The Apparatus Division is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all vehicles within the Fire Department, as well as approximately 95% of the equipment carried on them. These duties must be performed in strict compliance with numerous standards and regulations, including:

  • National Fire Protection Association
  • Underwriters Laboratories Canada
  • Canadian Standards Association
  • Canadian General Standard Board
  • Ministry of Transportation
  • Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
  • Occupational Health & Safety Standards
  • Manufacturers’ Recommendations

Responsibilities of the Division include, but are not limited to:

  • Annual fire pump certification (as per  NFPA 1911)
  • Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) annual certification
  • Ministry of Transportation vehicle safety certification
  • MTO commercial vehicle  inspections
  • Repair, maintenance and testing on 49 vehicles in its fleet
  • Annual ground ladder certification (as per NFPA1932)
  • New vehicle acceptance testing (IFSTA & NFPA)
  • Annual aerial inspection (as per  NFPA 1911)
  • Maintenance, repairs and (CSA) air sample testing (2 x year) of two Breathing Air compressors within the Fire Department, plus service, maintenance and repairs to the Tecumseh Fire breathing apparatus compressor
  • Administering the respiratory protection program, including fit testing of all personnel to N95 and full face piece respirators, repair, maintenance and testing of all WFR breathing apparatus and high pressure breathing air cylinders
  • Repairs to Akron & TFT nozzles and all other water delivery devices
  • Manufacturing, modifying and welding equipment, brackets and body panels on the premises
  • Fire hose repair and testing (as per NFPA 1961)
  • Assisting in the development of training manuals and procedures on new equipment
  • Training personnel in the operation of fill stations and new equipment
  • Snow removal for the Apparatus Division and at emergency scenes
  • Providing technical support 24 hours a day while on call
  • Providing support at upgraded fires when the duration of the incident along with weather conditions require vigilant monitoring of all mechanical systems
  • Delivering fuel and inspecting truck operations at fires may need to be done while using a breathing apparatus as a smoke fill environment is often the norm at a fire scene
  • 5-year non-destructive testing of all aerial devices and aerial platforms (as per  NFPA 1911)

The Apparatus Division has developed standard work orders for each of the various vehicles ranging from 2.5 hours per small fleet vehicle to 70-80 hours for an annual inspection on a large Aerial platform vehicle with fire pump.