Fire Programs and Services

Richmond Hill's Public Fire and Life Safety Education program helps to protect our community by teaching residents about fire and injury prevention and other safety topics. There are two full-time Fire and Life Safety Educators to help all residents learn how to make a safe community.

Please submit your request for any of our programs (listed below) by using the Community Relations and Education Request Form. We require at least four weeks notice.

For more information, please call our Fire Prevention Division at 905-883-5444.

Events and Programs

Community Events

Our Fire & Emergency Services team is available to attend and participate in community events such as barbecues, fundraisers and picnics. Book in advance and keep in mind that fire crews must always be ready to respond to emergencies so attendance or arrival time can't be guaranteed.

Community Helpers program

The Community Helpers program is for students in junior kindergarten, senior kindergarten and grade one, daycare centres, after-school programs, children's camps and Montessori schools. Students meet a fire crew, learn about firefighters in the community and learn basic fire safety. Attendance and arrival time for these presentations can't be guaranteed because fire crews must be ready to respond to emergencies. The minimum age for this program is 4 years old.

Organizers will be required to review the Learn Not To Burn (LNTB) program for the respective grade with their classes prior to the visit from the fire crew. The full LNTB program is available free on the Sparky School House website.

Elementary school programs and presentations

Richmond Hill is proud to offer a fire and life safety program for students in elementary schools. These interactive presentations encourage effective learning and "edu-tainment." Children are provided with the information and skills they need to make smarter choices about their personal safety.

Each grade has a different program organized by our Fire Prevention Public Educators. Our program includes the following grade levels:

Junior and Senior Kindergarten

A visit from our local fire crew introduces junior and senior kindergarten students to fire safety and firefighters as their friends. Fill out the request form to book a fire crew visit. The program for this level includes:

The role of a firefighter
What is 9-1-1
What is a burn
Hot things that can cause a burn in your home
Smoke is poison
Get low, get out and stay out when you hear the fire alarm
Never hide in a fire
Dress in fire fighter gear
Watch DVD " Timon and Puumba’s Safety Smarts"
Fire truck tour

Grade 1

Grade 1 classes will start to learn about fire prevention. Topics include:

Review of 9-1-1 and remembering a home address
Tools and toys
Smoke alarms - why they are needed and what to do when it sounds
Get low and go
Stop, drop and roll
Viewing of "What Causes Fire?" or “Timon and Puumba’s Safety Smarts” video

Grade 2

Grade two classes review what they learned about fire safety. They also learn about the importance of having a home escape plan and being prepared for a fire in the home. Topics and activities for this grade level include:

Review of smoke alarms - where to put them and how to maintain them
Home escape planning
Home fire drills
DVD viewing of "Sparky's Great Escape" or "EDITH"

Grade 3

Our fire safety program teaches grade three students how to keep their home safe from fires. Learning points and activities include:

Home fire prevention
Making smart choices and preventing injuries
DVD viewing of "Preventing Home Fires" or “Sparky and the Run-Away Robot”

Grade 4

For grade four classes it's all about kitchen and cooking safety. An optional Mobile Safety House program is also available.

Grade 5

Grade five classes are ready for review of fire safety. Lessons learned in previous years are reinforced utilizing the "No Time to Spare" video.

Grade 6

Grade six classes get an introduction to injury prevention. Students will learn about common injuries to pre-teens and how they can prevent an injury.

Grade 7

Grade seven students will learn about preparing for emergencies. Emergencies can be bigger than a house fire or car accident, and this stage of the program will teach students about larger emergencies or disasters. This includes:

Knowing the Risks
Making a plan
Getting a Kit

Grade 8

Students in grade eight will learn about the silent killer - Carbon Monoxide

Kindergarten programs can be booked using our Community Relations and Education Request Form. All grade 1-8 program levels need to be booked ahead of time. Contact our Public Educators to book a program or for more information.

Fire Station Visits

You can visit Richmond Hill's six fire stations any time. Visitors learn about the different types of vehicles, what they do and what kinds of equipment they carry. Firefighters also show and talk about their protective fire gear.

Drop-in tours are welcome between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. for groups of fewer than 10 people. You must book an appointment for groups of 10 people or more. There is a maximum of 30 people per tour. To book a tour, please complete the Community Relations and Education Request Form.

Fire Prevention Week and Open House

Richmond Hill celebrates Fire Prevention Week during the first week of October each year. Fire and Emergency Services staff host a number of events throughout the week including an Open House at Station 8-1 and invite the community to come out for a day of fire and life safety activities, a barbecue and more.

Learn more about the annual Fire Prevention Week.

Project Blaze

Are you a female identifying high-school student in the City of Richmond Hill? Join us for a three day, fully involved fire service

experience! Find out how your skills and interests can propel you in to an exciting career in:

Fire Suppression (Firefighting)
Communications (911 Dispatch)
Investigations and Inspections
Public Education
Administration
Mechanical

For more information on Project Blaze, and to register to participate, please visit our Project Blaze page.

Seniors' Home Safety Check

Our home safety check program includes:

assessing and testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
addressing fire safety concerns raised by the resident
offering educational materials

You can apply for a free home safety check if you:

Are a Richmond Hill resident,
Live alone or as a senior couple in your own home, and
Are at least 55 years of age

Contact the Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services, Fire Prevention Division at 905-883-5444 to request a home safety check.

Why do we need a safety program for seniors?

Older adults are more likely to be killed or injured by fire. About 30 per cent of fire related deaths in Ontario involve people 65 years of age and older. It is important to give seniors the education and tools they need to plan around their abilities and have a home free of fire hazards.

For more information about fire safety for seniors, visit our Seniors' Fire Safety page.

Youth Arson Prevention

We work closely with families who suspect juvenile fire play. Our arson prevention programs include:

Arson Prevention Program for Children (TAPP-C), for children nine years of age and younger
Juvenile Fire-Setter Intervention, for children aged 10 to 17
VIP elementary school program run with the York Regional Police, for grade six students

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Program

We want our community to know the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. It's the law to have these alarms in your home. Learn more about fire prevention and carbon monoxide awareness.

Each year, our fire crews will canvass areas within our communities, providing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms checks, education and information.

Talks and presentations

Emergency preparedness awareness

Fire and Emergency Services offers free sessions to the public about emergency preparedness. Presentation topics include:

Hazard-proofing your home
Disasters that could happen in Richmond Hill
Preparing a 72 Hour Emergency Kit
Choosing out of area emergency contacts
What to do during a tornado, earthquake, or power failure
What to do after a disaster
What to do if you are ordered to evacuate
What to do about pets in an emergency

Richmond Hill celebrates Emergency Preparedness Week the first week of May every year. View our events calendar to learn more.

Fire extinguisher training

Fire and Emergency Services runs hands-on fire extinguisher training sessions for adults. Programs are for groups of 10 or more people (max 25) and run between April 1 and October 31. Training sessions include a 20-minute indoor presentation and 20 minutes of outdoor training including putting out a live fire.

Organizers must provide a good outdoor location with water hook up and an indoor area for the presentation part of the training. There is a $296.15 (including HST) fee per training session. Contact us for more details or fill in our request form to arrange a presentation.

Hospital and long-term care facility staff presentations

We offer free presentations for hospital and long-term care staff. Presentation topics for this program include:

Emergency procedures to follow when there's a fire
What to do if you find a fire
Workplace fire alarm systems
Responsibilities of staff when there's an emergency
Evacuation techniques and procedures
When and how to use a fire extinguisher
How to spot and get rid of fire and life safety hazards in your workplace

Fill in a request form to book a free presentation for hospital or long-term care staff.

Injury prevention program

Richmond Hill is a RiskWatch community. RiskWatch is an injury prevention program that aims to lower the number of children injured or killed by accidents that could be prevented. These presentations are for grade six students, campers and other community groups. Topics covered in the injury prevention programs include:

Fire and burn prevention
Bike and pedestrian safety
Water safety
Choking, suffocation and strangulation prevention
Motor vehicle safety
Falls prevention
Poisoning prevention

Residential High-rise building presentations

There are free fire safety presentations in Richmond Hill for residents living in high-rise buildings. You must have a group of 10 or more people to book a presentation, and a computer and projector are required. Safety topics include:

How to prevent fire hazards in your unit and building
Importance of escape planning in a high-rise building
What to do if you find a fire
What to do when you hear a fire alarm in your building
What to do if you see smoke in the hallway or stairwell
Deciding to go or stay
How to protect yourself when you decide to stay in your apartment
Importance of working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Contact us to learn more or fill in a request form to book a presentation. Visit our High-Rise Fire Safety page for more information on high-rise fire safety.

Seniors' Fire Safety

Our senior safety presentations include:

Fire prevention
Fall prevention
Escape planning
Emergency preparedness

Summer Camps

Our summer camp safety programs teach campers about bicycle safety, water safety, fire safety and poison prevention. We encourage camp organizers to book well in advance. Fill in a request form to arrange a safety program for campers.

Workplace safety

Workplace fire prevention and life safety programs are available for businesses with 10 or more employees. Programs cover safety topics such as:

Emergency procedures when there's a fire
What to do if you find a fire
Responsibilities of staff when there's an emergency
Evacuation techniques and procedures
How to prevent fire in your workplace
Carbon monoxide awareness
Emergency preparedness
Home fire safety

Fire Prevention

It's your responsibility to keep your family and home safe from fire. To do so we need to prevent fires from happening in your home. Click here for more information on Home Fire Prevention.

Fire Programs and Services

Events and Programs

Why do we need a safety program for seniors?

Talks and presentations

Fire Prevention

Contact(s)