You can just walk into a Toronto Fire station and ask for a tour

Of all the ideas TikTok has put in my head, walking into a Toronto fire station and asking for a tour was one I did not expect to act on.

Lately, my feed has been full of adults dropping into fire stations, climbing into trucks and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the equipment, sometimes in the middle of the night on their way home from the bar.

I had always thought of fire station tours as something for kids and school groups, so there was something fun about seeing adults enter a setting that has loomed large in our collective imagination since childhood. It looked slightly unhinged and surprisingly easy to try.

Social media doesn't always tell the whole story, though. I wanted to find out whether you could really walk into a Toronto fire station and just ask for a tour and, if so, what visitors should know before trying it.

I brought my friends Sarah and Debbie, plus my dog, Lainey, and headed to Fire Station 332 in Toronto's downtown core. Lainey is not a Dalmatian, but remains open to employment opportunities.

The short answer is yes.

Here are eight things I learned during my visit.

1. Yes, you really can just walk up and ask

The hardest part was working up the nerve to ask

Several firefighters were sitting on a bench outside the station when we arrived. We slowed down, walked over and asked, "Hey, could we get a tour?"

"Sure!" one replied.

He immediately nominated two colleagues, who stood up and waved us inside. The whole exchange took seconds, and any awkwardness was gone.

Our guides introduced themselves as Rob and Haruto. They seemed genuinely happy to show us around and told us Station 332 now receives about one tour request a day. The visits are free and give firefighters a chance to connect with the community and show people how the station operates.

That doesn't mean every attempt will go smoothly.

The City of Toronto's official guidelines say groups of six or fewer can drop into their local fire station without booking between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Larger groups need to arrange a visit at least four weeks in advance.

Even during those hours, a tour is not guaranteed. If the crew is busy or gets an emergency call, firefighting comes first.

Rob and Haruto said the station also gets late-night visitors, especially on Fridays and Saturdays after nearby bars and clubs close. They may still show you around if they have time, but the City's official drop-in window ends at 9 p.m.

2. TikTok has brought a lot more people through the doors

Rob and Haruto knew exactly which TikToks had brought us to Station 332. They said tours had long been a regular part of life at the station, but requests surged after one video went viral earlier this year.

"It was like night and day," they told me.

They now estimate someone asks for a tour at least once a day. Families tend to visit during the day, while on Friday and Saturday nights they give out non-stop tours to people heading to or from the Entertainment District.

Station 332's downtown location, surrounded by condos, hotels and office towers, already made it a natural stop for curious passersby. TikTok did not invent the tours or expose a loophole. It simply introduced more Torontonians to something firefighters had quietly offered for years.

3. Sitting inside the fire truck is every bit as fun as you'd think

Station 332's public-facing area is essentially one large apparatus bay. The tour doesn't take you through private rooms or hidden corners; the trucks, equipment, and gear are all right there, ready for the next call.

The fire truck was our first stop. We climbed in one at a time, took photos and, with permission, turned on the lights ourselves.

I can now confirm there is no age at which sitting inside a fire truck with its lights flashing stops being exciting. Rob and Haruto showed us where everyone sits and explained that firefighters take turns behind the wheel rather than having one permanent driver.

4. The equipment is much heavier than it looks

Beside the trucks, the firefighters' gear was laid out and ready to be pulled on the moment a call came in.

Rob and Haruto told us they can be fully dressed in about 60 seconds. That sounded fast already, but became even more impressive once we saw what they were putting on. Their protective gear and air pack weigh around 50 pounds, while a high-rise hose bundle adds another 25 pounds.

After we climbed out of the truck, Sarah was handed one of the hose packs. When Rob told her to put it over her shoulder, she bowed her head and waited for him to lower it over both shoulders like a harness.

Everyone paused.

He meant one shoulder.

Once we stopped laughing and got it into the right position, Sarah leaned forward and gripped the strap with both hands. It was heavy. 

Next, they brought out a Halligan bar and flat-head axe, a pair of forcible-entry tools carried together and commonly known as "the irons." Debbie, who is currently in law school, picked them up.

"Oh my God, that's heavy," she said, giving the tools a sympathetic pat before handing them back. "You know what? I think I'll stick to law."

5. Firefighters work seven shifts every four weeks, but each one lasts 24 hours

Rob and Haruto told us they work seven 24-hour shifts every four weeks. 

Seven days at work initially sounded like an excellent schedule. Then I remembered each of those days also includes the entire night.

Together, the shifts add up to 168 hours, or an average 42-hour workweek. Toronto's firefighters are divided into four platoons on a staggered rotation, with shifts running from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. the next day. Each platoon gets two full weekends off every four weeks.

Toronto Fire Services uses career firefighters rather than volunteers. Rob and Haruto said many, including themselves, also work other jobs between shifts and live outside Toronto, sometimes one or two hours away.

Rob had wanted to become a firefighter since he was a kid. The firefighter showing a child around the station today may once have been the kid leaving a tour and telling everyone exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up.

6. A 24-hour shift involves much more than responding to fires

The station had a basketball net, firefighters joking around and a generally relaxed atmosphere, but no one was simply sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Between calls, Rob and Haruto said they cook breakfast and dinner, clean the station, inspect equipment, run drills, work out and give tours to visitors like us. Over 24 hours, the station has to function as a workplace, training space and temporary home.

Depending on when you stop by, you could arrive during a quiet stretch or watch everyone suddenly head out on a call. The upstairs kitchen, sleeping quarters and other living areas are private and not included in public tours.

At one point, a fire truck passed with its sirens on and Rob and Haruto started laughing.

"Is that one of yours?" we asked.

It was.

One of their coworkers was holding a container of Greek yogurt out the window so they could see that he had picked up an ingredient they needed back at the station.

Sirens blaring. Greek yogurt accounted for.

7. Fire poles are real, but Dalmatians are not guaranteed

One important piece of fire station mythology still needed investigating.

Do firefighters actually slide down a pole?

At Station 332, the answer is yes.

Another firefighter had been upstairs when we arrived, so the first time we saw him was when he appeared at the top of the pole to give us a demonstration. A moment later, he slid into the apparatus bay and landed beside the trucks.

It was quite an introduction and looked exactly like the scene people picture when they imagine a fire station.

Unfortunately, there was no resident Dalmatian to complete it.

Lainey was willing to fill in despite being a small cockapoo. She stood near the truck, accepted a treat, collected plenty of pets and posed for a photo in Rob's arms after he eagerly offered to pick her up.

Even firefighters need a puppy cuddle, which feels like a strong argument for making station dogs a thing.

Lainey's application is presumably under review.

8. The easiest way to ruin the tour is to forget where you are 

Rob and Haruto gave us the go-ahead to take photos and videos, but visitors should always ask before recording.

During the tour, we were asked to remain on the main floor and stay out of the private areas upstairs.

Somewhere in the conversation, we heard about one intoxicated visitor who ignored those instructions and ran upstairs, forcing firefighters to chase after her. She thought it was hilarious. They did not.

By the way they told it, she has since become part of Station 332 lore: that one visitor who ran upstairs and had to be chased down.

So, if you now feel inspired to visit your local fire station, please do not become the person the firefighters will talk about long after you leave.

Otherwise, Rob and Haruto said they would be happy to see more people stopping by. When I asked why they offer tours, they said there was no larger agenda behind it. It is simply part of being a public service and an opportunity "to teach them what you're about."

They said that after responding to a call such as an alarm at a condo building, firefighters will often remain outside for a few minutes, when circumstances allow, to talk to children and families who want to see the truck.

They would be happy to see more Toronto residents visit their local stations, as long as people are respectful and understand that emergency calls come first.

My friend Debbie asked whether visitors should bring doughnuts. Rob and Haruto joked that doughnuts are already the police officer stereotype, but firefighters would happily claim ice cream as their equivalent.

I would recommend trying this internet trend for yourself. Many of the videos I saw involved people dropping in during the middle of the night on their way home from the bar, but I can confirm it is just as much fun in broad daylight with a few friends.