Our Services

Peterborough Fire Services provides emergency and support services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We serve a residential population of about 78,000 people and a day population of 90,000, 38 schools, Trent University, Fleming College, 52 churches, 17 nursing homes, 150 industrial properties and 900 commercial businesses.

Emergency medical services

Time is of the essence when there's a serious medical emergency. A critically ill or injured person needs medical treatment as soon as possible to optimize recovery. 

Peterborough Fire Services is incorporated into Peterborough's overall emergency medical system through a tiering program to ensure a speedy response to people who need emergency medical services. Our first responders combine speed with the various life support skills and equipment that's necessary to offer the best patient care possible.

When we arrive at a scene, we stabilize the patient and initiate care, maintaining the patient or patients until they're assessed by Peterborough Paramedics. We assist with preparing the patient for transport. We may provide further support by having a firefighter help with treatment on the way to the hospital.

We recently undertook a unique program to certify our firefighters as Basic Trauma Life Support providers. Our training in patient assessment, stabilization, resuscitative techniques, and oxygen therapy allow us to provide initial emergency care for a broad range of emergencies including:

• Heart attacks
• Shock
• Diabetic reactions
• Seizures
• Severe bleeding
• Traumatic injury
• Cardiac arrest

Peterborough was one of the first cities in Ontario to train its firefighters in defibrillation and has carried defibrillators on all its front-line Fire Services vehicles since the 1990s. The defibrillators have been highly successful life-saving devices.

Auto extraction

Firefighters use auto extrication tools, such as the Jaws of Life. The general practice is not to “remove the victims from the car”, but to “remove the car away from the passengers”, for example cutting away the roof and doors.

Hazardous materials

Fires connected with hazardous materials, whether at commercial and industrial businesses in our community or from chemicals transported through the City, are a real concern.

We train and respond at the “Technician” level. Crews arrive, suit up in air-tight protective suits, rescue any victims and use special tools to contain liquid chemical or gas releases.

Hazardous materials emergency response readiness levels

There are 3 levels of emergency response readiness for dealing with hazardous materials fires, which determines the skills firefighters learn and practise:

• Awareness (basic level)
• Operations (intermediate)
• Technical (comprehensive)

Disaster relief

Peterborough City-County Disaster Relief Fund volunteers respond at any hour of the day and in any weather condition to help families and distraught victims of disasters who need assistance such as clothing, health supplies and a place to stay for the night.

Public education

Our Public Education Division delivers various fire and life safety education programs. You can request formal programs and educational presentations at Fire Station #1 (Sherbrooke Street), schools, daycares and community events.

Book a fire and life safety program by contacting Public Educator Amanda Nichols at 705-745-3284 or by email.

Mutual aid

Fire departments in the Peterborough area routinely support each other in times of need. We have a long-established strategic alliance with our neighbours to offer aid to each other when resources allow, helping residents and communities deal with issues before they become problems. We've called upon each other to assist with large fires, traffic accidents, equipment loans, technical advice, training needs and fire prevention events.

Mutual aid partner municipalities

• City of Peterborough
• Otonabee-South Monaghan
• Douro-Dummer
• Havelock-Belmont-Methuen
• Cavan Monaghan
• Trent Lakes
• Asphodel-Norwood
• North Kawartha