| Toronto Fire Services | |
| Motto: | "Courage, Compassion, Service" |
| Established: | 1874 (as Toronto Fire Department), 1998 (as Toronto Fire Services) |
| Annual Calls: | 184,076 (2013)[1] |
| Annual Budget: | C$524.440 million (2019) |
| Employees: | 3,258 (2023) |
| Staffing: | Career |
| Chief: | Matthew Pegg[2] |
| Stations: | 84 |
| Engines: | 86 |
| Trucks: | 6 |
| Quints: | 26 |
| Squads: | 5 |
| Fireboats: | 2 |
| Tenders: | 2 |
| Hazmat: | 4 |
| Firstresponderblsorals: | First Responder |
Toronto Fire Services (TFS), commonly called Toronto Fire, provides fire protection, technical rescue services, hazardous materials response, and first responder emergency medical assistance in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Fire Services is currently the largest municipal fire department in Canada.
Fire services in Toronto began in 1874 in the former City of Toronto, and still consisted of volunteer fire companies. Prior to 1874, fire services were composed of poorly trained volunteer companies in the city. The first company was created in 1826 and hook and ladder in 1831. Most were able bodied men who were trained to operate pumps to draw water from the lake. A wooden pumper truck presented to Toronto by British America Assurance Company c.1837 is now found at Black Creek Pioneer Village.[3]
The city's poor fire fighting services were highlighted by the Great Toronto Fire in 1849 and again in the Great Fire of Toronto in 1904. After the latter fire, which destroyed much of Bay Street from The Esplanade West to Melinda Street, the Fire Department in Toronto became a critical city service and has evolved into the full-time service that exists today.
The Toronto Fire Services was created in 1998 from the merger of the former fire departments of the original City of Toronto, East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and York. It is the largest fire department in Canada[4] and the 5th largest municipal fire department in North America.[4] As part of the city's 2013 Budget plans, the City of Toronto demanded a 10% cut by all city departments. TFS, under then Fire Chief James Sales, recommended vehicle reductions at several stations (Stations 213, 215, 324 and 413) and one station to close (Station 424) to meet the 10% reduction target.[5] As well the cuts will lead to fewer firefighters on staff.[5]
In 2014, four pumpers (P213, P215, P413, P424) were taken out of service and Station 424 was shut down.
In 2017, under Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, the TFS Transformation Plan was developed and introduced, which included a comprehensive Inclusion Plan. An update on the status of the numerous initiatives that are included in this plan was provided as part of the 2018 budget process.[6]
In 2018, 10 additional staff were added to support the creation of a permanent Toronto Community Housing Fire Safety Task Force.[7] Also in 2018, one additional crew of 21 Operations Firefighters was approved to support the opening of the new Downsview fire station.[8] [9]
The fire chief (C1), as well as the 4 commanding deputy chiefs,(C2, C3, C4, C5), are all based at 4330 Dufferin Street – the central headquarters for both Toronto Fire and Toronto Paramedic Services. There are four division commanders (C6, C7, C8, C9). Each division commander is based in their respective commands – north, east, south and west.
Alan F. Speed became the first fire chief of the amalgamated Toronto Fire Services in November 1997. He served in that post until his retirement in April 2003.
Following Speed's retirement, William (Bill) Stewart was appointed fire chief on May 1, 2003, and served until his retirement on April 30, 2012.
Jim Sales worked as a political bureaucrat in the Town of Markham and as general manager with the City of Barrie prior to his appointment as Toronto fire chief in 2012.[13] Sales was fire chief in Markham from 2000 to 2001 and in Edmonton from 1988 to 2000.[14]
Matthew Pegg was appointed as interim fire chief in May 2016, following Sales' departure.[15] Pegg became permanent chief in April 2017. Pegg served as deputy fire chief of Administration prior to being appointed fire chief.
With the exception of Sales, Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Fire Department chiefs have been promoted within the department's ranks. Peter Ferguson was deputy chief of the North York Fire Department before becoming fire chief of the Toronto Fire Department
| Rank | Fire chief | Deputy fire chief | Division commander | Platoon chief | District chief | Captain | First class firefighter | Second class firefighter | Third class firefighter | Probationary firefighter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | No insignia | No insignia | No insignia | No insignia | |||||||
| Helmet colour | White | White | White | White | White | Red | Black | Black | Black | Black | |
| Description | General manager | Second in command of TFS. Each deputy is responsible for a specific portfolio. | Responsible for all four shifts within one of the geographic divisions (north, east, south, or west) of the city. Responsible for a city-wide division (communications, investigations, mechanical, data analysis, etc.). | Responsible for all fire stations within all districts of a command for one shift (north, east, south, or west) | Responsible for all fire stations within a district (e.g. 11 District or 42 District) | In charge of one fire truck and crew | |||||
| Notes | "Chief" marked on the back of his or her bunker jacket | "Deputy Chief" marked on the back of their bunker jacket | "Division Commander" marked on the back of their bunker jacket | "Platoon Chief" marked on the back of their bunker jacket | "District Chief" marked on the back of their bunker jacket | "Probationary" marked in red on the front of their helmet |
| Alarm type | Alarm level | Units assigned | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure fire | 1st alarm assignment | 1 squad truck/rescue truck, 3 pumpers/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 district chief unit, high rise unit (if the fire is in a high-rise building in south command) | |
| Working fire | 1st alarm assignment, upgrade | 1 rescue truck (RIT), 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 squad/rescue truck, 1 platoon chief unit, 1 air & light unit | |
| 2nd Alarm fire | 2nd alarm assignment, upgrade | 1 rescue truck (RIT), 3 pumper trucks/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 squad truck, 1 district chief unit, 1 platoon chief unit, 1 hazmat unit, 1 air & light unit, 1 command unit | |
| 3rd Alarm fire | 3rd alarm assignment, upgrade | 3 pumper trucks/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 district chief unit, 1 tower truck, 1 tower support unit | |
| 4th Alarm fire | 4th alarm assignment, upgrade | 3 pumper trucks/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 district chief unit, 1 air & lighting unit, 1 platoon chief unit (comms) | |
| 5th Alarm fire | 5th alarm assignment, upgrade | 3 pumper trucks/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 district chief unit | |
| 6th Alarm fire | 6th alarm assignment, upgrade | 3 pumper trucks/rescue trucks, 1 aerial truck/tower truck, 1 district chief unit |
Toronto Fire Department began using motorized vehicles after 1911. The first motorized pumper was placed in the College St station on October 18, 1911. Before that, the TFD and previous fire companies used horse drawn engines and ladders. Prior to the 1970s, the TFD had open air vehicles (driver cab not enclosed and mostly aerial trucks), but since then both the TFD and TFS use fully enclosed cab vehicles. Prior to the 1950s, TFD used tiller-ladder trucks and since have reverted to smaller aerial units that can operate in narrow streets in Toronto.
The TFS inherited all the vehicles of the fire departments prior to amalgamation. The current strength of TFS consists of 179 vehicles. Since amalgamation, apparatus assignments consist of an alpha-numeric callsign. The alphabetic prefix identifies the type of apparatus. The following three numerical digits identify the station the apparatus is located in. The first digit identifies the division (Command) that the station is in (1-north, 2-East, 3-South, 4-West). The second digit identifies the District within the Command that the station is in. The last digit identifies the station within the District within the Command that the apparatus is assigned to.
A list of types of vehicles used by the TFS: (prefix letter in brackets with "xxx" as the station placeholders) is listed below:
See main article: Fireboats of Toronto. The Toronto Fire Department and successor Toronto Fire Services has operated fire boats since 1923. Fireboat Charles A. Reed was the first fireboat operated by the service; it was a wood-hull boat that entered service in 1923 and remained in use until 1964.[16] The service presently has two fireboats in service. Fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie entered service in 1964, replacing Charles A. Reed. Fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie serves as the department's main fireboat and icebreaker. In 2006, the Toronto Fire Services acquired Fireboat Sora, a light utility boat built in 1982 for the Canadian Coast Guard. The Sora was retired from TFS on October 31, 2015, replaced by Fireboat William Thornton. Fireboat William Thornton is a type 400 cutter, built in 1982 for the Canadian Coast Guard, and was acquired by the Toronto Fire Service in 2015.
While not part of the fleet, Box 12 (Box 12 Association) and Support 7 (Greater Toronto Multiple Alarm Association) are canteen trucks run by volunteers and are present at large emergencies to provide food and beverages for Toronto firefighters.
Formed in 1949, the Box 12 Association is Toronto's oldest fire canteen unit and serves firefighters in the west end and the downtown core. The unit is named after alarm box #12, which was pulled to trigger the response to the Great Toronto Fire of 1904. This canteen has served in a number of high-profile multiple alarm fires in recent history, including the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto six-alarm fire in 2017. The Box 12 Association celebrated 70 years of continuous volunteer service in 2018, with Mayor John Tory in attendance. Each year, an award named after this canteen is presented by the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association to a fire service member for voluntarism.
Formed in 1975, the GTMAA vehicle is painted with TFD scheme, but not the logo (using the GTMAA patch instead).
In addition, there are various hazardous materials support trucks and a trench rescue support truck that respond to specialized calls. These trucks are unmanned and are only used by trained personnel when a specialized call is dispatched. TFS also has a fleet of various mechanical support trucks. Smaller compact cars bearing the TFS colours and logo are driven by fire prevention officers and other commanding officers.
Toronto Fire will also acquire use of a long-range acoustic device. It was one of three purchased by the Toronto Police Service for use during the G20 summit in 2010 (1 for marine unit, 2 for public safety unit).[17]
Toronto Fire Services operates and manages both the heavy urban search and rescue (HUSAR) team and the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) response team on behalf of the City of Toronto and under contract with the Province of Ontario for provincial deployment as required as CAN-TF3.
Prior to amalgamation, the Scarborough Fire Department had their fleet painted yellow. In the years following amalgamation, the markings on the fire trucks were a patchwork of the various schemes used by the former boroughs. All had "Toronto" decaled or painted where the former borough's name used to be and the new Toronto Fire crest was added with the new numbering scheme. Over the past 19 years since amalgamation, the majority of the older vehicles have either been retired or repainted to match the new scheme: fire engine red with yellow reflective trim and markings.
The Toronto Fire Services currently operates out of 83 fire stations throughout the city, organized into 15 districts. A 16th district (District 12) was disbanded in 2013. Its 4 stations were absorbed into the surrounding districts. Each district is part of one of four geographical divisions of command. There are 4 command areas: north, east, south and west. With the exception of North Division, the other geographic divisions are divided into four districts. Several companies have been disbanded or reassigned over the years.[18] [19]
The North Command's office (Command 1) is located at Fire Station 114. There are 21 stations in the North Command
| Station # | District # | Neighbourhood | Pumper company | Rescue company | Aerial company or tower company | Platoon chief or district chief unit | Miscellaneous units | Address/suburb | Build year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 11 | Bayview Heights | Pumper 111 | Air/Light 111 | 3300 Bayview Avenue, North York | 1979 | ||||
| 112 | 11 | Branson | Pumper 112[20] | Rescue 5112 | 5700 Bathurst Street, North York | 1978 | ||||
| 113 | 11 | Don Valley Village | Pumper 113 | Aerial 113 | 700 Seneca Hill Drive, North York | 1969 | ||||
| 114 | 11 | Willowdale | Pumper 114 | Tower 114 | Platoon chief 10 | High Rise 114 | 12 Canterbury Place, North York | 1989 | ||
| 115 | 11 | Parkway Forest | Rescue 115 | 115 Parkway Forest Drive, North York | 1983 | |||||
| 116 | 11 | Bayview Village | Pumper 116 | District chief 11 | Rehab 1 Command 10 | 255 Esther Shiner Boulevard, North York | 2007 | |||
| 121 | 11 | Hoggs Hollow | Pumper 121 | Foam Pumper 121, Pumper 5121 | 10 William Carson Crescent, North York | 1988 | ||||
| 122 | 11 | York Mills | Rescue 122 | Pumper 5122 | 2545 Bayview Avenue, North York | 1959 | ||||
| 123 | 13 | Don Mills | Pumper 123 | 143 Bond Avenue, North York | 1956 | |||||
| 125 | 13 | Flemingdon Park | Pumper 125 | Aerial 125 | 1109 Leslie Street, North York | 1985 | ||||
| 131 | 13 | Yonge and Lawrence | Pumper 131 | 3135 Yonge Street | 1931 | |||||
| 132 | 13 | Lawrence Manor | Pumper 132 | District chief 13 | 476 Lawrence Avenue West, North York | 1999 | ||||
| 133 | 13 | Amesbury | Rescue 133 | Aerial 133 | 1507 Lawrence Avenue West, North York | 1962 | ||||
| 134 | 13 | Yonge and Eglinton | Pumper 134[21] | 16 Montgomery Avenue | 1916 | |||||
| 135 | 13 | Forest Hill | Pumper 135 | Aerial 135 | 325 Chaplin Crescent | 2016 | ||||
| 141 | 14 | University Heights | Pumper 141 | District chief 14 | Pumper 5141 Rescue 5141 | 4100 Keele Street, North York | 2011 | |||
| 142 | 14 | Jane and Finch | Pumper 142 | Aerial 142 | 2753 Jane Street, North York | 1982 | ||||
| 143 | 14 | Clanton Park | Pumper 143 | Squad 143 | 1009 Sheppard Avenue West, North York | 1972 | ||||
| 144 | 14 | Downsview | Pumper 144 | Fire Investigations | 2945 Keele Street, North York | 2022 | ||||
| 145 | 14 | Ancaster | Pumper 145 | Haz-Mat 145 Haz-Mat Support 145 | 20 Beffort Road, North York | 1989 | ||||
| 146 | 14 | Downsview | Pumper 146 | 2220 Jane Street, North York | 1956 |
The East Command's office (Command 2) is located at Fire Station 221. There are 22 stations in the East Command.
| Station # | District # | Neighbourhood | Pumper company | Rescue company | Aerial company | District chief or platoon chief unit | Miscellaneous units | Address/Suburb | Build year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 211 | 21 | Armdale | Pumper 211 | Tanker 211 | 900 Tapscott Road, Scarborough | 1982 | ||||
| 212 | 21 | Dean Park | Pumper 212 | District chief 21 | Mini Pumper 212 | 8500 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough | 2003 | |||
| 213 | 21 | Malvern | Pumper 213[22] | Aerial 213 | 7 Lapsley Road, Scarborough | 1974 | ||||
| 214 | 21 | Highland Creek | Rescue 214 | 745 Meadowvale Road, Scarborough | 1982 | |||||
| 215 | 21 | Port Union | Aerial 215 | 5318 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough | 1974 | |||||
| 221 | 22 | Scarborough Junction | Pumper 221 | Aerial 221 | 2575 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough | 2014 | ||||
| 222 | 22 | Golden Mile | Pumper 222 | 755 Warden Avenue, Scarborough | 1961 | |||||
| 223 | 22 | Cliffcrest | Rescue 223[23] | Support 7 | 116 Dorset Road, Scarborough | 1953 | ||||
| 224 | 22 | Woodbine Heights | Pumper 224[24] | 1313 Woodbine Avenue, East York | 1952 | |||||
| 225 | 22 | Birch Cliff | Pumper 225[25] | District chief 22 | 3600 Danforth Avenue, Scarborough | 1998 | ||||
| 226 | 22 | Upper Beaches | Pumper 226 | Ladder 226 | 87 Main Street | 1909 | ||||
| 227 | 22 | The Beaches | Rescue 227[26] | Pumper 5227 | 1904 Queen Street East | 1905 | ||||
| 231 | 23 | Woburn | Pumper 231[27] | Aerial 231 | Platoon chief 20 District chief 23 | Air/Light 231 | 740 Markham Road, Scarborough | 1960 | ||
| 232 | 23 | Dorset Park | Pumper 232 | Squad 232 | 1550 Midland Avenue, Scarborough | 1963 | ||||
| 233 | 23 | Parkwoods | Pumper 233 | Aerial 233 | Legal Branch | Antique (x2) | 59 Curlew Drive, North York | 1995 | ||
| 234 | 23 | West Hill | Pumper 234 | Decon Unit 234 | 40 Coronation Drive, Scarborough | 1968 | ||||
| 235 | 23 | Bermondsey | Rescue 235 | Technical Rescue Support 235 | 200 Bermondsey Road, North York | 1960 | ||||
| 241 | 24 | L'Amoreaux | Rescue 241 | Pumper 5241 | 3325 Warden Avenue, Scarborough | 1980 | ||||
| 242 | 24 | Brimley Forest | Pumper 242 | Aerial 242[28] | 2733 Brimley Road, Scarborough | 1975 | ||||
| 243 | 24 | Agincourt | Rescue 243 | 4560 Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough | 1972/1985 | |||||
| 244 | 24 | Leacock | Pumper 244 | District chief 24 | 2340 Birchmount Road, Scarborough | 1971 | ||||
| 245 | 24 | Wexford | Pumper 245 | Pumper 5245 | 1600 Birchmount Road, Scarborough | 1956 |
The South Command's office (Command 3) is located at Fire Station 332. There are 22 stations in South Command.
| Station # | District # | Neighbourhood | Pumper company | Rescue company | Aerial company or tower company | District chief or platoon chief unit | Miscellaneous units | Address/suburb | Build year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 311 | 31 | Yonge and St Clair | Pumper 311 | 20 Balmoral Avenue | 1911 | |||||
| 312 | 31 | Yorkville | Pumper 312 | Ladder 312 | District chief 31 | 34 Yorkville Street | 1876/1973 | |||
| 313 | 31 | St. James Town | Pumper 313 | Squad 313 | 411 Bloor Street East | 1967 | ||||
| 314 | 31 | Church and Wellesley | Pumper 314 | 12 Grosvenor Street | 1926 | |||||
| 315 | 31 | Kensington Market | Pumper 315 | Ladder 315 | Parade unit | 132 Bellevue Avenue | 1878/1973 | |||
| 321 | 32 | Leaside | Rescue 321 | 231 McRae Drive | 1946 | |||||
| 322 | 32 | Pape Village | Pumper 322 | Aerial 322 | 256 Cosburn Avenue, East York | 1994 | ||||
| 323 | 32 | Greektown | Pumper 323 | Haz-Mat 323 | 153 Chatham Avenue, East York | 1963 | ||||
| 324 | 32 | Riverdale | Pumper 324 | District chief 32 | 840 Gerrard Street East | 1932 | ||||
| 325 | 32 | Regent Park | Rescue 325 | Ladder 325 | Air/Light 325 | 475 Dundas Street East | 1954 | |||
| 326 | 32 | Leslieville | Pumper 326 | Haz-Mat Support 326 | 30 Knox Avenue | 1980 | ||||
| 331 | 33 | Trinity Bellwoods | Pumper 331 | Ladder 331 | Squad 331 | 33 Claremont Street | 1968 | |||
| 332 | 33 | Entertainment District | Pumper 332 | Platoon chief 30 District chief 33 | Command 30 High Rise 332 Personnel Transport 1 | 260 Adelaide Street West | 1971 | |||
| 333 | 33 | St Lawrence | Pumper 333 | Tower 333 | Tower 1 | 207 Front Street East | 1970 | |||
| 334 | 33 | Harbourfront | Pumper 334 | Fireboat (x3) | 339 Queens Quay West | 2000 | ||||
| 335 | 33 | Ward's Island | Pumper 335 Pumper 335B | Rapid Attack Vehicle 335 | 235 Cibola Avenue | 1992 | ||||
| 341 | 34 | Oakwood Village | Rescue 341 | Aerial 341 | Multi-Purpose Vehicle 341 Car 5341 | 555 Oakwood Avenue, York | 1968 | |||
| 342 | 34 | Corso Italia | Pumper 342 | 106 Ascot Avenue | 1912 | |||||
| 343 | 34 | Hillcrest Village | Pumper 343 | 65 Hendrick Avenue | 1915 | |||||
| 344 | 34 | The Annex | Pumper 344 | Pumper 5344 | 240 Howland Avenue | 1911 | ||||
| 345 | 34 | Davenport | Rescue 345 | District chief 34 | Box 12 | 1285 Dufferin Street | 1963 | |||
| 346 | 34 | Pumper 346 | 90 Quebec Street | 1912 |
The West Command's office (Command 4) is located at Fire Station 442. Fire Station 424 at 462 Runnymede Road closed permanently in 2014. There are 19 stations in West Command.
| Station # | District # | Neighbourhood | Pumper company | Rescue company | Aerial company or platform company | District chief or platoon chief unit | Miscellaneous units | Address/suburb | Build year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 411 | 41 | Humber Summit | Rescue 411 | Aerial 411 | 75 Toryork Drive, North York | 1997 | ||||
| 412 | 41 | Clairville | Rescue 412 | 267 Humberline Drive, Etobicoke | 1975 | |||||
| 413 | 41 | Smithfield | Rescue 413 | 1549 Albion Road, Etobicoke | 1970 | |||||
| 415 | 41 | Rexdale | Pumper 415 | Aerial 415 | District chief 41 | 2120 Kipling Avenue, Etobicoke | 1955 | |||
| 421 | 42 | Mount Dennis | Rescue 421 | Aerial 421 | Air/Light 421 | 6 Lambton Avenue, York | 1956 | |||
| 422 | 42 | Lambton | Pumper 422 | Parade unit | 590 Jane Street, York | 1965 | ||||
| 423 | 42 | The Junction | Rescue 423 | Aerial 423 | District chief 42 | 358 Keele Street | 1954 | |||
| 425 | 42 | Swansea | Rescue 425 | 83 Deforest Road | 1930 | |||||
| 426 | 42 | Parkdale | Pumper 426 | Ladder 426 | 140 Lansdowne Avenue | 1972 | ||||
| 431 | 43 | Sunnylea | Pumper 431 | 308 Prince Edward Drive South, Etobicoke | 1959 | |||||
| 432 | 43 | Islington – City Centre West | Pumper 432 | Platform 432 | 155 The East Mall, Etobicoke | 1980 | ||||
| 433 | 43 | The Queensway | Pumper 433 | Aerial 433 | 615 Royal York Road, Etobicoke | 1953/2007 | ||||
| 434 | 43 | Alderwood | Rescue 434 | 3 Lunness Road, Etobicoke | 1957 | |||||
| 435 | 43 | New Toronto | Pumper 435 | District chief 43 | 130 Eighth Street, Etobicoke | 1930 | ||||
| 441 | 44 | Airport Strip | Rescue 441 | Aerial 441 | 947 Martin Grove Road, Etobicoke | 1963 | ||||
| 442 | 44 | Weston | Pumper 442 | 2015 Lawrence Avenue West, York | 1991 | |||||
| 443 | 44 | Princess Gardens | Pumper 443 | Rescue 5443 | 1724 Islington Avenue, Etobicoke | 1958 | ||||
| 444 | 44 | Centennial Park | Rescue 444 | 666 Renforth Drive, Etobicoke | 1959 | |||||
| 445 | 44 | Islington Village | Pumper 445 | Platoon chief 40 District chief 44 | Squad 445 | 280 Burnhamthorpe Road, Etobicoke | 1960 |
Other members of Toronto's Emergency Services structure include: