Fire and emergency services

We take fire prevention very seriously. Every year, thousands of flights and millions of passengers pass through our airport. Our fire and emergency services personnel work around the clock to maintain the safety of our employees, partners and the public.

Fire prevention team

The fire prevention team is made up of six full time staff: a chief fire prevention officer, four fire prevention officers, who investigate all fire and safety complaints, and an emergency management officer.

Team responsibilities

  • Engineering
  • Enforcement
  • Education
  • Fire Investigation

Industry associations

Our team belongs to the following groups:

  • Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association
  • Canadian Fire Safety Association
  • National Fire Protection Association
  • National and Canadian Fire Investigator Association
  • Ontario Fire and Life Safety Educator Association
  • Institution of Fire Engineers

Programs to-date

Since its launch in January 2000, the team has implemented these programs:

  • Fire safety plans for all facilities/buildings when required by the National Fire Code of Canada
  • Emergency lock box program for fire department access during emergencies
  • Fire routes for property access, complete with signage
  • Annual fire drills in all facilities
  • Fire and building code training for fire fighters and new recruits
  • Guidelines and procedures for fire investigations
  • Fire and building code inspections

Future initiatives

We're planning the following programs:

  • In-company fire inspections and building familiarization programs for fire suppression personnel
  • Fire investigation training for all fire suppression officers

Continuing education

Upgrading skills is an important part of Fire Prevention. All fire prevention officers attend developmental training courses on a regular basis to make sure their skills are up to date.

Engineering

All of our sites and facilities are inspected in accordance with the National Fire Code of Canada, for a total of about 600 inspections per year. During inspections of new facilities, or facilities that are undergoing alterations, fire prevention officers work closely with project managers, construction and control officers, architects and engineers to make sure that we exceed building and fire code requirements and standards.

Fire Prevention Week

Fire Prevention Week is the highlight of our program. During this informative and educational week, employees and their families participate in fire safety and prevention activities, such as:

  • Contests
  • Seminars
  • Public Fire Prevention displays in the terminals
  • Appearances by Sparky the Fire Dog

Throughout the rest of the year, we promote and publicize fire safety tips, safety bulletins and the GTAA journal.