Fire departments in York Region date back to the 19th Century, and all were volunteer units. Later in the 20th Century full-time fire departments were created. Some departments in the region still retain volunteer units. East Gwillimbury Fire was the last all-volunteer service in the region until 2008, when the first crew of career firefighters was hired. East Gwillimbury, Georgina and Vaughan still have some volunteer stations leaving Township of King as the only all volunteer department, with a staff of 105 volunteers servicing King City, Nobelton and Schomberg.
Small local departments slowly merged to form large departments in the 1960s and 1970s. În the late 1990s, York Region was planning to merge all of York's fire services into one large unit. Resistance from firefighters and others prevented the plan from being implemented.
The use of "Fire Department" gave way to "Fire and Emergency" as the firefighter's roles expanded in the 1990s.
Command
Each department has their own Chief and senior officers (Deputy Chiefs). The command structure is for the most part similar in the fire services across the region:
Markham
Chief
Deputy Chief (2)
King
Chief and Community Emergency Management Coordinator
Deputy Chief and alternate Community Emergency Management Coordinator
Central York
Chief
Deputy Chief Operations
Deputy Chief Support Services
East Gwillimbury
Chief
Deputy Chief (1)
Georgina
Chief
Deputy Chief and Community Emergency Management Coordinator
Richmond Hill
Chief
Deputy Chief (2)
Vaughan
Chief
Deputy Chief (2)
Whitchurch-Stouffville
Chief
Deputy Chief (1)
Fire Chief
Deputy Chief
Platoon Chief
Chief Fire Prevention Officer
Chief Training Officer
Chief Mechanical Officer
District Chief
Captain / Company Officer
Training Officer
Fire Prevention Officer
Firefighter
Fire Inspector
Volunteer Firefighter
Recruit Firefighter
Administrative Assistant
Town of Georgina Fire and Rescue provides fire fighting services to the communities of Keswick, Ontario, Sutton, Ontario and Pefferlaw, Ontario. The department deals mainly with rural fire situations (residential, commercial and agriculture fires), but it has marine and hazmat capabilities. Georgina Fire and Rescue has a mix of full-time and volunteer staff with total strength of 90 personnel. A fleet of 12 apparatus are spread across 3 stations. Georgina Fire and Rescue was created from the merger of several local fire departments including Keswick Fire Department and Georgina Fire Department.
Stations
Station 1-4 - 165 The Queensway South, Keswick
Station 1-6 - 37 Snooks Road, Sutton
Station 1-8 - 270 Pefferlaw Road, Pefferlaw
Station 1-9 - 234 Chief Joseph Snake Road, Georgina Island (Designated as 1-9 only to follow York Region FD Numbering system)
The service is supported by York Regional Police in marine firefighting on Lake Simcoe by use of MU2 Naawig, a patrol boat equipped with a water nozzle.
East Gwillimbury Emergency Services Department serves the communities of Holland Landing, Ontario, Mount Albert, Ontario and Queensville, Ontario. The fire service operates over an area of 238 square kilometres or 91.89 square miles (238.0 km2). The department has a full-time fire chief, fire prevention officer and training officer. In addition six full-time firefighters are on duty in two shifts during daytime hours in the Queensville firehall. All other firefighters are volunteers and each station has a staff of 27 and all must be in residence of the Town of East Gwillimbury. The fire service is capable of handling a variety of situations, but it is mostly a rural fire unit. This fire department responds to approximately 1000 emergency calls each year. Expected growth to East Gwillimbury will result in massive changes to the town's population and the change from a part-time paid on-call fire department to full-time staffed 24 hours in the near future. The service began as independent fire stations in 1970 and unified after 1997.
Stations
Station 2-4 - 19314 Yonge Street, Holland Landing - HQ
Station 2-6 - 22 Princess Street, Mount Albert (destroyed by fire on 2 Feb, 2014, along with all apparatus)
Station 2-8 - 1590 Queensville Side Road, Queensville
King Township Fire & Emergency Services serves the communities of King City, Ontario, Schomberg, Ontario and Nobleton, Ontario. It serves an area of 3000 square kilometres and a population of almost 20,000 residents. The towns fire service is composed of full-time and volunteer fire fighters or fire suppression officers.
Stations
Station 3-4 - 2045 King Road, King City
Station 3-6 - 91 Proctor Drive, Schomberg
Station 3-8 - 5926 King Road, Nobleton
Central York Fire Services provides fire services to the Town of Newmarket and Aurora. It has 96 firefighters, 24 Captains and 4 Platoon Chiefs on staff at four fire stations. The fire service was created from the merger of the former Town of Newmarket Fire Department and Town of Aurora Fire Department in 2002. The fire services has 15 vehicles of which 12 are fire fighting ones.
Stations
Station 4-1 - 984 Gorham Street, Newmarket - HQ
Station 4-2 - 125 McCaffrey Street, Newmarket
Station 4-3 - 220 Edward Street, Aurora
Station 4-4 - 1334 Wellington Street East, Aurora - Fred Bolsby Fire Hall
Whitchurch-Stouffville Fire Department provides fire fighting services to Whitchurch–Stouffville and Stouffville, Ontario. The services protects 38,000 residents with 24 full-time fire suppression staff, 2 full-time fire prevention Officers, training officer and a full-time administrative assistant. There are also 50 trained volunteer firefighters. The fire service has 10 vehicles in their fleet.
Stations
Station 5-1 - 100 Weldon Road, Stouffville
Formerly located at 6392 Main Street, now home to Card's Appliances and Televisions
Station 5-2 - 15400 Highway 48, Ballantrae
Station 5-2 was located briefly at 5972 Aurora Road, now home to Ted's Auto Storage
Vaughan Fire and Rescue provides fire and emergency needs to the communities in the City of Vaughan (Maple, Ontario, Kleinburg, Ontario, Concord, Ontario, Thornhill, Ontario west of Yonge Street and Woodbridge, Ontario). There are over 250 firefighters on staff with a mix of full-time and volunteers. The fire services deals with rural scenarios in the north and urban in the south part of the city.
Stations
Station 7-1 - 835 Clark Avenue West (west of Bathurst Street)
Station 7-2 - 9290 Keele Street (north of Rutherford Road)
Station 7-3 - 325 Woodbridge Avenue (west of Kipling Avenue)
Station 7-5 - 2 Fieldstone Avenue (west from Weston Road, North of Highway 7)
Station 7-6 - 120 McLeary Court (east from Creditstone, north of Highway 7 on the north side of the cul-de-sac)
Station 7-7 - 40 Eagleview Heights (Major Mackenzie Drive West & Highway 400)
Station 7-8 - 111 Racco Parkway (Dufferin Street & Highway 407)
Station 7-9 - 9601 Islington Avenue (Islington Avenue / North of Rutherford Road)
Station 7-10 - 10800 Dufferin Street (Dufferin Street / North of Teston Road)
Richmond Hill Fire & Emergency Services provides fire services to the Town of Richmond Hill. It has 140 fire fighters on staff at 6 fire stations. Richmond Hill also offers specialized technical rescue services including water and ice rescue, technical rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue and hazardous materials response. Richmond Hill provides dispatch services to Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Central York, Whitchurch/Stouffville and Richmond Hill.
Stations
Headquarters - 1200 Elgin Mills Road East
Communications - 191 Major Mackenzie Drive West
Station 8-1 - 191 Major Mackenzie Drive West
Station 8-2 - 13067 Yonge Street
Station 8-3 - 1371 16th Avenue
Station 8-4 - 1365 Elgin Mills Road East
Station 8-5 - 150 High Tech Road
Station 8-6 - 101 Gamble Road
Markham Fire has 200 firefighters on staff is responsible for fire support for the City of Markham, as well as Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport. The newest station is 9-9, which opened in February 2012. The service began as the Markham Village Fire Department (c. 1870s) and acquired Unionville Fire Department in 1964. The Markham Fire Department was created in 1970 and renamed with the current name in 2000. Volunteer fire members were disbanded in 1996.
Markham Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection to the communities in the City of Markham:
Unionville, Ontario
Cornell, Ontario
Cachet, Ontario
Milliken, Ontario
Armadale, Ontario
Dickson Hill, Ontario
Buttonville, Ontario
Thornhill, Ontario
Fire Chiefs
Myrl Smith 1970-1985
Ken Beckett 1985-1996 - now Fire Chief in East Gwillimbury
Tony Mintoff 1996-1999
Bob Myles 1999 - acting Chief
Shayne Mintz 1999 - acting Chief
Don McClean 1999-2010 - career firefighter left department to complete law studies at Osgoode Law School
Bill Snowball 2010-2016
Dave Decker 2016-
Stations
Station 9-1 - 7801 Bayview Avenue
Station 9-2 - 10 Riviera Drive (near Woodbine and 14th Avenue)
Station 9-3 - Woodbine Avenue / Major Mackenzie Drive East
Station 9-4 - 7300 Birchmount Road near Denison Street
Station 9-5 - 316 Main Street Unionville (near Kennedy Road and 16th Avenue)
Station 9-6 - 5567 Fourteenth Avenue
Station 9-7 - 209 Main Street Markham (across from Markham GO Station)
Station 9-8 - 650 Bur Oak Drive (east of McCowan Road on Bur Oak)
Station 9-9 - 3255 Bur Oak Drive (north of Highway 7 on Bur Oak) - Markham's newest station, opened in early 2012 in Cornell next to Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Training Centre - 438 John Street (former ambulance station and former Station 9-2)
Administration Centre - 8100 Warden Avenue (former Markham Hydro Head Office)
Old Firehall Confectionary on 170 Main Street Unionville was a fire station from the 1930s to 1970s. It was converted to current use in the 1980s.
Markham Fire Brigade (later as Markham Village Fire Department) operated on Main Street in Markham after the 1872 fire that destroyed various properties on Main Street. Fire equipment was stored at Markham Village Town Hall.
Even though Bradford West Gwillimbury is NOT part of York Region, it uses the same numbering system for its apparatus (I.E.: Station 1 is numbered as 10-1)
York Region's fire apparatus use fire engine red as the base colour. Trim varies from yellow, white and blue.
Markham and Vaughan were one of a number of municipalities to have formerly used a yellow paint scheme.
APPARATUS DESIGNATIONS - The numbering works like this:
The first number is the municipality
The second number is the station number
The third number is the apparatus number
1 - Engine (Pumper)
2 - Engine (Pumper)
3 - Telesquirt
4 - Tanker
5 - Tanker
6 - Aerial
7 - Aerial Platform
8 - Hazmat
9 - Rescue
0 - Utility
The apparatus numbers are pronounced by saying each digit individually. For example, 729 would be pronounced Seven-Two-Nine, NOT Seven Twenty Nine, and 849 would be pronounced Eight-Four-Nine, NOT Eight Forty Nine, and so on.
For units with 4 digits, such as Fire Prevention, Training, and spare apparatus, the last 3 digits are pronounced individually from the first digit. For example, 4401 would be pronounced Four-Four-Zero-One, NOT Forty-Four-O-One.
GEORGINA FIRE DEPARTMENT
STATION 1-4 - 165 The Queensway South (Keswick) Full-Time & Volunteer
141 - 2011 Spartan Force / Crimson pumper
142 - 2001 Freightliner / Fort Garry Engine (ex-141)
143 - 1992 Spartan 55' Telequirt
144 - 1998 Almonte GMC Tanker
146 - 2011 Spartan Metro Star / Crimson 75' quint
149 - 1995 Almonte GMC Vandura Rescue Unit
140 - 1998 F-250 Ford pickup
1401 - 2004 Dodge Caravan - Fire Prevention Officer
1402 - 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser - Public Education
140A - 1990 Husky Air Boat Marine Rescue
HazMat/Emergency Operations Unit - Wells Cargo 24’ Trailer
STATION 1-6 - 37 Snooks Road (Sutton) Full-Time and Volunteer
161 - 2003 Almonte / Freightliner Engine
163 - 1998 E-One - Freightliner 50'Telesquirt
164 - 2002 Almonte / GMC Tanker
169 - 1988 Almonte Ford E-350 Light Rescue
160 - 2000 Dodge Caravan - Utility
STATION 1-8 270 Pefferlaw Road (Pefferlaw) Volunteer Staffed
181 - 1999 Fort Garry / International Engine
184 - 1998 Almonte / GMC Tanker
189 - 1996 Almonte / GMC Light Rescue
EAST GWILLIMBURY FIRE DEPARTMENT
STATION 2-4 (Holland Landing - Volunteer)
241 - 2008 Spartan Advantage / Rosenbauer engine
244 - 2011 Spartan Metro Star / Rosenbauer engine-tanker
246 - 2003 Freightliner FL80 / General 65' aerial
STATION 2-6 (Mount Albert - Volunteer)
261 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine
264 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-tanker
STATION 2-8 (Queensville - Full-Time (Mon-Fri, Days) and Volunteer Staff)
281 - 2013 Rosenbauer Commander engine
284 - 2015 Spartan Metro Star / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-tanker
289 - 2002 Freightliner FL80 / Fort Garry Heavy Rescue
KING TOWNSHIP FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES
STATION 3-4 - 2045 King Road, King City (HQ)
342 - 1998 E-One Freightliner FL80
343 - 1990 Pierce Lance/Superior
344 - 1990 Dependable International 4900
346 - 2011 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Crimson / Dependable 100' quint (purchased in 2013)
349 - 2001 Spartan Advantage / Dependable rescue pumper (2015 refurb)
340 - 2012 Ford F350 Super Duty - Utility
3401 - 2006 Ford Fusion - Fire Prevention
STATION 3-6 - 91 Proctor Rd, Schomberg
360 - Dodge Durango District Chief's Unit
361 - 2001 Spartan/Dependable Rescue Pumper
362 - 1969 Ford/LaFrance Pumper (Retired-Parade/Training Unit)
363 - 1993 Superior/E-One 55'Aerial
364 - 1992 Ford/Dependable Pumper/Tanker
365 - 2002 Freightliner/Dependable Tanker
369 - 2004 American LaFrance Rescue Pumper
Command 30 - 1986 Ford Command/Rehab. Unit
1929 International/Bickle Antique Engine (Retired Parade Unit)(Original Schomberg Unit)
1940 Ford Antique Engine (Retired Parade Unit)
STATION 3-8 - 5926 King Road, Nobleton
381 - 2007 Ferrara Inferno
382 - 2001 Spartan Advantage / Dependable Rescue Pumper
384 - 2009 Kenworth Tanker
389 - 2009 Dependable Heavy Rescue
380 - 2004 Utility
CENTRAL YORK FIRE SERVICES
STATION 4-1 - 984 Gorham St, Newmarket (HQ)
E411 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Crimson / Dependable engine-rescue
E412 - 2005 American LaFrance Eagle engine-rescue (ex-E431) (Reserve)
CH44 - 2012 Ford Expedition - Command Unit
410 - 2011 Ford F-250 Pick-up
1931 Bickle Antique Fire Engine - Historic Unit
STATION 4-2 - 125 McCaffrey Rd, Newmarket
E421 - 2005 American LaFrance Eagle engine-rescue
S423 - 1996 Freightliner Telesquirt
P427 - 2013 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 100' platform-quint
CH45 - 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe - Command Unit (Reserve)
STATION 4-3 - 220 Edward St, Aurora
E431 - 2014 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-rescue
A436 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 105' quint
H438 - 1999 Freightliner Rescue / Hazardous Material Response Unit
1926 International Lorne Engine - Historic Unit
STATION 4-4 - 1344 Wellington St E, Aurora
E441 - 2009 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine-tanker
E442 - 1997 E-One Cyclone II engine-rescue (Reserve) (ex-E412, ex-E421, ex-E431)
T444 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine-tanker
WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE
STATION 5-1 - 100 Weldon Road, Stouffville (HQ)
511 - 2007 Seagrave Spartan Rescue Pumper
514 - 2007 Seagrave Spartan Tanker/Pumper (2700 US Gal)
516 - 1993 E-One Superior 75' Aerial
519 - 2008 Seagrave Spartan Heavy Rescue
510 - 1997 Ford F-250 Utility Truck / Forestry Trailer Unit
STATION 5-2 - 15400 Hwy. 48, Ballantrae
521 - 2008 Seagrave Spartan Rescue Pumper
522 - 1996 Superior / International Pumper
524 - 2004 Superior / Freightliner Tanker
525 - 1996 Superior / Freightliner Tanker
VAUGHAN FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
STATION 7-1 - 835 Clark Ave (Thornhill)
711 - 2011 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine
716 - 2000 Spartan Gladiator / Smeal 105' quint
STATION 7-2 - 9290 Keele St (Maple)
726 - 2010 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 55' quint
729 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / SVI heavy rescue (ex-demo)
720 - Pickup Truck
Chief 7-4 - Platoon Chief
STATION 7-3 - 325 Woodbridge Ave (Woodbridge)
731 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine-rescue
737 - 2009 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 100' mid-mount platform quint
738 - 1991 International 4900 Dependable Hazmat Truck (Staffed as Required)
STATION 7-5 - 2 Fieldstone Ave (Woodbridge)
756 - 2011 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 55' quint
758 - 2005 Freightliner M2 / Dependable technical rescue (ex-759)
759 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine-rescue
STATION 7-6 - 120 McLeary Ct (Concord)
766 - 2006 Spartan Advantage / Smeal 55' quint (ex-796)
STATION 7-7 - 40 Eagleview Heights (Vellore)
771 - 2006 Spartan Advantage / Smeal engine
774 - 2004 Peterbilt 330 / Danko tanker
STATION 7-8 - Racco Pkwy (Concord)
786 - 2003 Spartan Advantage / Smeal 55' quint
STATION 7-9 - 9601 Islington Ave (Kleinburg)
791 - 2006 Spartan Advantage / Smeal engine (ex-761)
STATION 7-10 - 10800 Dufferin St (Maple)
710-1 - 2011 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine
701
Spare
2009 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Dependable heavy rescue (ex-729)
2006 Spartan Advantage / Smeal engine (ex-731)
2002 Spartan Advantage / Smeal engine
2002 Spartan Advantage / Smeal engine
2000 Spartan Advantage / Smeal 55' quint (ex-726)
2000 Spartan Advantage / Smeal 55' quint (ex-756)
1998 Spartan Gladiator / Smeal 55' quint (ex-776, ex-756)
Field Support / Rehab - 2005 Freightliner MT REHAB (Volunteer Staffed @ Joint Operations Centre)
Fire Prevention
SMART Car
79XX - Dodge RAM pickup
78XX - Chevrolet HHR
RICHMOND HILL FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES
STATION 8-1 - 191 Major Mackenzie Drive West (HQ)
811 - 2015 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-rescue
819 - 2006 Spartan Gladiator Evolution / Dependable technical heavy rescue (ex-849)
Chief 8-4 (Platoon Chief)- 2013 Chevy Suburban
Command 81 (Command Post) 1999 Motor Coach
Spare - 2006 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal foam engine (ex-851)
Spare - 2003 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 55' quint (ex-843)
Spare - 1999 Spartan Gladiator FF / Smeal 105' quint (ex-836, ex-816)
STATION 8-2 - 13067 Yonge Street - Oak Ridges
821 - 2014 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-rescue
824 - 2004 Freightliner / Dependable Tanker (8100L)
829 - 1992 Ford Super Duty - Water Rescue Unit (Zodiac Boat Trailer)
STATION 8-3 - 1371 16th Avenue
836 - 2010 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 105' quint
STATION 8-4 - 1365 Elgin Mills Road East
841 - 2014 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-rescue
848 - 1989 Pierce Arrow Heavy Rescue/HAZMAT (ex-818)
STATION 8-5 - 150 High Tech Road
851 - 2015 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Spartan ERV / Dependable engine-rescue
STATION 8-6 - 101 Gamble Road
861 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Crimson / Dependable engine-rescue
864 - 2004 Freightliner/Dependable Tanker (ex-814)
MARKHAM FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES
STATION 9-1 - 7801 Bayview Avenue, Thornhill
911 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine
916 - 2014 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 105' quint
STATION 9-2 - 10 Riviera Drive, Markham
921 - 2007 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine
920 - Air/Light
CH97 - District Chief
928 - Hazmat Trailer
STATION 9-3 - 2930 Major MacKenzie Dr.
931 - 2010 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine
9836 - 1990 Pierce Lance Superior 50' Telesqurt (Spare)
STATION 9-4 - 7300 Birchmount Road, Milliken
941 - 2008 Spartan Gladiator Classic / 2007 Smeal engine (New cab after collision)
STATION 9-5 (HQ) 316 Main Street Unionville
951 - 2010 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal engine
954 - 2015 International / Danko tanker
957 - 2015 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 100' platform quint
950 - Utility Vehicle
CH 96 - Platoon Chief
STATION 9-6 - 5567 Fourteenth Avenue, Markham
961 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine
STATION 9-7 - 209 Main Street Markham
971 - 2014 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine
9871 - 1998 International 4900 Superior Pump (Spare)
STATION 9-8 - 650 Bur Oak Avenue
981 - 2015 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal engine
986 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator Classic / Smeal 105' quint (ex-956)
9881 - Pumper (Spare)
STATION 9-9 - 3255 Bur Oak Avenue
991 - 2012 Spartan Metro Star / Smeal Engine
Spare 9896 - 2002 Spartan Gladiator FF / Smeal 105' quint (ex-956)
