Box690

Box 690 – Fire Department Canteen was officially approved by Council of the City of Cambridge in November 1988. Box 690 was modeled after Box 43 (Hamilton) and Box 12 (Toronto) Fire Canteens which have been operating successfully for several decades. The name ‘Box 690′ comes from reference to the early traditional street alarm box system used in larger cities and the numerical part of the Cambridge Fire Department Radio System Identifier Code ‘XJI 690′. Initially Box 690 only served the City of Cambridge. The service expanded to serve Kitchener (1991), Waterloo (1992), and now serves most stations in North Dumfries, Wilmot, Wellesley, and Woolwich Townships. The City of Cambridge donated a 1978 GMC Panel Van (retired CFD Rescue) to Box 690 in 1995 which was retrofitted into a snack and drink wagon. This was replaced in November 2002 by a 1982 International Truck, formerly in service as Kitchener Fire Department’s Rescue 8, which has been overhauled into a mobile field kitchen.

Box 690 monitors Fire Dispatches in Waterloo Region during the daytime and evenings and is dispatched to working fires at night. The Box automatically responds to confirmed reports of working fires within Waterloo Region and attends approximately 100 calls for service per year. All Box 690 Members are volunteers who have a strong interest in the fire service. The truck (6902) is equipped to provide firefighter support and rehab at emergency scenes including shelter (either warming or cooling as needed seasonally), lighting, clothing, and refreshments, including refrigerated bottled water, juice, Gatorade, coffee, hot chocolate, hot dogs, chili, soup, stew, and small snack items (granola bars, cookies, peanuts, chips etc.).

Box 690 is a registered charity and is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. They support their truck through a fundraising partnership with Doon Heritage Crossroads. Box 690 operates a refreshment booth (featuring hotdogs, hamburgers, sausages, cold drinks, and snack items) at the Regional Fire Muster in May, the Canada Day Celebrations July 1st, and at the Fall Fair in September. Additional support from Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo Fire Departments as well as the Professional Fire Fighters’ Associations of these cities, along with the North Dumfries (Ayr), Wilmot, Woolwich and Wellesley Township Fire Departments has been greatly appreciated.