Contact(s)

Fire Services

The Woolwich Fire Department is a volunteer organization that provides emergency service within its boundaries as well as for portions of our neighbouring municipalities including Cambridge, Centre Wellington, Guelph-Eramosa and Mapleton Township. Volunteer fire fighters use green flashing lights on their personal vehicles when responding to emergencies. Please be courteous and yield the right-of-way.

The Fire Department responds to life-threatening emergency such as fire, vehicle accidents, hazardous spills, medical situations, rescues as well as carbon monoxide and smoke detector alarms. There are six stations across the Township including; Conestogo, Elmira, Floradale, Maryhill, St. Jacobs and Breslau.

There are a total of 150 personnel including a full-time Township Fire Chief, a full-time Deputy Fire Chief, a full-time assistant, a part-time Chief Fire Prevention Officer, and 5 District Chiefs.

The department has served the community for over 100 years and has several 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation volunteer fire fighters.

For more information click on the links below:

Fire Stations

There are six fire stations across the Township; Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira, Floradale, Maryhill and St. Jacobs. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1 NOT the fire station. The fire stations are not manned by full time staff. For all other inquiries during business hours, call 519-664-2887.

BRESLAU

Location: 51 Beacon Point Court
Telephone: 519-519-213-3100
District Fire Kevin Karley
Deputy Fire Chief Tom May

CONESTOGO

Location: 1869 Sawmill Road
Telephone: 519-664-3316
District Fire Chief Arnie Gingrich
Deputy Fire Chief Jason E. Martin

ELMIRA

Location: 44 Howard Avenue
Telephone: 519-669-5036
District Fire Chief Kieran Kelly
Deputy Fire Chief Mark Weber

FLORADALE

Location: 50 Florapine Road
Telephone: 519-669-4530
District Fire Chief Dennis Frey
Deputy Fire Chief James Martin

MARYHILL

Location: 17 St. Charles Street East
Telephone: 519-648-2441
District Fire Chief Kevin Karley
Deputy Fire Chief Tom May

ST. JACOBS

Location: 3 Water Street
Telephone: 519-664-2887
District Fire Chief Craig Hoffman
Deputy Fire Chief Gary Melitzer

How to Use 9-1-1

Call 9-1-1- for any life-threatening emergency including:

Fire
Vehicle accidents
Smoke or carbon monoxide detectors sounding an alarm
Rescue situations
Electrocutions
Unconscious victim
Head trauma
Hazardous spills

The following are NOT emergencies. Do NOT call 9-1-1:

If you lose power (call your hydro company)
Barking dogs
Vehicles parked in a no parking zone
Road closures

If you do dial 9-1-1 in error, stay on the line and inform the dispatcher of the mistake. Otherwise, the dispatcher needs to call back to confirm there is an emergency. If the dispatcher does not receive an answer or if the answering machine picks up, and emergency crew will be sent out and could be diverted from an actual emergency. There is no penalty for calling 9-1-1 by mistake.

False Alarms

If the fire department attends a property in response to a fire alarm and upon conducting an investigation determines that the alarm is a nuisance false alarm, the property owner shall be charged the fee as stipulated in Schedule A attached to By-law 105-2004.

If a property owner fails to notify the Fire Department Dispatch Centre in advance of any work being conducted on a fire alarm or emergency system at a property, and as a result of the work being done on a fire alarm system or emergency system, a false alarm is triggered, the property owner shall be charge the as stipulated in Schedule A attached to By-law 105-2004.

If the fire department responds to a fire alarm and upon conducting an investigation, a member of the fire department determines that the alarm is a false alarm occurring as a result of a malicious act, the property owner shall be charged the fee as stipulated in Schedule A attached to the current Fees and Charges By-law.

Click here for the Fire Fees and Charges By-law.

What to do After a Fire

After a fire you should:

Call your insurance agent A.S.A.P.
Make an accurate list of all items that have been damaged or lost.
Contact your mortgage company. They will want to be kept informed on the progress of the renovations to the property.

Depending on what was damaged or lost, you may wish to notify the following:

Financial Institutions
Credit Card Companies
Human Resources Canada - Social Insurance Number (SIN) replacement
MTO - driver's license, car ownership
OHIP - replacing your health card
Local Registrars (Municipal Office) - replacement of birth, marriage, death certificates
Passport Office
Utilities - Gas, Oil, Electric, Water, Telephone
Doctors - replacing your prescriptions - medications, eye glasses, hearing aids
Land Registry Office - copies or deeds, titles
Lawyer - power of attorney, wills, other legal documents
Revenue Canada - Income Tax
Post Office - Will they hold or re-route your mail
Cleaners- your insurance company will have list of fire restoration services

Fire Inspection Services

Burn Permits

Open burning is strictly prohibited unless a burn permit is obtained. Regulations and conditions regarding setting of fires include:

No fire shall be lighted or started until the local fire station is notified of your intention. No calls before 8 a.m.
No fire shall be lighted or started within a radius of 30 metres (100 ft) of any buildings, dry grass, grain field or wood lot.
No fire shall be lighted or started when the wind velocity exceeds 16km (10 miles per hour).
No fire shall be lighted or started prior to 8:00 AM and after 6:00 PM on any day.
The fire shall be supervised at all times by an adult (18 years or older).
The fire shall be kept small and controllable with the extinguishing agent present at location at all times.
Burn materials include wood and paper products only. No tires, asphalt shingles, pesticides or containers, electrical wire coatings or any plastic products that violate Ministry of the Environment regulations.
The holder of the permit shall be fully responsible for all damages caused by the fire.

Click here for the Application to Light Fires in the Township of Woolwich.

For more information contact the Fire Department at 519-664-2887. Fire permits are available from the St. Jacobs Fire Station between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. , Monday to Friday.

Always supervise children and pets around your camp site or open fire.

Fire Reports

Fire reports may be requested in writing by the property owner, lawyer or insurance company representing the property owner.

Contact the Fire Administration office at 519-664-2887 for the fee schedule.

Third Party requests are handled by following the guidelines of the "Freedom of Information Act". Contact the Council and Information Services Department at 519-669-6009.

Inspections

Inspections of properties occur throughout the year. In addition, they are also conducted by request or where a threat to life may be of concern.

The Chief Fire Prevention Officer reviews blueprint drawings and carries out site inspections of new construction involving fire safety equipment required by the Ontario Building Code. The inspector also conducts regular fire safety inspections of all types of occupancies defined by the Ontario Building Code. Annual inspections include apartment buildings, restaurants, gas and service stations, township buildings, schools and daycare centers, industrial and mercantile sites, retirement homes and local industries. The inspector responds to citizen complaints regarding fire safety concerns and is active in public education.