Toronto Fire Services


Toronto Fire Services 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.

History

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.
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 and the 5th largest municipal fire department in North America.
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 and one station to close to meet the 10% reduction target. As well the cuts will lead to fewer firefighters on staff.
In 2014, four pumpers 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.
In 2018, 10 additional staff were added to support the creation of a permanent Toronto Community Housing Fire Safety Task Force. Also in 2018, one additional crew of 21 Operations Firefighters was approved to support the opening of the new Downsview fire station.

Preceding fire services

Fire companies

The Fire Chief, under whom five deputy chiefs serve, are all based at 4330 Dufferin Street - the central headquarters for both Toronto Fire and Toronto Paramedic Services. The four division commanders are each 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 Stewart was appointed Fire Chief on May 1 st, 2003 and served until his retirement on April 30, 2012.
Jim Sales worked as a political bureaucrat in Town of Markham and as General Manager with the City of Barrie prior to his appointment as Toronto Fire Chief in 2012. Sales was Fire Chief in Markham from 2000 to 2001 and in Edmonton from 1988 to 2000.
Matthew Pegg was appointed as interim Fire Chief in May 2016, following Sales' departure. Pegg became permanent Chief in April 2017. Pegg served as Deputy Fire Chief of Administration prior to being appointed Fire Chief.

Previous Chiefs

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

Communications

Structure/building fires

Operations

Equipment

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, but since then both the TFD and TFS use full covered 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 numbers are numbered by a letter and 3 digits. The first digit stands for the command that the apparatus is in. The second digit stands for the district within the command that the apparatus is in. The last digit stands for the station within the district within the command that the apparatus is assigned to.
A list of types of vehicles used by the TFS: is listed below:
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, and was a wood hull boat that entered service in 1923 and remained in use until 1964.
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.

Miscellaneous units

While not part of the fleet, Box 12 and Support 7 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.
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 the Long Range Acoustic Device. It was one of three purchased by the Toronto Police Service for use during the G20 summit in 2010.
Toronto Fire Services operates and manages both the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives 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 - post 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.

Fire stations

The Toronto Fire Services currently operates out of 83 Fire Stations throughout the city, organized into 15 Districts. A 16th District 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. Each geographical division is divided into four Districts. Several Companies have been disbanded or reassigned over the years.

North Command

The North Command's Office is located at Fire Station # 114, 12 Canterbury Place. There are 21 Stations in the North Command
.
.
Station
District
  		• NeighbourhoodPumperCompanyRescue
    Company    		Aerial
    Company or Tower Company    		Platoon Chief or District Chief VehicleMiscellaneous
    Units    		AddressBuild
    year
    11111Bayview HeightsPumper 111Air/Light 1113300 Bayview Avenue1979
    11211BransonRescue 112Rescue 5112 5700 Bathurst Street1978
    11311Hillcrest VillagePumper 113Aerial 113700 Seneca Hill Drive1969
    11411WillowdalePumper 114Tower 114Platoon Chief 10
    District Chief 11    		Command 10
    High Rise 114    		12 Canterbury Place1989
    11511Parkway ForestRescue 115115 Parkway Forest Drive1983
    11611Bayview VillagePumper 116Rehab 1
    Aerial 5116     		255 Esther Shiner Boulevard2007
    12111Hoggs HollowPumper 121Pumper 5121 10 William Carson Crescent1988
    12211York MillsRescue 122Pumper 5122 2545 Bayview Avenue1959
    12313Don MillsPumper 123143 Bond Avenue1956
    12513Flemingdon ParkPumper 1251109 Leslie Street1985
    13113Yonge and LawrencePumper 131Aerial 1313135 Yonge Street1931
    13213Lawrence ManorPumper 132District Chief 13476 Lawrence Avenue West1999
    13313AmesburyRescue 133Aerial 1331507 Lawrence Avenue West1962
    13413Yonge and EglintonRescue 13416 Montgomery Avenue1916
    13513Forest HillPumper 135Aerial 135325 Chaplin Crescent2016
    14114University HeightsPumper 141Pumper 5141
    Rescue 5141     		4100 Keele Street2011
    14214Jane and FinchPumper 142Aerial 142District Chief 142753 Jane Street1982
    14314Clanton ParkPumper 143Squad 1431009 Sheppard Avenue West1972
    14414Downsview2945 Keele Street2021
    14514AncasterPumper 145Haz-Mat 145
    Haz-Mat Support 145    		20 Beffort Road1989
    14614DownsviewPumper 1462220 Jane Street1956

    East Command

    The East Command's Office is located at Fire Station # 221, 2575 Elington Avenue East. There are 22 Stations in the East Command
    neighbourhood in Toronto.
    Station
    		District
  		• NeighbourhoodPumperCompanyRescue
    Company    		Aerial
    Company    		District Chief or Platoon Chief vehicleMiscellaneous
    Units    		AddressBuild
    year
    21121ArmdalePumper 211Tanker 211900 Tapscott Road1982
    21221Rouge ValleyPumper 212District Chief 21Mini Pumper 2128500 Sheppard Avenue East2003
    21321MalvernAerial 2137 Lapsley Road1974
    21421Highland CreekRescue 214745 Meadowvale Road1982
    21521Port UnionAerial 2155318 Lawrence Avenue East1974
    22122BrimleyPumper 221Aerial 5221 2575 Eglinton Avenue East2014
    22222Golden MilePumper 222Aerial 222755 Warden Avenue1961
    22322The BluffsPumper 223Support 7116 Dorset Road1953
    22422Woodbine HeightsRescue 2241313 Woodbine Avenue1952
    22522Birch CliffRescue 225District Chief 223600 Danforth Avenue1998
    22622Danforth VillagePumper 226Aerial 22687 Main Street1909
    22722The BeachPumper 227Pumper 5227 1904 Queen Street East1905
    23123WoburnRescue 231Aerial 231Platoon Chief 20
    District Chief 23    		Air/Light 231740 Markham Road1960
    23223ScarboroughPumper 232Squad 2321550 Midland Avenue1963
    23323WexfordPumper 233Antique pumper
    Antique aerial    		59 Curlew Drive1995
    23423West HillPumper 234Decon 23440 Coronation Drive1968
    23523Victoria VillageRescue 235Tech Rescue Support 235200 Bermondsey Road1960
    24124L'AmoreauxRescue 241Pumper 5241 3325 Warden Ave1980
    24224Brimley ForestPumper 242District Chief 242733 Brimley Road1975
    24324AgincourtRescue 2434560 Sheppard Avenue East1972/1985
    24424Tam O'ShanterPumper 244Aerial 2442340 Birchmount Road1971
    24524Dorset ParkPumper 245Pumper 5245 1600 Birchmount Road1956

    South Command

    The South Command's Office is located at Fire Station # 332, 260 Adelaide Street West. There are 22 Stations in South Command
    .
    Station
    		District
  		• NeighbourhoodPumperCompanyRescue
    Company    		Aerial
    Company or Tower Company    		District Chief or Platoon Chief vehicleMiscellaneous
    Units    		AddressBuild
    year
    31131Yonge and St ClairPumper 31120 Balmoral Avenue1911
    31231YorkvillePumper 312Aerial 312District Chief 3134 Yorkville Street1876/1973
    31331St James TownPumper 313Squad 313411 Bloor Street East1967
    31431Church and WellesleyPumper 31412 Grosvenor Street1926
    31531Kensington MarketPumper 315Aerial 315Pumper 24 132 Bellevue Avenue1878/1973
    32132LeasideRescue 321Aerial 321231 McRae Drive1946
    32232Pape VillagePumper 322Aerial 322256 Cosburn Avenue1994
    32332GreektownPumper 323District Chief 32153 Chatham Avenue1963
    32432RiverdalePumper 324Aerial 324840 Gerrard Street East1932
    32532Regent ParkPumper 325Rescue 325Aerial 325475 Dundas Street East1954
    32632LeslievilleRescue 32630 Knox Avenue1980
    33133Trinity BellwoodsPumper 331Aerial 331Squad 331
    Pumper 5331     		33 Claremont Street1968
    33233Entertainment DistrictPumper 332Platoon Chief 30
    District Chief 33    		High Rise 332
    Haz-Mat 332
    Haz-Mat Support 332
    Command 30
    CBRN Response Team    		260 Adelaide Street West1971
    33333St LawrencePumper 333Tower 333Air/Light 333207 Front Street East1970
    33433HarbourfrontPumper 334Fireboat "William Lyon Mackenzie"
    Fireboat "William Thornton"
    Fireboat "Sora"    		339 Queens Quay West2000
    33533Ward's IslandPumper 335
    Pumper 335B    		Rapid Attack Vehicle 335235 Cibola Avenue1992
    34134Oakwood VillageRescue 341Aerial 341Multi-Purpose Vehicle 341
    Car 5341     		555 Oakwood Avenue1968
    34234Corso ItaliaPumper 342106 Ascot Avenue1912
    34334Hillcrest VillagePumper 34365 Hendrick Avenue1915
    34434The AnnexPumper 344Pumper 5344 240 Howland Avenue1911
    34534DavenportRescue 345Aerial 345District Chief 34Box 121285 Dufferin Street1963
    34634Canadian National ExhibitionStaffed seasonally90 Quebec Street1912

    West Command

    The West Command's Office is located at Fire Station # 442, 2015 Lawrence Avenue West.
    Station 424 at 462 Runnymede Road closed permanently in 2014. There are 19 Stations in West Command
    neighbourhood.
    Station
    		District
  		• NeighbourhoodPumperCompanyRescue
    Company    		Aerial
    Company or Platform Company    		District Chief or Platoon Chief VehicleMiscellaneous
    Units    		AddressBuild
    year
    41141Finch and WestonRescue 411Aerial 41175 Toryork Drive1997
    41241ClairvilleRescue 412267 Humberline Drive1975
    41341JamestownRescue 4131549 Albion Road1970
    41541RexdalePumper 415Aerial 415District Chief 412120 Kipling Avenue1955
    42142Mount DennisRescue 421Aerial 421Air/Light 4216 Lambton Avenue1956
    42242LambtonPumper 422Parade unit590 Jane Street1965
    42342The JunctionRescue 423Aerial 423District Chief 42358 Keele Street1954
    42542SwanseaRescue 42583 Deforest Road1930
    42642ParkdalePumper 426Rescue 426Aerial 426140 Lansdowne Avenue1972
    43143The KingswayPumper 431308 Prince Edward Drive South1959
    43243Islington-
    City Centre West    		Pumper 432Platform 432155 The East Mall1980
    43343MimicoPumper 433Aerial 433615 Royal York Road1953/2007
    43443AlderwoodRescue 4343 Lunness Road1957
    43543New TorontoRescue 435District Chief 43Rescue 5435 130 Eighth Street1930
    44144Airport StripRescue 441Aerial 441947 Martin Grove Road1963
    44244WestonPumper 4422015 Lawrence Avenue West1991
    44344RichviewPumper 443Rescue 5443 1724 Islington Avenue1958
    44444Centennial ParkRescue 444666 Renforth Drive1959
    44544Islington VillagePumper 445Platoon Chief 40
    District Chief 44    		Squad 445280 Burnhamthorpe Road1960