Emergency Services

• Smoke alarms
• Home escape planning
• Apartment buildings
• Carbon monoxide
• Wood stoves
• Recalls
• Fire inspections
• Sparky The Fire Dog (Kids Zone)

• Fire Prevention Week
• Blue Jays Swing into Summer Safety

The safety of the residents of Ingersoll and its firefighters is the first priority for the Ingersoll Fire Department. Whenever there is an emergency requiring the Fire Department, our crews will be there to assist. On occasion, the Fire Department responds to non-emergency or false alarm calls.

If a fire alarm is activated in your home or building, it is always recommended that someone call 9-1-1. Until the cause of the alarm activation can be clearly determined, the Fire Department should be notified to ensure the safety of everyone in your home or building.

Responding to false alarms can be costly to the Town, especially if they could have been prevented. With the growing number of new homes and businesses in the past 10 years, there has been a large increase in the number of alarm investigations.

• Apply for a Burn Permit
• Regulation of Open Air Burning By-Law
• Open Air Burning Bylaw Revision - Properties Regulated Under the Farming and Food Production Act

The Ingersoll Fire and Emergency Services use designated fire routes to assist in providing the best delivery of fire protection. Designated fire routes ensure that the Fire Department can prevent to spread of fire, reduce property and environmental damage, and most importantly, reduce injuries or death.

Although the requirements of fire routes are largely governed under the Building Code, the Ontario Fire Code states the following:

Maintaining Access Free of Obstructions

Fire access routes and access panels or windows that provide access for ting operations shall not be obstructed by vehicles, gates, fences, building materials, vegetation, signs or any other form of obstruction.

Fire Department sprinkler and standpipe connections shall be clearly identified and maintained free of obstructions at all times.

Maintenance

Fire access routes shall be maintained so as to be immediately ready for use at all times by fire department vehicles.

Signs

Approved signs shall be displayed to indicate fire access routes.

The Fire Safety Plan ensures the effective use of life safety features in a building, to protect people from fire. The required Fire Safety Plan should be designed to suit the resources of each individual building or complex.

The Ingersoll Fire Department has created a Fire Safety Plan to assist owners and managers of buildings to develop and implement effective Fire Safety Plans for their buildings.

Emergency Planning is mandated by the Ontario Fire Code and the requirements within apply to, but not limited to, the following buildings containing any of the following:

• Assembly occupancy or care or detention occupancy
• Residential occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 10
• Business and personal services occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300
• Mercantile occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300
• High hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 25
• Medium hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 100
• Low hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300

If you are unsure whether your business or building requires a Fire Safety Plan or if you have any questions regarding Fire Safety Plans. Contact Ingersoll Fire & Emergency Services at 519-485-3910.

Vehicle Extrication

A victim who is trapped in or by a vehicle may be seriously injured, proper extrication procedures are essential to prevent further injury and to speed the victim’s removal. It is also critical that firefighters coordinate with emergency medical personnel who are providing first aid to the victim.

Technical Rescue Incidents

Firefighters participate in a variety of technical rescues. The National Fire Protection Association’s “Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents” defines technical rescue as, “The application of special knowledge, skills, and equipment to safely resolve unique and/or complex rescue situations.” Technical rescues can include freeing victims from collapsed buildings, trench cave-ins, caves or tunnels, electrical contact, water and ice, industrial machinery, and elevators.

Confined Space Rescues

Firefighting and rescue operations must sometimes be carried out in confined space locations that are below grade or otherwise without either natural or forced ventilation. Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines a confined space as having the following characteristics:

• Large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work,
• Limited or restricted means for entry and exit.
• Not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

• caused by the forces of nature;
• a disease or other health risk;
• an accident; or
• an act whether intentional or otherwise.

The Town of Ingersoll has developed an Emergency Response Plan governing the provision of necessary services during an emergency and the procedures in which employees of the municipality and other persons will respond to the emergency.

For more information on emergency preparedness, the following self-help advice brochures on the most common hazards of Canada are available at the Emergency Management Ontario Website.

• Emergency Be Prepared Pamphlet
• Emergency Prepared Bookmark
• Basement Flooding Reduction Handbook