A large fire broke out at the Fairview Lodge senior’s residence on Oct. 27, 2014 in Whitby. A thick plume of smoke was seen rising from one of the main buildings as Whitby Fire and the DRPS rushed to the scene. What unfolded was an emergency response that is widely regarded as exceptional. More than 190 of our most vulnerable citizens were safely and carefully evacuated without a single injury being reported. It has been called a text book evacuation–one of the most successful of its kind in Ontario. About 80 DRPS officers and civilians were involved.
This event was much bigger than the DRPS, but the service’s role was significant. Officers were first on scene and blocked off the roads. @DRPS was the first to Tweet about the fire and the road closures and then continued assisting Whitby Fire and ambulance services in the evacuations and public notifications. During the blaze, the residents were initially moved to St. John the Evangelist Church and St. John the Evangelist School, both one block from Fairview Lodge. They were then taken to the Abilities Centre, which closed its programing for the remainder of the day. Students from local schools were also evacuated for their safety. This event is great example of emergency services and the Region of Durham working seamlessly together.
