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NEWMARKET, Ontario, October 3, 2024 - Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is pleased to receive a provincial grant of $865,046 through the Skills Development Fund to support the creation of a new fire training structure at Ian Laing Headquarters (Station 4-5, 300 Earl Stewart Drive, Aurora). The new structure will provide significant enhancements to how CYFS trains its firefighters by increasing fire training capacity and the number of fire prevention skills firefighters can be trained on locally.
The jointly built fire station was designed to accommodate expansion on the site. CYFS will phase the expansion of its training offering over the coming years. The first phase will be the creation of a modular training structure which will be funded by the provincial Skills Development Fund grant and CYFS joint reserves as a 2025 Capital Project, pending budget approval. The first phase is an estimated $1.8 million and construction is expected in 2025-2026.
The new structure will significantly increase the in-house training and development opportunities for CYFS, realizing efficiencies and reducing overall training expenses. The expansion will also open doors to future partnerships for CYFS to offer training services to other fire departments and schools; the revenue generated from outsourced training services could fund future program expansion.
Quotes
“Our vision at Central York Fire Services is to be at the forefront of fire and rescue training, ensuring our firefighters are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to respond swiftly and effectively to help our community in times of need. The provincial funding and support from our local Councils to create a new training structure will help us bring this vision to reality to strengthen our training programs and further enhance the safety and wellbeing of the communities we serve.” – Central York Fire Services Fire Chief Rocco Volpe
“I want to thank the Ontario Government for this significant investment in our communities. This is a big step forward in establishing CYFS as a true leader in fire and rescue training, and will help ensure our firefighters and recruits are even better equipped to keep residents safe. It also means we’re going to be able to continue attracting the best and brightest to our communities, individuals who want to be part of a fire service that has the top-notch facilities, training programs and opportunities for career advancement.” - Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas
“This is an investment in the safety of our communities. The more training we can provide to our firefighters, the safer they will be when called upon to respond to emergencies and the more effective they will be in overcoming whatever challenges they face, which makes our communities safer. Thank you to the Provincial Government for partnering with Newmarket, Aurora and Central York Fire Services to build a new firefighter training structure and increase our capacity to train firefighters, here in the communities they protect.”– Newmarket Mayor John Taylor
About Ian Laing Headquarters (Station 4-5)
Opened in 2022, the Ian Laing Headquarters is a 23,000 square-foot headquarters and training facility for Central York Fire Services. It is the first fire-station jointly built by the Towns of Aurora and Newmarket and is centrally located at 300 Earl Stewart Drive in Aurora to improve response to both communities. The award-winning, energy efficient, multi-story facility houses two electric vehicle charging stations, a spray washing system to improve the longevity of fire trucks, numerous boardrooms and office space. Importantly, it is home to two working fire suppression crews which helps reduce response times.
About the Central York Fire Services
Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is a consolidated fire department that provides protection to the Towns of Newmarket and Aurora. CYFS operates under the direction of a six-member Joint Council Committee made up of three members from each of the Town Councils. The Joint Council Committee provides and administers a borderless, single-tier of fire protection and prevention services throughout both towns in accordance with the Consolidated Fire Services Agreement and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. Visit cyfs.ca for more information.
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