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O’CONNOR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT & FIRST RESPONSE
O’CONNOR FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARY ANNUAL BBQ STEAK DRAW – TICKETS SOLD OUT!!
Licence #M855405
Must be 18 or older to participate.
1st PRIZE – 30 Rib Steaks
2nd PRIZE – 20 Rib Steaks
3rd PRIZE – 10 Rib Steaks
Draw Date is Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at the O’Connor Fire Hall at 7:30 p.m.
Fire & Incinerator Permits
– Fire Permits required between April 1st and October 31st –
Fire Permits are now valid for the entire fire season and can be applied for on-line. To review the By-law to Regulate Open-Air Burning of Materials and to Govern the Issuance of Fire Permits in the Township of O’Connor, please go to By-law 2021-08.
To obtain a Fire Permit you must follow these steps:
- Register online at https://oconnor.burnpermits.com/ to create your account. You need only register once. Please ensure once you have created your username and password that you keep them on file for following years.
- Once you are registered, you may apply for a fire permit on the same website. You must create a new fire permit every fire season.
- Once your fire permit is created, you must call 1-833-490-0299 EACH TIME you burn. Add this number to the Contact List on your phone.
You MUST CALL the above number each time before you burn. By doing so, you provide the Township with the ability to keep track of all active burns while providing yourself with necessary risk level information. Please ensure your permit is available for inspection during your burn, should it be requested.
Individuals who register will receive fire ban notifications through an automated call, text or email.
If you need assistance or do not have the tools necessary to register, please call or visit the O’Connor Township Office where staff can help you register online and obtain a fire permit.
DON’T FORGET TO CALL EACH TIME YOU BURN!
1-833-490-0299
DEPARTMENT TRAINING CALENDAR
- May 29 – Equipment check/ hall cleanup
Volunteers Needed
The Township of O’Connor is always seeking capable women and men to volunteer as firefighters and first response members, as well as members for our Fire Department Auxiliary. Our community needs volunteers to ensure that in the event of an emergency, our residents will be taken care of as fast as possible. See details below.
As a volunteer FIREFIGHTER, you would;
- Meet twice a month for training and equipment checks,
- Inspect and maintain fire trucks and equipment,
- Respond to fires and MVC’s (Motor Vehicle Collision),
- Assist people in distress,
- Operate firefighting equipment to extinguish fires.
As a volunteer FIRST RESPONDER, you would;
- Meet once a month for training,
- Drive emergency medical services vehicle,
- Respond to emergency medical calls and MVC’s,
- Perform CPR and first aid as needed,
As a volunteer FIREFIGHTER or FIRST RESPONDER, you will;
- NOT be expected to have specific training in order to apply – Training IS provided,
- NOT be expected to enter a burning building or put yourself in harm’s way,
- NOT be expected to be a resident of O’Connor.
As a member of the FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARY, you would;
- Help support and raise funds for the O’Connor Volunteer Fire Department,
- Meet once a month for meetings, with the exception of the summer months.
There is NO medical required. Applicants must be 18 or older. Applicants aged 16-17 may apply for a position of Junior Firefighter.
Men or women interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter or first responder with the Township of O’Connor Fire Department must complete an application form. Click here for a Volunteer Application Form. Forms are also available at the Township of O’Connor Office at 330 Highway 595 during regular office hours. Please call Greg Biloski at 807-621-5773 for any questions regarding volunteer firefighting. To see scheduled meetings, please check the Events page on this website.
Emergency Plan
Emergencies are defined as situations or the threat of impending situations abnormally affecting the health, safety, welfare or property of the community, which by their nature or magnitude require a controlled and coordinated response by all agencies. These are distinct from routine operations carried out by municipal agencies, i.e., fire, police, or road departments, etc. Please read the TOWNSHIP OF O’CONNOR EMERGENCY PLAN to learn how these agencies operate together.
Emergency Information Forms
The Township of O’Connor submits to every new resident an Emergency Information Form to complete and hand in to the Municipal Office. Council & Staff cannot stress enough the value in collecting emergency contact information for each household in O’Connor. Having your information as well as, cell numbers and landline numbers is all crucial in the event of an emergency. If staff do not have your information from these forms, we have no way of contacting you or knowing what your needs are if the township is in a state of emergency. Please be assured that the information provided to the Township will only be used in the event of an emergency and kept strictly confidential in accordance with the Freedom of the Information & Protection of Privacy Act.
Please keep your information current and up to date. If you require a form, please click on the link below or they can be found at the township office. Once complete, you can mail it in, drop it off or email it to us. For questions or concerns, please call Lorna Buob at the Township Office at 807-476-1451 during regular office hours.
O’Connor’s Emergency Text Messaging System
Stay updated to Emergency Events in the Township of O’Connor; Disposal Site closures, road closures, power failures, floods and other weather-related events, Municipal Events and Reminders. This service is provided as an information notice line to the public and is not capable of receiving replies. Messages received will relate only to Social Events hosted by O’Connor Township or service disruptions that will take longer than 1 hour. Text notifications is a voluntary, opt-in service. By signing up, you are responsible for your cellular plan and all associated charges with sending and receiving text messages. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can opt out of attaching your name to the text, however, it will help us direct specific text messages for your area if you give your name. Your contact information will NOT be shared with third parties. For instructions on how to sign up for Emergency Text Messages, please click on the link below.
Do You Know How To Protect Your Home and Your Family?
Click on the links below to get more information on how you can protect your family from fire and carbon monoxide.
Smoke Detectors & Carbon Monoxide Alarms Save Lives
The O’Connor Fire Department has for purchase Kidde
- Smoke Alarms…………………………..$25.00
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms…$25.00
- Combination Smoke/CO Alarms.$50.00
These units can be picked up at the O’Connor Municipal Office during regular office hours.
O’Connor Community Wildland Fire Protection
Wildfires are capable of spreading at an astonishing rate. Forest fires can spread through the crowns of trees at up to 15 kilometers per hour. In Ontario, wildfire is a natural phenomenon. Over the last several centuries, large areas of Ontario have been burned over repeatedly. Lightning is considered the only natural cause of wildfires. However, 90% of all wildfires that start within 3 km of our communities are attributed to human activity. On average, over 1,200 wildfires are started in the province each year consuming over 200,000 hectares of forests and grass lands annually. Sometimes families have been evacuated from their communities and homes and cottages have been destroyed.
In O’Connor, we live in a forested region, often referred to as the wildland/urban “interface” and sooner or later we may have to contend with the threat of a wildfire. To read more about the Township of O’Connor’s community risk assessment and preventative measures, please click on the link O’Connor Community Wildland Fire Protection Plan.
Prevention of wildfire and being FireSmart TM is the best protection against loss, damage or injury. For more information, please come by the Municipal Office during regular office hours at 330 Highway 595. Here we have pamphlets and handouts to provide you with information and ideas for steps you can take to reduce your risk. For a map of the Township of O’Connor exhibiting our wildland fire hazard, please follow the link below.
Township of O’Connor Wildland Fire Hazard
PUBLIC SAFETY – Community Toolkit – Fire Prevention
Preventing human-caused fire is everybody’s responsibility. We know we can count on our residents to help reduce fire hazard and ensure the health and safety of our community and others across the province this wildland fire season.
To help our residents, please find important information and useful resources at:
- FireSmart 101;
- FireSmart Landscaping;
- FireSmart Home Ignition Zone;
- FireSmart Manual Ontario; and
- FireSmart Home Assessment.
PLEASE READ – Legal Disclaimer – The information contained herein provides general information only. While it is believed to be accurate, it is provided without representation or warranty of any kind, including as to its accuracy or its suitability for the purpose(s) for which you may wish to rely on it. Accordingly, any and all use of or reliance on such information shall be in your own discretion and at your own risk. For greater clarity, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) (FireSmart Canada) accepts no responsibility or liability for any injury, loss or damage, whether direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential, that any person may sustain as a result of the information in, the results of, or anything done or omitted pursuant to, this assessment.