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911One number for police, fire and ambulance anywhere in Durham

Emergency services in
Durham Region

Who comes when you call 911, how close the nearest fire station is, and what it can mean for your home insurance. Worth knowing before you choose a town.

Fire stations by townNumbers to save
911
30fire stations across 8 towns
5police divisions
11paramedic stations
335+paramedics
911one number for all three
Station map

Every station on one map

Fire stations, police divisions and paramedic stations across Durham Region. Tap any dot for the address and directions.

Pins show approximate locations. Directions use the station's street address.

When you call 911

Who picks up, and who comes

One call reaches everyone. Here is what happens after you dial.

1

You call 911

From any phone, anywhere in the Region. If you are not sure it is an emergency, call anyway and explain.

2

Durham police answer

The Durham Regional Police 911 centre answers every call in the Region, for police, fire and ambulance.

3

The right crew is sent

If you need fire or an ambulance, you may be transferred to them. Stay on the line and follow the call taker's instructions.

Know your locationGive your address first. From a cell phone, also give your number in case the call drops.
Internet home phone?If your home phone comes through your internet provider, 911 may not see your address or number. Say both clearly.
Called by mistake?Do not hang up. Tell the call taker it was a mistake. If the call drops, they call back and may send help to check.
Fire services

Every town runs its own fire department

Fire protection is run by each of the eight towns, not the Region. Some are staffed by full-time firefighters around the clock. Others rely on volunteer firefighters who respond from home or work, which can add minutes in a rural area.

Full-time career firefightersComposite full-time and volunteerVolunteer paid on-call firefighters

Ajax

Ajax Fire and Emergency Services

3 fire stations

Serves the whole town from three stations.

905-683-3050Non-emergency

Pickering

Pickering Fire Services

Full-time

Full-time crews at five stations, including Claremont in the north.

905-250-0420Fire administration

Whitby

Whitby Fire and Emergency Services

Full-time, 24/7

Five fire halls staffed around the clock. A new hall is planned for fast-growing West Whitby.

905-668-3312Non-emergency

Oshawa

Oshawa Fire Services

6 fire stations

The largest fire department in the Region. Four Oshawa fire stations are also Safe Havens for anyone in crisis.

905-433-1238Non-emergency

Clarington

Clarington Emergency and Fire Services

Composite

Bowmanville, Newcastle and Courtice stations have full-time and volunteer firefighters. Orono and Enniskillen are volunteer stations.

905-623-5126Non-emergency

Scugog

Scugog Fire and Emergency Services

Composite

Career staff and volunteers at Port Perry and Caesarea. Both stations hold Tanker Shuttle Accreditation for bringing water by truck where there are no hydrants.

905-985-2384Non-emergency

Uxbridge

Uxbridge Fire Department

1 fire hall

One station at 301 Brock Street West, staffed mostly by part-time firefighters.

905-852-3393Business hours. After hours: 416-894-0805

Brock

Brock Township Fire Department

Volunteer

Three stations in Sunderland, Cannington and Beaverton. The stations are not staffed. Paid on-call firefighters respond when paged.

705-432-2355Township office
Before you buy

Fire protection can change your insurance bill

Why it matters

When you ask for a home insurance quote, the insurer checks how far the home is from the nearest fire hydrant and fire station. The closer they are, the sooner a fire can be put out, so rates are usually lower.

In town this rarely matters. On a rural property with no hydrant nearby, it can raise the premium. Some lenders will not fund a mortgage until the home is insured, so price it before your offer is firm.

  • Find the nearest fire station. Use the cards above, then check the drive time from the address.
  • Look for a hydrant. Walk the street. Rural homes often rely on tanker trucks instead.
  • Get an insurance quote early. Make insurance a condition of your offer on a rural home.
  • Ask for a fire department file search. In Clarington, the fire department needs the owner's written permission or a copy of the offer to purchase. Your lawyer can request it.
  • Check the alarms on move-in day. Ontario law sets where smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must go. See below.
Police

One police service for the whole Region

Durham Regional Police patrol all eight towns from five divisions. Provincial highways are patrolled by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

West Division

Ajax and Pickering · 1710 Kingston Road, Pickering

Central West Division

Whitby, Brooklin and north Oshawa · 480 Taunton Road East, Whitby

Central East Division

Oshawa · 77 Centre Street North, Oshawa

East Division

Clarington · 2046 Maple Grove Road, Bowmanville

North Division

Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge · 15765 Highway 12, Port Perry

Not an emergency?

Call 905-579-1520 or toll-free 1-888-579-1520. Use it for things like a lost or found item, or a neighbour dispute where nobody is in danger.

Report it online

Some minor crimes can be reported on the Durham Regional Police website:

  • Fraud
  • Mischief
  • Property damage under $5,000
  • Lost property
  • Theft from a vehicle under $5,000
  • Theft under $10,000

Report a crime online

Report anonymously

Durham Regional Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-8477. For OPP non-emergencies on provincial highways: 1-888-310-1122.

Paramedic students in navy uniforms bandaging a patient's arm during a training exercise
Paramedics

Region of Durham Paramedic Services

335+primary and advanced care paramedics
31ambulances

The Region runs the ambulance service for all eight towns, working alongside police and local fire departments as first responders. Ambulances are based at 11 response stations:

AjaxBeavertonBowmanvilleCourticeNorth OshawaPickeringPort PerrySouth OshawaSunderlandUxbridgeWhitby

Want to know where the hospitals are, and which ones have an emergency department? See our healthcare guide.

Alerts and being ready

How you will hear about an emergency

Alert Ready

Canada's system sends alerts for the most serious emergencies to compatible cell phones, TV and radio. You do not need to sign up.

Region email alerts

Sign up to get emergency alerts that the Region posts on its website, by email.

Durham Emergency Management

Nuclear sirens

Near the Pickering and Darlington nuclear stations, the Region also uses outdoor sirens and automated calls to landlines. The system is tested regularly.

10 km 50 km

Free KI pills near the nuclear stations

Potassium iodide (KI) pills help protect the thyroid in the unlikely event of a nuclear emergency. Take them only when Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health tells you to.

Within 10 km of the Pickering or Darlington station: homes get KI pills by mail. Replacement pills are being mailed in 2026 because the 2015 supply expires in 2027.

Within 50 km: you can order a free supply at preparetobesafe.ca, which checks your postal code. Questions: Durham Health Connection Line, 905-668-2020.

It's the law

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

BedroomBedroom Main floorBasement CO CO CO

Smoke alarms

Every Ontario home must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. That includes houses, semis and townhomes, owned or rented.

Carbon monoxide alarms (new rules for 2026)

If the home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage, it needs a CO alarm outside each sleeping area. Since January 1, 2026, it also needs one on every storey, including floors with no bedrooms.

Ontario carbon monoxide safety

Save these

Numbers to keep in your phone

Tap any number to call it.

Emergency911Police, fire and ambulance Durham police, non-emergency905-579-1520Toll-free 1-888-579-1520 Health811811Free health advice from a nurse Poison centre1-844-764-76691-844-POISON-X, 24 hours Region of Durham311Regional services. Outside the Region: 905-668-7711 Crime Stoppers1-800-222-8477Anonymous tips OPP, non-emergency1-888-310-1122Provincial highways Durham Health Connection Line905-668-2020Including KI pill questions

Choosing a town? Let's talk.

We can help you weigh what matters for a specific address, from the drive to the nearest fire hall to the schools down the street.

Let's Talk →
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A note from us

This is general information to help you compare towns. In an emergency, call 911. Phone numbers, stations and rules change, so check with the service directly. For insurance questions, speak with your insurance broker.

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