Fire Prevention, Public Education & Fireworks

Get Real Ajax!

Fires are happening in your community!

What you need to know about fires in Ajax:

1. Millions of dollars of damage are caused by structure fires annually;
2. The number one cause of fires and fire-related injuries is careless cooking;
3. Fire-related deaths consistently occur in homes.

Protect your family from fire. Take action!

Get Real Ajax is a month-long campaign that occurs every spring and fall. During the campaign, select Ajax households receive an automated telephone message from our Fire Chief with tips about what to do to protect your family from fire. Households will also receive a Get Real Ajax information card in the mail and a door-to-door visit from Ajax firefighters to discuss the realty of fires in the community.

The Arson Prevention Program for Children (TAPP-C)

The Fire Service works with mental health partners to help youth and their families reduce the risks that come from playing with fire. Mental health professionals will assess the risk of continued unsafe behaviour and try to find out why your child is setting fires. The Fire Service will teach your family about fire safety. The program is free and available to children from two to 17 years of age.

Fire Chief for a Day

Every year a local student is awarded the opportunity to be the Ajax Fire Chief for a day. The Fire Chief for a day gets to participate in a variety of exciting activities including:

• getting suited up in their very own bunker gear
• going for a ride in a fire truck
• conducting a fire drill at a local school
• completing tasks in the Chief's office
• attending a meeting at Town Hall
• receiving a prize pack that is generously donated by McDonald's and Canadian Tire

Students are invited to participate in the contest to be the Fire Chief for a day in the fall and they will hear about it through their local school.

Learn Not to Burn

Teaching our children about fire safety is one of the most important things we do and the Learn Not to Burn program makes it easy and fun.

Each year, our firefighters and fire prevention inspectors visit with children in kindergarten through grade 3 at all public and separate elementary schools in Ajax to discuss fire safety in an age appropriate format.

Children are taught to respond effectively when confronted with fire, how to prevent fires from occurring and to know that firefighters are always available to help them.

Portable Fire Extinguisher Training

We will come to your location and teach your business, group, club or organization about the different classes of fire and how to control them. There is a fee for this service, and a fire extinguisher training permit will be required. 

Family Safety Day

As part of our commitment to the community, Ajax Fire hosts an annual Family Safety Day where the public can come and see:

• life-saving equipment
• auto-extrication demonstrations
• defibrillation demonstrations
• station tours
• tours of the fire safety trailer

Keep an eye on the website and local newspapers for information regarding Family Safety Day activities, typically around the beginning of June.

Hazard House

The hazard house is a great teaching aid for our safety conscious community, and plays an important role in our grade 3 Learn Not to Burn program. Our hazard house presentation is very interactive and allows the audience to transform the house from hazardous to safe while learning all about how to prevent each hazard.

Hazard Kitchen

Careless cooking is the leading cause of fires in Ajax. Our hazard kitchen is an interactive tool that is used to deliver home and kitchen fire safety messages to teenagers, adults and seniors in the community. Through the use of our hazard kitchen, we can educate and change behaviours in order to reduce the number of fires in our community.

Fire Truck Attends and “Sparky” for Special Events

Whenever possible, a fire truck staffed with a crew of firefighters may be scheduled to attend special community events such as parades, fun fairs, etc. Our firefighters are excellent information resources and they are always willing to share their knowledge of fire safety, provide handouts and demonstrate the tools and equipment that they use.

We can also arrange for a visit from Sparky the Fire Dog, our costumed character mascot.

If your group is having a special event fill out a public education request and we will try to accommodate.

Station Tours

Our crews are happy to provide station tours at any of our three fire stations. On a station tour you will be able to:

• meet our firefighters
• learn about home safety
• get a close-up look at our equipment and trucks
• find out how we keep the community safe

You can book a fire station tour online or drop in anytime and we will try to accommodate.

Fire Safety House

The fire safety house is a trailer that is set up just like a home. It can be brought to events, schools, etc. or used at our fire stations to teach children about fire safety.

This opportunity provides children with realistic fire safety training such as:

• recognizing the sound of a smoke alarm
• crawling low under smoke
• learning to “get out and stay out” in the event of a fire

Accessory Apartments

Only one accessory apartment is permitted in a dwelling unit. All accessory apartments, new and existing, require a building permit.

Failure to comply with Ontario Fire Code requirements may result in fines of up to $50,000 and/or not more than one year in prison for each violation of the Code.

An accessory apartment is defined as a separate dwelling unit that is located within the structure of a principal dwelling unit and which is secondary to the principle dwelling unit. An accessory apartment comprises of cooking, eating, living, sleeping and sanitary facilities.

If you own an existing two-unit dwelling or are considering constructing one, there are specific zoning, building and fire code requirements that must be followed. It is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure the safety of all residents and obtain the required permits.

Fire Routes and Hydrants

Never park in a fire route or within three meters of a fire hydrant. There are fines set out under local by-laws and your car could be towed.

Fire routes are set up around buildings to make sure emergency vehicles can get to fire hydrants and close to buildings in case of an emergency. You are not allowed to stop or wait in your car in a fire route, even if you have a disabled parking permit.

To have a fire route set up around your business, apartment building or other large scale building fill out our fire route application form.

Fire hydrants provide high-pressure water that Firefighters connect their hoses to when fighting a fire.

Hydrants on public streets are maintained by the Region of Durham. Many businesses have private fire hydrants or standpipe systems for firefighting. These are maintained by the business and must meet the same Ontario Fire Code standards as publicly-maintained hydrants.

Open-Air Burning and Chimineas

As per the Town of Ajax Open-Air Burning By-Law open air burning is generally not permitted within the Town.

Outdoor fireplaces, chimineas and other similar burning appliances are also considered open-air burning and are therefore generally not permitted in the Town.

In 2022, the Town of Ajax updated the Fireworks By-law. This by-law was implemented in May 2022 after months of consultation with the residents of Ajax. More information can be found on the Fireworks By-Law IMO page. 

Lunar New Year - Saturday, February 10, 2024 (immediately proceeding Friday, February 9 and immediately after Sunday, February 11)

Eid al Fitr - *Tuesday, April 9, 2024 (immediately proceeding Monday, April 8 and immediately after Wednesday, April 10 *Depending on moon cycle

Victoria Day – Monday, May 20, 2024 (immediately proceeding Sunday, May 19 and immediately after Tuesday, May 21)

Canada Day – Monday, July 1, 2024 (immediately proceeding, Sunday, June 30, Sunday, July 2.

Diwali – Friday, November 1, 2024 (immediately proceeding Thursday, October 31 and immediately after Saturday, November 2)