About Us
Representing professional firefighters in Ontario is not new. Our parent body, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) was formed in 1918, with the first provincial organization created in 1920, known then as the Provincial Federation of Ontario Fire Fighters (PFOFF), and now as the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA).
Our Mission is to provide leadership and support that improves the work and lives of Ontario’s fire service professionals.
Our Core Values are Respect, Integrity, Dedication, Dialogue, and Collaboration
The OPFFA is an Association Run For and By the Membership.
The Principal officers (President and Secretary-Treasurer) are elected by a per capita voting basis where the local votes in its previous 12-month average membership size. Four Zone Directors are elected through a proportionate voting system within their respective zone, and the Zone Director for Toronto is appointed by the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association (TPFFA).
OPFFA Board of Directors
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President, Greg Horton |
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Secretary-Treasurer, Bob McCutcheon Bob is a career firefighter that has been employed with Clarington Emergency and Fire Services since 1994 and currently holds the rank of Platoon Chief. He has a proven track record as a previous Association President, Economic Policy Committee Chair, Education Seminar Instructor, IAFF Interest Arbitration Advocate, OPFFA Bargaining Field Service Representative and current IAFF Principle Representative on the NFPA 1720 Standards committee. His reputation for listening before acting, performing research before responding and working collaboratively with others to create solutions has served associations as small as 10 and as large as 950 successfully for many years. As the OPFFA Secretary-Treasurer, he has pledged to ensure that the organization works efficiently on behalf of its members. Whether that comes in the form of financial integrity. per capita expense control, or ensuring the services provided to the membership and their locals are valuable and revered. |
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Zone 1 Director, Peter Dyson Peter has been with the Oshawa Fire Service for over 14 years and currently serves as the President of the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association IAFF local 465. Prior to serving as President Peter has held numerous roles within the local including Vice President, Grievance Committee Chair, Government Relations Committee Chair, Trustee and served on numerous other committees. During his tenure as President Peter has provided strategic leadership during a time of unprecedented change and transformation through advocacy, collaborative partnerships and strategic campaigns. He has partnered with the IAFF to support 2 GIS analysis regarding Oshawa Fire Services, engaged other IAFF resources to leverage the locals' resources and develop a comprehensive communications strategy/ public relations campaign. He has developed a communications and public relations campaign that has led to new strategic partnerships with community organizations and senior officials within the City. He has engaged local and provincial organizations to ensure frontline fire fighters are represented in a formal and positive manner, while building his local into the voice of Public Safety in Oshawa. He has also over seen numerous Freedom of Information Requests. Peter represents over 20 Locals in Zone 1 ensuring their voice is heard at the provincial table. |
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Zone 2 Director, Doug McLennan Doug is no stranger to helping provincially, as he was instrumental in rewriting the Memorandum of Understanding for all the Provincial Hazardous Materials Teams in 2017 as the Ottawa Hazardous Materials Provincial Coordinator. Doug currently holds a position as Zone 2 Director with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. Proudly there to serve, assist, and represent over 20 IAFF locals from across the province. |
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Zone 3 Director, Dan Vanderlelie Dan currently holds the position of Zone 3 director with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. He previously served for four years as a District Vice President and has been involved in numerous committees within the OPFFA over the past 18 years. |
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Zone 4 Director, Chris Varcoe Chris is active in provincial and municipal politics, regularly lobbying for improved working conditions for professional firefighters, has served on numerous committees over the years and is particularly active on pension issues affecting his members. Chris continues to participate in education opportunities and is a graduate of the Ottawa University and Tefler School of Management Executive Leadership program and the Ryerson University Lancaster Labour Relations program. |
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Zone 5 Director, Kevin McCarthy |
The OPFFA, headquartered in Toronto, is more than 11,000 members strong.