Community Outreach & Education

Junior Fire Inspector Program – Provided in Coquitlam Elementary school classrooms, Grade 3 students learn the basics of fire safety, including the science behind fire, escape planning, testing smoke alarms, and calling 9-1-1.

Fire Safety for Seniors – This program is available in both assisted living facilities as well as Seniors’ centers. Besides safe cooking and heating practices, participants learn how to prepare themselves and their homes for an emergency, how to keep themselves safe if they are unable to escape, and the importance of treating every alarm as though it were an emergency situation.

Fire Safety for New Residents – Usually coordinated by local multicultural organizations, this program is used to help new multicultural members of the community learn about safe practices, including cooking, heating, and clothes dryer safety, the effects of fire and smoke, and the importance of practising their escape. There is a large emphasis on the public safety services that are available in our community, including the 9-1-1 emergency telephone system.

Fire Safety in Multi-family Dwellings – This presentation focuses on how residents of multi-family dwellings can create and maintain a fire-safe home and community for themselves and all of their neighbors. Cooking (including the use of barbecues), heating, and electrical safety are all addressed, as well as the importance of reducing fuel loads, both inside and around the property.

For more information on these programs, or to request a fire safety presentation for your organization, please send an email to Fire Prevention Division.

Coquitlam Fire/Rescue offers fire extinguisher training to Coquitlam-based organizations and community groups. The training involves two parts – the first is an in-class theory lesson that teaches the basics of fire science, different types of fires and fire extinguishers, and safe extinguishing practices. The second part is a practical exercise that gives participants hands-on experience extinguishing a live fire using a CO² extinguisher.

Important to know:

• Fire extinguisher training takes place at the Town Centre Fire Hall.
• Plan for approximately 1.5-2 hrs, depending on the size of the group.
• Available for groups of no less than 10 people, to a maximum of 20 participants.
• Cost is $23 per person

To request a training session, please send an email to Fire Prevention Division.

Coquitlam Fire/Rescue provides fire hall tours for local community and school groups. The purpose of the tour is to provide basic fire safety information, demonstrate how firefighters prepare for calls, and learn about our fleet of vehicles.

Hall tours are offered at all four fire halls, and are subject to availability. A limited number of tours are permitted, and restrictions are placed on the age groups and number of participants. Special requests will be considered case by case.

Before requesting a hall tour, please ensure that your organization meets the following criteria:

• Participants must be between 5-8 years of age
• One supervising adult shall be present for every four children
• A maximum of 25 participants is permitted, including supervisors
• Private parties, such as birthday parties, are not permitted

If your group is eligible based on the above criteria, please send a request for a hall tour by sending an email to Fire Prevention Division.

Tours must be booked at least 30 days in advance.

Fire Prevention Week is observed annually during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871. The Great Chicago Fire destroyed more than 17,400 structures, burned more than 2,000 acres of land, killed more than 250 people, and left 100,000 people homeless.

Each year, Fire Prevention Week is observed nationally, and is used as a platform to teach children and adults how to prevent fires and how to keep themselves safe in the case of fire. Coquitlam Fire/Rescue actively participates in Fire Prevention Week each year by spreading the current fire safety message to our schools and throughout our community.

Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility, which is why it is important during Fire Prevention Week that everyone take some time to learn about fire prevention and how to keep yourself and your family safe.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week, visit NFPA.org.

Throughout the year, Coquitlam Fire/Rescue receives a high number of requests from community groups to have a fire vehicle attend a public event. Fire vehicles are available to attend various community events to promote fire and life safety, and to foster a positive relationship with the community. These events include fire and life safety presentations, organized block parties, community events that are open to the general public and charitable events. Fire vehicles will not attend private events, such as birthday parties.

To request a fire truck to your community event, please send an email to Fire Prevention Division and include the following information:

• Name of event, with a brief description of what the event is
• Event location
• Date of event
• Preferred time of fire truck visit*
• Organizer contact name, phone number, and email address

*Fire truck visits are tentatively scheduled pending any emergencies that may arise in the City, and are subject to availability.  A clear and accessible area must be provided to ensure a quick and safe exit in case the truck needs to leave in a hurry.

Fire truck visits must be booked at least 30 days but no more than 60 days prior to the event.

You may have seen a pink fire truck drive by, or parked at a local community event. You’re not seeing things!  Coquitlam Fire/Rescue does have a bright pink fire truck in our fleet.

Our pink fire truck was brought to life in 2013, when the Fire Prevention Captain at the time was diagnosed with breast cancer. Coquitlam Fire/Rescue reacted in support of our Sister. Pink shirts were made, a team was entered in to the CIBC Run for the Cure, and funds were raised for the cause. But Coquitlam Fire/Rescue went one step further - we took one of our fire trucks and had it wrapped in bright pink! Our Captain has since retired, but the pink trunk remains pink, and continues to be a real talking point throughout the community.

Our pink fire truck is stationed at the Burke Mountain Fire Hall. It is used mostly as a spare, but it’s not uncommon for it to be put in to service, jumping in to action and attending emergency calls just like the shiny red trucks do. You may also see it around the community on Pink Shirt Day in February, and in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Our pink fire truck has become somewhat of a local celebrity throughout our Community. Make sure you wave when you see it drive by.