2023 May 29

Today, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), along with Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, and Councillor Jamaal Myers (Scarborough North) joined Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg at the Toronto Fire Services East Training Centre in Scarborough to unveil the City of Toronto’s new live-fire training facility and equipment.

The new facility, called the Dräger Phase 5, provides live-fire training in a multi-story, multi-fire environment that will help ensure Toronto firefighters are trained and equipped to continue delivering world-class fire protection in Canada’s largest and most complex city.

Fires today are burning faster and hotter than they ever have before. Firefighters face challenges brought on by factors such as lightweight construction and furnishings made from synthetic materials that contribute to a growing need for investments in new and modern firefighter training facilities that provide realistic fire conditions and scenarios.

Toronto Fire Services worked with vendor engineers to design a structure that allows for more than 12 unique fire training scenarios, such as basement fires, to enhance and expand on firefighting techniques used in Toronto.

The new facility also includes improved safety features for both instructors and firefighters during live training exercises, including consistent and proper fuel loading to manage fire intensity and reduce risks during training, consistent fuel package monitoring to ensure gas levels remain safe, ventilation controls, and a state-of-the-art temperature monitoring system.

These new training systems enhance live-fire training and will complement the existing suite of propane-fueled, purpose-built concrete burn houses and training props that Toronto Fire Services currently operates.