April 2015 by annexbusinessmedia

Top-notch teaching

Learn everything you need to know about four of Canada’s top training conferences from coast to

P.16

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DEPARTMENTS

06 | In the news

Canada’s inaugural Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

26 | Tim-bits

Understanding chainsaw safety during ventilation

28 | Back to basics

Practise the Denver drill to ensure RIT readiness

30 | Extrication tips

The facts on frontal offset crashes

34 | Recipe rescue

Using food from root to leaf

FEATURES

COLUMNS

04 | From the editor

Change for the sake of . . . improvement

08 | Fit for duty

Getting fit for RIT

10 | FitSmart

Focus on your back for the future 12 | Dispatches

Learning to ask family for help

14 | Between alarms

The complete firefighter conference guide

38 | From the floor

Slaying the misconstrued police-fire stereotypes

hoselines

By Laura King

Change for the sake of . . . improvement

Change. Big change. To better serve you, our readers.

Like firefighting techniques and health-and-safety philosophies that have evolved thanks to science, we’ve changed to give firefighters and fire officers more of what they need in a better format.

The most significant change is our title, which we’ve shortened to Canadian Firefighter to more accurately reflect our content. And our fabulous new Canadian Firefighter logo is cleaner and simpler, but also more modern.

Our regular writers are all still here – from Randy Schmitz’ popular extrication column to Jay Shaw’s heartfelt and often eye-opening opinions on fire-service issues. But the pages are full of more information – statistics, photos and other extras that give you additional details about the training techniques, fitness tips and how-to items that you have told us through emails that you read and use in your departments.

Why the new look?

Well, frankly, it was time. Our last makeover was in 1999, long before everyone had a smartphone and Twitter.

Not that we’re competing with social media and technology, we just want to make sure what’s written on our pages greatly appeals to those in our target audience.

To do that, we’ve added a news section at the front of

the magazine and included more entry points on each page – photos, graphics, icons, pullquotes and other design elements that catch readers’ eyes.

In addition, we have committed to a sharper focus on training and education to help career and volunteer firefighters and officers, public educators and fire-prevention personnel excel in both their jobs and on their career paths.

Our goal is simple: we want you to read our magazine from cover to cover. We know that’s

As always, all our content is written by firefighters – of all ranks – for firefighters ...

a lot to ask of busy people who have jobs, families and volunteer commitments.

But unlike consumer magazines, which feature diverse topics and expect that readers will peruse some, but not all, of the articles, each column or story in Canadian Firefighter provides a takeaway for fire personnel regardless of the size of your department or your role in it.

In the eight years that I’ve been editor of Canadian Firefighter our content has changed almost entirely, so we’re pretty comfortable trying new things! We have introduced new faces and voices, boosted the volume of pieces on training, health, fitness, wellness, healthy eating and public education and

broadened our coverage of the volunteer sector.

We’re pretty sure you’ll like what you see in this issue. We’ve got a great story about successful training weekends (page 16) and a detailed piece about choosing hoselines on page 20. Jay Shaw’s From the Floor column on the back page will make you think.

As always, all our content is written by firefighters – of all ranks – for firefighters, from Jennifer Grigg, a volunteer with the Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department in Ontario whose Dispatches column always includes a straight-from-the-heart message, to Deputy Chief Arjuna George of Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue in British Columbia, an expert in all things digital and a keen observer and promoter of fire-service progress.

In media and publishing, status quo is never an option. It shouldn’t be for fire, either.

I wasn’t going to mention that old analogy about years of fire-service tradition unimpeded by change, but in this case it’s apropos. It occurred to me during this design makeover that everything in our magazine is about change – progress, evolution, improvement – and it always has been.

Here’s to more of that!

April 2015 Vol. 38, No. 2 firehall.com

EDITOR

Laura King lking@annexweb.com 289-259-8077

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Maria Church mchurch@annexweb.com 519-429-5184

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Kathy Liotta kliotta@annexweb.com 905-726-5444

SALES ASSISTANT

Barb Comer bcomer@annexweb.com 519-429-5176 or 888-599-2228 ext 235

MAGAZINE REDESIGN

Janice Van Eck

GROUP PUBLISHER

Martin McAnulty fire@annexweb.com

PRESIDENT Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com

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Occasionally, Canadian Firefighter will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.

Globe gear giveaway

Good news for volunteer fire departments in need of new turnout gear: applications are open for the 2015 Globe gear giveaway contest.

Globe, DuPont Protection Technologies and the National Volunteer Fire Council have teamed up again to give away turnout gear to departments in Canada and the United States that serve populations of 25,000 or less, and are more than 50 per cent volunteer.

The deadline to apply is June 1. Learn more at www.nvfc.org/ globe-gear-donation — MARIA CHURCH

Training in Panama

For four recent Justice Institute of British Columbia firefighting graduates, a trip to Panama was both a teaching and a learning experience.

Conrad Callagher, Nolan Pick, Ben Gutowski and Steve Oishi were on a special assignment in February to support firefighting training in the developing country as part of the One World Scholarship program.

“Wow! What an experience these last few days have been for all of us,” Callagher shared in a Facebook post halfway through the trip.

Learn more about the opportunity at www.jibc.ca — MC

Scholarship donation

The scholarship fund of a volunteer fire department in Harbour Grace, N.L., received a $1,000 boost from one of its lifetime members. Tom Mahaney donated the money in memory of his sister, Elsie Welcher, who died from cancer last year. The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade scholarship is awarded annually to the child or grandchild of an active, honorary or lifetime member of the fire brigade.

— BOB LYNCH

Number of departments chosen this year to receive four sets of Globe’s CLASSIX turnout gear for their members

Canada’s inaugural Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

Listen up, members of the Canadian fire service: mark your calendars for May 2 – Canada’s inaugural Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.

Panama fire fighting through photos

Follow the journey of four JIBC graduates in Panama through photos and stories on the group’s Facebook page – One World Scholarship & Fire Protection in the Global Community

With this message, Partners in Protection (PiP) and FireSmart Canada hope word will get out about the first-ever national day of communities working to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to homes and neighbourhoods.

The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), along with the Co-operators Insurance Group and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction have embraced the wildfire-preparedness initiative.

Shayne Mintz, Canadian regional director for the NFPA, encourages departments to sign up and host local events.

“Wildfires are becoming closer and closer and involving more and more the urban interface,” Mintz said. “Everyone should be aware of this particular hazard.”

The NFPA founded the Wildfire Community Preparedness day in the United States, and held the first one last year. The NFPA, Mintz said, is excited to help bring the initiative to Canada, and for it to strengthen the wildfire-response relationship between the provincial departments of natural resources and urban fire departments.

“There is definitely room for improvement there in terms of heightening awareness in communities around the hazards that present themselves in a wildland situation.”

Communities or fire departments can host a chipping day, distribute wildfire safety information or organize a brush clean up.

Groups and individuals looking to participate can learn more about project ideas and safety tips by visiting www.firesmartcanada.ca

Find FireSmart Canada on Facebook and on Twitter @FireSmartCanada — MC

Find the latest fire-related news, stories, blogs and analysis from across Canada, and access our forum . . . www.firehall.com

Fit for duty

By Sherry Dean

Getting fit for RIT

Irecently taught a basic rapidintervention course to a group of seasoned firefighters. The consensus was that rapid-intervention team (RIT) techniques are very physical; even the smallest

1. Triple tire

For this exercise, attach a 15-metre (50-foot) rope to a large tire. Kneel or sit and pull the tire towards you, hand over hand. Once the tire reaches you, using your legs push the tire back to the start position as quickly as possible. Once you are back at the starting point, flip the tire to the halfway point and then flip back to start position. The rope will help you get your hands under the tire. If the tire is too difficult to slide, place some cardboard under it. A local heavy-equipment business is a good source to find large tires. Having one at your station will come in handy quite often.

2. Pull-ups

Regular pull-ups will do fine, but full-body extension is a must. Alternatively, use a bench as a step to transition above the bar, and then push yourself up until your arms are straight (as you would with a dip). Lower yourself down (bent elbows), and use the bench to transition below the bar and lower yourself until your arms are straight. Do 10 to 15 reps.

complete up to four rounds in total. If you are not able to do four, do as many as you can and work up to a full completion. This is not an easy workout. Keep in mind it is based around pushing the same limits you would if you were performing a RIT rescue.

You can challenge yourself by doing this workout in full gear on air, but at a

Sherry Dean is a career firefighter/engineer with Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service. She has more than 20 years of experience in fitness and training. deansherry@bellaliant.net

firefighters are awkward and heavy in full gear. Whether you are initiating self-rescue techniques, dragging in needed equipment or hauling out a downed firefighter, you need to be fit to be effective at RIT rescue.

3. Burpees

Take your hands off the floor momentarily at the bottom and add a little jump at the top. Do 10 reps.

4. Plank rolls

Start in a full plank with forearms on the floor just under your chest. Raise your left arm in the air while you roll to your left side. This positions you in a side plank. Pause for two seconds and return to the start position before rolling to the right side. Add an extra challenge by taking one foot off the floor on each side plank. Do 10 reps.

This got me thinking about a RIT-specific workout that focuses on some of the necessary tasks during RIT rescues; pushing/pulling, whole-body movements and endurance are some of the keys. So here it is:

5. Weighted stair climb

Two containers of water are needed; the size depends on your strength. With containers in hand, walk up stairs for one minute. Drop the weights and do an additional minute of stairs as quickly as possible. If you have a small set of stairs or even one step, just take more trips up and down.

6. Inverted push-ups

Do these push-ups in a pike position. Place your hands and arms in line with your ears on either side of your head shoulder-width apart. Place your feet as close to your hands as your strength and flexibility will allow. If you are able to do handstand push-ups, do those instead. Do 20 reps.

7. Sprint

Run for 30 seconds, full out.

We need to invest the physical effort to be RIT ready.

much slower pace. Use your rule-of-air management, and take your cylinder to your low-air alarm. Time yourself to see how long you would have on scene to do the equivalent workload.

RIT is an activity none of us wants to

8. One-minute rest period

perform in reality, but, if it’s needed, will certainly take a large amount of physical and mental effort. We should not be asking ourselves at the scene if it is possible. We should know that we are able. We need to invest the physical effort to be RIT ready.

I hope you enjoy your RIT workout and be safe.

FitSmart

By Brad Lawrence

Focus on your back for the future

It is no secret that a firefighter’s line of work is hard on the body. Most firefighters work hard, train hard, and play hard as well. The sheer physicality of the lifestyle many of us in the fire service choose is rewarding, but also brings aches and pains. It is estimated that 80 per cent of the general population will experience back problems at some point in their lives, and you can bet the number among firefighters is even higher. There are, however, effective ways to dodge those debilitating aches and pains.

First and foremost, it is important to realize general back pain is common. Everyone experiences a tweak here or there, and having the odd bout of back pain does not necessarily mean you are aging

Training around the problem area only makes a person’s imbalances worse . . .

poorly or are out of shape. For instance, former MLB player Sammy Sosa once hit more than 50 home runs in a single season and soon after was placed on the injured list because of a back strain caused by sneezing – that’s right, sneezing. If it can happen to a finely tuned professional athlete, it can happen to any of us. Any active person can expect to experience a little wear and tear. But with proper preparation and awareness you can makes these incidents happen with far less frequency.

While some people suffer from acute or serious back injuries such as herniated discs, or spinal trauma, it is estimated that 90 per cent or

more of all back pain is caused by minor mechanical problems. These injuries are most commonly muscle or ligament strains within the lumbar region of the back. Several small stability muscles can quickly become overloaded with brisk, jerky movements. Unfortunately, even a minor muscle strain can leave you in agonizing pain. While you may be sore for almost a week, the good news is once these strains heal you should be back to normal with no long-term damage.

Always remember that when you are injured you should attempt to let yourself fully heal. Unless you’ve suffered a severe back injury, your minor back strain will usually heal in less than a week. When you do start to feel better, get active, and get moving. While more rest is tempting, motion and activity is truly what your body requires to achieve fluid, pain-free motion once again.

Once you identify that the likely cause of your back pain is a muscle imbalance, or a general weakness of those muscles, you should address the problem. This is where many of us make a major mistake; most people continue to train, and start to work out in a way that avoids their backs for fear of suffering from their injuries all over again. Training around the problem area only makes a person’s imbalances worse and leads to a lifetime of that individual protecting his or her back during all times of exertion. Instead, weakness and imbalance must be targeted and emphasized. This is no different than fire-ground training – train your weak points and become balanced. These exercises will provide you with a solid base to build upon.

Brad Lawrence is a firefighter with the Calgary Fire Department and a certified personal trainer who specializes in training and nutrition for emergency responders. bradmlawrence@gmail.com

1. Supermans

Lie prone and slowly extend both arms and legs upwards. Focus on activating the muscles in your lower back. Hold at the top for a few seconds and repeat.

2. Bird dog exercise

Percentage of people who will experience back problems

Percentage of back pain caused by minor muscle strains or injuries

Start on your hands and knees, both at 90-degree angles. Extend one arm, and the opposite-side leg out as far as you can. Again, focus on your lower back as you hold the maximum extension for a few seconds. Repeat with the other arm and opposite leg.

3. Ab wheel rollout

This is an advanced core exercise, but one of the very best. Keep a strong, stable back and roll until you have trouble keeping your back straight, or you feel your hips start to sag. Master this movement and I promise you your core, including your lower back, will become an asset.

Injuries are frustrating, and back pain is one of the most debilitating injuries. Turn a common area of weakness into one of your strengths by performing these three exercises three times per week. You will build a strong lower back that will keep you off the injured list, and living the firefighter lifestyle you desire.

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Dispatches

By Jennifer Grigg

@georgianbayjen

Learning to ask family for help

Your mother is upset with us,” my husband told my older daughter as he drove her to school one Monday morning after I had experienced a bit of a meltdown.

“Why?” my daughter asked with the blissful ignorance of a 15-year-old.

“She’s upset because she thinks we argue too much. I argue with you, you argue with your sister.”

“But we’re family. That’s what families do,” she replied, dumbfounded.

When my husband relayed the conversation to me later that day, I couldn’t help but laugh, mostly at myself for taking everything so seriously, but also at my daughter for making it all seem so ordinary, everyday, no big deal, as only a teenager can.

The cause of my little meltdown was me thinking that I am, as I said to my husband, “the hub of the wheel that is

this family.” It was not so much the arguing, that is just the one thing my husband remembered from my list of complaints – and my daughter was right, that is what families do – it was more a mindset that I have to keep everyone happy and hold it all together. I have come to realize that thinking that you are the one holding everything together means that you are likely doing just the opposite.

Family – the one at home and the one in the fire hall – is a team, and we all know that there is no I in team. I am sure we all like to think of ourselves as the type of person that gets things done, or makes things happen, or has the answer or solution to whatever problem is before us. The fire service attracts that type of personality; it is what we pride ourselves on –the ability to answer the call and make things better.

But here is the kicker: no one can do it alone. Even firefighters

Family – the one at home and the one in the fire hall – is a team, and we all know that there is no I in team.

who have to respond to a medical call alone have the paramedics to back them up. They still have a team.

Everything we do is a team effort, whether it is in the fire hall or at home, and if it is not a team effort, then you need to ask yourself why. Do you feel like you are the hub of the wheel in your fire hall, like I did at home, unbeknownst to my husband until I told him how I was feeling? He probably thought he was the hub.

With me thinking that I was responsible for everyone getting along, the housework being done, and feeding the dogs, in addition to working full time and responding to fire calls, what I didn’t think to do was ask for help, or to take a break, until the wheel broke, that is. Then everyone

avoided me like the plague for the next 24 hours.

The bonds we share in the fire service have been created and strengthened by working together, training together, and spending down time together. We recognize that we are part of a team, and we are only as strong as our weakest member (which in my house happened to be me that day). It is up to each one of us to keep our teams strong and cohesive.

In just a few weeks, our department had a firefighter’s wife fall and break her femur, another firefighter suffer a stroke, and a third firefighter lose his father suddenly. These incidents occurred outside of the fire hall, but affected our team as much as any call.

So what do we do? We pull together like any good team and dog sit, plough driveways, send condolences and flowers and check in regularly by phone or by text just to let them know we are there if they need anything. Maybe we even take them out for dinner or a coffee to chat.

When someone is sick at home, everyone else pitches in to help take care of things. When something happens to a team member in the fire hall, the same thing goes. However, the reverse is also true. When you need a hand, all you have to do is ask. That’s what being part of a team is all about.

Instead of struggling with the laundry or vacuuming the dog hair, all while also trying to meet the deadline for this column, lightening the load is as easy as asking for help.

Looking out for each other – at home, in the fire hall, and outside of the fire hall – makes a good team even better.

Jennifer Grigg has been a volunteer with the Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department in Ontario since 1997. jhook0312@yahoo.ca

PHOTO: LAURA KING

Between alarms

By Arjuna George

The complete firefighter conference guide

You’re registered and ready to go to your first firefighter conference – maybe FDIC in Indianapolis this month, one of the training sessions profiled on pages 16 to 19, or your first provincial conference for fire officers. How do you get the most out of three or four days of classroom or hands-on training, enjoy the social opportunities (without overdoing it!) and manage to remember what you’ve learned?

I have had the honour to attend fire and emergency conferences for more than a decade provincially, nationally and internationally. The knowledge I have gained and the professional networking has been invaluable.

I have seen a huge positive shift in attitude toward trade shows and conferences. Fire-service members who are able and willing to learn and take the conference seriously get the most out of the experience. Sure, there are social aspects to all these events, but the time and money that are spent on conferences are of great value to you and your department; these are learning opportunities, not just paid getaways. It is important that you maximize your return on investment and be fiscally responsible to your community.

There are a number of things you should consider before attending any conference.

Register early. Some conferences provide early-bird deals through which you – or your department –can save money, or to ensure you get into a popular speaker’s session. If possible, pre-register for classes or sessions.

Research the conference and download or print the available

conference info, such as dates, times, locations, and the conference app. It is also important to monitor the conference’s social media platforms for news and updates. A QR scanner, a cloud service such as Dropbox or Evernote, and your favourite social media apps come in handy.

Most conference organizers have embraced social media as a medium through which to deliver important information about speakers, events, and photos to amp up the excitement. Familiarize yourself with the event’s social media pages or profiles, and connect with delegates before the real networking happens. Getting to know the speakers and delegates will help you feel better connected during the conference. Learn the conference #hashtag.

Store all your important documents – such as transportation and hotel confirmations, conference registration and your itinerary – in a program such as Evernote. If you are flying, packing can be tricky. Quite often conference delegates require dress tunics, business attire and casual clothing. If you need bunker gear for handson training courses, be prepared to pay airline fees for an extra bag. Pack as lightly as possible and reduce the amount you carry on so your security process is hassle free. When you arrive at the hotel, have your tunic sent to be dry cleaned so it is fresh and wrinkle free.

When you arrive at the conference, jump right in! If there is a trade show, I do a quick size-up and briefly visit each booth, making notes about what I want to look into more deeply. This is where your smartphone comes in handy.

Arjuna George is the deputy fire chief of operations on Salt Spring Island, B.C., and has served on the department since 1997. ageorge@saltspringfire.com @AJGeorgefire

Live tweeting is a great way to document the conference for personal use later . . .

Take photos of the booths you want to revisit – snap a shot of the equipment and, if available, the booth number (or aisle number at larger shows). Vendors at trade shows can provide expert knowledge about the equipment you use or are considering buying. Trade shows also showcase new products and the latest technology that make our jobs safer and easier. Visit each booth – you never know what nugget you may discover that can help your department.

Ramp up your social media presence and begin posting photos, videos, and tweets. Live tweeting is a great way to document the conference for personal use later, and to help those who are not present to experience the conference. Don’t forget to add the conference #hashtag and photos to your tweets. It’s a well-known fact that tweets with photos receive 150 per cent more retweets.

a quick

booths and take photos on your smartphone to help you remember which products you want to re-visit.

When the conference opens, be a sponge! Don’t miss a learning opportunity. Be social, and not just online; talk to fellow firefighters from around the world – networking breaks and after-hours social events are when some of the best learning occurs. Collect business cards, email addresses and Twitter handles.

Take notes – lots and lots of notes – either on paper or digitally. With a tablet or phone (if you’re a good typist!) you can record audio, type your notes and add photos into your musings and save them for reference later.

When the conference ends, follow up with those you met and with whom you have shared interests. Use your notes and photos to help you dig more deeply into the subjects that really interest you.

Conferences provide top-notch education that we must take seriously. We owe it to our departments, our communities and ourselves.

size-up of tradeshow

PHOTO: LAURA KING

Top-notch teaching

How to plan a successful firefighter training weekend

By Laura King

On April 10, 2013, at about 9 a.m., I stood in the frozen mud at the fire training ground in Peace River, Alta., waiting to be fit tested and watching lead instructors Lance Bushie and Rodney Schmidt prepare for evolutions in fire behiaviour and rollover –many, many evolutions.

Eight hours later, Bushie and Schmidt were cleaning hoses and preparing for Day 2 – more training with 43 volunteer firefighters from across northern Alberta, and Drager’s Live Fire Training Tour (LiFTT) props and instructors.

Bushie and Schmidt are fire chiefs in Peace River and High Level, respectively – career chiefs of volunteer departments. And, with the help of a committee, they have put together the Northwest Fire Conference, one of the most successful regional firefighter training weekends in Canada.

“It has grown beyond our expectations,” said Schmidt. “The live-fire component – with Drager’s props – and Peace River’s Drager live-fire training centre, offers firefighters training that most of them can’t get at home, from fire behaviour and

flashover to RIT, offensive fire attack and vehicle fires.”

The Northwest Fire Conference is one of four model training sessions across Canada run entirely by volunteers and operated primarily for volunteer firefighters who have little access to live fire or any significant hands-on training. FDIC Atlantic in Wolfville, N.S., Training in Paradise on Salt Spring Island, B.C., and FireCon in Thunder Bay, Ont., operate similarly.

What makes a great training weekend? Live fire? Definitely. Good food? Yes. Affordability? For sure. Networking? Absolutely. A mix of hands-on training and classroom sessions? Indeed. A committed team of volunteers who work tirelessly to stage a better-every-year opportunity for firefighters to improve their skills, learn from top-notch instructors and hear world-class presenters? No question.

In 2011, the first year the Nova Scotia Firefighters School mobile burn trailer rolled into the two-day FDIC Atlantic training weekend, firefighters stood around and admired it, as if it were a prized racehorse or an expensive car.

There were only a few timeslots available for training in the trailer and members of the departments that had the

foresight to sign up early were chomping at the bit.

“Our main goal at FDIC Atlantic is to be able to provide high calibre speakers without departments having to spend lots of money to travel out of province or country to hear them speak,” said Stephen Fenner, a career firefighter in Halifax and longtime vice-president of FDIC Atlantic.

“This is not even an option for most small departments. Hands-on and live fire training is so important for us to be able to provide in a safe manner. Let’s face it – how cool is it for a small rural department to be able to see flashover and learn how to survive in a controlled environment?”

In Thunder Bay, FireCon organizers are expanding the live-fire training component this year to include Drager’s LiFTT program and will put an ambitious 125 firefighters through evolutions.

“One of the coolest things,” said Thunder Bay Fire Chief John Hay, “is that the whole live-fire training track is going to be run like and incident, so we’ll have the opportunity for senior officers to come and participate in it from an incident-command level.

Training in Paradise on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia features 10 courses, including hazmat, and family oriented activities in off hours.

PHOTO:

“Drager is really thrilled about it being run as an incident so incident-management and incident-command principles will be applied to the whole training evolution so they’ll see where the incident safety officer would work and where rapid-intervention facilities would be available and how they would look on the fire ground.”

For Deputy Chief Arjuna George of Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue, Training in Paradise works so well because organizers make sure networking is as significant a part of the weekend as courses.

Back in 2003, George says, he went to a training conference in another part of British Columbia. When sessions ended for the day, everyone dispersed.

“As soon as 4 p.m. hit, it was a ghost town,” George said. “No networking, nothing. We thought, ‘This is crazy, venturing across the province and seeing 30 firefighters here and not getting any value from networking.’

“The following year was first Training in Paradise and we said let’s make sure it’s not just courses and that when people come this far they get a chance to network and understand what other fire departments do across B.C.”

Further, George says, it’s tough enough to retain firefighters when they’re expected to train and train some more, and it’s a lot to ask of families to have firefighters away for a weekend, so the Salt Spring event became a family affair.

“Our own culture at Salt Spring Fire is that family is important . . . so it kind of morphed from our culture at Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue to Training in Paradise.”

While the formats in Wolfville, Thunder Bay, Peace River and Salt Spring Island differ slightly, each event has the same purpose: training, educating and networking – which happens to be the FireCon motto.

People talk about FDIC in Indianapolis. It’s exciting and overwhelming and while there are plenty of HOT sessions and dozens of classroom programs, the four regional training experiences offer substantial bang for the buck (and better beer!) right here at home.

Training in Paradise (TIP) / Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) Regional Training Weekend

LOCATION: Salt Spring Island, B.C.

WEBSITE: www.traininginparadise.com

DATES OF EVENT: Second weekend in July. For 2015, it is July 9 to 12.

TRAINING FACILITY: Numerous locations, but the main areas are our training ground at hall No. 2 and the Gulf Island Secondary School.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Our four-day weekend offers a great affordable camping option right at the main location for all our social events. The camping is a great networking opportunity and is affordable for most departments.

ORGANIZED BY: Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue in conjunction with the JIBC.

SPONSORED BY: Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue, local businesses and trade companies.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Our No. 1 goal is to train our members and allow them to train at home, but also to expose our team to others in the fire service and build a strong network of firefighters Canada-wide.

HISTORY: Training in Paradise is going into its 11th year; it began with a few members going to other communities to train but never getting the opportunity to network and learn from others outside of class. TIP was born to allow our members to learn and share with firefighters from all over Canada.

NUMBER OF DELEGATES/FIREFIGHTERS:

Between 80 and120 firefighters each year from across Canada, most from British Columbia. NUMBER OF TRAINERS/INSTRUCTORS: 20

FEE TO ATTEND/PARTICIPATE: Varies course by course; JIBC costing for courses. We also include a meal package with each course that provides the students with most meals and a TIP T-shirt.

HANDS-ON, CLASSROOM, OR BOTH? Both –recruit frontline firefighter training to officer-level training. We offer an average of 10 classes each year, over four days.

HIGHLIGHTS: Hitting the milestone 10-year mark in 2014. We never expected the weekend to grow and be as successful as it has turned out to be.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS EVENT?

Definitely the family atmosphere makes TIP stand out. Since the first training weekend we have made sure that the weekend allows for our firefighters and visiting ones to bring their spouses and children and feel welcome. Many of our networking sessions are family oriented; this is unique to most training conferences and allows firefighters to make training without missing out on

family time. It’s a win-win!

BEST MEMORY: We have an amazing cooking team; in 2014 we tried a hog on the barbecue – it tasted amazing but was also an amazing amount of work as it involved all-night tending.

MOST POPULAR COURSES/PROGRAMS: It varies every year, but the ones that go toward NFPA fire officer and NFPA firefighter courses seem to fill up first, year after year. Accredited courses seem to attract the most students compared to the workshop-style courses.

ONE FUNNY STORY: In the early years of the training weekend the handful of organizers (myself included) ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. We bit off a lot but all that effort brought us to where we are now.

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR? We have some new and unique courses. Stay tuned to www. traininginparadise.com for details in the coming weeks.

FOOD: At Training in Paradise there is no shortage of food. Firefighters and good food go hand in hand!

SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE? Our destination. Our family and kid-friendly weekend events, our course offerings, our social-networking events – every night there is some sort of activity for students and their families.

ENTERTAINMENT: Varies from live bands to magicians, poker tournaments and extreme bocce.

SUM IT UP IN THREE WORDS: Training in paradise!

ANYTHING TO ADD? Join us in paradise in July on beautiful Salt Spring Island, or follow the weekend on social media (Facebook and @ssitip).

— ARJUNA GEORGE is the deputy chief with Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue. He has been involved with Training in Paradise since its inception. ageorge@saltspringfire.com

Northwest Fire Conference (NWFC)

LOCATION: Peace River, Alta.

WEBSITE: www.afca.ab.ca or www.prfc.ca

DATES OF EVENT: April 29 to May 2, 2015

TRAINING FACILITY: Peace River Fire Department.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Sawridge Hotel and Conference Center, Peace River.

ORGANIZED BY: Peace Region Fire Chiefs.

FireCon

LOCATION: Thunder Bay, Ont.

WEBSITE: www.oafc.on.ca/event/firecon

DATES OF EVENT: Sept. 10 to 12, 2015

TRAINING FACILITY: Live fire – Thunder Bay Fire Rescue Regional Training Centre; classroom – Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre; hands-on training at suitable venues in the area.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Victoria Inn and four other nearby hotels.

ORGANIZED BY: Emergency North Training Inc., a not-for-profit board, and the FireCon 2015 organizing committee.

SPONSORED BY: FireCon operated for 25 years with support in many forms from fire departments, fire agencies and fire-service vendors. Core partners since inception include the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs has become involved in the delivery of the conference and vendors are playing an increased role in ensuring the quality of presenters. The City of Thunder Bay provides the core live-fire training site.

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: Train - provide quality, standards-based training; Educate – provide knowledge-based education opportunities; Network – provide networking opportunities for all participants through which they can meet other fire-service personnel and exchange knowledge and experiences.

HISTORY: Started 25 years ago by those who saw a need to work together to develop quality training opportunities in northwest Ontario. FireCon celebrates its 25th anniversary of meeting and exceeding its goals this year.

NUMBER OF DELEGATES/FIREFIGHTERS: Typically about 250.

NUMBER OF TRAINERS/INSTRUCTORS: Varies depending on the tracks offered.

FEE TO ATTEND/PARTICIPATE: Less than $300 for 2015.

HANDS-ON, CLASSROOM, OR BOTH? Mixture of knowledge and practical exercises covering public education, prevention and emergency response.

HIGHLIGHTS: So many it is hard to list, but each year is more successful than the previous.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS EVENT? FireCon provides a mix of practical and knowledge-based opportunities and a way for fire-service members, scattered across this vast corner of Ontario, to come together with fire-service agencies and vendors and industry experts to exchange ideas, share knowledge and practise techniques; this ensures the ongoing development of a safer,

more effective fire service in northwest Ontario. Holding the event in Thunder Bay, the regional centre, has the added benefit that participants are able to conduct other business and many use FireCon as an opportunity for a family mini holiday.

BEST MEMORY: A young woman who was a victim in a serious MVC made a special visit to FireCon 2014 to say thank you to firefighters for saving her life.

FDIC Atlantic

LOCATION: Acadia University, Wolfville, N.S.

WEBSITE: www.fdic-atlantic.ca

DATES OF EVENT: June 5 to 7, 2015

TRAINING FACILITY: Acadia University classrooms and various outdoor locations in Wolfville for hands-on training.

ACCOMMODATIONS: On site in university dorms, included in registration fee.

ORGANIZED BY: The board of directors of FDIC Atlantic.

SPONSORED BY: The Nova Scotia Chapter of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI).

GOALS/OBJECTIVES: The Nova Scotia Chapter of the ISFSI is committed to reducing the loss of life, property and damage to the environment by providing quality fire training and education for the fire service in Atlantic Canada through the FDIC Atlantic conference.

HISTORY: The Nova Scotia Chapter of the ISFSI is a non-profit, professional association, dedicated to providing training and education to the fire service. We introduced the Fire Department Information Conference (FDIC Atlantic) in 1995. The objective was to provide firefighters in Atlantic Canada with the type of learning experience that had previously required expensive travel, registration and accommodation in Ontario or the United States. Through the generosity of corporate sponsors and our instructors who volunteer their time, we are able to keep costs down and pass these savings along to our participants. FDIC Atlantic has become a focal point for educational seminars directed at emergency responders. Participants come from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

NUMBER OF DELEGATES/FIREFIGHTERS: 450 NUMBER OF TRAINERS/INSTRUCTORS: 25 FEE TO ATTEND/PARTICIPATE: $200-$300 plus HST, depending on registration/

accommodation type.

HANDS-ON, CLASSROOM, OR BOTH? Both.

HIGHLIGHTS: Big-name keynote speakers and a mix of top-notch instructors from Canada and the United States.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS EVENT: Our directors and instructors all volunteer their time.

BEST MEMORY: After the conference is over and I get great feedback, then I know we have made a difference.

MOST POPULAR COURSES/PROGRAMS: Hands-on sessions and well-known speakers from away.

ONE FUNNY STORY: I had to call my wife in Halifax to go pick up a speaker at the airport at the last minute and drive him to Wolfville (an hour or so away) because there was a problem with the rental car. They made it just in time for his class.

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR? We will be scanning all participants’ name tags for class attendance, and we have some three-hour sessions.

FOOD: Fantastic – all-you-can-eat cafeteria food.

SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE? Top-notch speakers and training for the lowest price possible, and all the firefighters who attend.

ENTERTAINMENT: For 2015, country music artist and paramedic/firefighter Kevin Davidson on the Saturday night at The Axe – the Acadia University pub.

SUM IT UP IN THREE WORDS: Excellent training opportunity!

ANYTHING TO ADD? I have been doing this conference for the past 18 years and when I see it all come together and we sell out, I look forward to planning for the next one.

— FDIC Atlantic vice-president STEPHEN FENNER is a career firefighter with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency. fdicatl@eastlink.ca

Jeff

is a full-time firefighter for the City of Sarnia, Ont. His 10-year fire service career includes teaching for the past two years as a part-time instructor at the Lambton College Fire and Public Safety Centre of Excellence. cowenjeff@hotmail.com

Selecting hoselines

Choice of diameter can affect firefighter safety

By Jeff Cowen

Most North American fire departments use adequate fire flows at private dwelling fires. However, this same flow is also used for fires inside large, un-compartmented, highfuel-load commercial buildings. Commercial buildings require the use of a 2 1/2-inch (65-millimetre) hose, not just for its higher flow capabilities, but also for its stream reach and thermal penetration.

The 2 1/2-inch hoseline is perceived by many in the fire service as a defensive line only. A lack of fire-behaviour training and the perception that the 2 1/2-inch hoseline is too difficult to advance and flow, has made firefighters reluctant to use this hose as an interior-attack line. There are, however, ways to use the 2 1/2-inch hoseline as a safe, more effective, aggressive interiorattack line at commercial-building fires.

On March 14, 2001, the Phoenix Fire Department in Arizona responded to a fire at the Southwest Supermarket. Bales of cardboard had caught fire outside the supermarket with fire extension into the supermarket’s storage room. Crews stretched two 1 1/2-inch (38 mm) hand lines through the supermarket to the storage area. As crews advanced hoselines into the storage room, smoke and heat conditions in the supermarket began to deteriorate. One of the members of Engine 14, Brett Tarver, became low on air and had to exit. While attempting to exit, Tarver lost contact with the hoseline, became disoriented, and ran out of air. After Tarver’s death, the Phoenix Fire Department did a full investigation and released a report on the incident. The report recognized failure to control

the fire as a contributing factor and gave this recommendation:

When considering fire growth and the gallons per minute (GPM) needed to control a one- to two-room fire (250 square feet), it is approximately 80 GPM. In a large open room (which could equal 3,000 square feet), the fire flow could be up to 1,000 GPM to control the fire. The GPM must overpower the size of the fire. Attack line selection must not always be based upon what’s easiest or what’s fastest, but the correct size (GPM flow) to control the fire. That ‘correct size’ line is not for the size of fire you

see now, but the prediction or forecasted fire growth that will happen during the time it takes to deploy and operate that line.

The report correctly points out that fires in commercial buildings, with high fuel loads and massive supplies of air, can grow so rapidly that the fires are capable of outpacing one or even two 1 3/4-inch hoselines within minutes of fire department arrival. This is what happened in Charleston, S.C., on the evening of June 18, 2007, when a fire broke out in packing material and discarded furniture outside an enclosed loading dock at the Sofa Super Store. The fire quickly spread to the covered loading

Despite common belief, there are ways to use the 2 1/2-inch hoseline as a safe, more effective, aggressive interior-attack line at commercial-building fires. Firefighters from across Ontario participating in a Nozzle Forward course – held at the Lambton College Fire and Public Safety Centre of Excellence in August – learn how to flow and move 2 1/2-inch hoselines safely and effectively with their departments’ staffing levels.

Cowen

PHOTO: JEFF GOARLEY

the

dock that contained furniture, wood framing, liquid hydrocarbon solvent and flooring. From the loading dock, fire and smoke extended into the main showroom.

“The fire overwhelmed the interior attack,” the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) report says, “and the interior crews became disoriented when thick, black smoke filled the showrooms from ceiling to floor . . . Interior firefighters were caught in rapid fire progression and nine firefighters from the first-responding fire department died.”

Similar to the firefighters’ actions during the supermarket fire in Arizona, Charleston crews attacked using 1 1/2-inch hoselines. In both cases, the fires originated outside the buildings, and firefighters tasked with checking the buildings for fire extension found a light haze along the ceiling upon entry. Based on this observation, many firefighters would not expect to find a rapidly escalating fire extending into the building. Both fires illustrate why hoseline selection is so critical.

Lack of fire-behaviour training

Current fire-behaviour training fails to demonstrate the relationship between flow rate (the heat-absorbing capacity of water) and heat-release rates. In Ontario, the Fire Service Health and Safety Advisory Committee is revising the firefighters guidance note #6-6 Flashover to recom-

mend fire departments develop a fire behaviour-training program for their members. This revision is being done in response to a NIOSH recommendation to the NFPA to consider amending NFPA 1001 and NFPA 1021 to include more comprehensive fire-behaviour training for fire officers and firefighters. Currently, North American firefighters receive little training on fire behaviour. When firefighters understand fire behaviour, hoseline selection becomes a decision based on anticipated fire conditions and heat-release rates, rather than what is easiest to stretch. At a minimum, firefighters must accept the fact that fires release thermal energy. A fire stream that does not have a sufficient flow rate to absorb the fire’s thermal energy will not control it.

Firefighting flow-rate requirements

Structural firefighting expert and author Paul Grimwood used this explanation (back in 2005) for flow-rate requirements:

The concept of firefighting flow-rate requirements can be theoretically based in matching water-flow against known rates of heat release (a given flows capacity to absorb thermal energy) in compartment fires. It can also be empirically based upon given fire loads, in established floor space, against water flows needed to suppress fires during their growth or decay stages (the latter generally being a defensive application).

NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations by Career Fire Departments , recommends a flow rate of 300 GPM from two hoselines. This flow rate is widely accepted by the North American fire service, with many fire departments using two 1 3/4-inch hoselines to achieve this flow. The private-dwelling tactical flow rate proposed in NFPA 1710 is based on the National Fire Academy’s (NFA) fire-flow formula:

NFF = (L X W)/ 3 x % of building involvement

NFF

Using this equation, the NFPA’s private-dwelling tactical flow rate was calculated for a 2,000-square-foot house. The resulting flow rate includes a back-up (safety) hoseline. The NFPA selected 50 per cent involvement because an interior-attack strategy is generally not used for buildings with a higher percentage. This tactical flow rate is an overestimation of needed fire flow at most private-dwelling fires, which provides an important safety margin for interior-attack operations. Experiments conducted by Underwriters Laboratory and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) show heat-release rates in modern, private-dwelling fires to be five to 15 megawatts.

Figure 1: Experiments show that the efficiency factor of water ranges from 0.2 to 0.5. The late New Zealand fire engineer Cliff Barnett suggested that an efficiency factor of 0.5 be used for solid or straight-stream application. Heat-release rate for a flashover simulator can reach one megawatt. Heat-release rate for an average-sized, private-dwelling fire can range from five to 15 megawatts.

The adjusted cooling capacity of a 150GPM fire stream is 12 megawatts. Interestingly, the NFPA’s recommended private-dwelling flow rate coincides with the cooling capacity of water for expected heat-release rates at private dwelling fires. Current field fire-flow formulas for large commercial buildings are less reliable due to a number of variables, including ceiling heights greater than 10 feet (three metres). Fire loading also varies greatly among commercial structures. Something all commercial buildings have in common is an enormous supply of oxygen, which translates into much higher heat-release rates than a private-dwelling fire. When NIST remodeled the Sofa Superstore fire,

Compared to smaller-diameter attack lines,

2 1/2-inch attack line has a far greater reach and a more powerful stream; this allows firefighters to reach the seat of the fire without penetrating as far into a burning building.

its researchers found heat-release rates had reached 85 megawatts on the loading dock shortly after the fire department’s arrival.

In Ontario, the health and safety advisory committee has attempted to address the issue of safe commercial fire flows in Guidance Note 6-26 Structural Fire Fighting – Fire Streams and Ventilation:

Firefighters and officers should understand critical flow rates (the minimum flow in litres or gallons per minute required to extinguish a given size fire) and the effects of nozzle-stream patterns when determining the type, size and number of lines required to control the fire as quickly as possible. Fire departments should establish minimum flow rates for residential fires and for commercial building fires. Commonly accepted critical flow rates for residential fires are 570 litres per minute (150 GPM) and 950 litres per minute (250 GPM) for commercial building fires.

Unlike the residential flow rate recommended in NFPA 1710 Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations . . . , the guidance note fails to account for a back-up safety hoseline. Some fire chiefs argue they can meet the recommended 250-GPM commercial flow rate by stretching two 1 3/4-inch hoselines rather than the 2 1/2 inch. This tactic is critically flawed as it fails to account for a back-up line. Meeting the 250-GPM flow rate with 1 3/4-inch lines requires four hoselines. Stretching two small-diameter attack lines will only meet the NFPA recommended flow rate for a two-storey, 2,000-square-foot house. It takes 12 firefighters to deploy four 1 3/4inch lines, as opposed to the eight members needed for two 2 1/2-inch hoselines. Using the 2 1/2-inch attack line frees up four firefighters for other fire-ground tasks. Secondly, two 1 3/4-inch hoselines are not equal to a 2 1/2-inch line. Pontiac’s Fiero and Ferrari’s Testarossa are both sports cars but obviously do not compare in terms of performance. Compared to smaller-diameter attack lines, the 2 1/2-inch attack line firehall.com

has a far greater reach and a more powerful stream; this allows firefighters to reach the seat of the fire without penetrating as far into a burning building, and to cool structural-steel building components from a greater distance to prevent collapse.

Moving the 2 1/2-inch line

Many fire departments view the 2 1/2-inch attack line as a defensive fire line because it is too heavy to advance and requires too many members to hold while flowing. This problem can be broken down into two categories: training issues and equipment issues. Retired Oakland, Calif., captain Dennis LeGear explained in an article titled “Hose Dreams” published on countyfiretactics.com in 2013, that the modern 2 1/2inch fire hose is not true to size. When in operation, a modern 2 1/2-inch hose is actually 2 3/4 inches or larger; this can add up

to 70 pounds (32 kilograms) of extra water per hundred feet (30 metres) of hose. This increase in hose diameter was driven by the fire service as a result of the introduction of the 100-pounds-per-square-inch (psi) combination nozzle. True 2 1/2-inch diameter, double-cotton-jacketed hose previously had a 50-psi solid bore nozzle attached to the end of it; when the fire service began using the 100-psi combination nozzle, pump-discharge pressure jumped 50 psi. On a long attack hose lay, that jump in pressure was unacceptable, so the industry responded by producing fire hose that offered lower friction losses. To decrease friction loss in the hose, manufacturers did the only thing they could do – they increased the diameter of the hose.

According to LeGear’s article, the only solution to this problem is a change to the NFPA 1961 Standard on Fire Hose to require

fire hose be manufactured true to the labelled diameter and remain true to size when pressurized. Furthermore, the need for lower friction losses in fire hose has been eliminated by more effective products from nozzle manufacturers, such as lower-pressure combination nozzles. Another benefit to low-pressure combination nozzles is a considerable decrease in nozzle reaction. The problem with the 100-psi combination nozzle was that much of the fire service attached these to a very large, heavy, brass playpipe; this made the nozzle physically unrealistic for use as an attack-line nozzle. The other problem with using the 100-psi combination nozzle on a 2 1/2-inch hoseline flowing 250 GPM, is that the nozzle reaction is almost 130 pounds (59 kilograms). Using a 50-psi solid bore or 50-psi combination nozzle on a 2 1/2-inch hoseline flowing 250 GPM will

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produce a manageable reaction force of 70-90 pounds (32-40 kilograms).

Training issues

When is the last time your department trained on the deployment of a 2 1/2-inch hoseline? If the last time was for annual hose testing, lack of training will be a major barrier to use of the 2 1/2-inch hoseline during a commercial building fire. Training with the 2 1/2-inch attack line will have a major impact on how efficiently the line is advanced and flowed. Courses such as Aaron Fields’ The Nozzle Forward teaches firefighters how to effectively advance and flow the 2 1/2-inch attack line. Fire departments should practise combining engine crews when a fire requires the deployment of 2 1/2-inch hoselines. Regular training on the deployment and use of the 2 1/2-inch hoseline will give firefighters the confi -

When is the last time your department trained on the deployment of a 2 1/2-inch hoseline?

dence and competence to deploy this hose line when conditions dictate its use.

Safety on the fire ground is best achieved by extinguishing the fire as quickly as possible. Understanding fire behaviour and the relationship between fire flow and heat-release rate is critical to proper hoseline selection. Fire departments must ensure that firefighters are trained to advance and flow 2 1/2-inch attack lines, and must equip firefighters with low-pressure nozzles

so they can flow the 2 1/2-inch line with a manageable nozzle reaction. Firefighters must view the 2 1/2-inch hoseline as an attack line and be willing to stretch it at fires that require higher flow rates. Stewart McMillan, the president of Task Force Tips, summed this up best in an article titled “Fire streams: Fact or fantasy?” on www.tft.com, when he wrote:

Frequently, we are sending in our ‘troops’ armed with a flow that is too small for the job at hand. By the time they call for reinforcements, it is frequently too late. It is my opinion that we should have standard operating procedures that maximize the capability of the attack team . . . Let’s go on the offensive. What does all this add up to? Hit it hard, hit it fast, hit it with all you’ve got!

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Tim-bits

By Tim Llewellyn

Understanding chainsaw safety during ventilation

Chainsaws used in the fire service for ventilation are much more powerful than the average home-use chainsaw; the engines are bigger, the chains have large, wide teeth that are designed to chew through a range of materials, and the units are larger and heavier overall. Most firefighters rarely use chainsaws, and many are first introduced to these pieces of equipment during courses at entry-level fire academies. Most instructors give many of the same coaching points during ventilation saw practice for both new and seasoned firefighters. Here are some common coaching points, along with a ventilation saw drill that will help firefighters build their confidence and skill.

½ Wear full PPE, including eye, ear and hand protection when using saws.

½ When starting a saw that is cold, allow it to warm up before revving the engine to full throttle. Upon starting, most chainsaws automatically run at a high idle. Hold onto the saw with both hands and allow the saw to run at high idle for 30 seconds to one minute – you will hear and feel the saw begin to run more evenly and smoothly.

½ Do not apply the chain brake when warming up a saw –let the chain spin around the bar. This allows the lubricating oil to coat both the bar and chain, which makes the chainsaw perform better and last longer.

½ When plunging the saw blade into something you want to cut, rev the saw to full throttle before you begin the cut. Keep the saw at full throttle during the cut and do not let go of or back off of the throttle until the

cut is complete. I’ve learned that the majority of chain failures occur while the saw is being inserted into or retracted from the cut at less than full throttle.

½ Do not cut in a line toward your foot.

½ Once a cut is made and the saw is retracted from the material, immediately set the chain brake by rolling the hand and wrist on the roll-bar handle forward into the brake lever. When you switch hand or foot positions or move the saw to a new cut location, set the brake and stop the chain from spinning. The spinning chain is what causes injuries; if it’s not moving when we’re moving, the chance of getting hurt – or hurting someone else –decreases drastically.

½ Once the saw is in place for the next cut, set the tip of the saw on the cut surface and squeeze the brake lever to release the brake. Put your hand back on the roll bar handle and begin the cut.

Tim Llewellyn is a firefighter for the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh, Penn., and an instructor for a number of fire academies and training faculties. llewellyn.fire@gmail.com

Training tip

Fire-service training with ventilation saws often starts with firefighters cutting holes on peaked-roof simulators to accomplish vertical ventilation. However, a peaked roof is no place for a firefighter to learn how to use a chainsaw. Basic saw training should occur on flat, firm, level ground where the simple saw manoeuvres can be practised to competence before introducing uneven surfaces and alternate hand and foot positions.

Capt. Jim Ellis from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire uses a training prop that is easily constructed and works great to introduce and reinforce saw handling. A wooden pallet is laid flat on the ground and is covered with a square piece of plywood sheathing (1.2 by 1.2 metres). The plywood is secured to the pallet in several places around the perimeter and also throughout the inner portion of the square. The firefighter then starts the saw

and, using correct handling and foot-placement procedures, cuts a square shape just inside the outer edge of the plywood using his or her dominant hand. This squareshaped cut is repeated again two or three centimetres inside of the first cut until the firefighter feels comfortable enough to try a weak-hand technique. During these first few tries, the firefighter is allowed to move around and change foot positions for all sides of the cut until he or she feels comfortable. Next, the firefighter makes the square cut while standing in one location, changing hand positions to complete the cut correctly. Because the firefighter can’t move his or her feet, the exercise simulates standing on a roof ladder. The exercise serves to greatly increase the firefighter’s comfort level with the chain saw.

As with everything, training is key. Now get out there and cut some wood.

Constructing a simple training prop with a wooden pallet and a piece of plywood sheathing allows the firefighter to practice chainsaw competence at the fire hall.

Back to basics

By Mark van der Feyst

Practise the Denver drill to ensure RIT readiness

One of the more well-known drills in rapid-intervention team (RIT) training is the Denver drill. This drill is very physically demanding as it involves two RIT firefighters working to rescue a downed firefighter in a very small space. The drill was developed in Denver after the death of firefighter Mark Langvardt.

On Sept. 28, 1992, Langvardt died in the line of duty while battling a three-alarm fire in a two-storey commercial building. The building, which was used for printing, was a split-level with a maze of rooms filled with furniture and office equipment. Langvardt was an engineer of truck company 16, which was assigned to interior operations. While inside, the firefighter was separated from his crew due to reduced visibility from the smoke, followed by a floor collapse.

Langvardt was able to get to a window and summon help using a flashlight. Firefighters outside noticed the light and immediately began a rescue operation. Langvardt was trapped in a room that was just 1.8 metres by 3.4 metres (six feet by 11 feet) and filled with filing cabinets. These cabinets formed aisles that were just 71 centimetres (28 inches) wide. The downed firefighter was located at the end of the aisles by a window that was 51 centimetres (20 inches) wide and 1.1 metres (3.5 feet) high. The floor was partially collapsed at the main entrance way, which prohibited firefighters from getting in. The rescue had to take place from the small window. Despite numerous attempts, firefighters were unable to remove Langvardt before he died.

Firefighters at the Denver Fire Department developed the Denver drill as a way to prevent the same or similar events from happening again. The Denver drill provides the skill sets needed to effectively complete a rescue if a firefighter were to become trapped in a small, confined space (see photo 1) with high windows, or requiring a high lift.

The first step of the Denver drill is to send one of the RIT members into the building through the window head first. This is difficult because of the high ledge and a length of distance the firefighter must fall down. The RIT member will need to use the body of the downed firefighter to help stabilize him during the decent, and should use

This type of rescue can be used in any situation that involves a high lift with a difference in elevation

his legs to grip the window frame in order to slow and control his body (see photo 2).

Once inside, the RIT member crawls over the downed firefighter and turns around so that he is facing the window again. The next step is to drag the downed firefighter forward and upright so that there is a space between the window wall and the back of the downed firefighter; to accomplish this, the RIT firefighter grabs the shoulder straps of the downed firefighter’s SCBA, places a foot or knee in the middle of the downed firefighter’s groin area, and pulls the downed firefighter toward him.

Next, a second RIT firefighter uses the same technique to enter the space between the downed firefighter and the window wall,

THE DENVER

using the back of the downed firefighter’s SCBA to help with the decent. Once inside, the second RIT member puts his back to the window wall, loosens his SCBA shoulder straps and places the SCBA cylinder at the corner of the wall (see photo 3).

The second RIT member then forms a ramp with his legs by placing his feet under or near the buttocks of the downed firefighter,

Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1999 and is a full-time firefighter in Ontario. He teaches in Canada, the United States and India and is lead author of Residential Fire Rescue. Mark@FireStarTraining.com

A Denver drill is helpful to train for situations involving a firefighter trapped in a small, confined space with high windows, or requiring a high lift.

A RIT member enters the confined space head first through a window, gripping the window frame with his legs in order to slow and control his body.

DENVER DRILL

and his knees close to his own upper body, making a triangle shape. At this point, the first RIT firefighter gets ready to begin to lift the downed firefighter; this involves sliding the downed firefighter as close as possible to the feet of the second RIT firefighter so that the buttocks of the downed firefighter is up against or on top of them.

The first RIT firefighter then positions his legs outside of the legs

of the downed firefighter to create a wider base for lifting. The first RIT member then reaches down around the waist area of the downed firefighter and grabs the back of the waist belt of the SCBA (or bear hugs the downed firefighter) and then lifts the firefighter up and onto the legs or knees of the second RIT firefighter.

The second RIT firefighter places his hands on the downed firefighter’s SCBA bottle to help lift and to guide the firefighter onto the ramp formed by his legs and knees. At this point, the downed firefighter should be off the ground and onto the legs of the second RIT firefighter, allowing the first RIT firefighter to re-position for the final segment.

The first RIT firefighter then places his shoulders underneath the legs of the downed firefighter, positioning the firefighter’s knees over his shoulders. This allows the first RIT firefighter to push while the second RIT firefighter lifts up from the bottom. Two other RIT members are at the window on the outside ready to receive the downed firefighter. The two exterior RIT members should reach in and grab the SCBA shoulder straps of the downed firefighter to help with removal (see photo 4).

When all RIT members are in position, the first RIT firefighter yells the command and all members either push up, push forward or pull toward themselves to elevate the downed firefighter high enough to be pulled out the window. The RIT members inside the building then exit the same way they came in through the window, receiving help as needed from the outside RIT members.

This type of rescue can be used in any situation that involves a high lift with a difference in elevation, or a high window that cannot be enlarged into a doorway.

Once inside, the second RIT member orients so that his back is facing the window wall, loosens his SCBA shoulder straps and places the SCBA cylinder at the corner of the wall.

Two exterior RIT members reach in and grab the SCBA shoulder straps of the downed firefighter to aid with removal.

Extrication tips

By Randy Schmitz

Randy Schmitz is a Calgary firefighter extensively involved in the extrication field. He is the education chair for the Transport Emergency Rescue Committee in Canada. rwschmitz@shaw.ca @firedog7

The facts on frontal offset crashes

In the January issue of Canadian Firefighter , I wrote about the DashAway – an innovative tool designed by a Sundre, Alta., firefighter to help mitigate issues in extrication, particularly in frontal offset collisions. I have since heard from readers asking why frontal offset crashes are so deadly. Most rescuers will have responded to a frontal offset collision. It’s important we, as rescuers, understand what the industry is doing to address the danger of these crashes.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

(IIHS), an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing losses – deaths, injuries and property damage – from crashes on North American roads, 25 per cent of frontal-crash deaths are due to small overlap crashes. These overlap crashes occur when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or object that encompasses roughly a one-quarter section of the front end. Most of these collisions are the consequence of vehicles drifting over the centerlines of roads or intersections and striking other

Impact energy during a small, frontal offset crash can bypass a vehicle’s engineered crumple zones, which are designed to absorb energy in a head-on collision.

automobiles. However, since speed, timing, and vehicle location on the road are all factors in a frontal collision, the precise point of impact is not always straight on with the other vehicle. Instead, what usually occurs is what authorities and experts refer to as a small offset frontal collision. These types of crashes, though considered small can be lethal. A typical front end of a standard vehicle has specific crumple zones that are designed to collapse and absorb energy in order to divert the energy away from the passenger compartment. Side frame rails, hidden under the front fenders, are the main components of crumple zones, and are engineered to

deform or collapse like an accordion. Other crumple zone structures comprise the middle 50 per cent of a vehicle’s front end. The crumple-zone design works well to protect passengers in the majority of moderate to low-speed crashes that are head-on or frontal. The degree of energy absorption varies depending on the style and size of the vehicle’s front end. Essentially, the larger or longer the front end, the better protected the passengers are as it takes longer for the crash energy to reach the passenger compartment, which allows more time for crash absorption. In the case of a small frontal offset crash, however, only a portion of the front end – less

than 25 per cent – hits the other vehicle or stationary object. This means the impact energy can bypass the engin -

It’s important we, as rescuers, understand where the industry is at in addressing the danger of these crashes.

eered crumple zones in the side rails, which significantly reduces the absorption of energy from the crash (see above). Deceleration time decreases so the occupant space is compromised.

If the hit from the other vehicle or stationary object violently rotates the vehicle

sideways, the occupants also move sideways and forward, which forces him or her out of the ideal position to benefit from secondary restraint protection – the airbag. When this occurs, occupants often miss the airbag entirely and hit A pillars, doors, windows, or the center console. As the impact starts to deform the cabin space, other changes take place inside the passenger compartment that greatly compromise the strength of the lower A pillar and firewall. The front rims/tires move inwards into the firewall, and the sheet metal seams between the floor pan and rocker panel begin to separate and fail, wrapping the crumpled

Vermilion Alberta

Extrication tips

sheet metal around the occupants’ feet and lower extremities. The floor pan deformation and movement often causes the seats to move forward or to the side, which forces the occupants out of position even further and can compromise the effectiveness of seat belts. In addition, the steering wheel moves inward, moving the angle of the steering column such that if the driver airbag deploys, the driver is not in position to benefit from the supplementation. The driver will be subject to severe head and facial trauma as he or she comes contact with the upper corner of the A pillar. Because an offset crash is still frontal in nature, the side-impact and roof-curtain airbags generally will not deploy to offer protection from the interior structures. All these problems contribute to excessive forward movement of the occupants.

Unfortunately, immediate death from severe blunt trauma and external injuries is often the result of small frontal offset crashes. People will succumb to internal injuries hours later from impact with hard surfaces, making these types of crashes predominantly acute.

Since 2012, the IIHS has evaluated new vehicles through tests for small overlap frontal crashes. The test propels a vehicle at 65 kilometers per hour into a 1.5-metre solid wall in such a way that 25 per cent of the vehicle’s front end on the driver’s side of the car strikes a barrier. A dummy representing an average-size man is positioned in the driver seat. The IIHS reproduces as well as possible

the crash forces that occur when the front corner of a car or truck hits another vehicle or stationary object, such as a light pole, tree or roadside abutment. IIHS engineers rate the cars by considering three main factors:

1. Structure of the passenger compartment. The amount of intrusion into the passenger area is evaluated by taking measurements. Most of the measurements are taken around the driver’s side.

2. Patient injury. Sensors that monitor different levels of stress on the body calculate the risk of injury to the dummy. The sensors monitor the head, neck, torso, and lower extremities.

3. Patient movement while the primary and secondary restraints are activated. Prior to the test, a paintlike material is coated on the dummy’s body. The movement of the dummy during the collision test is determined from the points at which the paint comes into contact with structures such as the dash and A pillars.

The test is filmed from many angles inside and outside of the vehicle to give engineers a better overall idea of what transpires inside the vehicle during a crash.

David Zirby, the executive vice-president and chief research officer for IIHS, said in a YouTube video that small offset crash tests the IIHS performed on Nov. 20, 2014, using four minivans found only one of them to have an “acceptable” safety rating.

Other than test facilities such as the IIHS and a select few automakers, small overlap frontal crash tests are not conducted in North America or Europe. Therefore, manufacturers are not required to adhere to any federal motor-vehicle safety standards for small overlap crash tests. As a result, a major source of the 10,000 frontal-type crash fatalities in the United States and Canada that occur every year are from small offset crashes. (However, the IIHS believes the number of threeyear-old or newer passenger vehicles involved in fatal frontal crashes has dropped over the past decade by more than 50 per cent.)

Automotive design changes needed

With small frontal offset collision tests revealing shortcomings in many automobiles, auto manufacturers are attempting to modify their designs. Some modifications manufacturers have made include a lowered steel rail, a new front-end geometry, new energy absorbing hollow bars under bumpers, strengthened bumpers for more energy dispersion, as well as changing the position of hard, heavy and dangerous components, such as the engine cradle and lower suspension. Lowering these dangerous components better disperses them underneath the vehicle and away from the passenger compartment, which is most vulnerable during a small frontal offset crash. As well, airbag makers and car companies are collaborating to try to rectify the movement of occupants out of proper position during an offset crash.

Larger airbags that will cover areas such as the upper corner of A pillar will offer protection from hard structures. Engineers at some car manufacturing facilities have indicated that they are adjusting airbag algorithms to deploy side airbags during small overlap frontal crashes to help fill the critically exposed gap created between the upper window and A pillars.

The IIHS believes it has helped make significant improvements to safety by providing consumers with information that they can use when deciding which car to buy. This information has helped drive consumer demand for safety and manufacturers have responded by making vehicles that exceed North American motor vehicle safety standards, thereby contributing to the mission of decreasing death and injuries from motor vehicle collisions.

Although consumer demand for vehicle safety information continues to grow, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – a division of the United States Department of Transportation that sets and regulates motor-vehicle safety standards – does not require small overlap crash tests.

Ultimately, there’s no perfect solution that guarantees safety in a motor-vehicle collision; driver prudence and cautious, safe practices behind the wheel are still the best bet for survivability. Improvements in vehicle and safety technology assist as well. Undeniably, modern cars are safer than ever, however, once they leave the road or cross over a median, all bets are off. Stay safe everyone.

Recipe rescue

By Patrick Mathieu

Patrick Mathieu is an acting captain at Waterloo Fire Rescue in Ontario. He was recently featured on Food Network’s Chopped Canada. stationhousecateringco@ yahoo.ca @StationHouseCCo

Using food from root to leaf

In our society today about one-third of the total amount of food produced is thrown away. This statistic is even more troubling because roughly 805 million people worldwide are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Food waste is a huge problem, and that is an understatement. As portion sizes in North America grow, so does food waste. But we can all do a small part to help combat food waste, which supports an overall healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family.

The easiest way to reduce foodwaste footprint is to have a plan. Show up to your farmer’s market or grocery store with a list of food necessities instead of strolling around for food wants. Watching food go rotten in the fridge and pantry is taboo in my books – it is a careless waste of ingredients and also a waste of your hard-earned money. There are great little tricks easily found on the Internet to help make your food last longer and keep mold away (check out End of Food Waste on davidsuzuki.org). For example, did you know that guacamole freezes surprisingly well? Or that if a great meal you created is reaching its life span in the fridge, it will likely live another day in the freezer? It may also be time to revisit some of our grandparents’ methods of making food last, such as canning and preserving.

I have always been an advocate for leftovers. Many dishes improve within a day or two. I take great pleasure on the final day (or night) of duty creating something special out of what I had previously made for my crew members during our shifts. Try this. The results will surprise you.

Show up to your farmer’s market or grocery store with a list of food necessities instead of strolling around for food wants.

Broccoli stalk and carrot top slaw

INGREDIENTS — DRESSING

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp dried sweetened cranberries, plumped up in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drained

1 tsp whole grain mustard

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

INGREDIENTS — SALAD

4 cups peeled and grated broccoli stalks

2 cups grated carrots (from 4 to 6 carrots), plus carrot tops, finely chopped

Amount of total food produced that is wasted or thrown away

2 cups shredded cabbage (Napa cabbage, green, or red cabbage)

1 small clove garlic

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

½ tsp Kosher salt, more to taste

6 tbsp canola oil ¼ cup mayonnaise

1 cup thinly sliced green onions, tops and bottoms

½ cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 tsp grated orange zest

½ tsp Kosher salt

1. To make the dressing, put the balsamic and red wine vinegars, plumped, dried cranberries, mustard, honey, garlic, orange juice, orange zest, and salt into a blender or a mini food processor and pulse until pureed smooth. Slowly add the vegetable oil, while pulsing or blending, to form a good emulsion. Then add the mayonnaise and pulse until blended.

2. Place grated broccoli stalks, carrots with their tops, cabbage, the onions, dried cranberries, orange zest, and kosher salt into a bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine, until the dressing is evenly distributed. Make several hours before serving to allow the flavours to come together. Enjoy!

A broccoli stalk and carrot top slaw easily compliments sweet potato chips and a banquet burger.

Recipe rescue

Cauliflower steaks with salsa verde

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp chopped cilantro and tarragon

1 ½ tbsp capers, drained, coarsely chopped

6 zesty baby dills, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp grainy mustard

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large head of cauliflower

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp canola oil

½ cup dry white wine

½ tsp finely grated lemon zest

4 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1. To make the salsa verde, in a large bowl, whisk the parsley with the cilantro, tarragon, capers, pickles, garlic, mustards and olive oil. Set aside.

2. Cut the cauliflower from top to bottom into four 1/2-inch-thick steaks and season them liberally with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the canola oil until very hot. Add the cauliflower in a single layer and cook over high heat until well browned. Carefully turn the steaks, add the wine and cook until it is evaporated and the cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife, 3-5 minutes.

3. Transfer the cauliflower to a platter and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Stir the lemon juice and vinegar into your salsa verde and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce on the cauliflower and serve. Enjoy!

We can all use a lesson on how to maximize all of an ingredient we buy. We need to rethink what we believe belongs in a recipe and what we should discard. Why do we throw away beet greens, carrot tops and kale stems? I always throw these items in a sealable bag in the freezer to make homemade veggie stock, but I recently discovered that they can also be sauteed, shaved into salads, or made into soup. Chefs from around the world and awesome home cooks view using an entire ingredient as a way to showcase their culinary creativity – a challenge of sorts – and we can learn from them. Honour your raw ingredients! Before throwing away a portion that you previously believed to be inedible, take a bite. If it doesn’t taste all that great initially, imagine it sauteed in a little butter with salt and pepper, or perhaps masked in a pesto, or mixed in a salad or added to a soup. If, despite all your efforts, you still cannot save the food you bought using all of your newfound techniques, consider composting. Composting is a great last resort.

Like most issues that trouble our society, every little bit of change helps cure the problem. I challenge us all to find recipes that use vegetables from root to stalk to leaf, buy only what we consume, reuse food we have already made, and discard our food responsibly.

Green gumbo pairs nicely with cauliflower steak with salsa verde.

From the floor

By Jay Shaw

Jay Shaw is a firefighter and primary-care paramedic with the City of Winnipeg, and an independent consultant focused on leadership, management, emergency preparedness and communication skills. jayshaw@mts.net @firecollege

Slaying the misconstrued police-fire stereotypes

What is it about a profession that makes it pro fessional? What qualities do we look for when we define a vocation as having high levels of integrity and trust?

For firefighters, the answer is in the latest Ipsos Reid survey for Reader’s Digest released in January; 77 per cent of respondents rated fire fighting as the most trusted profession in Canada. Now, 77 per cent gets you only a B-plus in school, but in this case, 77 per cent rated fire as the top trusted profession in Canada, based on a survey of more than 4,000 respondents that is accurate plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

poll that is giving these officers a bad name?

similar in purpose, are very different in application. That’s why I have such a problem with the F rating for cops and B-plus rating for us; it’s not fair and it is definitely not deserved.

That’s a pretty low error rate, so many Canadians will take the results as gospel. Just FYI, car salespeople and telemarketers are at the bottom of the trust scale with five per cent and four per cent respectively.

Of all the jobs on the survey scale, the police-officer rating really got me thinking, as the same code of ethics and commitment, and the same culture of laying your life on the line, exists within the blue brotherhood. Cops and firefighters are cousins on the urban battlefield with comparable lineof-duty deaths, injuries, stress and mental-health issues. With a trust rating of 46 per cent, our cousins with the badges are getting the raw end of the deal with a grade that would get a big, fat F in any school system. We all understand there are differences between cops and firefighters; the cultures are similar, but uniquely different, yet how is it that the gap in trust is so large? Is it just a slanted public opinion

That’s why I have such a problem with the F rating for cops and B-plus rating for us; it’s not fair and it is definitely not deserved.

Firefighters are a bit more flamboyant than police officers; we seem to like to flex our muscles in public a bit more with charity calendars, endless volumes of T-shirts, and stickers on our cars. We seem to have no problem telling everybody what we do because the reaction is almost always positive. We’re very proud of our profession and I make no apologies for our culture, as not many can do what we do.

Police all across this country and North America have had a rough year with both the senseless shootings and multiple incidents during which police have had to shoot suspects to protect themselves and others in harm’s way. Sergeant-atArms Kevin Vickers, a former RCMP officer, became every Canadian’s hero when he shot and killed a man who had just committed an act of terror by assassinating Cpl. Nathan Cirillo on the steps of the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22. I can’t think of one firefighter I know who would not shake that man’s hand, buy him a beer and call him a hero. I have no doubt that more than 46 per cent of the population trusts and approves of Mr. Vickers.

Percentage of Canadians who rated fire fighting as the most-trusted profession (Ipsos Reid 2015)

Police officers, however, will rightfully defend their job choice to us as a higher calling, and they whole-heartedly believe that the box they checked allows them to give more back to the community – and to themselves – in so many ways. Think back to when you chose fire: Was it even close? Did you know why you wanted to be a firefighter over a cop? For me, it’s all in how you feel about this one statement: Do I want to get the bad guy, or go into burning buildings to save a life? Neither answer is right or wrong but both offer very different vehicles, both figuratively and literally, for accomplishing good tasks. The two skill sets, while

And if any of us had a chance to talk with Vickers about his actions, he would say he did his job, he did his duty, and any cop in his shoes would have attempted to eliminate the threat as he did, just as you would take a chance, push harder and fight to save a life under horrific circumstances as a firefighter.

Both professions are cut from the same cloth, so the difference in opinion polls has to come from stereotypes, an ill-informed perception of reality or, worse – blatant ignorance or discrimination. With a fraction-of-second decision-making process that may determine life or death for police officers, or for us, I think those who own that responsibility and choose to protect and serve deserve better than 46 per cent trust rating with a plus or minus 1.8 percentage point chance of error.

I’d rather run into a burning building any day, thank you very much.

We’re Going to Trigger an IMPULSE…

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Technology that saves lives

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