Raise the Air Quality Flag

The Air Quality Flag Program will provide your school with its own page for reporting air quality. Your school page will tell you the AQHI reading each day. You get to determine which flag to raise and tell your school community what kind of air day it is!

Use the flag bearer schedule to assign individuals responsibility for raising the online flag and/or the on-site flag each day.

Note: Flag should be chosen once, daily, ideally in the morning.

blue flag icon Fly a blue flag to tell your school it’s a good air day for everyone to get active outside – an AQHI of 1-3.
grey flag icon A grey flag means it’s a good air day for most people to get active – an AQHI of 4-6.
brown flag icon Fly a brown flag to tell your school it’s an OK air day for some, but others might feel symptoms if they are getting active – an AQHI of 7-10.
red flag icon  A red flag means there is a lot of air pollution today. Everyone should take it easy – an AQHI of 10+.

Use the Air Quality Health Index scale to choose your school’s flag. The scale (pictured below) uses colours that correspond with the Air Quality Flags.

Flag scale

Steps for raising the air quality flag:

  1. Go to your schools’ flag page at airqualityflags.ca and raise the online and/or onsite flag – choose a student to raise the flag. We will provide you a special log in to navigate to your school’s page.
  2. Share a comment or answer a daily air quality and health question sent by the Air Quality Flag Program coordinator.
  3. Share what type of air day it is during your school’s morning announcements.