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.

Contact us for more information.

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.

Contact us for more information or fill in a request form to book a fire crew visit. 

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Contact us for more information.

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. 

Contact us for more information.

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.

Contact us for more information about our sessions or fill in a request form to book one.

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.

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.

Contact us for more information.

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

Contact us for more information about our presentations or fill in a request form to book a presentation.

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. 

Our senior safety presentations include:

• Fire prevention
• Fall prevention
• Escape planning
• Emergency preparedness

Contact us for more information or to arrange a presentation.

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.

Contact us for more information.

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

Contact us to learn more or to arrange a workplace safety presentation.