April 2008

ItA call to al(arms)

is quickly presenting itself as the most vexing problem confounding fire services from coast to coast to coast. People are dying needlessly because of the absence of a smoke detector that can be had for less than the price of a six-pack of beer. And often, even if there is a smoke detector, the batteries have been removed.

In Ontario alone this year, 32 people have died in fires and there’s absolutely no doubt many of them could have been saved. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know and the frustration among fire services is palpable.

Eighty-five per cent of respondents to a survey on the website of Fire Fighting In Canada say current public education programs have to be revisited.

So, what to do and where to start?

Some kind of national or other multi-jurisdictional acknowledgment of the problem would help focus everyone on the challenge at hand.

Then, maybe looking beyond traditional fire and first-response emergency services for ideas would bring fresh perspectives. For example, the campaign against drinking and driving over the last 30 years has been relentless and it has been successful. The percentage of fatally injured drivers with positive blood-alcohol readings has been in steep decline since 1980.

That drinking and driving is socially unacceptable is taken as a matter of faith now by Canadians – especially young Canadians. Everyone knows what point-zero-eight means. Everyone knows what a R.I.D.E. program is. Everyone knows. Especially a whole generation of young adults who grew up hearing that message.

Maybe the fire service needs to marshal its resources at the highest levels and embark on a public education campaign that will be pervasive, persuasive, ongoing and relentless. It will never end.

Enlist the Canadian Newspaper Association and the National Association of Broadcasters. Find creative advertising agencies to work pro bono in the public interest. Cash in favours. Twist arms. Lean on people. Get fresh, new public service announcements into regular rotation on the airwaves – on Teletoon and YTV and MuchMusic. Broadcasters are generally required under their licences from the CRTC to do PSAs. Get in on it.

Marry that with legislative muscle – demand a review of existing regulations, laws, fines. Don’t just focus on the “stick” – find some carrots, too. Work with legislators to find incentives for builders and homeowners to equip their homes with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and sprinklers. Tax rebates? No GST? What are the options? How much will they cost the treasury? Make your MPs help.

It will take a long time to achieve meaningful change in behaviour. But change is possible and the sooner it starts, the sooner it happens.

Everyone should know that not having a working smoke detector is stupid and reckless. But apparently they don’t. Making them know means educating them.

It needs to start now.

New this month is our Fire IQ column by Ottawa fire captain Peter Hunt that tracks and tests the consistency of fire-service terminology. Peter welcomes contributions and challenges fire-service personnel to try to trip him up! Test your fire-service vocabulary on page 40.

April 2008 Vol. 11, No. 2

Editor Laura King lking@annexweb.com 905-847-9743

Publisher Martin McAnulty fire@annexweb.com 888-599-2228 ext 252

Advertising Manager Hope Williamson hwilliamson@annexweb.com 888-599-2228 ext. 253

Sales Assistant Barb Comer bcomer@annexweb.com 888-599-2228 ext 235

Production Artist Brooke Shaw bshaw@annexweb.com

VP/Group Publisher Diane Kleer dkleer@annexweb.com

President Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com

Mailing Address PO Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5

PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT., P.O. BOX 530, SIMCOE ON N3Y 4N5

E-mail: sbrady@annexweb.com

Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, NY. USPS 021028, ISSN 1488-0865. Published four times per year (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. US Office of publication c/of DDM Direct.com, 1175 William St., Buffalo, NY 14206-1805. US Postmaster send address change to P.O. Box 611 Niagara Falls, NY 14304.

Printed in Canada ISSN 1488 0865

Circulation E-mail: sbrady@annexweb.com Ph: 866-790-6070 ext. 206 Fax: 877-624-1940

Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5

Subscription Rates

Canada – 1 Year $ 12.72

(includes GST – #867172652RT0001) USA – 1 Year $ 40.00

From time to time, we at Canadian Firefighter & EMS Quarterly make our subscription list available to reputable companies and organizations whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication. www.firefightingincanada.com

OUR MISSION YOUR SAFETY

Meets the new 2007 NFPA Standards, 1981 & 1982

A PASS Alarm that can Take the Heat “Bullet-Proof” electronics

Straight-talk communications

Fireground management capabilities

Extended protection

Lightweight and easy to use

Platform for the future

PROTECTION ENGINEERED FOR YOUR

High-tech transportation

High-tech transportation

New developments make vehicles stronger and challenge rescue personnel

by PETE METHNER

Each year, vehicle extrication specialists look at the new crop of models and designs and often think they’re much the same as last year’s. Although the new vehicles often don’t look much different from the outside, manufacturers are finding safer and stronger materials that are lighter and more environmentally friendly and therefore pose new challenges for rescuers.

New materials

During the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, I was blown away by the advancements of the manufacturers. From multi-functional airbag systems to even higher strength steel, which forms the framework of the safety cages of today’s new cars, vehicles are becoming lighter on the outside but stronger on the inside.

These new materials make up different parts of each vehicle’s inner structure. They also enhance the overall safety of the vehicle. This means rescuers must learn exactly what materials are being used and for what purposes. Rescuers are already familiar

with mild conventional steel, high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel, boron and even micro alloy, which are widely used today. The use of micro alloy and boron steels for side-impact and roll-over protection is becoming an industry standard. Manufacturers have also introduced extra high-strength steel, which will create further challenges during motor-vehicle rescue. Rescuers need to determine which heavy hydraulic rescue tools will be able to cut these new materials and what, if any, shortcuts can be taken to meet these challenges.

One example of this new construction is the Volvo S40, which uses different grades of steel in different areas. On the S40, the front body is divided into several zones and each zone has a different deformation process. On this model, the passenger compartment is designed to remain intact in most collisions. This zonal system enables collision forces to be absorbed in a highly effective manner. The co-operation among the different steel grades is also a vital aspect of protection in other types of collisions.

Airbags

Over the last several years there have been many concerns about airbags. I remember

back in 1997, in Vancouver, listening to Bill Davies of General Motors educate a group of rescuers about airbags and listen to the concerns for rescue personnel. At the time, rescuers were worried about their safety as well as that of the patient. Hearing about driver- and passenger-side airbags was a big deal. Today, we are concerned about sideimpact protection, head-impact protection and even knee bags, which deploy from the knee bolster area.

Unbelievably, manufacturers are not obligated to mark the location of any of their airbags, rather they mark the bag locations to advise consumers that there are safety systems in place. The Volvo XC90 has a fully marked airbag system except for the head-protection system. It’s crucial, then, that rescuers assume that side and head airbags exist even though they’re not marked. Rescuers must also be concerned with the possibility of cutting the compressed air cylinders that deploys the head-impact protection system. Cylinders can be located

PHOTO COURTESY PETE METHNER

New materials used by automobile manufacturers make it more difficult for firefighters to know which tools work best for extrication.

in different spots, depending on the vehicle, and must not be cut while under pressure. The head-impact protection system cylinder can have as much as 3,500 psi of pressure. If the HIPS has deployed, rescuers can cut the cylinder out of the way to perform a total roof removal. If the cylinder is cut while under pressure, it can explode and send small metal shrapnel through the interior of the vehicle, causing further injury to the patient and injuring the rescuer.

If the head-protection system hasn’t deployed during the collision and a total roof removal is necessary, rescuers should strip the trim to locate the compressed-air cylinders These gas cylinders may be located in the lower mid section of the C pillar and in the mid section of the A pillar, between the dash line and the roofline, or in both locations. Rescuers need to take a few additional seconds to locate and isolate these cylinders before removing or cutting any material. Both air cylinders can also be located along the rear of the roofline in the centre area, as is typical for the Audi A3.

Two years ago, Mark Uttley from Windsor Fire & Rescue and I spoke to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) about airbag safety and firefighter safety. One of our key messages was the time it takes to rescue a patient from a vehicle, whether they have non-life threatening or life-threatening injuries. The manufacturers were impressed by the graphic presentation but they had no idea of the importance of imparting technical information about their vehicles to firefighters until we presented our perspective.

This was another step toward the auto industry taking rescuers more seriously when we call for information. It also gave us an opportunity to view some of the manufacturers’ proposed changes, including relocation of airbag deployments and relocation of compressed cylinders. One change under consideration was locating the inflatable cylinders in the roof line just above the front and rear windshield and removing them from the A and C pillars. This would reduce the time it takes to perform a total roof removal because rescuers wouldn’t have to strip the interior trim first.

In 2006 General Motors of Canada started using the Delphi Dual-Depth Passenger Airbag system, which provides tailored volume and inflation levels to match the needs of the occupant in a specific crash situation. The Delphi Dual-depth Airbag can deploy in a small or large size based on seat

Top/middle: Firefighters in Niagara Falls, Ont., perform a total roof removal to extricate a driver from a vehicle after it collided with a transport truck.

Bottom:

A manufacturer’s computer-generated model uses colour codes to show the numbers of different types of steel used in new cars.

Facing the unknown at every turn, firefighters need to have confidence in their gear. That’s why our scientists rigorously test our CROSSTECH® Products — so firefighters can focus on the hazards in their environment.

Our fabrics reliably provide maximum heat stress reduction and durable liquid penetration protection. The barriers of choice for firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement professionals, CROSSTECH Products have been tried, tested, and proven like no other.

Firefighters are relentless in doing their duty. We’re relentless in giving them the best possible barrier for their gear.

position, seatbelt use and crash severity. By tailoring volume and inflation rate, dual-depth airbags help to protect the passenger. These airbags were first available on the 2006 Buick Lucerne and 2006 Cadillac DTS and the 2006/07 Cadillac Escalade. The bag’s inflation energy is also adjusted at two different pressures according to crash severity. This represents the next generation of airbag technology because of the potential to help restrain a front-seat passenger in a greater variety of seating and crash situations. A conventional dual-stage airbag inflates to a single shape with different pressures. The dual-depth airbag is fully compatible with existing restraint electronics products and no architecture changes are required.

Auto manufacturers have been preaching since the late 1990s that rescuers should disconnect the negative side of the battery and then the positive side to ensure that undeployed airbags don’t accidentally go off during a rescue. Now, with advancements to electrical systems, simply removing the key from the ignition ensures that the airbags will not deploy. Rescuers were also taught to be wary of a back feed from auxiliary power locations such as cigarette lighters or cell phone plugs. Vehicle electrical systems are now designed to prevent this type of power back feed.

Rollovers

The myriad crash sensors on any vehicle are complemented by crash-avoidance systems such as standard StabiliTrak with rollover mitigation. The electronically controlled system continuously measures the side angle of the vehicle and, if a rollover appears imminent, it can deploy the sidecurtain airbags before the crash occurs. The 360 degrees of detection capability allows the electronically controlled safety systems to deploy in a greater variety of situations. This is a safety feature that General Motors should brag about. It’s fantastic as far as safety goes and with the StabiliTrak there should be fewer rollover situations. A few years ago, Land Rover released a model with a dual gas cylinder head-protection system with the cylinders in the lower portion of the dash and across the top of the roof between the C and D pillars. These systems inflate a fairly large head-protection airbag and will keep it inflated long enough for a possible second or third rollover. Rescuers need to be mindful of the cylinder location on the Land

The SMART Car is one of the safest cars on the road, with more safety features than some full-size vehicles. The SMART Car’s Tridion Safety Cell distributes impact throughout the entire frame of the vehicle.

Rover and avoid using spreaders or rams on the dash portion of the vehicle.

Glass

Another change in vehicle technology is the use of stronger, laminated glass. Mercedes Benz has used this technology in the S-class and SL-class for the past few years. This glass acts as a theft deterrent but also increases safety because it’s stronger. Rescuers can determine if this type of glass is in place by looking for the words Laminate or Sekurit on the side-door window. Also, the edge of the glass is slightly thicker because the two panes are offset just a bit. When trying to access this type of glass you may need to use a Glassmaster tool if a centre punch doesn’t work.

Seating

Ford and Daimler-Chrysler were the first two North American companies to introduce the hide-and-go or stow-and-go seating, which allows seats to be folded down into the floor. This is a great option when rescuers have to get to the driver and front passenger but can’t get to them from the front of the vehicle.

SMART Cars

I have had more safety questions about the Mercedes Benz SMART Car than any other vehicle I have had the opportunity to talk about. The SMART Car was designed to be one of the safest cars on the road and it has more safety features than some full-size vehicles. The safety comes from the Tridion

Safety Cell, a reinforced cell that distributes impact throughout the entire frame of the vehicle. The cell is designed with three layers of metal and is reinforced at strategically important points with high-strength steel to keep the occupants safe in a crash.

When the SMART Car is involved in a collision, the longitudinal and transverse triple reinforced cross members activate the crumple zones of the other vehicle. The black underbody framework is made to travel underneath the vehicle and break away upon rear collision. This prevents the framework material from intruding to the interior of the vehicle.

In the interior of the door frame there are two side-impact beams that run from the hinge to the lock mechanism as well as to the door-latch mechanism. This upper door frame doubles as side-impact protection. It is located higher than the normal height of a door. This feature evenly divides and distributes the side impact between both A and B pillars.

With all this information from the auto manufacturers, take a look at your extrication equipment and ask whether you have the tools and the training to safely and proficiently deal with these new vehicles. Be well prepared as well as properly trained.

In the meantime, stay safe.

Pete Methner is a firefighter in Niagara Falls, past education chairman for the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee for Canada and the president of ON SCENE Rescue Training. He has competed both regionally and internationally and has taught firefighters from around the world. Contact Pete at autoexed@cogeco.ca

“Our fire department recycles used rechargeable batteries and cell phones. So should you.”

We protect our citizens and we protect our environment. The fire stations in our department recycle the used rechargeable batteries in their mission-critical equipment such as two-way radios, cell phones, portable defibrillators and cordless power tools. With RBRC as our partner, recycling is easy and free! RBRC has enrolled more than 5,400 public agencies and recycled millions of pounds of rechargeable batteries and cell phones since 1996. Get started today at www.call2recycle.org or call toll free 1-877-723-1297. RBRC. Responsible Recycling.

Anthony Peluso Lieutenant of Fire Station #79 Montreal, Quebec

Learning lessons from firefighters’ best friend

Firefighter lore is teeming with stories of animals and pets. From the firehall dog to a variety of animal rescues, we are often identified with animals. I have had the pleasure of meeting a great number of firefighter dogs and have realized that these animals are an important element of our lives. We can learn some valuable lessons from our canine counterparts.

• Take a walk when you can. This one goes without saying, firefighters need exercise and one of the best ways to do this is by simply taking a walk. The physical and mental benefits are well documented.

• Loyalty is king. In our line of work, there is a lot riding on what we do every day. We have to trust and be trusted by our coworkers and the public. Take a look, every day we have to be yielding to someone or something. How we handle this loyalty is important.

• Don’t bite when a simple growl will do. This mainly applies to officers but can apply to just about everyone. I admit that I have been the supervisor in charge when things went unexpectedly wrong on the fire ground. I simply lost it when a firefighter with basic training could not do a Storz connection because a cap was in place. First, I berated him on the spot, connected the hose and walked away in frustration. I realized that I looked like a fool for losing my cool and embarrassing a worker on the fire ground. All I had to do was quickly help him and deal with it later in a better atmosphere.

• No matter how many times you are criticized, don’t pout, run back. Humans, just like dogs, make mistakes. Learn from these errors and become a better firefighter. Do not hold anything against those who recognized and possibly corrected your error.

prepared to deal with problems.

• The other side of this is the person you don’t want to be anywhere near when they lose it. You must become invisible to escape the wrath; dogs are masters at this.

• Dig to find the things you want. This applies to how you handle your career aspirations, find food in the station fridge, find equipment for special circumstances, and perform a rescue. Never give up and always know that if you don’t find what you are looking for in that hole you can always dig yourself another.

VERN ELLIOTT

“Loyalty is king. In our line of work, there is a lot riding on what we do every day. We have to trust and be trusted by our coworkers and the public.”

• Don’t show weakness. This is primarily for rookies during day-to-day operations but can apply to everyone. Just like a hungry wolf pack, your buddies can turn on you in a second. Just remember that if you are sensitive about certain things be careful how you let it be known.

• Show weakness. On the other hand, if you are having a difficult time with something then let someone know. I am not an expert in critical incident stress disorders or psychology but from experience, letting others know when you need help, and letting them help you, can be a powerful tool.

• When someone is having a bad day, sit by, be silent and listen. Firefighters solve problems by nature. When someone talks to us, our instincts kick in and we immediately start thinking about a solution. Firefighters will see the best and worst of society so be

• When you are hot, drink lots of water and sit in the shade. I have nothing to add here except that we sometimes do forget this one.

• Nap when you can and be sure to spin three times around your bed before lying down. We all need sleep and studies show that most of us don’t get enough. Remember the old adage “A firefighter is bored 98 per cent of the time only to be interrupted with pure terror.” When the call comes you should be rested, so when the station duties are done, or you are done that last medical call, lie down. Spinning three times allows you to make sure that no one has placed flour, icing sugar, itching powder, a CPR dummy, air horn, IV fluid, ironing board, mouse trap or any other item in your bed.

Eat and live like it is your first and last day. This is probably the most important thing we can learn from dogs. There is nothing like watching a pup eat, play and enjoy all aspects of its existence no matter what is happening. Remember that we, as firefighters, are going to get frustrated once in awhile because someone did not take due care. As long as you know that you have something to look forward to, then what is the big deal?

Hope you enjoy these and will maybe think about a couple of them once in a while. Some of them you have read and heard before; sorry, but all dogs pretty much do the same thing – that is the great thing about them, consistency. It goes without saying that most of these are common sense items but sometimes the simplest things in life are the ones we are most likely to forget. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this to Java, a chocolate lab who loved visiting station #3 and provided a lifetime of memories.

Vern Elliott has 14 years’ experience in emergency services in municipal and industrial departments as a firefighter/paramedic. He works with Strathcona County Emergency Services in Alberta.

For further information on new products and manufacturers’ websites, visit www.firefightingincanada.com and click on new products.

DQE introduces decon station and shower

Following a hazmat incident, thoroughly decontaminating responder gear can be a tedious and awkward task. The Equipment Decon Station provides a practical solution by moving the decon process from the ground up to a comfortable working height.

The Equipment Decon Station is a non-porous table that allows water to pass through to a collection pool. The table has a 2 x 4-foot surface at a working height of 36 inches. The station includes the table, detachable legs, three brushes in various sizes and an adjustable hand-held sprayer.

The Indestructo Decon Shower is highly break resistant and is designed to hold up to the most rugged conditions, including field and military response.

The Indestructo is constructed of the lightest, strongest, most break-resistant pipes and fittings on the market, with specially designed shower heads used. The shower assembles quickly and is fully collapsible for quick storage. The four shower heads have a total output of 12 gpm. Two wind screens reduce overspray and enhance privacy.

SCI provides custom cylinder identification

Pomona, CA – Structural Composite Industries makes it easy to identify your department’s cylinders and help prevent loss.

Any department, regardless of size, can have its new SCI cylinders custom labelled to its unique set of guidelines or standards. Departments can add unique identifiers such as a department logo, colour or other department-specific labelling. Options include sequential alpha-numeric labelling, bar coding or unique colour coding based on purchase date. Customization is an effective agent against inadvertent attrition or loss during mutual-aid scenarios. Unique customization also ensures better overall identification and assists with cylinder inspection procedures.

Industrial Scientific launches docking station

Pittsburgh, PA – Industrial Scientific Corp. has launched its DS2 docking station for the GasBadge Plus single gas monitor. The GasBadge Plus is a two-year, low-cost, personal gas detector providing protection from dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, oxygen, nitrogen dioxide or sulphur dioxide.

All GasBadge Plus instruments currently in use are compatible with the new docking station and iNet, Industrial Scientific’s automated maintenance and management solution.

For more information, call your local Globe dealer or Safedesign.

BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALBERTA

Coquitlam, British Columbia 800-667-3362

Calgary, Alberta 800-661-9227

Edmonton, Alberta 800-222-6473

Kamloops, British Columbia 250-374-0044

Nanaimo, British Columbia 250-758-3362

Prince George, British Columbia 250-960-4300

QUEBEC

LaSalle, Quebec

800-905-0821

ATLANTIC PROVINCES

St. John's, Newfoundland

800-563-9595

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 800-567-1955

Saint John, New Brunswick 800-567-1955

MANITOBA AND SASKATCHEWAN

Thompson, Manitoba 204-778-7123

The DS2 recognizes individual instrument serial numbers and performs calibration and bump testing according to specific schedules set by the user. Instrument diagnostics and record-keeping functions also limit safety hazards and liability concerns for additional peace of mind. Two-way wireless and/or Ethernet connectivity allows DS2s to communicate from remote locations to a central database. The DS2 can support all customer applications from a laptop PC running one to eight DS2s, to complete WAN networks supporting up to 100 DS2s in multiple locations around the world.

The DS2 features a multilingual display, three status LEDs and an audible alarm providing important status information and instrument details. The DS2 also offers optional iGas capability to automatically identify calibration gas cylinder concentrations, lot numbers and expiration dates to keep the system operating effectively and continually.

Dash swing-out monitor available

Havis-Shields Equipment Corp. introduces New dash swing-out monitor mounts. Designed with the driver in mind, this space-saving solution allows additional equipment to be mounted in the console.

The swing-out design positions the monitor in a safe and convenient line of sight. It can swivel and tilt so both the driver and passenger can view with ease.

A spring latch allows the monitor to be easily and securely opened or closed with one hand. No permanent vehicle modifications are required and it comes with multiple in-dash mounting points for maximum strength and stability. It is available for many different computer and vehicle/manufacturer types.

NOTIFIER releases Mass Notification systems

Northford, CT – NOTIFIER, part of the Honeywell Life Safety Group, has released its new Mass Notification solutions product line.

In the event of dangerous and life-threatening emergency, NOTIFIER’s Mass Notification systems broadcast live, upto-the-minute emergency information to everyone in a building, campus, or multiple facilities spread across a city or even around the world, to help prevent injuries and save lives.

NOTIFIER’s comprehensive product and technology offering fits a wide range of facility types and applications, including schools, office towers or high-rise buildings, mass-transit hubs, and university and manufacturing campuses.

For smaller, stand-alone facilities that require a simplified solution, the FireVoice 25/50 is an ideal fit; whereas, NOTIFIER’s Digital Voice Command (DVC) is engineered specifically for larger buildings and campuses, which often require a greater level of flexibility and sophistication. Multiple DVC systems linked together via the NOTI-FIRE-NET intelligent network form a powerful mass notification system capable of informing thousands of people throughout a campus about an unfolding emergency.

NOTIFIER’s Mass Notification product portfolio includes a complete line of visual and audible peripheral notification appliances such as amber strobes, LED signs and speaker clusters. Flashing amber strobes accompany the voice instructions to visually alert occupants that an emergency exists. Programmable LED signs placed in areas where a large number of people assemble or traverse can communicate information specific to the emergency or display a simple message such as “evacuate.” Large speaker clusters can be installed on the exterior of a building or multiple buildings throughout a campus to provide voice instructions to people outdoors in the general vicinity of the buildings.

Bullard helmets re-engineered for comfort

Cynthiana, KY – Bullard has introduced advancements in three fire helmet lines. It has upgraded its Wildfire helmet and re-designed the LT Series and USRX Series helmets,

Globe Emergency Series available in 8” Lace-up (right) and 6” Step-in (below) both with side zips.

NFPA 1999 compliant. (Emergency Medical)

: STIFF, POOR-FITTING BOOTS HURT YOUR FEET AND YOUR PERFORMANCE.

Unique cement construction combines contoured outsole, 3D lasting board with built-in flex zone, and multilayer composite puncture protection. Without stiff welts, ribbed midsoles, or steel plates, this attachment process is far more flexible than traditional welt construction. Globe FootGear has been tested to withstand

flexes with no compromise in performance.

SAY GOODBYE TO HEAVY, STIFF, MILITARY-CONSTRUCTION BOOTS FOREVER – GLOBE FOOTGEAR IS HERE. REMARKABLY FLEXIBLE WITH A UNIQUE CUSHIONED AND CONTOURED SOLE AND CUSTOM FIT SYSTEM, GLOBE FOOTGEAR FITS BETTER, GRIPS BETTER, AND FEELS BROKEN IN RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. GLOBE FOOTGEAR COMES IN A RANGE OF STRUCTURAL, TECHNICAL AND EMERGENCY NFPA COMPLIANT STYLES. FIND THE GLOBE SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR PPE PROBLEMS AT:

Canadian climate, terrain no match for Timberwolf

by LAURA KING

TMultipurpose apparatus meets needs of Ontario department

he new apparatus at the Centre Wellington Fire Rescue in Ontario looks a bit like the vehicles used to carry tourists to see polar bears in the Arctic. It’s compact but with big tires and looks like it can drive through anything Mother Nature throws at it.

That’s exactly what Fire Chief Brad Patton wanted. When a tornado blew through the region northwest of Toronto in 2005, firefighters had trouble manoeuvring their apparatus around the debris. And with the volume of brush fires and extreme weather in the department’s 420-square-kilometre area, Patton was on the prowl for something powerful and affordable that could tolerate the region’s climate and terrain.

Top: The Centre Wellington Fire Rescue received four-wheel drive Rosenbauer Timberwolf apparatus in February, while the province was covered with snow.

Middle: Centre Wellington opted for a high-pressure pump for its Timberwolf, similar to those used in the United Kingdom. The pump operates at 500 psi (3,600 kPa). Running high pressure through smaller lines produces smaller water droplets, which absorb heat faster. Below: The short wheel base and compact design make the Timberwolf more manoeuvrable than other vehicles.

“We did a lot of research,” says Patton. “And I certainly agree with all the scientists that we’re in for severe weather swings and that the weather is going to get worse. Quite often in our area the municipality closes roads – five times this year they’ve closed highways and back roads and pulled the snowplows off the streets – so we needed a vehicle that was going to get where we needed to go.”

In addition, Centre Wellington is home to farm country and a Mennonite population that relies on horses and buggies, meaning the snow is rarely cleared from long driveways leading to homes and barns.

When the volunteer department’s 18year-old aerial came up for retirement in 2005, Patton says officers did a lot of soul

PHOTOS COURTESY CENTRE WELLINGTON FIRE RESCUE

searching about whether Centre Wellington needed two aerials. Ultimately, it was determined that mutual aid would be called in if a second aerial became necessary and that the department would order a vehicle to meet its other needs.

In the last 15 years, Centre Wellington’s responses to structural fires have dropped to between three and four per cent of calls from between 15 and 20 per cent, while responses to “other” types of alarms have increased more than 600 per cent.

So, armed with a list of 27 features the department wanted on its new apparatus –including four-wheel drive, a large amount of water, an enclosed cab and suitability for wildland, basic extrication calls and severe weather – Patton wandered the tradeshow floor at the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs convention. After being told by some manufacturers that the list of demands couldn’t possibly be met, Patton came face to face with Rosenbauer Firefighting Technology’s specialty vehicle, the Timberwolf.

Centre Wellington took delivery of its $355,000 (less than half the cost of an aerial) Timberwolf severe-weather apparatus on Feb. 15 – the first Timberwolf in Canada. It was then sent to ResQtech Systems Inc. in

Centre Wellington Timberwolf

Chassis

International 7400 SFA, 4 x 4

4 door, 5 passenger

High ground clearance

Short wheelbase

GVWR 14,968 kg; loaded weight 12,000 kg

Engine

International/Cummins D310 310-hp diesel

Pump

Capacity 840 Igm (1,000 gpm)

Water tank capacity 420 IG (1,893 litres)

Foam tank 25 IG (114 litres)

Generator

Raven 5 kW engine mount

Woodstock, Ont., – the Canadian distributor for Rosenbauer – to be fitted with equipment. Every piece of equipment is mounted so that nothing goes awry while navigating

Price

$355,000

Highlights

Pump and roll foam system and all highpressure systems, front bumper-mounted turret nozzle, four ground-sweep nozzles, two cab-protection nozzles – all high pressure and fully operational from cab; Two, 150-foot high-pressure booster lines; 9,000-lb rated winch, can be front or rear mounted;

Fully automatic 3,000-watt command light and generator;

Complete Foam Pro system to all lines and nozzles in high- or low-pressure mode;

High ground clearance with a small turning radius.

rough terrain. The truck is also fitted with items for structural firefighting, water rescue, auto extrication and first aid/trauma.

ResQtech president Brian Innis describes

the Timberwolf as an urban interface truck with all the features of a standard pumper plus wildland abilities, a short, manoeuverable wheel base and full-depth storage compartments.

The concept for the Timberwolf came from a Rosenbauer rep in California who saw a need for a more manoeuverable wildland apparatus.

Innis says some Canadian departments that viewed the Timberwolf thought its short, stocky frame meant it was too small to hold all the necessary firefighting equipment but Centre Wellington’s apparatus disproves that theory.

“With Centre Wellington, they have all their equipment on it and there’s still more space,” he said. “We’re packaging the equipment better so we’re getting smaller vehicles that are much more manoeuvrable.”

After the apparatus arrived in Centre Wellington, firefighters reviewed calls for the previous year and wished they’d had the Timberwolf sooner for responses to brush and grass fires in which they had to leave the pumper at the side of the road and lay hose lines. They’re confident the Timberwolf would have easily traversed the rugged terrain.

The Timberwolf joins a 100-foot E-One aerial, two 2,500-gallon tankers, two heavy rescue units, two 15-foot Zodiacs, one Argo all-terrain vehicle and two pumpers at Centre Wellington’s two stations in Fergus and Elora. There are 25 firefighters in each station, all volunteer, along with a full-time chief, public safety officer and administrative assistant.

Last year, Centre Wellington crews put in 17,405 hours on 560 calls. The department is one of largest volunteer departments in Ontario.

One of the key differences on the custom Timberwolf for Centre Wellington is the high-pressure pump, similar to those used in the United Kingdom.

As in most other centres, Centre Wellington’s pumpers operate at 75 to 100 psi (750 kPa). The Timberwolf front lines operate at 500 psi (3,600 kPa). The consensus among proponents of high-pressure pumps is that running high pressure through smaller lines produces smaller water droplets, which absorb heat faster and therefore knock down fires faster, using less water.

Patton says the high pressure allows for greater penetration when working deep fires and allows firefighters to be further away

The myriad features on the Timberwolf make it particularly suitable for wildland firefighting.

when fighting vehicle fires.

The Timberwolf pump can also work in the traditional low-pressure mode if necessary.

Rescue vehicles in the Ontario communities of East Gwillimbury, Stratford and Orillia have similar Rosenbauer pumps on their vehicles.

PHOTO COURTESY CENTRE WELLINGTON FIRE RESCUE

Up-to-the-minute news headlines • Watch the home page at www.firefightingincanada for breaking fire-service news from across Canada and the latest headlines. Send us your news stories and photos to post.

WEB EXCLUSIVE

Peter Sells challenges the status quo in his Flashpoint column in our sister publication, Fire Fighting in Canada, and provokes plenty of feedback. Read Peter’s Flashpoint blog online and join the banter by posting comments or blog entries of your own.

Check it out under Web Exclusives.

DIGITAL ISSUE

Visit www.firefightingincanada.com to sign up for your free digital issue.

NEW PRODUCTS

NEW PRODUCTS BLOG

For the latest in gas detectors, thermal imagers, SCBAs and more, click on New Products.

POLL

Have your say in our fire-service related polls.

Recent poll results: In light of recent fire deaths do publiceducation efforts need to be upgraded or revisited?

Yes 85.5 per cent

No 7.3 per cent

Undecided 7.3 per cent

BUYERS GUIDE

Fire Fighting in Canada’s annual buyers guide is posted on our website for quick and easy reference to suppliers and manufacturers. Click on Buyers Guide.

Check out our editor’s blog for the latest news and views. Click on Blog.

EVENTS

Submit your event and have it posted on our comprehensive list of conferences, workshops and association meetings.

by LAURA KING

Just eight weeks after fires destroyed historic properties in Wasaga Beach and Barrie, Ont., a massive, sixalarm blaze tore through a block of Toronto’s Queen Street on Feb. 20, challenging firefighters and testing the limits of the Toronto Fire Service’s incident management system.

“The biggest lesson we learned,” says Toronto Fire Commander Andrew Kostiuk is that we need to improve our IMS training.”

The speed at which the fire consumed the tinder-dry block of storefronts and apartments made it difficult for officers to keep up.

“We noticed that we had to get our command post up and running faster to keep up with a fast-moving fire like that,” Kostiuk said. “We were playing a little bit of catch up.”

In the aftermath of one of the biggest fires in Toronto’s history, Kostiuk said fire officials are also considering how to improve communication with sector officers who were stationed at various points around the block. Other officers couldn’t get to the sector officers without walking around the buildings, losing valuable time. Kostiuk said radio communication needs to improve so that information can be shared faster.

More than 130 firefighters were on

SIX ALARMS

SIX ALARMS

Toronto battles historic blaze

Toronto battles historic blaze

Toronto photographers John

and

were on scene and captured the path of the Feb. 20 blaze that destroyed a block of history on Queen Street in Toronto, the aftermath of the blaze and the gruelling work in the freezing temperatures.

PHOTOS BY JOHN HANLEY AND KEITH HAMILTON

Hanley

Keith Hamilton

scene as the fire enveloped decades-old family owned shops and second- and third-storey flats. Toronto Fire Services responded to the call at 5:06 a.m. with between 34 and 56 of the department’s 130 apparatus on scene at any given time. The last firefighters left the scene three days later, on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., but some firefighters helped with the investigation through Feb. 29. Access to that particular section of Queen Street was difficult because of narrow laneways behind the buildings.

The fire left 20 people without homes but there were no injuries. Still, Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Police Service were bombarded with calls from worried family members. The delicacy of dealing with frantic relatives and ensuring that accurate information is disseminated is another area that Kostiuk says has been targeted for improvement.

“People were calling in from all over the country looking for their loved ones so we’re looking at doing some work around having a phone number that people can call,” he said. “That’s one of the issues that would lighten the load on the police too.”

For Capt. Adrian Ratushniak, an information office with Toronto Fire Services and a firefighter for 19 years, the Queen Street blaze was among the most remarkable of his lengthy career.

“It’s certainly a day that will be entrenched in my memory forever,” he said, still marveling at the speed at which the fire moved through the buildings and the impact of the blaze on landlords, tenants, businesses, area residents, commuters, the Toronto Transit Commission and firefighters.

Unlike the blaze in Wasaga Beach on Nov. 30 that was whipped by extremely high winds, there were light winds the morning of the Toronto fire but temperatures had dipped by 7 a.m. to -11 C with a wind chill of -21 C.

“Water and mist and spray was landing on the firefighters and creating icy bunker suits,” Ratushniak said, “so it made our suits crinkle and crunch as we bent or arms and keens, and the surface below you was pure ice.” The firefighters’ collective agreement stipulates that crews spend no more than four hours at a time at a fire and fire watches were rotated every two hours. Those on scene were rotated as needed to the canteen to rehydrate and warm up.

Flames, smoke and fog caused by the combination of fire and water reduced visibility on Queen Street and that made it difficult for some firefighters in the defensive, surround-and-drown position at street

level to determine how the fire was moving, Ratushniak said.

“It was very dark,” he said. “The power on the street was disconnected so we were basically working in darkness with the exception of the lighting that we provide. Basically, the flames were visible from the tops of the buildings and lit up the sky but there were periods where it was soup-like thick fog that descended down on us – we’d hit something with the hoses and it would turn to steam and it would lay low.”

Ratushniak was in front of landmark retailer Duke’s Cycle, at the west end of the Queen Street block, when the fire jumped to that building from the one immediately to the east. Within minutes, the 94-year-old building collapsed.

“Nobody anticipated that,” Ratushniak said of how quickly the building came down. “Through training we understand building design and the building collapsed inward, as it was designed to do in 1800s, so it crumbled inward and caused no danger to firefighters.”

The pace of the fire meant that the mostly wooden buildings – one of the structures was built in 1868 – were being consumed faster than firefighters could douse them with water.

“Until the roof caves in you have limited access to the fire,” Ratushniak said. “When you have a fire spreading so rapidly and the wood being so old that it’s just being consumed at a rate far faster than we could supply the water to put it out . . . We had numerous water towers et up spraying the water down. It’s difficult to watch something of such historical value and a landmark go up.”

Toronto Fire Services received the first call for the Queen Street blaze at 5:06 a.m. By 6:24 a.m. – just an hour and 18 minutes later – the fire had become a six-alarm, one

of only a handful of six alarms in recent memory, says Commander Kostiuk, who responded to the fifth alarm.

The Queen Street fire ranks among the largest in Toronto, along with a seven-alarm blaze in October 2006 at a century-old paint store – also on Queen Street – a six-alarm fire at a plastics plant in March 2005 and a five-alarm blaze at the New York Pork and Meat Exchange in August 2006.

The partial collapse of family owned Duke’s Cyle at about 7:15 a.m. created a natural fire break that assisted firefighters to contain the blaze, Kostiuk said.

Like any other event in a major city, the impact of the Queen Street fire was felt by hundreds of thousands of people. In addition to the emotional impact on the 20 residents and the surrounding Queen Street community, the fire shut down one of the city’s busiest transit routes. Streetcars that usually run along Queen Street were diverted for almost two weeks during an already brutal winter for commuters.

The displaced residents had a particularly tough time after the fire, watching heavy

equipment tear through their belongings, some of which appeared salvageable. A report of potential asbestos meant that residents couldn’t go near the rubble and that investigators had to wear light, Tyvek hazmat suits despite the freezing temperatures.

The cause of the fire hadn’t been determined at press time.

TERC challenge tests extrication specialists

Teams encouraged to compete in regional events

by RANDY SCHMITZ

Gradually you come to, in a daze and confused. You hurt. The last thing you remember is the car headed toward you. Then, a crash. Panic sets in as you realize you’re trapped. You move your head, eyes searching for a way out. Then there’s a voice: Fire department. We’re here to help you.

You peer over the now deflated airbag. On the other side of the smashed windshield is a firefighter.

“Please don’t move. Where do you hurt? What’s your name? We will have you out as soon as possible.”

Panic subsides; you’re in good hands. There’s a rescue team at work to stabilize your injuries and get you out.

The team is trained in extrication, a skill that’s becoming more and more hazardous and complex as car manufacturers meet new passenger-safety standards to make their vehicles safer and more crash worthy.

One way rescuers can increase extrication proficiency is by attending vehicle extrication challenges.

Transport Emergency Rescue Committee (Canada)

The Transport Emergency Rescue Committee oversees all aspects of sanctioned extrication challenges in Canada and the U.S., including guidelines, policies and operations.

TERC’s mission statement is to serve as

Top: Calgary fire cadets complete a roofremoval exercise during the Alberta regional TERC competition.

Middle: The Parkland County team competes at the 2005 Alberta regional TERC event in Calgary with Brad Goodwin from Toronto Fire Services judging the event.

Bottom: The Burlington (Ontario) Fire Department team competes in the Alberta regional limited pit event in 2005. The team was the overall winner.

PHOTOS COURTESY RANDY SCHMITZ

Tools permitted in the limited and unlimited pits

– F.E. bar, Haligan tool, etc.

come-a-long, chain, cable or nylon with spare handles

Rescue chains, 12-foot certified grade with oblong ring, shortener and slip hook

wrenches and ratchets,

loaded centre punch (furnish one for use)

Assorted cribbing =

25 wedges, 25 4x4, 25 4x6, etc. =

Assorted patient-care items (blankets, collars, etc.)

Soft, medium and hard board protection =

Air lift bags – high, low, and medium

Pike pole – six-foot

Utility ropes or webbing straps (rope ½-inch diameter, minimum 10 feet in length)

Air bottles (four per team per scenario)

Heavy hydraulics

1 - cutter

1 - spreader

1 - combination tool

1 - ram of each size

2 - hydraulic taps (symo or two single-power plants)

1 - hand pump

a competent source of guidance and information on transportation emergencies for those involved in providing emergency service.

TERC is a non-profit organization comprising emergency service personnel. There are subcommittees within TERC that deal with each aspect of the challenge, including judging, education, policies and bylaws, pit liaison, tools and equipment, auto manufacturers and executive committees.

The challenge

Every year since 1984, in Canada and the U.S., rescue personnel have assembled sixmember teams to compete in simulated road accidents that test their skills, experience and knowledge. Firefighters from around the globe compete and share knowledge and ideas about vehicle extrication techniques and procedures.

Each team of six rescuers participates in two scenarios. Each scenario is set up with real vehicles being crushed together along with other props, such as fire hydrants, telephone poles, concrete barriers and any other object that could be involved in a real accident. A live “patient” then climbs into the wreckage and awaits rescue. The team is summoned to the area and the 20-minute timer starts.

The goal is to mitigate the hazards, stabilize the vehicle(s), stabilize the patient, and safely extricate the patient from the vehicle – all in 20 minutes.

During the so-called limited scenario, the team can use only limited hand tools to extricate the patient. During the unlimited scenario, teams can use hand tools and heavy hydraulic tools such as the Jaws of Life. Three judges mark various aspects of the team’s performance. There is a third option called the rapid scenario that can be added to a challenge; the time is reduced to 10 minutes and the exercise is designed to simulate a rapid-release situation that is life threatening, with time-critical injuries that are not treatable in the vehicle. The tool list is the same as the unlimited scenario.

The teams

To accomplish the goal, each team member plays an important role. The roles are:

Incident commander (1) – formulates the plan and oversees the progress;

Interior rescuer (2) – makes contact with patient and starts medical aid; Tool specialists (3-4) – stabilize the vehicle and use tools to extricate the patient.

Ingleside, ON

Judging

One judge follows the incident commander and rates performance based on control of the incident and plan of attack. Another judge follows the interior rescuer and awards marks based on how quickly the rescuer makes contact with the patient and his assessment, treatment and demeanour with the patient. Sometimes the patient is wired with a microphone and the medical judge wears a headset so he can hear the exchange between the patient and the interior rescuer. This allows the judge to more accurately monitor and evaluate the level of care. A third judge watches the overall scenario and marks the team based on how well the members work together, how comfortable they are with the equipment, the techniques they use and how effective they are.

The scores are then combined to give an overall score for each scenario.

Judging criteria

Each judge follows extensive assessing criteria to maintain consistency. Some of the categories that are scored are size up, scene stabilization command and control, vehicle stabilization, team management, scene safety, tool knowledge and proper usage, rescuer safety, medical control and efficiency to the end result.

Assessing a rescue scenario is no easy task and the judges must continuously make

2008 extrication challenges

every effort to evaluate fairly and remain impartial.

Judges must have six years of fire service experience, attend a judging workshop, shadow judge a set number of challenges and provide a letter of endorsement from a TERC judge one level higher than the applicant, who is familiar with the applicant’s qualifications.

There are three levels of judging status: regional, national and international. To qualify for the next level of judging, a candidates must shadow a judge at the level they are trying to attain. Judges must also provide annual judging activity reports and pay a yearly fee to maintain their status. Recently introduced is a judge critique form that each participating team can fill out at the end of the challenge to evaluate the judges. The feedback is reviewed by the TERC judges committee and the information is discussed with the challenge judges.

Want to host a challenge?

Each year, an emergency service department within each region or province hosts a regional extrication challenge. The host usually has about a year to plan and execute a challenge. A potential host department can request to put on an event or may be prompted at the annual awards banquet to step up to the plate.

Most departments require the year’s notice to raise between $5,000 and $25,000 to

This year, the Alberta Vehicle Extrication Association (AVEA) and he Calgary Fire Department will co-host the 2008 Alberta Regional Extrication Challenge at the CFD Training Academy June 6-8. Along with the two-day challenge, this event includes a learning symposium, evening social events, silent auction and door prizes.

The Calgary Fire Department has hosted successful challenges in the past. In 2005, teams from Burlington, Ont., and Fernie, B.C., came out to enhance their extrication skills. Calgary again encourages teams from across Canada and the northwestern U.S. to participate, share knowledge, expertise and ideas, meet new friends and have fun. For more information about this challenge, contact me at rwschmitz@shaw.ca or 403-6690750.

Regional TERC events

• Central Ontario Challenge, Barrie, Ont., June 5-7

• Alberta Regional Extrication Challenge, June 6-8

• Northeastern Ontario Challenge, Espanola, Aug. 14-16.

• Eastern Ontario Challenge, Elizabethtown-Kitley, June 14 (10-team challenge, limited to regional teams until May 1, then open to others).

• Auto Extrication Challenge, Sechelt, B.C., Sept. 12-14 (limited to first 12 paid teams). For host contacts and other details, visit www.terccanada.ca, www.terc.us or www.Albertavx.com

host the event. This figure depends on the number of teams that are part of that region and how extravagant the host chooses to make the event.

The host department relies heavily on sponsorship and in-kind support from local businesses. A portion of the budget will come from the challenge team registration fee, which is in the $450 to $500 range. A regional competition can effectively accommodate a maximum of 16 teams during an average two-day challenge.

National and international challenges are longer – usually three or four days – and require more planning and larger budgets as there are more teams.

Each zone or region sends its first place overall winner (and sometimes second place overall winner if there are spots available) from the previous year to compete in the following year’s national competition. The team entry fee for a national or international event is a minimum of $1,000 up to $1,500; this higher fee helps offset the already subsidized national or international challenge budget. The top placing regional teams wait to compete in the following year’s higherlevel event to give them sufficient time to train and fundraise to cover travel costs.

Teams participating in TERC-sanctioned events must be members of TERC Canada or TERC USA. The annual fee to compete in one regional event is $60. It’s $150 to compete in as many challenges as a team wishes.

Tools and equipment

The challenge host supplies the tools and equipment with assistance from rescue-tool vendors such as Holmatro, Hurst, Genesis, TNT, Amkus, ResQTec, Ajax and Rescue 42, to name a few. These suppliers dedicate their tools, time and efforts to assist in the tool pit.

The tool list below is used to simulate what rescue personal can expect to have on a responding emergency rescue vehicle. This is a generic guide that the host will try to replicate as closely as possible.

Teams can bring their own, homemade, remanufactured tools or equipment but all items must be approved by the tool committee or head judge of the challenge. This encourages teams to be innovative and usually helps the judges to decide which team should receive the innovation award for new tools, techniques and/or methods.

• Sets up in under 2 minutes

• Eliminates setting up time-consuming pulley systems

• Reduces number of rescuers needed topside (2 people can do the work of approximately 8-10 used in traditional rope rescue)

• Dramatically reduces complexity of any rope rescue

• 1,000 lb. working capacity with a 10:1 safety margin

• Instant stop with zero shock loading

• Rope automatically aligns with the direction of the load

• Precise control allows a load to be raised and lowered a fraction of an inch at a time for critical positioning

Promoting consistency in fire-service terminology

Departments and firefighters across Canada share a common goal of protecting life and property. What is not always so common is the terminology that defines their tactics, apparatus, and equipment.

In this column, we’ll attempt to raise your fire fighting intelligence quotient and standardize firefighter knowledge of common (and not so common) terms.

Got an interesting, unique or favourite procedure, rig or tool of your own? Then share it with us.

In the meantime, we’ll provide a few we’ve learned over the years.

Autoexposure

Sometimes referred to as autoextended fire or lapping, a structure fire often self ventilates as windows give way and flames spread vertically along exterior walls. Windows above the floor of origin, and, more often, overhangs, are quickly compromised, leading to the spread of fire to upper floors and attics or cocklofts.

Contents fire/structure fire

before the hose team arrives with the water. This must not delay the forcing of the door in a controlled manner. Heavy smoke and fire conditions may be encountered so a short piece of webbing around the doorknob and a latch strap to prevent the door from relocking should be used. In the event of light smoke conditions, a quick check of the area immediately inside the door may be possible, but contamination of the common hallway must be prevented by rapidly re-closing the door until a charged hose line arrives.

Actual and practical pump pressure

I’ve always taught my pump operators that there are two answers to every hydraulics/ friction loss question. Naturally, there’s the “correct” pump pressure, based on the required nozzle pressure, friction loss in the hose and elevation. Then, there’s the practical pump pressure, based on all those intangible factors that are unique to every fire.

Actual pressures should be reserved for exam questions and properly staffed hose stretches at well-involved fires.

The late Francis L. Branigan (Building Construction for the Fire Service), one of the fire service’s greatest proponents of firefighter safety and survival, was adamant that members recognize and distinguish between a fire that is consuming combustibles in a room and one that is destroying the building’s structural support system.

He believed that once recognized, command must broadcast “this is now a structural fire.” In this modern era of lightweight building construction, such a warning to firefighters has never been more critical.

Ventilation

Everyone remembers the definition from drill school, but how many recall that there four main reasons to ventilate a building?

To save lives (civilian and firefighter);

To aid in advancing the initial attack hoseline;

To reduce damage caused by the fire;

To reduce (and hopefully eliminate) the effects of flashover, backdraft, rollover, smoke explosions, etc.

In all cases, ventilation must be properly timed, co-ordinated and executed.

We’ll take a closer look at what you’re ventilating for in a future column.

Controlling the door

Occasionally, despite best efforts to execute a co-ordinated attack, the vent team may encounter a locked door to the unit of origin

Practical pressures are reserved for that “pot on the stove” or those times when staffing will not allow for sufficient firefighters to deal with the resulting reaction forces. The bottom line: pump operators must always know the correct pump pressure so they can quickly adjust for factors presenting at their next fire.

Straight streams versus solid streams

One of the oldest debates in the fire service surrounds the effectiveness of fog nozzles and solid bore nozzles. Most of us prefer the one we were raised with, and unless you’re the chief of purchasing, you don’t get to choose anyway.

Straight streams are those produced by fog nozzles and are, essentially, a very narrow fog stream composed of tiny water droplets separated by air.

A solid stream is produced by a smooth bore nozzle and forms a solid cylinder of water leaving the tip.

Fans of solid streams claim they can create larger, more effective water droplets by deflecting the stream off of ceilings or walls, compared with straight stream droplets that may be prematurely vaporized in a high-heat environment.

Fog nozzle guys enjoy the flexibility of being able to choose the appropriate pattern.

Peter Hunt, a 28-year veteran of the Fire Service, is a Captain with the Ottawa Fire Services Suppression Division.

PETER HUNT

by HILARY McROBERTS

TFireFit 2008 circuit set

Veteran competitors lend experience, depth to teams

he FireFit season starts off in a big way this year with the Grind in the City Charity Stair Climb in support of Muscular Dystrophy. Firefighters and others will compete at the Harbour Centre Tower in Vancouver on April 26. This is a great way to get the early season kinks out as FireFit competitors across Canada put their snow shovels away and begin training to see who is fitter, faster and stronger! Check the Grind website at www.grindthecity.com for details.

First on the official FireFit tour is Kamloops, B.C., from May 24-25. Last year Kamloops put on a great regional event, which led to a fine runner-up rookie-of-theyear performance by Graham MacKenzie. Kamloops will to play host to the west-coast powerhouse team from Delta, B.C., which includes returning stars Mark Millward, Ryan Rickards and hard-working Jamie McGarva. We’re also expecting some east coast competitors at this event to do an early run and see how they match up against the west coasters.

The next stop on the FireFit schedule is Edmonton from May 31-June 1, with Bob Murray and the Edmonton championship team hosting the Alberta regional competition. With an experienced crew putting the event together, look for another great

2008 SCHEDULE

Date Event

A Halifax team member competes at the 2007 Scott FireFit championships at the harbourfront site of the nationals on Labour Day weekend.

department-supported competition. Edmonton holds the record for most participation by a department with 31 relay teams at one event.

The Prairies get another opportunity to shine when Prince Albert hosts the Saskatchewan regional event on June 14. After lying low for the past couple of years, Prince Albert may have some tricks up its sleeve with Joe Zatylny set to compete again.

FireFit then works its way east to Ontario, a hotbed for competitors with several teams ready to make their marks, including Dwayne Drover’s Waterloo team, which will compete in Brantford on the Canada Day weekend. Another well-known Ontario competitor, Greg Kotsis from Windsor, has retired but the Windsor team has so much depth that it is always a force and we expect no less this season. Sudbury, with 2007 world champion Jimmy Kolar as anchor, boasts some rookies this season but is still expected to be a threat. And, never count out the Canadian Forces Fire Marshal team, which last season boasted two under- 90 second results.

Quebec hosts four events this year, starting with the Quebec regional event June 2122, and expectations are high.

Finally, with the Maritimes fielding top teams from St. John’s, Moncton and Halifax, it’s anybody’s guess who will end up at the Canadian and international championships Sept. 11-14 in Quinte West, Ont.

Visit the website www.firefit.com for all event details.

Location

Status

April 26 Grind in the City Charity Stair Climb for Muscular Dystrophy Vancouver FIRM

May 24-25

Pacific regional Kamloops FIRM

May 31-June 1 Alberta regional Edmonton FIRM

June 7 Syncrude in-house Fort McMurray FIRM

June 14 Saskatchewan regional Prince Albert FIRM

June 21-22

June 28

Western Quebec regional Valleyfield Firming

Southern Ontario regional Brantford Firming

July 5-6 Fire school onvitational Sarnia Tentative*

July 12-13 Metro regional Toronto Firming

July 19-20 Southern Quebec regional Levis Tentative*

Aug. 2-3 Maritime regional Stephenville FIRM

Aug. 9-10

Eastern Quebec regional Baie Comeau FIRM

Aug. 16-17 Metro regional Brampton FIRM

Aug. 23-24

Northern Quebec regional Quebec City FIRM

Aug. 30-31 Lake Ontario regional Cobourg FIRM

Sept. 6-7

Western Ontario regional Hamilton Tentative*

Sept. 11-14 Canadian & International championships Quinte West FIRM

*Tentative - do not book flights/hotels as event is not a for sure at this time. Check www.firefit.com for the updated schedule

PHOTO COURTESY DAVE STEWARDSON

Fort Garry Industries has delivered the Medicine Hat Fire Department in Alberta a 1,500-gpm pumper on a Spartan Classic chassis. The apparatus carries 470 gallons of water and 30 gallons of foam. It has pre-connected lines and a deck gun.

The airport fire service in Victoria, B.C. has in service a Rosenbauer Panther crash rescue unit with a 1,500-gpm pump, 2,750 gallons of water and 330 gallons of foam.

The Victoria Fire Department in B.C. has two new 1,500-gpm pumpers on Rosenbauer (G) SP C chassis that carry 600 gallons of water and two 30-gallon foam containers, along with pre-connected deck guns.

The Mill Bay Fire Department in B.C. has added to its apparatus roster an American LaFrance-LTI 77-foot aerial with a 2002 Foam Pro System.

The Anarchist Mountain Fire Department in B.C. has taken delivery of a Rosenbauer 1,250-gpm pumper built on Spartan Mountain Star 4 x 4 chassis with 1,000 gallons of water and 30 gallons of foam.

The Saanich Fire Department in B.C. has a new Spartan-Smeal apparatus with 1,250 gallons of water, a Foam-Pro system, a remote wireless monitor and Homatro cutters and spreaders.

PHOTO COURTESY DAVE STEWARDSON

PHOTO COURTESY DAVE STEWARDSON

PHOTO BY FRANK DEGRUCHY

PHOTO BY FRANK DEGRUCHY

PHOTO COURTESY DAVE STEWARDSON

CORE Technology™ - the next major step forward. Approximately 40 years ago hydraulics were introduced into the field of extrication, and for the past 30 years, Holmatro Rescue Equipment has been at the forefront of many product technology improvements. Holmatro continuously analyzes the needs of rescuers worldwide and responds with tools to meet them.

After decades of firsts, Holmatro introduces a revolutionary new technology that is sure to be one of the most important innovations in the field of extrication ever: CORE Technology™.

This patented technology significantly reduces deployment time, makes system setup simpler and provides incredible flexibility to the rescuer, allowing them to focus on the rescue, not the rescue equipment.

Protected Power - With the high pressure hose at the CORE of the low pressure return line, it is protected from external damage, resulting in a safer hose assembly.

To find out more about this incredible new technology, visit:

Belleville names new fire chief

The City of Belleville, Ont., has named Rheaume Chaput as its new director of fire and emergency services/fire chief for the city. Chaput succeeds Gord Gazley, who retired in January.

Chaput, 48, was the fire chief for the Pembroke Fire Department and was scheduled to assume duties in Belleville at the end of April.

Chaput holds a Bachelor of Applied Business: Emergency Services degree and certificates in fire service administration and leadership. He brings 25 years of experience in emergency services to the position.

N.S. chiefs call for more training

A report from fire chiefs representing 289 Nova Scotia fire chiefs and obtained by the Halifax Chronicle Herald says many of Nova Scotia’s 7,500 firefighters are not properly trained.

The report asks the Nova Scotia Labour Department to establish fire training sites in Halifax, Cape Breton, Yarmouth, Cumberland County and northeast Nova Scotia. It also

calls for replacement of the Waverley training centre, built in 1967 and still the only provincial site, with a new and expanded facility to be called the Nova Scotia Fire and Emergency Training Academy.

The report of the Nova Scotia Fire Services Training Committee also recommends creating a professional firefighting standards and mandatory training regulations for fires, water rescue and auto extrication.

Seniors homes ordered closed

St. John’s, N.L. - Twenty of 22 personal care homes ordered closed by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Fire Commissioner have complied with a requirement to install sprinkler systems.

But two other homes, Woodford’s Golden Care Home in Holyrood, N.L., and Island Manor in Wabana on Bell Island, N.L., have confirmed their intention to close.

Municipal Affairs Minister Dave Denine says contracts are in place with the 20 homes that will remain open to install sprinklers within 60 days.

The order was issued in March 2003 after

the fire commissioner deemed homes with five or more beds a high risk to residents because of lower staffing levels and a lack of emergency procedures.

The province stepped in after many home owners complained that they couldn’t afford the installation costs.

The 2005 budget provided $4 million to help with sprinkler installations, providing a one-time grant to cover 75 per cent of the cost to a maximum of $75,000.

-The Canadian Press

Public education questioned

Fire officials in Niagara Falls, Ont., are becoming frustrated with property owners who fail to keep smoke alarms in proper working condition. The Niagara Falls Review reported that after five years of a zero-tolerance approach against landlords, fire officials are reevaluating their public-education approach.

“It’s frustrating,” Jim Jessop, assistant fire chief with the Niagara Falls Fire Department, told the Review.

Since 2002, the department has charged corporations and individuals who fail to

comply with the Ontario Fire Code.

“Over 50 per cent of all of our charges prosecuted still relate directly to smoke alarms,” Jessop said. “Public education does not seem to be working.”

In March, the department laid charges against the Regency Hotel after a tenant in one of the rooms died as a result of a fire caused by careless smoking. The fire alarm was not operating properly.

The department said it will continue to lay charges.

Ruling may advance retirements

The Ottawa Fire Service could encounter an exodus of experienced firefighters once an arbitrator rules how much back pay firefighters are owed for being without a contract for more than four years.

According to the Ottawa Sun, new recruits will be hired once the fire service knows exactly how many firefighters will be leaving.

The ruling is expected to award large retroactive pay increases to compensate firefighters who haven’t had a pay raise since 2003. It is also expected that many firefighters will retire once the ruling is handed down.

Chief backs call for sprinklers

Cobourg, Ont., Fire Chief Al Mann supports a motion for sprinklers in residential dwellings but wants the move to go one step further.

The Ontario government is considering legislation to make sprinklers mandatory in multiple-unit residential buildings of more than three storeys but Chief Mann has said sprinklers should be installed in every dwelling, no matter the size. He told Northumberland Today that there is a misconception among homeowners that sprinklers will create huge amounts of water damage house if they go off.

“That’s not the case,” Chief Mann said, “because they don’t flow the same volumes of water that a typical industrial sprinkler head would.”

Chief retiring after 35 years

Steve Thurlow, the fire chief in Burlington, Ont., is retiring Dec. 31 after 35 years in the fire service. The City of Burlington will begin a recruitment process to fill the chief’s position.

Chief Thurlow began his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1973. He was appointed fire chief for the City of Burlington on July 6, 1999. he serves as the regional fire

co-ordinator for the Region of Halton and is a highly respected member of the senior management team of the City of Burlington. He recently received his 35-year provincial long-service medal. Burlington’s fire chief is responsible for overseeing a department comprising 245 staff, including full-time and volunteer firefighters, and an annual budget of more than $20 million.

New deputy chief named

Philip Dawson has been appointed deputy fire chief for the Richmond Hill Fire Department. Dawson comes from the Town of Markham where he served as a firefighter, company officer and, most recently, as a district chief.

During his 19 years with Markham Fire & Emergency Services, Dawson refined his leadership skills by participating on several significant corporate committees as well as the executive board of the Markham Professional Fire Fighters Association. He has extensive training and experience in fire service management and is a well respected chief officer in York Region.

Dawson has a certificate in Fire Service Leadership from Dalhousie University.

Earning your leadership stripes

Have you seen that movie Saving Private Ryan? It’s the one with the brutal opening scene where the GIs are storming the beach and the German machine guns are destroying the troops coming to shore. Tom Hanks plays the captain.

There’s a scene at the end and statement that Tom Hanks’ character makes that stuck in my gut the first time I saw the movie and every time since.

Hanks’ character and his company of soldiers are tasked with finding Private Ryan, who is being sent home because he is the last remaining brother in a family of service men. Troops search a good deal of western Europe to find this kid and send him home to his mother. While searching for him, the company endures some horrific battles and some of the company members of this close-knit unit are killed. Near the end of the movie there is a “last stand” kind of battle at a bridge against a larger force of Germans, during which Hanks’ character is mortally shot. When Private Ryan goes to his aid in the middle of the fire fight, Hanks says to him, “Earn this”. With labored breath in his dying words, he says it again to ensure Ryan hears him: “Earn this.” Ryan’s face blends into the next scene some 50-plus years later, where he is standing over this captain’s grave site. With a tear in his eye and with his children and grandchildren standing all around him, he says to his wife, “Tell me I’m a good man.” He wants assurance that he has indeed “earned this.”

Leaders stand out in the crowd and earn the respect of peers and subordinates.

something about your profession that you don’t?

How have you earned the right to lead these people and wear the crossed trumpets and bars on your epaulets? As a senior firefighter soon to move into the officer rank or a veteran officer, you are the benchmark for competency and dedication. You set the standard on how skilled your company will be and what your people know about their profession. It’s a tough job sometimes but you have to be the cheerleader and challenge people to be better in those new skills and reinforce the importance of those mundane bread-and-butter competencies such as air management and search techniques.

LOU WILDE

“As a senior firefighter soon to move into the officer rank or a veteran officer, you are the benchmark for competency and dedication.”

How does this relate to you as the company officer? I taught a fire officer development class recently and asked the question, “What have you done to earn the right to lead a company of firefighters?” I got answers like: “I’ve got seniority of 20-some years” and “I’ve seen a lot of action and know how to put out fires.” Both are good answers. Time and experience count for a lot when it comes to managing or taking action at an emergency incident. Now, what have you done for those whom you lead or will someday lead? Do you have their respect? Do you treat them as a person or treat them as second class because they don’t have their time spent? Have you shared your knowledge with them to make them everything you are? Would it be a threat if you found out maybe they know

Most of us pursued this vocation because of the variety that the job brings every day. When your spouse asks what you’re going to do today at work, it’s OK to say you have no idea – maybe pull an infant out of a swimming pool and do CPR, maybe cut a mangled car away from a teenage kid, maybe get an elephant out of a phone booth, maybe lead your company of firefighters in a task that will test their limits of courage and knowledge to stay alive in a chaotic and horrific incident.

I ask you this now: have you earned this? Have you earned the right to lead your members by preparing them to perform their jobs? Have you communicated your expectations to them? Do they trust you and your leadership – your decision making abilities?

The most important thing you as the officer or leader needs to accomplish today is to keep your people alive and send them home to their loved ones at the end of their shift.

Heaven forbid you ever have to endure the loss of a firefighter in your department or company, but after the funeral and the investigation, would you be comfortable in your gut knowing that the members you lead were as prepared as you could make them? Don’t ever turn down the opportunity to train or learn something. You’re cheating your fellow firefighters if you do. Earn this.

Lou Wilde is the assistant fire chief in Kelowna, B.C.

Calculating probability to improve emergency coverage

by KARIN MARK

Areal-time automated planning tool that calculates the probability of emergency calls is helping Surrey Fire Service in B.C. provide more thorough, responsive and cost-efficient emergency coverage.

As B.C.’s largest composite fire department covering one of the province’s fastest-growing communities, Surrey Fire Service faces the ongoing challenge of maximizing its resources while responding to unpredictable emergency incident rates in different neighbourhoods.

In its search for a solution, Surrey Fire began exploring “moveups” two years ago – that is, temporarily moving its career resources to provide emergency coverage when and where it is required. Using Deccan International’s automated Live Move-Up Module (LiveMUM), the department has been able to predict where coverage will be needed and shift its resources accordingly.

It’s a different approach from the tradition of providing full standby fire coverage for all areas at all times – to the point that stations are backfilled even when the chance of a call is minimal.

“The goal is to be in the right place at the right time, and these tools allow us to do that,” explained Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis. “It’s like Wayne Gretzky’s approach – being where the puck is, instead of chasing the puck.”

LiveMUM interacts with the city’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in real time to determine when and where move-ups are necessary. For example, when the closest units to a particular neighbourhood will not be available for a significant period of time, a move-up may be needed.

However, simply looking to address coverage holes would result in numerous unnecessary move-ups, because many times such holes may not get any call to make the move-ups worthwhile. Thus, an accompanying risk-assessment mechanism has been added to help ensure that any relocated resources will actually be put to use.

This critical component of LiveMUM uses historical data to calculate the probability of a call occurring during the time period when units are not available in a particular neighbourhood. Factors such as location, time of day and day of the week are part of this calculation. As a result, a move-up into a particular area would be recommended at times/days when the area’s call volume is typically high, but not at times/days when it is typically low.

The system employs what is known as Bayesian inference to probability calculations – a simple mathematical formula that determines the probability of an event occurring based on past incidences of the event.

An example of this approach is a gas station owner who operates a convenience store and a car wash, but has only one employee to work at the two sites. At different times of the day, the owner wants the employee to be at the location where the demand is greatest.

He decides it is only worthwhile to post the employee at the car wash if there is at least a 50 per cent chance of having four car-wash

sales per hour. Using historical demand at other similar car-wash operations, he can use the Bayesian calculation to determine the probability of a certain number of car-wash sales per hour – zero, one, two, three, four or more – at different times of the day, and then place the employee accordingly.

LiveMUM applies this same approach to determine the probability of at least one emergency call occurring in a particular neighbourhood on a particular day and at a particular time, based on the history of calls in the area. The system will only recommend a move-up if the probability of a call occurring is above the threshold determined by Surrey Fire Service.

The user-friendly format uses colour-coded maps to illustrate various levels of move-up necessity for different types of apparatus in various areas.

For example, if two adjacent fire halls are out on calls, a red colour on the map would indicate where a move-up of a pumper, ladder or rescue truck is required, based on the probability of a call occurring while the units are in use elsewhere. But if a move-up is not necessary due to historical call infrequency at that time, the area would be coloured orange indicating a hole in coverage but not enough calls to warrant move up.

Colour-coding also shows where the level of coverage is acceptable (yellow) and optimal (green) throughout the service area. As well, fire stations on the map are colour-coded to show if they have units available, no units available or no units assigned. Detailed station-by-station unit information is also available.

The system accommodates multiple concurrent scenarios – an important feature for a department the size of Surrey Fire Service, which has 17 fire stations covering a service area of 317.4 square kilometres and a population of about 450,000.

The historical data LiveMUM uses to calculate probabilities is routinely updated, ensuring its move-up recommendations remain accurate and can be trusted.

This type of risk-based approach to providing public-sector services is not new, particularly in Canada and the United Kingdom, where it is becoming popular in healthcare and other public-sector realms.

Chief Garis noted that a risk-based approach makes sense for any organization that wants to maximize its resources while ensuring thorough and responsive service – particularly communities facing ever-increasing emergency response costs and increasing demand for service from the public.

For the City of Surrey, he said, LiveMUM enables the Fire Service to dynamically apply its resources in an efficient, targeted manner, with no reduction of service. “In fact, the use of LiveMUM could actually improve overall fire service to the community because we are at the right place at the right time.”

Based near Vancouver, B.C., Karin Mark writes for publications and corporate clients and offers a range of contract communications services. She previously worked as a newspaper reporter for 13 years, earning multiple provincial and federal awards for her news and feature writing.

Find out by enrolling today and train where firefighters learn from the best. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s state-of-the-art Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI) offers hands-on courses ranging from NFPA programs to Aircraft Rescue Firefighting programs to Confined Space Training. Clients from across the globe in search of top quality instruction make FESTI their first choice for their emergency response training needs.

ENROL TODAY AND BE FESTI CERTIFIED! Visit us at www. gtaa.com/festi

New Products

Continued from page 20

offering users superior comfort in helmet protection.

The Bullard Wildfire helmet has been enhanced with an improved suspension system. Featuring keys that install with an audible click, easy vertical adjustments and an absorbent replaceable brow pad, the Bullard Wildfire helmet offers a custom fit for all shapes and sizes.

In addition, Bullard has re-engineered the LT Series helmet and the USRX helmet, developing the most comfortable low-profile helmets on the market. Firefighters can now have the low-profile look they love without giving up comfort. Through state-of-theart engineering advancements, both helmets have been redesigned to provide maximum headroom for wearers, a substantial increase from the previous models. The generous amount of headroom in the helmets allows firefighters to rely on the safety they trust and the comfort they demand in a lightweight streamlined design.

The thermoplastic LT Series structural firefighting helmet is compliant with NFPA 1971-2007. The thermoplastic USRX helmet meets NFPA 1951-2001 certification for emergency response and 1971-2007 certification for structural firefighting. Both helmet series feature the Quick-Action Blade System that allows for quick installation and removal of faceshields and goggles. The LT and the USRX helmet series offer 12 comfort settings, providing unparalleled customization of fit.

Akron Brass launches new reels

Wooster, Ohio – Akron Brass introduces Low Profile Booster Hose Reel and Compact Cord Reel, the newest additions to its growing family of electric rewind reel products.

The Low Profile Booster Hose Reel is lower in height, does not require as much compartment depth as do similar reels and can fit in spaces where others cannot. With a capacity of 250 feet of 0.74inch or 150 feet of one-inch hose, it is perfect for brush trucks, skid units, off-road utility vehicles and the rear body compartments of apparatus.

As with other Akron Brass reel products, the Low Profile Booster Hose Reel is extremely durable with a powder-coated paint finish and stainless steel hardware. Other standard features include a protective chain guard, hand crank, and tension control. The reel is backed by a five-year warranty including the electric motor.

Designed to be uncommonly short (11.5 inches height), the new Compact Electric Rewind Cord Reel can still hold 100feet of 10/3 600-volt cable or 150 feet of 12/3 600-volt cable. With its compact frame and disc design, the reel can easily fit in a 12-inch tall void. Stand it upright, and it can be mounted on a 12-inch deep shelf without overhanging the back wall of a compartment. This reel also has a five-year warranty.

Offering: A 2 course certificate in incident command for experienced incident commanders. Please contact our office for more information.

Are you looking to take on more responsibility in your Department? Trying to round out your technical ability with leadership skills? Preparing to advance your career?

At Dalhousie University we offer a three course program, the “Certificate in Fire Service Leadership” to career and volunteer fire officers.The 3 courses Station Officer: Dealing with People,Station Officer:Dealing with New Operations and The Environment of the Fire Station are all offered in each of our 3 terms, September, January and April. The program can be completed in one year.

For more information and a program brochure please contact: Gwen Doary,Program Manager Dalhousie University Fire Management Certificate Programs 201-1535 Dresden Row,Halifax,Nova Scotia B3J 3T1 Tel:(902) 494-8838 • Fax:(902) 494-2598 • E-mail:Gwen.Doar y@Dal.Ca

You will also find the information in our brochures or at the following internet address:Web site:http://collegeofcontinuinged.dal.ca

Dräger opens Canadian office

Dräger Safety Canada Ltd. has opened a new office for its Dräger Safety Solutions unit. The Kingston office specializes in providing propane fuelled and safely controlled training environments with props for the fire service and military applications to allow safe fire training in realistic atmospheres. The office is 9,000 square feet, triple the size of the former office in Napanee, Ont., and will hold twice as many employees.

Dräger also announced recently that it has received the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Consumer Award for respiratory protection. The award honours the manufacturer that best fulfills the customers’ needs in respiratory protection concerning the aspects of safety, ease of use, technical features, comfort, and design.

Rosenbauer launches COBRA

Lyons, SD – Rosenbauer has introduced a new 101-foot, three-section COBRA aerial platform available with the standard paint process or Rosbenbuer’s patented hot-dipped galvanizing process that features a 25-year corrosion warranty.

The three-section aerial allows the fly section to be wider and deeper, giving firefighters more room for climbing and rescues.

The Rosenbauer “Smart Aerial” uses advanced CANBUS electronics that continuously monitors outrigger placement, aerial placement and loading. The system reduces the potential to operate in an unsafe condition, even if the stabilizers are short jacked. The turntable aerial controls are a userfriendly control station with a command seat and single joy-stick controller to operate the aerial, monitor and lights.

For further details visit www.rosenbaueramerica.com

Pierce portal available

Pierce Manufacturing has launched an online portal so fire departments have easy access to the Pierce and Contender fire apparatus stock-truck program offerings. Fire departments can visit the Pierce Manufacturing website at www.piercemfg.com/StockTrucks.html to view Pierce and Contender stock fire trucks available for sale.

“Fire departments often experience an emergency situation for a quick turnaround fire apparatus purchase to replace existing equipment. We want them to know that

Pierce has apparatus available for them to purchase today,” said Wilson Jones, Pierce Manufacturing president. “The Pierce online stock truck program portal was created to meet the immediate needs of fire departments, and allow them easy viewing of available apparatus.”

The new Pierce web page will serve as an online catalogue where customers can view photos, drawings and descriptions of stock trucks in the program. It includes fire apparatus that are currently in production and available for customizing, as well as pre-built fire apparatus ready for immediate purchase.

For more information visit the website www.piercemfg.com/StockTrucks.html or contact your local Pierce dealer.

ALF updates Chapter 11 status

American Lafrance, which filed for Chapter 11 bankrupcty protection in December, brought back its shop workforce that had been furloughed and has returned staff to pre-petition levels. Chairman Bill Hinz said in a press release that “the gradual ramp of our direct labour force signals clearly we are successfully working through supplier parts challenges.” ALF released its production schedule Feb. 29 and says it believes the schedule to be achievable. “While we will be past due on many apparatus we felt the schedule best reflects where we are at this moment,” Hinz said. ALF said it has also taken several key steps to improve its parts distribution centre.

ISC announces changes

Pittsburgh, PA – Industrial Scientific Corp. has announced changes to its corporate structure. Garth Miller has been promoted to the newly created position of vice-president, customer operations. In this new role, Miller will retain responsibility for technical support, customer services and iNet fulfillment. He will assume additional responsibility for repair services, rental services, commissioning and field services and training.

Doug Velegol has been appointed program manager, responsible for leading product development projects including product definition, feasibility, resource planning, project execution and launch. Velegol’s most recent position at Industrial Scientific was as director of services.

SHOR T & LONG TERM COURSES

•MUNICIPAL FIRE FIGHTING

• HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE

• INDUSTRIAL FIRE FIGHTING

• CONFINED SPACE ENTRY/ RESCUE

• INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

• CUSTOM TRAINING TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS

• PRE-SERVICE FIREFIGHTER EDUCATION and TRAINING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

• FIRE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA PROGRAM

FIRE & EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING CENTRE Sarnia,ON,Canada 1-800-791-7887 or 519-336-4552, ex t 21 • Fa x : 519-336-4537

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CUSTOM TRAINING PROGRAMS:

MESC will provide custom design training programs. Other courses available include: Building standards, Rescue program, Emergency Medical, Management Program, Fire Prevention, Public Safety and Hazardous Material. Manitoba Emergency Services College, Brandon, Manitoba, phone: (204) 726-6855.

FIREFIGHTER CAREER TRAINING: Fire services career preparation Certificate recruit training program. Business leadership for the fire services. Courses available: Fire Prevention, Fire Suppression, HazMat, Emergency First Responder, Search and Rescue. For more details call Durham College, Whitby, Ontario or call Don Murdock at (905) 721-3111 ext. 4069.

LIVE FIRE FIGHTING EXPERIENCE: Short and long term courses available, Municipal and Industrial fire fighting. Incident Command System, Emergency Response/HazMat, three year Fire Science Technology Diploma program. Lambton College, Sarnia, Ontario, call 1-800-791-7887 or www.lambton.on. ca/p_c/technology/fire_emerg_resp.htm. Enroll today!

Preventive medicine for joint pain and strain

As firefighters, we push our bodies to the limit. Our job is strenuous and physically demanding so it’s natural that we will feel aches and pains, especially in our joints. There are several things we can do to help relieve joint pain, such as strength training, wearing footwear with good cushioning, icing our joints and taking glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate.

Glucosamine is a natural substance in our bodies that plays a role in cartilage construction. According to Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 8th Edition, “Cartilage consists of a dense network of collagen fibres and elastic fibres firmly embedded in chondroitin sulphate, a rubbery component of the ground substance. Whereas the strength of cartilage is due to its collagen fibres, its resilience is due to chondroitin sulphate”. Essentially, cartilage is the tough connective tissue that provides cushion around the joint end of our bones. Glucosamine is required for the production of glycosaminoglycan, a molecule needed to form and repair cartilage and other body tissues. As we get older, the production of glucosamine slows, so adding glucosamine supplements to our diets can be beneficial. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology says chondroitin sulphate “is a jelly-like substance that provides support and adhesiveness in cartilage, bones, the skin and blood vessels.” Chondroitin sulfate gives cartilage elasticity.

Studies have shown glucosamine to be very helpful to patients with osteoarthritis. One in 10 Canadians suffers from osteoarthritis; it affects men and women equally and usually develops around the age of 45 but can occur at any age. By the age of 40, 90 per cent of the population will demonstrate some symptoms of osteoarthritis. Symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain and stiffness in any weight-bearing joint such as knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis causes breakdown of the cartilage in these joints, making them more susceptible to injury.

AARON

BROUWER Instructor Canwest Fire, B.C.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center any injury to knees, back, or bones near a joint puts us at higher risk for osteoarthritis. “Studies on glucosamine have shown that it provides several benefits to osteoarthritis patients including reduction of pain, improved function and mobility and slowed progression or even prevention of joint destruction when taken for three or more years. In comparison to other anti-inflammatory drugs, glucosamine took longer to begin working, however the pain control lasted longer and caused fewer side effects” (Univeristy of Maryland Medical Center). There are no food sources of glucosamine; the supplements are made from the outer shells of shrimp, lobster and crab. The recommended dose is 1,500 mg a day. It can take several months to notice a difference. If after eight weeks you don’t experience any difference in your symptoms you should seek alternative methods for relief. Do not use different forms (tablets, powder or liquid) of glucosamine at the same time as this increases the risk of an overdose.

“Firefighters overuse knee and hip joints when we climb ladders, walk up stairs, drag hoses and in other firefighting duties.”

The causes of osteoarthritis are heredity (defect in one of the genes responsible for making cartilage), obesity (the extra weight puts extra stress on joints), joint overuse and injury. Joint overuse and injury are our main concerns as firefighters. Joint overuse occurs from repetitive bending of the joints, especially in the knee. Firefighters overuse knee and hip joints when we climb ladders, walk up stairs, drag hoses and in other firefighting duties. It is important that we strength train as this will strengthen the muscle around the joints and provide stability. Make sure you have proper fitting boots that are in good condition; this will provide cushioning to reduce the stress on bones and joints.

Swimming is one of the best exercises to help strengthen the muscles around the joints. It is considered low impact because it puts minimal stress on joints.

If you decide to take dietary supplements the Arthritis Foundation’s website www.arthritis. org) suggests you:

Choose products sold by large, well-established companies that can be held accountable; Read the product labels carefully to make sure the ingredient lists make sense to you and ask your pharmacists for help;

Be sure to consult your doctor before trying these supplements;

Make sure that you know the cause of your pain – if it is not osteoarthritis then dietary supplements may not help.

Glucosamine has only a few possible side effects such as stomach upset, heartburn, indigestion, gas, bloating and diarrhea. If you experience these symptoms try taking supplements with food or try a different brand. Since glucosamine is an amino sugar, diabetics should monitor their blood sugar levels regularly. People with shellfish or sulphur allergies should consult with their doctors before taking glucosamine.

Glucosamine does not cure arthritis, but can slow its progression. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate have been shown to support lubrication of joints, keeping them rolling smoothly. Dietary supplements are not for everyone; just because they work for one person doesn’t mean they will work for you. Consult your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet. The effects of years of exercise and firefighting on top of the natural aging process put firefighters at higher risk for osteoarthritis. By taking proper care of your joints now you decrease the risk of arthritis later in life and ensure a retirement you can fully enjoy.