The Toronto Fire Services has won an international award recognizing its efforts to break down barriers and address fire service diversity.
The Tony Pini Awards for Diversity & Inclusion in the Fire Service is presented jointly by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Fire 2020, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that connects fire and emergency services with their multicultural communities.
Selected as one of the four winners along with other communities in the U.S., Toronto Fire Services was specially recognized for its partnership with Centennial College to address diversity barriers in the Ontario standardized Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Program to encourage more visible minorities, women, and aboriginals to become firefighters.
“The proviso when we went to the Centennial program was to guarantee a diversity intake,” says David Sheen, Division Chief of Staff Services at Toronto Fire Services.
Centennial College is one of the most diverse community colleges in Canada.
With many firefighter jobs now requiring the pre-service firefighter certification as a prerequisite, enrolling in the training program has become essential for those seeking to enter this career.
“For the last three years 50 percent of the people we have hired have had this certificate,” Sheen said.
Thirty-four students were enrolled in the program which began in September 2010, with a 77 percent diversity participation, well above the average. The class graduated in July this year.
Although Humber, Seneca, and Durham are running similar programs, the Centennial College program achieved a substantially higher diversity enrollment rate.
Toronto Fire Services and Centennial College also offered a bursary program for this pilot project which brought the tuition in line with what one might expect to pay for a three-semester program.
The award ceremony will be taking place on August 25 in Atlanta, Georgia, during a special breakfast event at the IAFC Fire Rescue International Conference.
The Tony Pini Awards are named after the late Santa Rosa fire chief who fought for the inclusion rights of diverse communities to foster a culture of acceptance and tolerance in the firefighting services.
The awards are given to those who “demonstrate leadership and success in diversity and inclusion initiatives,” as stated on the Fire 2020 website.
The Tony Pini Awards for Diversity & Inclusion in the Fire Service is presented jointly by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Fire 2020, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that connects fire and emergency services with their multicultural communities.
Selected as one of the four winners along with other communities in the U.S., Toronto Fire Services was specially recognized for its partnership with Centennial College to address diversity barriers in the Ontario standardized Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training Program to encourage more visible minorities, women, and aboriginals to become firefighters.
“The proviso when we went to the Centennial program was to guarantee a diversity intake,” says David Sheen, Division Chief of Staff Services at Toronto Fire Services.
Centennial College is one of the most diverse community colleges in Canada.
With many firefighter jobs now requiring the pre-service firefighter certification as a prerequisite, enrolling in the training program has become essential for those seeking to enter this career.
“For the last three years 50 percent of the people we have hired have had this certificate,” Sheen said.
Thirty-four students were enrolled in the program which began in September 2010, with a 77 percent diversity participation, well above the average. The class graduated in July this year.
Although Humber, Seneca, and Durham are running similar programs, the Centennial College program achieved a substantially higher diversity enrollment rate.
Toronto Fire Services and Centennial College also offered a bursary program for this pilot project which brought the tuition in line with what one might expect to pay for a three-semester program.
The award ceremony will be taking place on August 25 in Atlanta, Georgia, during a special breakfast event at the IAFC Fire Rescue International Conference.
The Tony Pini Awards are named after the late Santa Rosa fire chief who fought for the inclusion rights of diverse communities to foster a culture of acceptance and tolerance in the firefighting services.
The awards are given to those who “demonstrate leadership and success in diversity and inclusion initiatives,” as stated on the Fire 2020 website.
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