The Toronto Fire Department has announced a new program to allow people to call 911 if they believe they may have been the victim of a fire.
The program will begin this fall and will allow people living in Toronto to call 311 if they think they may be at risk from a fire or have witnessed someone else suffering a fire due to smoke inhalation.
“I can’t believe we haven’t done this before, it just takes a little bit of courage,” said Toronto Fire Chief Rob Bell.
“The numbers speak for themselves.
You’ve got to get involved.”
Bell says while there is no specific definition for fire fighting in the province, he believes the new program is a good thing because it will allow for people to come forward and make a report without fear of being investigated.
Bell says while this is an early stage, the goal is to have it in place in the next few weeks and to be able to make a quick decision on whether or not to put out a call.
“This is something that we will continue to improve and improve and we will keep improving and we are going to have an improved program,” said Bell.
The program is expected to cost about $3,000.
