It Happened On Your Street

It Happened On Your Street is a residential fire safety program that provides important safety information to residents on streets next to an address where a fire occurred.

Following a residential structure fire, the closest 50 homes or residential units are selected to receive an information package in the form of a door hanger bag filled with fire safety information. This program provides timely fire safety information related to the common causes of residential fires. This program also provides an opportunity for Whitby firefighters to visit residents at their home and speak about residential fire safety. Members of the public are encouraged to meet with the firefighters when they visit. Although they can't offer information related to the cause of a specific fire, our firefighters are your best source for fire safety information.

Junior Fire Camp

The Whitby Fire and Emergency Services offers an extensive fire safety education program for children aged 11 to 12 years.

Register for our program

Throughout camp you'll get a daily visit to Whitby Fire Headquarters. You'll begin your firefighter training with a tour of the fire hall and interactive introduction to our fire apparatus. The week includes important lessons about fire safety and accident prevention, along with life safety skills such as first aid, CPR and home escape planning. You'll also have an opportunity to try many of the daily activities of a firefighter including auto extraction, use of hoses and hydrants and working from an elevated aerial platform. For more information on this program, please see the Town of Whitby's Activity Guide.

Learn Not To Burn

The Learn Not To Burn Program, developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is a school fire safety program that introduces young children to fire and life safety. In Whitby, this program is conducted in partnership with the Durham District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board.

Contact us to register

You can also visit the Whitby Fire Safety Academy to access our online program.

This program teaches grade two and grade seven students how to be fire smart.

Topics addressed by the grade two presentation are:

• Why smoke alarms are important
• Get outside and stay outside
• How to report an emergency
• Identifying hot things
• Recognizing fire hazards
• Know when to stop, drop and roll

Topics addressed by the grade seven presentation are:

• Home escape planning
• Fire Hazards
• Negative consequences of fire play

Remembering When

Remembering When presents fire and life safety information to adults in our community. Fire safety information is presented in the context of an active senior's lifestyle to examine serious topics in a light-hearted way.

Contact us to register

You can also visit the Whitby Fire Safety Academy to access our online program.

Fire safety topics include:

• Hazards presented by smoking
• The dangers caused by space heaters
• The dangers of leaving cooking unattended
• What to do if clothing catches fire
• The importance of working smoke alarms
• Practicing a home escape plan
• Contacting emergency assistance
• Understanding whether to stay or go when faced with a fire

This program also addresses other serious life threats for adults by recommending actions to prevent falls and associated injuries.

The Arson Prevention Program for Children (TAPP-C)

The Arson Prevention Program (TAPP-C) is a program for youth who have been involved in unsafe fire behaviour including:

• Playing with matches or lighters
• Burning paper or garbage
• Intentionally setting fires

Contact us to register

It is a collaborative program between mental health professionals and Whitby Fire and Emergency Services. Our program consists of two parts:

• Fire safety education provided by a trained firefighter
• An assessment of the youth's risk factors, including their mental health facilitated by a licensed therapist

This program helps many youth recognize the danger of fire and the hazard that it poses to their home, family and community.

Think Ahead

The Think Ahead program provides at home fire safety information and emergency planning for special needs families and is offered throughout the Region of Durham.

Contact us to register

Upon registration, this program notifies firefighters that they are attending an emergency call at the home of a special needs family. On route, the fire crew can then receive additional information related to the physical or cognitive issues that the child may have and any specific care that is required.

Fire crew visits

Fire crews will visit the homes of special needs families prior to an emergency. When the firefighters visit the home, they have the opportunity to identify fire hazards in the home as well as introduce themselves to the special needs child and their family. After the home visit, there is an option for the family to visit the fire crew at their fire hall. This visit provides an opportunity for the family to learn more about fire safety and to begin to form a relationship with the firefighters. By introducing our firefighters prior to a potential emergency, we hope to reduce any stress or anxiety felt by the family in an actual emergency.

Education

This program provides the opportunity for our firefighters and special needs residents to learn about each other prior to an emergency. Each family will learn important life safety information to help keep their family safe and the participating firefighters develop a better understanding of the individual needs of each family and the importance of assistive devices in an emergency such as mobility aids, prosthetics, communication devices and service dogs.