About Toronto Fire Services

The Toronto Fire Services Emergency Medical Services (EMS) section consists of a District Chief, an Acting District Chief, a Program Manager, a Program Developer, and two Command Coordinators.  Medical Director Taylor Bischoff and the Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine provide medical direction.

Our goal is to provide support and direction to Toronto Firefighters in their role as first responders within the Toronto EMS system. The role of firefighter first responder is, and will continue to be, a valuable component of pre-hospital patient care. As Toronto’s EMS system faces the challenge of providing care to an increasingly aging population, its capacity to deliver such care is often stretched to the limit. Often, this translates to extended patient contact time for our crews, as paramedics may be delayed while waiting for hospital beds or travelling longer distances to calls. Therefore, to fulfill our mandate, the EMS section will collaborate with fire personnel, Toronto Paramedic Services staff, and other city employees to ensure that our crews receive the best training and equipment to perform at the highest possible level consistently. The relationship between TFS, Toronto Paramedic Services, and Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine is unique. The TFS staff, located at the Sunnybrook Campus, participates in a multitude of prehospital care projects and is always available to give a firefighter’s perspective on relevant topics.

This arrangement has worked exceptionally well for all parties, and we look forward to a continued close cooperation with both Toronto Paramedic Services and Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine staff.

We encourage feedback regarding our role within the Toronto Fire Services and invite you to contact us by phone or email with your comments or questions.

Firefighter Prehospital Care Program Team

Taylor Bischoff, MD FRCPC MEHP (she/her)
Emergency Physician
Medical Director, Toronto Fire Services
Sunnybrook Health Sciences & Royal Victoria Hospital Clinical Associate
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
416-276-5934 • taylor.bischoff@sunnybrook.ca