Municipal Fire Services Under the Fire Prevention and Protection Act , the Government of Ontario does not provide funding specifically for municipal fire services. The OFM does, however, provide assistance and support to the municipalities in their efforts to meet the requirements of the Act . Under the Act , it is mandatory for municipalities to establish a program that includes public education, with respect to fire safety, and certain components of fire prevention. The Act also states that municipalities are responsible for arranging other fire protection services, as determined necessary by the municipality s needs and circumstances. Fire departments can be made up of volunteer or paid full-time firefighters, or a combination of both.
Some municipalities jointly manage their fire department.
In Ontario, there are currently 547 fire departments made up of over 9,000 full-time and 17,000 volunteer firefighters. The OFM provides firefighting equipment to volunteer departments that serve more than 43,000 residents in northern Ontario, where there are no formal municipal structures to support a local fire department. The OFM maintains the equipment, trains the firefighters, and provides other support services. The community is responsible for selecting a Fire Chief, recruiting firefighters, and providing facilities for the equipment. The program was established to provide fire protection and training programs to native bands in unorganized communities that do not have federal reserve status.