metrics and reporting mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of the University's Fire/Life Safety Programs and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Adapt measures that ensures emergency planning considers people with disabilities and others who may require assistance during emergencies, including evacuation and emergency communications.
• Supports event safety risk management planning.

Qualifications

• A College diploma in Fire Protection and Prevention plus five years’ previous experience in the following:
  • Emergency preparedness and management programs
  • knowledge of the Ontario Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Building Code Act and Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and associated regulations and standards.
  • Strong understanding of fire and life systems as they relate to building systems
• A Certificate in Emergency Management, and/or Provincial Certification/training in emergency management.
• Strong verbal and written skills
• Strong training and education skills
• Strong judgment, analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent organizational abilities, including ability to set priorities, manage a high volume of work and competing demands
• Ability to travel to Brantford and Milton campus
• Significant experience managing organizational emergency management and/or fire/life safety programs.
• IMS training/experience considered an asset.
• Experience designing and conducting emergency exercises;
• Experience working with municipal emergency services.
• Experience in a complex, multi-site organization.

Hours of Work: This is a full-time, continuing role. The normal hours of work are Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Some flexibility may be required due to periods of high volume. When possible, the manager will adjust hours to ensure that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.

This position is eligible for a flexible work arrangement, as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy). All arrangement must be approved by the direct manager. In-person attendance for events, as required to meet operational needs, is expected. On occasion, this schedule may need to be adjusted to meet operational requirements.

Compensation:

Level: F

Rate of Pay: $48.56 to $51.34 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $55.50 per hour.

Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact People and Culture. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.

Please note, when pre-screening questions are used as part of the application process, AI is utilized to score responses. All other aspects of the hiring process are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team.