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.

Communiqué 2026-3: Fire Protection Grant 2026-27 - call for applications

July 14

Ontario’s Solicitor General, the Honourable Michael Kerzner, has opened applications for the third round of the province’s Fire Protection Grant.

Beginning July 16, 2026, applications for the 2026-27 Fire Protection Grant will be accepted through the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) system. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on September 1, 2026. Please access the TPON link above to review the Fire Protection Grant application (a fillable PDF) and an information package which provides important details about this year’s grant process.

As announced in the government’s 2024 Budget, the initial $30 million grant was to be administered over three years, with $10 million being allocated each year. In Year 2, total funding was increased to $20 million. As part of the 2026 Budget, the government has committed an additional $10 million to support the Fire Protection Grant, bringing the total funding envelope for the 2026/27 fiscal year to $20 million.

Eligibility for the 2026-27 Fire Protection Grant remains consistent with previous years, with funding available to municipalities that have established a fire department under section 2(2)(b) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.

This year’s grant will continue to target cancer prevention, minor infrastructure modernization and lithium-ion incident response initiatives, such as:

  • Cancer prevention:
    • equipment and supplies
    • personal protective equipment
    • minor infrastructure
  • Minor infrastructure modernization:
    • enhanced broadband and internet connectivity
  • Lithium-ion incident response:
    • equipment and supplies

The grant will be allocated proportionate to the number of active fire stations in a municipality. Allocations will be based on the projects being undertaken at the local level, ensuring a fair, transparent, and consistent disbursement of funds. Municipalities can expect to receive approximately $16,000 per active fire station, with final allocations dependent on the total number of approved applications.

To be consistent with other grants offered through the Ministry of the Solicitor General, applicants are required to develop proposals with supporting information to demonstrate need, return on investment, and benefit to public safety.

I am confident that the Fire Protection Grant will continue to assist departments in addressing critical needs regarding cancer prevention, minor infrastructure and lithium-ion incident response at the local level and I look forward to the positive impact it will have on your front-line members.

If you require any assistance or have general questions about the grant application, please contact your local fire protection adviser.

Communiqué 2026-4: Fire Protection Grant 2026-27 - Report Back

July 29

In 2024, the Ontario Government announced a three-year, $30 million Fire Protection Grant (FP Grant) to support municipalities that have established a fire department under section 2(2)(b) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. Since the program was announced, the government has added an additional $20 million in funding, bringing its total investment to $50 million over 3 years.

In its second year, the FP grant continued to prioritize firefighter health and safety with an emphasis on cancer prevention and lithium-ion incident response initiatives.

Beginning in August 2025, municipalities submitted project proposals to the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) for initiatives related to cancer prevention, minor infrastructure improvements and lithium-ion incident response. These proposals demonstrated the project’s need, return on investment and benefit to public safety. To support these priorities, the Ontario government provided increased funding for Year 2, bringing the total funding available from $10 million to $20 million.

As outlined in Schedule F of the Transfer Payment Agreement, all successful FP Grant recipients are required to complete a Report Back identifying the outcomes of their approved project(s). The Report Back (a fillable PDF) is now available through the Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) system. The reporting period extends until project completion, with a final deadline of December 31, 2026.

To support you in completing your report back, the OFM has developed the included Fire Protection Grant Report Back Guide.

For assistance with submitting your report in TPON, please refer to the Transfer Payment Ontario Reference Guide.

If you have any questions or require support with the FP Grant Report Back process, please contact your local fire protection adviser.

Communiqué 2026-5: Constable Joe Macdonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund

July 30

The Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund was established in 1997 to recognize the tremendous sacrifice made by our public safety officers and their families to keep Ontario safe. The scholarship is available to spouses and children of public safety officers killed in the line of duty. The scholarship may be used for tuition, textbooks and eligible living expenses for programs leading to a degree or a diploma at an approved Canadian post-secondary educational institution.

The purpose of the present communiqué is to inform you of the availability of the scholarship and to provide information on how to obtain an application form and application guidelines. Please note that the due date for submission of applications is August 28, 2026.

For the purpose of the scholarship, “public safety officers” includes all firefighters (full-time, part-time and volunteer) as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.

Legislative update

On November 25, 2025, the Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund Act, 2026 (the Act) was introduced as part of Bill 75, the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act, 2026. On June 2, 2026, Bill 75 received Royal Assent and enacted the the Act, which establishes the fund in statute and provides regulation-making authority that allows the ministry to expand the eligibility criteria, thereby broadening access to additional families of fallen public safety officers. Please be assured that any updates to the program eligibility criteria will be communicated to stakeholders as soon as it is available.

Please forward information about the scholarship to the attention of the appropriate areas and/or persons for distribution.

All enquiries regarding the scholarship and the application process should be sent to Yoko Iwasaki by email at yoko.iwasaki@ontario.ca or by phone at 647-532-8149.

Anyone who meets the criteria for this scholarship and wishes to obtain both the application guidelines and/or the application form (English or French) should also contact Yoko.

Additionally, written enquiries can also be sent to her attention at the address below:

Yoko Iwasaki, Community Safety Analyst
Program Development Section
External Relations Branch, Public Safety Division
Ministry of the Solicitor General
25 Grosvenor Street, 12th floor
Toronto ON M7A 2H3

Grant funding is subject to the ministry receiving the necessary appropriation from the Ontario Legislature.