Communiqué 2026-1: Standard Incident Report 2027

April 14

Under sections 9(2)(f) and 9(2)(g) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA), it is the duty of the Fire Marshal to maintain records of all reported fires, to develop and maintain statistical records, and to conduct studies related to fire protection services in Ontario.

Since 2021, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) has worked with partners to review and update the Standard Incident Report (SIR) system. This process resulted in approximately 50 new items being added to the SIR and code lists to improve the relevance and value of reported data.

As announced in November 2025, the updated report requirements will come into effect on January 1, 2027.

The OFM has been working with major software vendors and fire departments with custom or in-house systems to provide the updated requirements and will continue to provide guidance on the implementation to support a smooth transition. To ensure compliance with these new report requirements by the implementation date, updated system requirements can be requested from OFMstatistics@ontario.ca. In addition, the following resources are now available through the OFM SharePoint or upon request through your local fire protection adviser:

  • 2027 SIR Incident Report Form & Code List
  • 2027 SIR Injury Report Form & Code List
  • 2027 SIR Manual

An e-learning opportunity has also been made available through the OFM Training and Certification Portal, which provides an overview of the new SIR requirements, how to report different incidents and injuries, and the ability to obtain copies of the updated forms, codes lists, and manual. Fire chiefs or designates who do not currently have access to the portal can contact AskOFC@ontario.ca for support.

As a reminder, as outlined in Fire Marshal’s Directive 2015-001, every fire department as defined by subsection 1(1) of the FPPA, must complete a Standard Incident Report for each response. Reports must be submitted quarterly, no later than the end of the month following the quarter. Reports may be filed either by using a format defined by the OFM or through the OFM FireOne System.

If you require any assistance or have general questions about the update to the Standard Incident Report, please contact your local fire protection adviser.

Communiqué 2026-2: Municipal Reimbursement Program for Emergency Response into Unincorporated Ontario

May 12, 2026

This communiqué supersedes Fire Marshal’s Communiqué 25-06 Amended, issued on September 19, 2025.

On March 19, 2022, the government launched a program to reimburse municipalities for emergency responses in unincorporated Ontario in areas that are not already protected by a fire department. The reimbursement is for wide and varying types of responses that are being undertaken by municipal fire departments in unincorporated Ontario.

The following emergency response call types may be eligible for reimbursement:

  • on roads that are not considered provincial highways by the Ministry of Transportation:
    • motor vehicle collisions
    • Hazmat
    • vehicle fires
  • false alarms
  • public hazard assistance calls:
    • carbon monoxide incidents
    • public utility incidents
    • electrical utility incidents
    • natural, propane or other gas utility incidents
  • structure fires
  • rescue (defined as an emergency incident that primarily involves activities directed at locating and rescuing endangered persons and removing those persons to a safe location, this could also include, but is not limited to, the provisions of emergency medical care)
  • the provisions of any emergency services listed above, within a provincial park in unincorporated Ontario.

The following call types are not eligible for reimbursement under the program:

  • any call into an unincorporated area where an established fire department is responding
  • any mutual aid or automatic aid calls
  • any calls to attend a federal park
  • any calls to attend a provincial park that lies within your municipal jurisdiction
  • any call to an area or location with a Fire Protection Agreement in place with the municipality making a claim through Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON)
  • any call for which another government funded agency has established a separate reimbursement process for responses by the municipality (i.e., responses covered by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Transportation or Hydro One)
  • tiered medical response, first response, medical response
  • any call for which a government funded agency or emergency service is mandated to provide a service and requests a fire department to provide the service.

Reimbursement rates are consistent with the Ministry of Transportation response rates.

Additional Information

Application for reimbursement for any emergency response calls that occur between March 16, 2026, and March 14, 2027, can be submitted starting May 12, 2026, and must be submitted by March 23, 2027.

Municipalities who are interested in participating in the reimbursement program administered through the Office of the Fire Marshal are encouraged to request a copy of the required Transfer Payment Agreement and the Procedure for Fire Protection Reimbursement for Unincorporated Ontario from their local fire protection adviser and are encouraged to visit the Ontario Government funding opportunities site to apply.

For all enquiries related to the reimbursement program, please contact your local fire protection adviser.