Highlands East Fire Department

What Highlands East Fire Department does

The Highlands East Fire Department is a volunteer-based municipal fire department that operates as one of seven departments within the Municipality of Highlands East, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2001 when the Province of Ontario consolidated the former townships of Cardiff, Glamorgan, Monmouth, and adjacent areas, the department provides fire suppression, emergency response, motor vehicle accident extrication, first aid/CPR/AED, fire prevention, and public safety education to residents and property owners across four wards (Bicroft, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Monmouth). The department also administers burning permits, enforces fireworks and short-term rental by-laws, and sells smoke and CO detectors at the Wilberforce Municipal Office. Leadership rests with Fire Chief Baughman.

The department's underlying technology is conventional municipal SaaS: Cloudpermit for digital building and septic permit workflows, Granicus for short-term rental licensing and compliance monitoring, and standard website analytics (Google Analytics, GHD, Cludo). Distribution is via the Wilberforce Municipal Office at 2249 Loop Road, the 911 emergency system coordinated with the County of Haliburton, online self-serve portals, and a physical visitor information centre at 2786 Essonville Line. Volunteer firefighter recruitment is sustained across multiple fire stations.

The business model is tax-and-fee-funded municipal revenue. The primary revenue stream is property taxation across residential, commercial, industrial, farmland, and managed forest classes, supplemented by license and permit fees (short-term rental $500/year; dog licenses $10-$100; entrance permits $225 plus $500 deposit; septic reviews $250), user fees for waste disposal, water/sewer, and facility rentals, and contracted curbside waste collection (Waste Connections of Canada) for Cardiff, Dyno Estates, and Bicroft Heights. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed for the municipal entity.

Name

Highlands East Fire Department

Legal name

Municipality of Highlands East

Website

https://highlandseast.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highlands East Fire Department is a volunteer-based municipal fire department serving the Municipality of Highlands East in rural Haliburton County, Ontario, delivering fire suppression, emergency response, and fire prevention services across four wards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety / Fire Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK), Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services (IMAMAJAG), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE)

Keywords

• Fire rescue services
• Emergency response
• Fire prevention
• Public safety services
• Volunteer firefighting

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilberforce

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxation: Primary revenue source from residential, commercial, industrial, farmland, and managed forest property taxes. Tax rates vary by property type (2026 residential municipal rate: 0.00621746).
2. Licenses and Permits: Revenue from short-term rental licensing ($500/year), dog licenses ($10-$100), building permits, septic permits, entrance permits ($225+$500 deposit), and other municipal licenses.
3. User Fees and Service Charges: Fees for waste disposal, facility rentals, water/sewer services, planning applications, and various municipal services.
4. Waste Collection Services: User-pay curbside garbage and recycling collection service for residents of Cardiff townsite, Dyno Estates, and Bicroft Heights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highlands East Fire Department is a volunteer-based municipal fire department serving the Municipality of Highlands East, Ontario, Canada. It delivers fire suppression, emergency response, fire prevention, public safety education, first aid/CPR/AED services, motor vehicle accident extrication, and burning permit administration to residents and property owners across the municipality's four wards.

Product overview

Highlands East Fire Department is a volunteer-based municipal fire department serving the Municipality of Highlands East, Ontario. The department operates fire rescue and safety services, fire prevention programs, and public education initiatives. Related services include burning permit administration, smoke and CO detector sales, emergency preparedness guidance, and fire safety education. The department is one of seven departments under the Municipality of Highlands East municipal government structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Rescue and Emergency Response Services
• Fire Safety Education Programs
• Burning Permits and By-law Administration
• Smoke and CO Detector Sales
• Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Training Program

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GranicuscoreTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2024Online platform provider for short-term rental licensing and compliance monitoring. Licenses issued through Granicus system.
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health UnitcoreOthersProvides free bacteria testing for private well supplies. Sample bottles available at Wilberforce Municipal Office. Summer drop-off Mon/Wed before noon; Winter drop-off Wed before noon.
• County of HaliburtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides 911 numbering and signage services. Contact: 705-286-1333. The County oversees voter list management and emergency services coordination.
• Waste Connections of CanadacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracted service provider for household garbage and recycling curbside collection in Cardiff townsite, Dyno Estates, and Bicroft Heights. Contact: 705-645-4453 ext. 2711303
• CloudpermitcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform provider for building permits and septic system permit applications. Allows applicants to apply, track status, and receive email updates.
• Product Care RecyclingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer responsibility organization operating paint recycling program. Paint accepted at Haliburton Home Hardware and Minden Home Hardware free of charge.
• Haliburton Home Hardware and Minden Home HardwareminorOthersRetail drop-off locations for paint recycling through Product Care Recycling program.
• County of Haliburton (Short-Term Rental Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll four local municipalities worked together with the County of Haliburton to draft the short-term rental by-law for licensing accommodations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Municipality of Trent Hills Fire Department: Rural Ontario municipal fire service with comparable volunteer/composite staffing and small-town fire protection mandate, serving a similar rural population profile outside Haliburton County.
• Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department: Volunteer-based fire service in a cottage-country region of Muskoka. Comparable seasonal population dynamics, waterfront/wildland-urban interface risk, and small-rural-municipality governance.
• Muskoka Lakes Fire Department: Volunteer municipal fire service covering a large, geographically dispersed Muskoka township. Comparable rural coverage challenges and reliance on volunteer staffing.

Direct peers

• Dysart et al Fire Department: Volunteer fire department serving the Municipality of Dysart et al, also in Haliburton County. Comparable scope, geography, and integration with County of Haliburton emergency services.
• Algonquin Highlands Fire Department: Volunteer municipal fire service covering the Township of Algonquin Highlands in Haliburton County. Comparable forested rural geography, volunteer staffing model, and shared County coordination.
• Municipalité de Lac-des-Écorces Fire Department: Quebec rural volunteer municipal fire service covering a similarly small population and forested geography. Comparable scale, volunteer staffing, and bilingual rural service delivery.
• Minden Hills Fire Department: Volunteer-based municipal fire department serving the adjacent Township of Minden Hills in Haliburton County. Directly comparable rural Ontario fire service with similar mandate, funding model, and County coordination framework.

Others

• Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs: National association representing Canadian fire chiefs and fire services, including small volunteer and rural municipal departments. Relevant peer as an ecosystem/enabling organization for the Highlands East Fire Department.

Broad incumbents

• County of Haliburton Emergency Services: Regional emergency services coordination body for all Haliburton County municipalities including Highlands East. Provides 911 numbering and overarching emergency services planning.
• Ontario Fire Marshal's Office: Provincial regulator and oversight body for all Ontario fire services including volunteer municipal departments like Highlands East. Sets training, safety, and inspection standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/highlandseast
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandseast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardiff-township-fire-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highlands East Fire Department