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How
COLUMNS
04 | From the editor
08 | Tools of the Trade Executing exercises properly 10 | Front Seat
What makes a good company officer?
18 | Dispatches
All types are needed in fire service 26 | Between Alarms
How to avoid destroying your department
38 | Fit for Duty
How to start a workout program
By Grant Cameron
Wildfires expected to worsen
If the ecologists and fire experts are right, and I have no reason to doubt them, wildland firefighters could be in for another busy year.
Hard to believe it could be worse, as last year was brutal, particularly for those in British Columbia and northern Ontario.
The folks in B.C. experienced their most destructive wildfire season ever and Ontario had its second worst.
Evidence suggests the trend may continue – if not this year, then in the years ahead, for sure. Inside this issue, we delve into the topic in more detail and look at some approaches and technologies being used to fight wildfires.
As Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at the U niversity of Alberta, explains, climate change and a v ariation in traditional weather patterns is driving the transformation.
There is evidence to suggest that the jet stream, that powerful current of high-altitude winds that flow across Canada in the northern hemisphere, is weakening, the result being that hot, dry, windy conditions which are conducive to starting and spreading fires are becoming the norm.
The river of air gets its energy from the temperature difference between equatorial areas and the Arctic, but with the North warming up, the difference is getting smaller, and the jet stream is weakening, leading to more
favourable conditions for strengthening the west coast upper ridge during the fire season.
One study suggests that in the past 15 years at least, the jet stream has been coiling up more, slithering farther north and south. When it gets stuck in the extreme pattern identified by the scientists the result is w armer temperatures and more hot, dry air that creates conditions for wildfires.
Climate models suggest that the trend over the next few decades will be toward more extreme situations
This, obviously, leads to longer wildfire seasons, more lightning strikes and drier forest fuels – ideal conditions for igniting wildland fires.
According to the Arctic Report Card, which gathers the latest science from top experts to track changes in the North, climate change has resulted in air temperatures in the Arctic that are warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe. None of the science suggests the situation is likely to improve.
In fact, climate models suggest that the trend over the next few decades will be toward more extreme situations.
One study published last October in the Journal Science Advances suggests that summers like 2018 will be 50 per cent more frequent by the end of the century if emissions of carbon dioxide and other cli-
mate pollutants from industry, agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels continue at a high rate.
The study identified how the faster warming of the Arctic twists the jet stream into an extreme pattern that leads to persistent heat and drought extremes in some regions, with flooding in other areas.
The Government of B.C., meanwhile, predicts that climate change will lead to a temperature rise of between 1.3 and 2.7 degrees by 2050.
The big question, then, is how to reverse the trend.
Robert Gray, a well-known Chilliwack, B.C., fire ecologist, has a good handle on this sor t of thing so I reached out to him for some insight.
He maintains we can’t change the climate conditions that are contributing to current and future fire behaviour, as today’s climate is the result of carbon emitted decades ago.
And, even if we could drastically reduce our carbon emission, he noted, the positive benefit wouldn’t be seen for several decades in the future.
So, according to Gray, all we can do is affect what burns and how hot it burns. That means we must reduce the fuel available to forest fires around communities, through thinning and prescribed burning.
Perhaps not what we wanted to hear, but sage advice.
April 2019 Vol. 42, No. 2 cdnfirefighter.com
EDITOR
Grant Cameron gcameron@annexbusinessmedia. com 416-522-1595
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Female firefighter nominated for award
Pike Krpan, a Hamilton, Ont., firefighter and vice-president of the Fire Service Women Ontario (FSWO), has been nominated for the YWCA Hamilton’s Women of Distinction Award in Education/Mentorship.
Krpan has been promoting positive change for women in the fire service, not only in her role within FSWO, but also in her leading role in Hamilton’s Camp FFIT (Female Firefighters in Training), a three-day program that empowers young women and introduces them to fire fighting. The awards honour the achievements of women who have displayed their commitment to bettering their communities and are making a positive impact.
Krpan has been a career firefighter with the City of Hamilton since 2013 and has been a member of FSWO since the beginning of her career..
Researcher gets funds for PTSI project
A psychology researcher at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) has received funding from the federal government for her research project focused on firefighters accessing care for trauma.
Dr. Janine Olthuis, an assistant professor in psychology at UNB Fredericton, is one of 20 researchers from across Canada who have received funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for projects relating to post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) among public safety personnel, including law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics. Olthuis’ research focuses on overcoming significant barriers to accessing mental health care faced by firefighters with PTSI. Specifically, her study will investigate the efficacy of a distance-delivered narrative exposure therapy intervention in reducing PTSI symptoms.
Device uses magnetic field to help firefighters heal
Firefighters in Collingwood, Ont., are testing a roll-up mat that’s called a Seqex that uses a magnetic field to optimize the cells in their bodies.
The device uses pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy and is supposed to help improve the body’s chemistry, optimal wellness, detoxification and speed up the process of healing from injuries.
The Collingwood Fire Department is the first in Canada to add the device to its health and wellness program.
The device is provided by Health Wellness Industries in Collingwood. It uses a magnetic field generator with static and alternating fields that work together to create ion cyclotron resonance, the idea being that it increases oxygen flow and allows cells to move more freely and repair the body.
The Seqex has been approved
by Health Canada as a Class II medical device. It is used in private clinics, hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals throughout Europe.
The device has been added to a gym and sauna at the fire department. Firefighters use it to detoxify following a fire. They simply remove their boots and lie on the mat for a period of time. Firefighters have to remove their boots because the magnetic field does not penetrate through the rubber in them.
Collingwood Deputy Fire Chief Dan Thurman says the Seqex enables firefighters to undergo immediate on-site treatments.
Firefighters go to great lengths and cost to detoxify their gear and equipment, he says, and Seqex enables them to detoxify their bodies simply and effectively.
“It provides immediate and safe treatments by simply removing your boots.”
PHOTO CREDIT: KIM SARTOR
B.C.’s 2018 wildfire season was deemed the worst on record for hectares burned.
Globally, more than 350 million hectares burn every year—that is the size of India.
Sprinklers in new homes on hold for present time
Fire service leaders hoping to get sprinklers made compulsory in all new residential home builds will have to wait a while longer.
The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) which supervises the national code development process in Canada, recently rejected requests to mandate the practice – for now, at least.
However, the commission did not close the door to the idea as it expects requests will be made again and has decided to put in place some concrete guidelines on how to consider the proposal going forward.
André Laroche, manager regulatory solutions for Codes Canada and the National Research Council Canada in Ottawa, told Fire Fighting in Canada that the CCBFC looked at the issue and concluded that, for the present time, it would reject requests to change the National Building Code.
“The Commission looked at the code development system, they looked at their partners as well and listened to them, and based on this knowledge they said, ‘Well, for now we’re going to reject the requests.’
“Based on the knowledge and background information we were provided, and the statistical analysis and all the research that was done looking into the aspects, they said, ‘You know, we do not have,’ or, they could not confirm they should move ahead.
“They said, ‘We’re going to pull back on this one for now and then for the future we’re going to reassess how we can assess them more efficiently.’”
Laroche said the commission will be getting some guidance and protocols on how to deal with such requests.
“It’s not a door closed. It’s a door open, but we need to follow a process and it’s just to give due diligence to our different partners and stakeholders that are part of this process.”
The executive of the CCBFC is expected to look at the issue and, at its meeting in September, discuss what’s needed in the event requests come forward again to make sprinklers mandatory in new builds.
Laroche said reviews of various national codes is a process that happens every year. New national model codes are expected to be published at the end of 2020.
Jon Pegg named Ontario fire marshal
Jon Pegg was named Ontario Fire Marshal on Feb. 20. He replaces Ross Nichols who retired. Pegg has been chief of emergency management for Ontario for the past eight months and prior to that was fire chief of Innisfil Fire and Rescue Service and community emergency management co-ordinator with the town. In this position, he was responsible for the delivery of emergency management and fire services response on behalf of the municipality.
In addition, Pegg has led a number of significant modernization projects and initiatives that have transformed emergency services both municipally and across the province.
Pegg was recipient of the Fire Service Exemplary Service Medal as well as the Excellence in Leadership and Health Safety award from the Town of Innisfil.
Cases of PTSD among firefighters in Montreal have risen 366 per cent from 2013. In 2013 there were six cases and last year there were 22.
St. Catharines to build new firefighter training tower
St. Catharines, Ont.., will build a new firefighter training tower to replace the current structure that has been unusable since 2015.
The $1.8-million burn centre was included in the $31.3-million capital budget for 2019 that was approved by city council.
St. Catharines Fire and Emergency Management Services has had to send its 2016 and 2018 recruit classes elsewhere for live-fire training since its own tower was deemed unusable in 2015 and later decommissioned in 2017.
A location for the new tower is still to be determined. Construction is likely to start in 2020.
Tools of the Trade
By Sean Kingswell
Firefighters should stick to long-term fitness plan
As a trainer and wellness coach, it is crucial to prescribe quality exercise programs. That being said, the exercises need to be done – and executed properly.
The best-laid program has no bearing if it is not being done. Exercise adherence is a topic near and dear to me and is a fundamental concept of our positive outcome-based coaching.
One would think that we have a perfect recipe. Our society in this day and age knows the “whys” of exercise and there are gyms on seemingly every other corner. Yet, adherence is commonly still not there.
Sticking to a plan of fitness long term is fundamental to civilians and even more so to firefighters. I have mentioned adherence before, but it is worth revisiting. It is such an important attribute in our longevity due to the fact our body is the cornerstone of what we do, along with our skillsets and equipment.
There are many different factors that affect exercise adherence. Like a Halligan tool, there are three main points. And, like a Halligan, all three areas can be destructive. These three are time, energy and motivation, in that order.
First, we all need to examine our outlook on objections to determine if they are legitimate reasons or more likely excuses.
Time can be a factor for any of us. That being said, firefighters typically work shiftwork, offering days away from work to be diligent in fitness. In addition, most firehouses have some sort of fitness set-up which both allows us to exercise while on duty and proves that this
is part of our job. A lack of time is typically a perspective over a reality and really comes down to priorities.
Energy is a second top factor and this can often be tied to both sleep issues and stress. Sleep and stress are both issues that affect firefighters big time. So, managing sleep and s tress actively is a direct exercise-compliance strategy and, ironically, consistently exercising is undoubtedly a sleep and stress management technique.
Motivation is the final of the big three and firefighters should not need me to list all of the motives for exercise. Professionalism, life-safety, performance, longevity, and crew commitment are a few among a list of many, along with countless direct physiological gains like weight control, heart health and stress relief.
All three points of a Halligan tool can be destructive, like I said. However, all three can be used effectively and used in different ways in varying scenarios to lead to some amazing results. The same applies to time, energy and motivation.
So, what are some techniques to increase adherence?
Having balance is actually an adherence strategy. If we go at things in a way that is too aggressive or frequent, we can risk burnout, overtraining and injury. Plans that are too rigid are known to be unsuccessful over time.
Preventing injury is another technique. Of course, if we hurt ourselves we may not be able to adhere to our plan. This means exercising properly and safely. That may require further knowledge in the form of educating yourself or requesting the services of someone who can assist.
Sean Kingswell is an experienced professional firefighter, personal trainer, fitness coach and the creator of the FIRESAFECADETS program. Contact Sean at firesafecadets@gmail.com.
Exercise needs to be meaningful and purposeful to help with adherence. This is great for firefighters because exercise, in general, is effective for what we do and we can also choose movements that strengthen us for our job, specifically.
I went over the concept of specificity in an earlier article and it is as important to firefighters as it is to athletes.
Goal-setting is an adherence strategy and goals are best written down, conveyed to others and driv en by the individual. That being said, please consider goals in y primary areas of fitness, but also in the elements that can affect fire fighting directly such as cardio vascular endurance on air, ground work, mobility, good biomechanics, str ength endurance and stair climbing.
Prompts or rituals can help us to stick to our exercise routine. Some times it can be as simple as setting out a gym bag the night befor putting a personal commitment on the refrigerator door.
Scheduling exercise is also an important element. By setting aside time in advance, we can book our exercise with us. This allows us to work it into our schedule officially while at the same time making it a “when” over an “if.”
Chart or journal your exercise, too, as it can help to make sure you are adding progression to your routine. A visual representation of that progres sion can be a motivator. Let those in your social circle know that this is important to you and part of your job and thank them for finding ways to help contribute in positive ways.
Next time you are at work reflect on what it means to be a profession al and, as you look at that crest on your shoulder, remember it’s not just a symbol of the local citizens you represent, but a reminder of your obligations to those citizens, your crew and yourself.
Front seat
By Jason Clark
What makes a good company officer?
The fire service has changed a lot since I became a member in 2007. When I first started, it was an era of getting “badged in” and learning the job as the training schedule unfolded and the calls came in.
Your pager was put in your hand, you were given a handshake and a welcome aboard and pat on the back.
My first set of bunker gear was banana-yellow with a corduroy collar and fit well for not being custom measured.
Fast forward to today and our service has evolved, even in my short amount of time. I’ve gone through two sets of bunker gear, and seen several new truck deliveries in my station, as well as a new chief, district chief, deputy chief and a few new captains in addition to myself. We have added digital technology to aid in our dispatching system and larger-capacity breathing apparatus.
The fire service evolves quickly, and this can be chalked up to budgets and decision-makers. When you get the task to start acting as a company officer or officially change your helmet colour in the form of a promotion, someone above you has decided to give you an opportunity.
Over the past few weeks, I reached out to some people I know who are firefighters in Ontario, both fulltime and volunteer. I wanted to know what attributes they thought make a good, if not great, company officer. Some of the best answers that were brought up were a company officer’s knowledge base and his or her ability to be a great mentor. Almost everyone answered about an officer’s ability to be calm and composed on the fire ground.
From the moment the call comes in to the moment trucks return to the station, there are many times where your ability to stay calm will be challenged and tested.
A lot goes on when we start responding to calls. Our heart rate goes up, the mind starts processing the information and we start to make decisions. Even as firefighters riding in the back early in the job, you are thinking of what the situation is going to look like when you arrive on scene.
I’ll be 100 per cent honest that, in my first year as an acting captain riding up front on the first rig due to any type of incident, learning to keep calm was a task within itself. You’re no longer answering to the order-taker and looking for an assignment. You’re calling the initial action plan. You’re giving the situation report and doing the size-up and going to work with your crew on the task level. You are the supervisor.
You must work through your body’s response mechanisms and ensure you stay calm. The best advice I got when I first started in the fire service in regards to responding and working on a scene was that “panic spreads panic.” If you show up yelling and screaming orders because you are excited, you aren’t helping with an already tense situation, and the public perception of your leadership and your fire service is going to be obscured even though it may be unintentional. ]
We want to start our responses off on the right foot, drive the trucks like we are trained to do and move with a purpose and not by running around with our heads down when we are on scene. Calm, clear and concise communication is a basic foundation needed for successful operations on an emergency scene.
“If you show up yelling and screaming orders because you are excited, you aren’t helping with an already tense situation,” Jason Clark
I don’t consider myself a seasoned veteran that has heroic stories of firefighting battles. I, like many other firefighters, still consider myself an apprentice of a very complicated trade with many moving parts. My helmet isn’t charred and marked up. It’s shiny and clean and my department helmet crest is legible (like yours should be too).
I am a relatively new captain when compared to others in my service with only four-plus years riding up front. My leg still bounces on the way to vehicle collisions, with entrapment, confirmed structure fires and any medical call that has to do with a young child. If my bouncing leg isn’t resting on the air horn foot switch, then we are doing okay. I can deal with that body response. Training doesn’t really replicate the conditions the human body goes through versus a real-life emergency.
My advice to the new captains or the new acting captains is to make sure you are training with your crew as much as you can. Know how they function and their strengths and weaknesses. Be calm and clear when you are executing your role. Your crew and the public not only expect it, they deserve it.
Jason Clark has been a volunteer firefighter in southwestern Ontario since 2007. Having recently made the transition to captain from firefighter, he has a new perspective on riding in the front seat. Contact Jason at jjdclark@rogers.com.
The new norm
Busier wildfire seasons expected in 2019 and the years ahead
By Grant Cameron
Firefighters should brace for more forest and wildland blazes across Canada in 2019 – and future years –because it will be the new norm.
Wildland fire experts and ecologists warn that such fires will likely become more widespread and destruction will become more severe during the summer months in Canada as climate change takes hold, resulting in hotter temperatures, drier conditions, more lightning strikes and longer fire seasons.
Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at the University of Alberta, says climate change and a variation in traditional weather patterns is driving the transformation. His research suggests that wildfire intensity has increased significantly in recent years and more extreme fires will only continue.
“It is definitely due to climate change,” he told Fire Fighting in Canada. “Our area burned has doubled since the 70s and I attribute that to human-caused climate change. This is the new normal. It could get worse and worse.
“The bottom line is that, if the models of the future are correct, our fuels will be drier and this is really important because the drier the fuels the easier it is to start a fire, the easier it is for that fire to spread. The more fuel you have the more intensely it burns, so the hotter the fire and the bigger the flames, and the more intense the fire is, the more difficult, if not impossible, it is to put out.”
Flannigan says evidence suggests the jet stream is getting weaker which will lead to more warm, dry areas that are conducive to causing fires.
“Instead of being like a vast river, it’s more like a lazy stream with whirlpools and eddies, and where the ridges are, which is warm, dry air, that’s very conducive to fire. These are big problems for fire.”
Warming temperatures cause a number of problems for the fire service, one being that it extends the wildfire season.
“We’ve seen this in Alberta where, officially, our fire season used to start April 1 and now it’s March 1,” says
Flannigan, “so, we’re starting a month earlier than what we used to do in the 1980s.”
A rise in temperatures also results in more lightning strikes, according to Flannigan. Natural Resources Canada (NRC) reports that lightning strikes cause nearly half of all wildland fires in Canada. Studies have also shown that every degree of warming results in a 12-per-cent increase in lightning activity.
A temperature rise also results in forest fuels drying out more quickly.
“It’s like when you put laundry outside on a hot, dry, windy day,” says Flannigan. “It dries really quickly. As we warm, our forest fuels are drying out.”
THE STATISTICS
Last season was an exceptionally busy year for wildland firefighters in Ontario and British Columbia.
In fact, Ontario experienced one of its busiest fire seasons, with more than 1,300 wildland fires – well above the 10-year average of 723 – burning more than
Firefighters surveying the Babine Complex of wildfires near Burns Lake, B.C., on Aug. 23, 2018.
261,000 hectares. B.C. had its worst year ever, with roughly 2,000 fires burning more than 1.3 million hectares of land.
Alberta got off relatively lightly in 2018, with approximately 1,200 wildfires – well below the five-year average of 1,414 – burning roughly 60,000 hectares.
The number of hectares burned across the country was roughly 2.3 million in 2018 and 3.5 million in 2017 – both well above the five-year average of 691,354 hectares and the 25-year average of 946,046 hectares, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre National Wildland Fire Situation Report.
In Ontario last year, a stubborn fire known as Parry Sound 33 was particularly bothersome due to its proximity to a key rail line and highway. A number of communities near the fire were evacuated as the fire progressed. At one point, the inferno was more than 11,000 hectares in size.
In B.C., a provincial state of emergency was declared at one point. The northwestern part of the province was affected far worse than any other region of B.C. The Coastal region, which covers Metro Vancouver, Vancou-
ver Island and much of the south coast, was also heavily impacted by fire.
Quebec didn’t escape the clutches of fire either. More than 600 firefighters from Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Parks Canada and the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine were sent to Quebec to help fight a higher number of fires.
THE FUTURE
So, where’s it all headed?
The NRC estimates that by year 2100 wildfires may claim twice as much forest per year as they do now.
Chilliwack, B.C., fire ecologist Robert Gray says climate change is causing higher temperatures, less rain and stronger wind events, resulting in drier vegetation and fuels which contribute to more and severe fires, and people and insfrastructure are encroaching into forested environments.
Last year was a bad year, he says, because in 2017 and 2018 it was the first time many of the climate change predicaments and land use practices synchronized.
“In the future, we may see new, novel elements emerge that result in even worse outcomes. None of the science is suggesting the situation is likely to improve.”
Another factor in the mix, says Gray, is that the depth and breadth of the suppression resource pool is shrinking.
“At the height of fires last year, I believe we had a total of 4,000 firefighters available. That’s half of what we typically see in a large project fire in the U.S. We could use a larger pool of skilled and well-trained wildland firefighters in Canada.
“With the direction we are seeing in wildfire behaviour and effects, and new science on human health effects (physical and emotional), we are putting an enormous strain on our firefighters and are losing firefighters more rapidly and not replacing them.”
Going forward, Gray expects more of the same – in other words, extreme fires will be commonplace in Canada.
“We may not have conditions like 2017 and 2018 every year. There will likely be a range of conditions from less extreme to more extreme. Our climate models do suggest, however, that the trend over the next few decades will be toward more extreme than what we just experienced. The trend line, unfortunately, is going up and not down.”
A report from scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, indicated that the globe is heating up and that 2018 was +0.77 degrees Celsius warmer than the average baseline temperature, whereas 2016 was +0.79 warmer, and 2015 was +0.80 warmer.
According to a series produced by The Weather Network called Water, Fire, Earth, Air, by year 2030 communities in western Canada will become increasingly strained by dramatically changing wildfire seasons.
The series suggests that fires will be more intense and frequent and more than half of Alberta’s boreal forests could disappear in 80 years due to climate change and wildfires becoming more frequent and intense.
Meanwhile, a study done three years ago by wildfire experts that analyzed the historic and future fire frequency in Canada indicated that fire spread days could
A stubborn fire in Ontario known as Parry Sound 33 was more than 11,000 hectares in size at one point in 2018.
“Our area burned has doubled since the ‘70s and I attribute that to human-caused climate change.” Mike Flannigan
increase by 35 days, or 400 per cent, by year 2050, with some of the greatest increases occurring in Alberta and other regions in the Boreal Plains.
Gray says climate change is a worldwide phenomenon and the situation is getting worse around the globe – not just in Canada.
“Global temperatures are rising with some areas experiencing more extremes than others, but overall the picture is not good.”
Merritt Turetsky, an ecologist at the University of Guelph, warns that increased forest fire activity is about to become a regular feature of Canadian summers.
“Fires are now burning larger than they ever have before,” she recently told CTV’s Your Morning. “They’re getting more intense than they have been in the past. This is only projected to get worse.”
Turetsky maintains the science is very clear in that climate change is directly responsible and, although forest fires are a normal part of a strong ecosystem, the increase in forest fire activity and severity could lead to significant consequences for ecosystems.
Turetsky has studied boreal forests in Alaska and the Northwest Territories which burned in major wildfires. In both cases, the forest didn’t bounce back in the way researchers expected.
“Large areas there are simply not re-growing vegetation,” she says.
Flannigan of the University of Alberta expects there will be a lot more fires, possibly up to four or five times as worse, and they will be more disruptive as smoke may affect people in urban areas.
“With climate change, we can throw out the rule book from the past.”
Wildfires have predominantly been a rural problem, says Flannigan, but in recent years, with smoke from fires affecting metropolitan areas, the issue has moved to centre stage.
“It’s now becoming more of an urban issue, so it’s getting more attention.”
Testing new technologies
New approaches to fighting wildfires are under the microscope
By Grant Cameron
Wildfire experts, governments, industry thought-leaders and vendors ar e looking at innovative new approaches and technologies to prevent forest fires from devastating communities in Canada.
Dr ones with infrared and thermal sensors, night-vision goggles that enable helicopter pilots to fly at night, and vir tual-reality training for firefighters are some of the new approaches to wildland firefighting.
New types of suppressant foams, different types of water delivery systems, and altering land management practices around timber harvesting or the land base itself are also under the microscope.
In British Columbia, for example, which saw its worst wildfire season in history in 2018, experts are looking for and testing new firefighting products, practices and technologies to battle the blazes.
Mike McCulley, senior officer of research and innovation at the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the agency is engaged with independent research agencies and other groups to find creative new approaches to fire suppression – keeping in mind that safety of firefighters and the public remains the priority.
“We know that our fire seasons are becoming longer and more significant,” he said, “so what we need to do as an agency is to try and
be more innovative in our approach and be exploring some of these technologies and ideas and research that are out there and, for sure, there’s lots out there.
“Everybody has a passion here to help the situation and come forward, so on that front we are working hard as an agency to look at anything we possibly can to try to help us do our business better.”
In B.C., drones are now being used to fly into and around the perimeter of wildfires that might be well into their lifecycles and map hotspots using infrared scanning so that crews can be sent to specific areas, said McCulley, whereas in the past a firefighter
with infrared scanner and helicopter had to be deployed to areas.
“Drones have been used for some time,” he said. “The question is: What else can we do with them? Is there some way we can use them for broader fire mapping?
“Can we perhaps use them for aerial ignition to burn out a fire perimeter? As an attack method, we would use helicopters with drip torches, but perhaps there’s an application for drones.”
McCulley said the Wildfire Service is continually assessing different types of fire suppressing foams.
“There’s certain products that we use and
Firefighters working on one of the wildfires in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia in summer 2018. It was the worst wildfire season in history for the province.
there’s different types of surfactants that we’re looking at. There’s quite a wide range of them out there on the market and to implement a change to a type of surfactant we’re going to make sure they’re currently better than what we’re using and cost-effective.”
On the innovation front, McCulley said night vision goggles which would permit helicopter pilots to fly over wildfire hotspots in the dark are also being considered.
“We certainly are looking at that. Our provincial aviation specialists are exploring those options right now.”
In addition, he said, land management practices are being closely examined, with an eye to making sure future decisions aren’t creating firefighting hazards.
Meanwhile, said McCulley, the Wildfire Service is also looking into virtual reality training for fire crews. An innovation symposium was being held at the agency’s provincial headquarters in Kamloops, B.C., so vendors could pitch their ideas and let officials know how the technology can be of help.
Some fire departments in B.C. are trying to get a leg up on wildfires by aggressively tackling fuel mitigation efforts.
Chilliwack, B.C., fire ecologist Robert Gray said municipal fire departments in Cranbrook and Kimberley now do burn boss training in conjunction with local First Nations communities and the Wildfire Service.
Training is being conducted, he said, so that they can increase the pace and scale of prescribed burning on municipal and First Nations land.
“This is a much more common situation in the U.S. where municipal structural fire departments are more involved with wildland fire than what we’ve traditionally seen here in B.C.,” explained Gray.
Another method being pitched to fight wildfires in the west is a system promoted by Safeguard, an emergency management company from Fort St. John, B.C. Company owner Jeff Kelly, a trained instructor with the Wildfire Service, said a system of high-pressure sprinklers has been developed that can create a massive and lengthy water curtain to protect communities from wildfires.
“Our vision is to save communities from wildfires with the use of these mass water sprinkler curtains,” he said. “Mother Nature has done a fine job of stopping fires. Our mass water sprinkler curtain mimics Mother Nature.”
Kelly wants communities to figure mass water-curtain deployment into their wildfire response programs, as he believes it will protect and save many western Canadian communities in years to come.
In summer 2018, the Safeguard team was deployed to Fort St. James, B.C., when a wildfire threatened the community. A line of 120 water sprinklers was set up to create a more than 180-metre-wide water curtain between the wildfire and the town, but it was never tested as the fire diminished.
In Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is taking a strategic approach to wildfires by using a risk-based or so-called “appropriate response” approach to wildland fire fighting.
The approach basically gives fire managers more flexibility to decide where to limit or allow fires to burn based on the circumstances of each blaze. The previous fire management strategy did accommodate appropriate response, but generally as an exception rather than the rule.
The bottom line of the approach is that fires are treated differently, depending on the circumstances of each.
Colin McFayden, a forest fire science specialist, and Den Boychuk, a fire science and technology program officer at the Ministr y’s aviation, forest fire and emergency services, outlined the new approach in the Canadian Wildland Fire & Smoke Newsletter published twice a year by Canada Wildfire.
Instead of a top-down approach, where the objective is predetermined for large zones and then implemented for each fire, the strategy uses a bottom-up approach where the objective is determined according to each situation. Frequent reassessment of the situation takes place to adjust actions as conditions unfold.
N atural Resources Canada (NRC), meanwhile, is also focused on getting communities to realize they have a major role to play in reducing the threat of wildfires by encouraging homeowners to use fire-resistant materials in home construction and reducing fuels around communities by creating fire breaks.
The Canadian Forest Service’s Northern Forestry Centre is collaborating with the University of Alberta to examine public perceptions of wildfire risk and factors that influence people taking action.
The NRC states that several factors may prevent people from doing more, such as cost, perceived effectiveness, and feeling that the threat is not great enough to warrant action.
Wildfire experts are continually looking at new types of suppressant foams to stem the tide of wildfires.
Dispatches
By Jennifer Grigg
An introvert amidst extroverts
We all know that the fire service attracts a cer tain type of person. Chances are, you are one. Outgoing, hands-on, action-oriented. A classic Type A personality. The go-getters.
According to Simply Psychology, people with a Type A personality are typically competitive, self -critical, have high work involvement, are extroverts, feel a constant sense of ur gency, are concerned with time management, and organized. Sound familiar?
Extrovert is the word I’d like to focus on.
As a self-professed introvert, it’s something that I do not consider myself to be. I’ve long had a somewhat disadvantaged view of my personality and how it fit into the firefighting world most of my two decades in the fire service. I’ve often felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, or even worse, I felt at times that I didn’t really fit in.
I’m one of those rare types that likes to learn all about the theory first, then see a skill demonstrated, and lastly, try it out.
Most other firefighters I know hate PowerPoint and basically can’t wait to try out a new tool or a new skill, to get their hands dirty. I absorb the reasoning through reading and grasp the “why” through explanation. In my introverted brain, I like to know how and why things work the way they do, or why we’re doing the things we’re doing the way we’re doing them. For me, knowing the be -
“I’ve often felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, or even worse, I felt at times that I didn’t really fit in.”
hind-the-scenes stuff provides a frame of reference, or a foundation for which to build upon, that I wouldn’t otherwise have.
I used to think this put me at a disadvantage because (I thought) it took me longer to acquire proficiency at certain skills. I thought it made me less effective than my extroverted “put me in coach,” Type A counterparts.
Much of this is simply a matter of perspective.
Thankfully, a few years ago, my good friend and Mississauga Fire Captain Shelli Varela shared a story with me that made a huge difference in the way that I see myself. She was told by her platoon chief early in her career that he didn’t need a toolbox full of the same tools. He needs people that are good at different things.
It took me years to really get this, and perhaps the ultimate glimpse of my quintessential potential as an introverted firefighter was made aware to me when I read Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.
“Introverts seem to think more carefully than extroverts,” as the psychologist Gerald Matthews describes in his work. “Extroverts are more likely to take a quickand-dirty approach to problem-solving, trading accuracy for speed. I ntroverts think before they act, digest information thoroughly, stay on task longer, give up less easily.
Introverts and extroverts also direct their attention differently. If you leave them alone to their own devices, the introverts tend to sit around wondering about things, imagining things, recalling
events from their past, and making plans for the future. The extroverts are more likely to focus on what’s happening around them. It’s as if extroverts are seeing ‘what is,’ while their introverted peers are asking ‘what if?’”
The extrovert’s ability to make quick decisions and act on them is fundamental in the firefighting world, but that skill set isn’t limited to extroverts. Just like the intr overt’s natural inclination to take a step back, watch and analyze isn’t excluded from the extrovert’s toolbox.
Extroverts also tend to perform tasks better under time, social pressure, or involving multi-tasking, as well as handling information overload, such as the initial moments of a major call.
T he introvert’s reflectiveness uses up a lot of cognitive capacity. According to Joseph Newman, on any given task, if we have 100 per cent cognitive ability, an introvert may only have 75 per cent on task and 25 per cent off task, whereas an extrovert may have 90 per cent on task. This is because most tasks are goal-directed and extroverts appear to allocate most of the cognitive capacity to the goal at hand, whereas introverts use up capacity by monitoring how the task is going. This I can attest to. Neither introverted nor extroverted personality traits are concrete and both can call upon a r ange of modes as the situation calls for, but recognizing natural strengths can be a game-changer. Ambiverts, whose personalities have a balance of extrovert and introvert features, would seem to have the best of both worlds.
If you’re the introvert in your department, just remember, your chief doesn’t need a toolbox full of hammers.
Jennifer Grigg has been a volunteer with the Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department in Ontario since 1997. Contact Jennifer at jhook0312@yahoo.ca.
FireFit promotes physical prowess
Firefighters replicate tasks they’d perform in an emergency situation
By Grant Cameron
In a few short weeks, firefighters across the country will begin competing in events for the 2019 Canadian FireFit Championships. Over a six-month period between May and September, in fact, as many as 2,000 firefighters are expected to compete in individual, team and relay events at locations across Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia. Ten locations are firmed up with another two tentatively scheduled.
“Last year, we had approximately 1,500 competitors,” said Hilary McRoberts, vice-president operations at FireFit of Canada Ltd. “This year, we expect to exceed 1,500 and are projecting to be over 2,000.”
Competitors range from rookies to seasoned veterans. Events in the competition are demanding and replicate the tasks a firefighter might perform in an emergency situation.
Events at the competitions include stair climbs, hose hoists, forcible entries, runs, hose advances and victim rescue scenarios. Depending on the event, individuals and teams complete a variety of tasks.
McRoberts said the events are important because firefighters must be in good shape to do their jobs and the competition promotes physical fitness, which is a good way to relieve pressures of the job.
“Their most important tool is their bodies, which need to be strong and capable of doing the work under load with
all the gear on,” said McRoberts. “A firefighter’s business suit can weigh anywhere from 40 to 80 pounds, and then they are asked to perform strenuous tasks in extreme heat and toxic environments.
“Being fit enables them to do their jobs better and more easily. The ability to be able to physically do the job is imperative as it may help them to save others as well as themselves or their partner.”
McRoberts said those who participate in FireFit know how much time, effort, work, money and commitment it takes to compete and are therefore like a family,
but it’s still a competition with a purpose. “It helps our firefighters to be better prepared to do their job,” she said. “It helps them maintain a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the camaraderie of other firefighters from around the world.”
The idea for FireFit originated in the United States as an entry-level test for fire departments to administer when testing potential new hires. Because of its relevance to the job, it morphed into a competition.
The first Canadian National FireFit competition was held in Vancouver in
Firefighters competing in previous Canadian FireFit Championship events.
September 1994 and ran for 15 days. Approximately 50,000 spectators watched the event.
“We would do three demonstrations a day and then on the final weekend we ran a one-day national championships which was won by Brampton Fire, from Ontario,” said McRoberts. “The seed was planted and we began booking events across the country. The rest, as they say, is history.”
Since then, popularity of the competition has grown and FireFit has become known not only in Canada but worldwide and competitors now come from every province and territory in Canada as well as the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, England and the Middle East. Br oadcasts are aired on TSN, OLN and RDS.
The competition is open to:
• Active, medically cleared structural firefighters, 19 years or older.
• Currently enrolled, medically-cleared, pre-fire service school students, 19 years or older. Prefire service students require a letter from their school confirming that they are enrolled in a pre-fire service program and are covered by the school’s insurance. Retired firefighters, candidates in the hiring process and students who’ve graduated from a pre-fire service program but have not been hired by a fire depar tment are not eligible to compete.
The year kicks off May 11 and 12 with a competition in Courtenay, B.C., and wraps up Sept. 11 to 15 with the World FireFit & Canadian National Championships in Oshawa, Ont.
For more information about FireFit Canada and the events, go to www.firefit.com.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
• May 11 & 12 - Courtenay, B.C.
• May 25 & 26 - Kamloops, B.C.
• June 1 & 2 - Edson, Alta.
• June 8 & 9 - Spruce Meadows, Alta.
• June 30 & July 1 - Quinte West, Ont.
• July 13 & 14 - Port Elgin, Ont.
• July 20 & 21 - Ville de Témiscouata-surle-Lac, Que.
• Aug. 3 & 4 - Middleton, N.S.
• Aug. 10 & 11 - Cobequid District Fire Brigade, N.S.
• Aug. 17 & 18 - London, Ont. - Tentative
• Sept. 7 & 8 - Lambton College, Sarnia, Ont.
• Sept. 11 to 15 - World FireFit & Canadian National Championships, Oshawa, Ont.
Back to basics
By Mark van der Feyst
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
Four techniques to use when entangled
We are continuing our look at the four categories of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) emergencies with our focus on moving onto entanglements.
No matter what type of building we find ourselves in, there is always a chance or opportunity for us to become entangled. Lying within any building, are many items that can entangle us such as:
• Window curtains – Mostly associated with residential buildings, these types of hazards come in many forms such as fabric curtains, window shades, aluminum or wood blinds, honeycomb shades, roller shades, solar shades, bamboo woven wood shades, vertical blinds and shutters. Not only is the material the hazard, but also the hardware used to hang them such as rope type systems and track systems.
• Dryer duct – This can be found in both residential and commercial types of buildings. Depending upon where the dryer duct is running, sometimes above a ceiling or along the floor, these hazards are deadly. Once the plastic or aluminum foil covering has melted away, a very thin wire frame resembling a slinky toy is exposed, allowing anything passing by to be snagged.
• Suspended ceilings – These will be found in residential buildings like in finished basements, as well as in commercial buildings. These ceilings are used to conceal the wiring, HVAC and any other mechanical lines running above. The danger with these types of hazards is the collapse of the above hidden wires, ductwork or cables onto the firefighters below. These ceilings are only suspended using a thin wire.
• Wires/cables/HVAC – As mentioned above, each of these items are found in any building and no matter where they are located, they will easily entangle a firefighter.
When we study LODDs involving en-
tanglements, we can see how one simple piece of material is all it takes to prevent a firefighter from getting out.
An example of this was in Memphis, Tenn., on April 11, 1994, where one of two firefighters died due to being entangled in coaxial cables. As a result of this situation and others like it, firefighter survival techniques were implemented to help firefighters become disentangled. There are four techniques that can be used to help any one firefighter become unentangled when they encounter such hazards.
The first technique is the swim technique. The firefighter uses either a front stroke or a back stroke to try to free himself or herself from the wire collapse on top of them. Mimicking a swim in a pool, the back stroke will require using the one arm to extend out fully in font of and then
lift the wires up and over his or her body as they navigate through. By doing this, they will hopefully be able to move themselves out of harm’s way and carry on to an exit point or with their task.
The front stroke is the opposite where the firefighter will be on his or her back and using his or her arm in the opposite fashion to the back stroke.
While they are using the stroke method to free themselves, they need to push themselves with their feet to get them through and away from the hazard. Another tip is to flip yourself onto your back or side, so as to bury the SCBA cylinder and hide it from being an exposure point for entanglement. When there is a snag point created with a wire or some other item, the firefighter needs to not panic, but rather put some tension on the item,
Suspended ceilings in finished basements in residential and commercial buildings conceal wiring, HVAC and other mechanical lines running above.
In full removal of the SCBA, the firefighter removes the tank from his or her back and pushes it in front.
When using the swim, a firefighter uses either a front or back stroke to try to free himself or herself from a wire collapse on top of them.
Wire cutters will help when a wire is caught in the hook of a jacket, but before you cut make sure you know what you are cutting.
so that they can easily locate the item to free themselves from it. When we feel a snagging of sort, we tend to back away allowing slack to be present – this will not allow us to locate the entanglement. Put some tension in it, hold it, locate it and then remove it by using the front or back stroke.
The second technique is to do a partial removal of the SCBA. This is where the firefighter will remove only one half of the SCBA to allow him or her to free the SCBA from the entanglements and navigate though the hazard. The important aspect of this is to only take off the one side that is not the regulator side so as to allow the firefighter to not put any undue tension on the low-pressure regulator hose.
The third technique is an add-on from the second technique – full removal of the SCBA. The firefighter removes the SCBA from off his or her back and pushes
it in front as he or she moves through or away from the hazard. As discussed, and detailed in the January 2019 issue of our series, the firefighter is going to make sure that the SCBA is going ahead of them with the cylinder valve leading the way. Once they are free of the hazards, they can don the SCBA back on their back and continue out.
The last technique is using wire cutters and cutting your way out. Every firefighter should carry two pairs of wire cutters on him or her, with only one pair being the minimum. One pair of cutters should be located up top in the coat – perhaps the radio pocket, with the other pair located in the bottom half such as the cargo pocket. The thought here is, if we only have access to the top half of our body, we can grab our cutters.
The wire cutters that you will want to carry and use will be of a large-handle
ROOKIE TO CHIEF…
type, with a large opening of the blades, so that the item being cut can fit inside easily and be cut easily with structural fire gloves on. Some wire cutters have a stripping notch located at the crux of the two blades – this is bad as small wires will fit in there and not be cut.
Sometimes, an entanglement can occur where swimming your way out will not work, taking off the SCBA will not work, but cutting it will. This is where wire cutters will help. Before you cut, make sure you know what you are cutting. Use your hand to grab the object, put tension on it, put the wire cutters opened around the object, then cut. If this is being done near your facepiece, make sure y ou are not cutting the low-pressure regulator hose at the same time. I have seen this done and it does not help with the survival operation nor with the RIT operation either.
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Tim-bits
By Tim Llewellyn
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. llewllyn.fire@gmail.com
Regular training important to firefighters
Numerous fire department-related articles and speakers have echoed the notion that in order for us (career and volunteer) to be as proficient as possible in our duties as firefighters, we must participate in some type of regular, realistic training or practice.
This is a core condition of what it means to be a firefighter. If the public calls 911, they expect welltrained personnel to arrive quickly and assist them with whatever their problem happens to be.
The concept of “regular training” can sometimes get bogged down when we consider the enormous number of topics in which firefighters need to demonstrate proficiency on a regular basis. Even if your organization has a well-organized and disciplined tr aining officer or training division, it seems there sometimes is never enough time to cover everything.
Hazardous materials training, EMS protocol updates, active-shooter response drills, technical rescue refreshers, department policy and guideline reviews, driver training, harassment and diversity awareness training … the list goes on and on, with topics that seem to put us in the classroom and take us off of the drillfield.
Add in department business, safety and other committee meetings, fundraisers, routine calls, nuisance calls, station visitors, station and apparatus maintenance, and, the “bread and butter” drillfield topics seem even farther away.
My intent is not to downplay the importance of any of those previously-mentioned training topics. I’m simply making a statement that, at
“At times, it may seem as though there is no time or energy left for us to practice and hone our skills on other things.”
firefighters are prepared.
times, it may seem as though there is no time or energy left for us to practice and hone our skills on other things.
One way our organization has found to help bolster and maximize our training time is to break a greater topic down into small, manageable chunks. For instance, one idea
that came to us was found on the social media platform, Instagram. A seemingly well-trained fire department routinely posts images and video clips of its members performing various hose stretches in and around their service area, all for the sake of training. We have adopted this “daily stretch” idea and have
Regular training on drills like hose stretches are a good way for fire departments to make sure
Working with just the shouldered portion of the pre-connected hose line allows for easily repeated drills for the nozzle firefighter position. The company officer is close and can offer quick direction if needed.
consistently worked with our members in order to increase their proficiency at hose stretches.
These daily stretches can happen at any time – after a run is cleared or even while out on routine details like food runs or area familiarization. The overall goals of the daily stretch drill are simple: get the hose off of the rig, get it on the ground, and get it flaked out correctly so that the nozzle firefighter and the backup are able to get the line in operation with minimal disruptions.
Our daily stretches usually work in one of two different ways. Members will either work with the “front” 100 (the shouldered portion of a preconnected 200-foot or greater hoseline) or they will stretch the entire hoseline as it comes off the apparatus. This decision is typically made by the apparatus officer who considers the impact on the community and/or the crew.
We try to make these stretches as realistic as possible so, if the weather and conditions are favourable, these daily stretches are done out in the community. If it is a vacant structure or a relatively open area with better weather, the decision will be made to stretch the entire hose load.If it’s a more congested area and the weather isn’t great, we might just work on stretching and laying out the front 100 to speed things up and minimize exposure and inconveniences.
While stretches inside and around the station are always available, we use them as a last resort because of the familiarity of the members to the building’s layout and contents. We usually stretch the lines dry
to speed up the training repetitions and keep the rig ready for any incoming incidents, as the wet-line drills can be saved for formal, full-length company drills.
If the rig is staffed with an adequately-sized crew, the daily stretch drill could be enhanced to include the driver/operator functions as well as the apparatus officer duties. While the firefighters are tasked with deploying the attack line, the driver/ operator could get some good practice with connecting to, and dressing out, a hydrant connection and, at the same time, the apparatus officer performs an initial on-scene report and 360-degree walkaround (just make sure to switch the officer’s portable radio/handie-talkie to a local or TAC frequency to avoid interfering with other incidents.) Because all of the lines are stretched and kept dry, they can be repacked easily and quickly, and the entire drill should take no more than 15 minutes to complete.
This is just one idea that is designed to increase the total amount of training time we give our members. It is a quick and simple, company-level drill idea that can address a single skill (deploying the front 100) or it can easily be adapted to incorporate more personnel and different skills (entire engine going to work).
The main idea is to run quick and easily-repeated drills that increase the overall competence of the members. If daily stretching isn’t something that your company does, I challenge you to start today. Now get out there and do your stretches. The community is counting on you.
The firefighter is recreating the shoulder load between deployments to quickly run another drill.
Between Alarms
By Arjuna George
13 ways to kill your fire department
The concept and inspiration for this column comes from Canadian writer Doug Griffiths, who authored 13 Ways to Kill Your Community . His interesting short read provides ideas on how to build a healthy community by pointing out key issues that, if neglected and ignored, will destroy communities.
This concept of building a healthy community got me thinking how it could transfer over to our fire service. As in the book, this column also describes concepts that we shouldn’t do and must avoid at all costs.
Many of the same challenges we face in our home communities can also do the same damage and erode our fire departments. This column will lay out 13 ways on how to kill your fire department in an effort to spotlight issues so that firefighters can address these proactively, thus crafting a killproof fire service.
The following 13 ways to kill your fire department are my top areas that, if ignored, will aid in the collapse or dysfunction of your fire service. This list could be doubled, tripled, but the following make my top 13:
Don’t be transparent and open to all: One of the easiest ways to kill your organization is to be secretive and non-disclosing. If you want to save your department from a downward spiral to failure, be honest, open and totally transparent. Building transparency and open dialogue is the quickest way to building trust internally and externally.
Don’t communicate: Another fail-safe method to destroy the membership and trust within our
community is with lack of communication. In today’s world of instant gratification, communications have never been so critical. Our organizational success hinges on open and respectful communications. The public also expects timely, transparent and useful information. The fire service plays a critical role in public communications and awareness.
Don’t respect every level within the department and don’t respect those we serve: This is a sure-fire way to kill your personal career and the fire department. The fire service should be the pinnacle of community leaders demonstrating respect to all. To avoid killing your career and the service, respect all, from the newest recruit to the top administration and, of course, every single person we come
“Trust is the foundation for any healthy department and takes hard work to build, but can be destroyed with only a few bad decisions.”
across in our community.
Put your feet up and don’t train: Training is for recruits only and not for those who have been in the service for years. If you have this attitude it is a sure way to murder your department’s culture. Training is the backbone of what we do. If we are not constantly training, how can the public have any trust in us when they call? Training should be an everyday thing and part of our daily work culture. The day you say, ‘We don’t need to train,’ is the day you should consider another job. If you don’t train and are not disciplined enough to commit to continuous improvement, you will kill the faith the community has in us and, at the same time, erode the passion in others around you. Train as if your life depends on it because it
Arjuna George is chief of Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue in B.C. He has served on the department since 1997. Contact Arjuna at ageorge@ saltspringfire.com.
Training should be an everyday thing and part of the daily work culture of firefighters and fire departments.
could kill you and your department.
Talk more than you listen: Talking without listening is an easy way to kill your community trust and faith within. To turn this around, consider listening, but true listening with intent. Listen to the public, their concerns as well as their appreciation. We are servants to the public. We are here for them. If you want to kill your fire department, don’t listen. Sit back and do your own thing in a silo, the public won’t mind.
Stay away from social media: Social media is scary and will ruin your fire department. That’s not a good way to embrace social media. Social media is a super powerhouse for the fire service if used correctly. Social media is a necessity in today’s instant information age. Ensure your fire department has a strong social media presence so
that you can demonstrate your transparency, your communication, your respect, your training, and how you listen. If you want your department to fade away slowly, avoid social media altogether.
Ban the use, avoid putting yourself out there, and don’t promote all the good things we do. Those are all super easy ways to kill your image and trust.
Make sure you hire all the same kind of people:
The last thing you want to do is have a department that is diverse and multitalented, said nobody. By embracing a diverse and inclusive organization, you have the potential to reach so many more candidates and truly represent those we serve.
Grow complacent: This is a super easy way to slowly rot away your organization, leading to a slow, painful death. Grow complacent and live each day status quo. If you think your skills are
perfect, great. Sit back and let the rust build up. To combat the death of your fire department, it is critical to not accept complacency, and to continually challenge the status quo. Our environment around us is changing at lightning speed. Our only method to survive is to adapt and distill pride in our trade. Complacency kills firefighters on the fire ground and kills community trust.
Don’t plan for the future: It’s better to be reactive than proactive. That is not a good attitude to have towards preparing for future needs and expectations of our communities. Organizations must plan for the future and adapt to a changing world. Technology, climate and the global economy all affect how we will operate in the future. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Firefighters should train as if their lives depend on it.
Between Alarms
Refrain from trusting anyone: If you want to kill your organization, avoid trusting your people at all cost. Trust is the foundation for any healthy department and takes hard work to build, but can be destroyed with only a few bad decisions. Manufacturing trust must be a priority for all members. Trust within the organization and trust within our community is the heartbeat that will keep your fire department alive and well. Put little effort into your membership: Make every effort not to build relationships with your fellow firefighters or community partners. You should make every effort to celebrate the success of our firefighters as well as our communities. To truly thrive, taking care of our people, your brothers and sisters, is critical to organizational health. Ensure you put hard work into recruitment and retention and work diligently to hire only the best.
Don’t engage with the public: This is a super easy way to kill your department. Just keep the public in the dark and don’t interact with them. This tactic will obviously lead to low community support and trust. Every single interaction we have with the public should be considered an opportunity. Engage your community with all aspects of fire and life safety, making fire prevention and awareness a daily conversation. Be the smiling, compassionate face and build strong, lasting relationships. Whatever you do, don’t discuss mental health and selfcare: The last thing we want to do as an organization is take care of each other and talk about mental health Hopefully,
reading this alone gives you the chills. It should. We are seeing momentum build, but we all need to continue the culture change of taking care of one another and fostering a culture of acceptance, compassion and comfort, talking about our mental health. Let’s be community leaders when it comes to mental health and take a lead role in killing the stigma and make mental health conversations a daily occurrence. Let’s find ways to support our firefighters and their families so they can continue to be strong and continue to serve our communities. And, don’t forget about yourself too. Selfcare is critical to keeping your organization alive and well.
A bonus suggestion to kill your fire department is don’t do your job. As public safety servants, our sole job is to help people in need with compassion and professionalism. The fire service is dangerous business. If we are not highly-skilled, ready and competent, we are not doing our job. Every job on the fire ground plays an important role in the successful outcome of an emergency. Treat every position, every person with respect and do your job.
You may notice that all the areas of concern I identified had nothing to do with actually fighting fires, and all to do with activities between alarms. I hope, as you contemplate each of these 13plus ways to kill your fire department, it sparks some thought on how to ignite your organization’s health and to future-proof your department, keeping it alive and thriving.
Extrication tips
By Chad Roberts
The basics of air bags
Ready to lift?
It could be an under ride involving vehicles, buses or trains, a collapse, or even a complicated accident scene.
Are you ready for these lifts? From which type of air bag, the “actual lifting capacity,” and its use and placement in conjunction with cribbing are all extremely important.
Time and time again these difficult extrications challenge our knowledge and skills in a very highrisk, low-frequency event.
In this article, I’m going to touch base on some of the basics regarding air bags that will hopefully help and guide you in the right direction when training and using air bags in the field.
Let’s start with selection.
Every air bag is not created equal. Some look entirely different and some look very similar. However, even the most similar bags can have very important differences.
First up, the low-pressure air bag. These air bags are often refered to as looking like giant pillows. Their lifting capacities can range from 1,000 to 3,200 pounds at a pressure of roughly seven pounds per square inch (psi) and lifting to a height of 22 inches.
While these bags usually provide our greatest lift, they are the weakest of our options and can be very unstable. Electing to use the low-pressure air bag to stabilize an unstable load is a much better option for these bags rather than being used for actual lifting operations.
Medium-pressure bags have been around for some time, however have undergone the most transformation when compared to the other two options.
A good example of this would be
Chad Roberts is a firefighter in Oakville, Ont. He is a member of the Oakville extrication team and competes and trains across North America. Contact Chad at chadroberts12@gmail.com.
Every air bag is not created equal. Some look entirely different and some look very similar.
the Paratech multi-force air lifting bag. These are dual-stage bags that are sewn together and can provide up to 62,000 pounds of lift and roughly 26 inches of lifting height.
These are great air bags for middle-range operations. They can provide a relatively strong lift option while creating a great amount of space. However, there are two things to remember when selecting, such as stability issues when lifting just like the low-pressure bags, and the actual lifting capacity.
Finally, we have the high-pressure air bags. These bags have a very small starting profile and can have lifting heights from 3.7 to 22 inches. The ultimate separation of these bags from the rest is the lifting capacity, which can range from 5,000 to 210,000 pounds at roughly 174 psi.
The high-pressure air bags can be used in all types of lifting operations. They can be inserted into small openings and provide minimal lift height for entrapments. For lifts higher off the ground, they can be placed on the top platform of a box crib to get you a high-strength lift where many times low-pressure bags would be incorrectly used.
Now that we’ve talked about heights and weights, let’s get down to what is referred to as “actual lifting capacity” or the “power curve.” This is when we take that sometimes massive lifting capacity number stamped on the bag and bring it slightly back to reality.
To calculate the power curve, a simple equation provided by Brock Archer can be used. Archer teaches auto extrication throughout the
Wedges can be used to snug up against the load and, as the air bag is being inflated, the wedges can be pushed in further to take up space created.
It’s important to make sure the top layer of a box crib is a solid platform.
Extrication tips
world. First, we need to understand that the stamped capacity of the bag is intended for when 100 per cent of the air is contacting the load being lifted. However, as we’ve all found in lifting operations, the entire air bag rarely contacts the load.
Also, when the air bag is inflated, the surface contact point decreases as the bag becomes more rounded, known as the power curve. So, let’s take a look at a high-pressure air bag that is rated for 210,000 pounds at 174 psi.
The dimension of the bag is 40-by-35 inches and let’s assume our load will only be contacting roughly 50 per cent of the air bag when lifted. By multiplying the air bag dimensions by contact percentage by lifting psi, we will get our actual lift.
By doing this equation with our high-pressure air bag, we get an actual lift of 121,800 pounds (40x35x0.5x174 psi = 121,800 pounds). Although this is still an extreme amount of lift, you can clearly see that the stamped capacity and actual lifting capacity can not be overlooked when sizing up what is being lifted.
With this all being stated, there are some tips and things we should keep in mind when using and selecting air bags to get the greatest performance and lift from our equipment, and keeping our responders and patients safe.
First and foremost, with any lift no matter what the air bag selected, we must crib as we go. And when cribbing with a lift, the most effective option is the box crib. By using either four-byfour or six-by-six cribbing, it’s important to try and create a box crib on each side of the patient or object you are lifting the load off of.
On the top layer of the crib box,
Paratech multi-force air lifting bags can provide up to 62,000 pounds of lift and roughly 26 inches of lifting height.
wedges can be used to snug up against the load and, as the air bag is being inflated, the wedges can be pushed in further to take up space created. Once the lift exceeds the height of your wedge, build another level with your four-by-four or six-by-six and repeat with the wedges. Lift an inch, crib an inch.
When using high-pressure air bags, there are a few things to remember. Because of their low lifting height, always try and build a box crib underneath your air bags to make up the height you need and place the high-pressure bags as close as possible to the load being lifted. Also, make sure your top layer of box crib is a solid platform, or more simply stated, three cribbing blocks across the top. With high-pressure air bags, always use two and no more than two. The reason for this is more than two is unstable. But using two together can greatly reduce the negative effects of the power curve and increase surface contact with your load.
By lifting one bag a small amount, then doing the same with the second, it will create a “pillow” effect that will allow the top bag to hug the load being lifted and the bottom bag to hug the top bag, creating more stability.
This is merely a surface scratching of the type, use and capabilities of air bags in the fire service. We must remember
that all manufacturers and types of air bags can carry different lifting height, capacities and pressures.
The only true way to understand your equipment is to get out, see what you have on your trucks and do the math.
It doesn’t always have to be exact, but getting an idea of what your department’s air bag capabilities are will help you make better and safer choices on your next lift. So, until next time, keep your eyes and ears open and never stop learning.
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Continuing Education & Custom Training
Recipe rescue
By Patrick Mathieu
The principles of taste
How would you describe yourself in the kitchen?
Are you an adventurous free spirit with bold taste buds ready to experiment with any ingredient? Or are you on the other end of the spectrum - a timid and meek shell of yourself, lacking confidence and creativity when it comes to food?
Whether you are on one end of the scale or the other, or fall squarely in the middle, understanding what we know as the sense taste can help you become a more accomplished and confident cook.
We hopefully eat every single day of our lives, but how often do we really taste?
Often, we eat quickly just to sustain ourselves, to feed the kids quickly to run out the door, to live, not to enjoy. Understanding the importance of taste and its different principles (seven to be exact) can bring out the ultimate enjoyment in food and make heroes in the kitchen.
As firefighters, we are “Jacks of all trades,” and often refer to having “tools in the toolbox,” which is knowledge and training that guides us in the numerous and different tasks we might peform in a shift.
Think of understanding and mastering taste as another tool in your kitchen toolbox. It is a tool that will help you to build, tweak, fine-tune, balance and adjust any recipe, regardless of your ingredients, and accentuate the overall experience of the dish.
Let’s look at the seven principles of taste: salt, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, fat and hot, and how we can incorporate them into our everyday cooking.
• Salt (kosher salt or sea salt, finishing flaky salt, coarse salt, ancho-
By far the single most important seasoning of all, salt is not meant to make food “salty.” Its purpose is to draw out flavour, balance out other principles of taste, sweet and sour, and it boosts aroma. Sometimes when cooking for a crowd, it can be difficult to judge whether you’ve added the right amount since it is so subjective. Try to focus on the overall flavour in the dish. If the flavour disappears too quickly on your tongue after you’ve had a taste, the dish probably needs more salt. But start slowly as over-salting is far worse than under-salting. Salt will counteract sweet but will amplify sour. In desserts (yes, they need seasoning too), a pinch of salt will make it less sweet while sharpening the flavour. When you add salt to an acidic dish, the acidity will be more prominent, so go light when you’re salting a vinaigrette, or think of what salt does to the rim of a margarita. Salt will also tame and mellow bitter. When sprinkled on bitter vegetables like
eggplant or broccoli rabe, salt draws out moisture and, with it, residual bitternes, making it mellower.
• Sweet (molasses, brown sugar, white sugar, demura sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, fruits and some vegetables like beets, onions and carrots): It’s the very best tool to tame aggressive salty, sour and bitter flavours. It can create richness in broth, soups or sauces (that’s why slow roasted vegetables are used) and can round out sharp flavours (think of adding honey or maple syrup to a vinaigrette).
• Sour (vinegar, citrus, buttermilk, sour cream): This is used to describe acidic ingredients and adds a punch of life to fatty or dull flavours. Whether using vinegar, which is the strongest sour, or citrus, which is more of a sweet sour, it will brighten, create complexity and give your dish new energy. It is often said that if you taste a dish and it’s just missing “something,” it is more than likely missing a sour.
• Bitter (dark greens, grapefruit,
vies, olives, salty cheeses):
Patrick Mathieu is an acting captain at Waterloo Fire Rescue in Ontario and author of Firehouse Chef: Favourite Recipes from Canada’s Firefighters. Contact Patrick at stationhousecateringco@yahoo.ca.
principles of taste: salt, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, fat and hot.
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Recipe rescue
endive, broccoli rabe, beer, tea, coffee): Bitter offers complexity to a dish that may seem boring. It is most often found in vegetables. It will balance out sweet, but if a dish is too bitter it can be ruined with sour, salt and fat.
• Umami (ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, seaweed, tomatoes, mushrooms, walnuts, miso, soy sauce, broccoli, aged cheese and meat): It literally translates to savouriness. This is the principle of taste that you really want to dial up. It will give a dish great depth and power. Salt will intensify it and acid will diminish it.
• Fat (animal fat, animal products like eggs, cream, milk and butter, processed oils): When used properly, fat i s what binds flavours and creates staying power on the tongue. Fats balance sour and temper salt, bitter and can turn down heat. Too much, though, and it can blanket highly-flavourful ingredients. It’s important to remember that fats have distinct flavours and qualities. Animal fats are heavy and rich, dairy fats are on the sweeter side, and vegetable and nut oils have a leaner profile.
• Hot (chilies, pepper, mustard, ginger, horseradish, hot sauce): My favourite, and true lovers of hot food realize it is about balance and flavour and not having a face-melting reaction. Heat creates dynamic, complex flavours, bringing liveliness to dishes that might otherwise be bland. It also intensifies spices, like in the way a dash of cayenne can make cinnamon more pronounced. It cuts through richness and is the only principle of taste that works with all the others.
Now that you have seven tools in your toolbox for creating, balancing, seasoning and fine-tuning any recipe, you’re more than ready to get into the kitchen.
The single most important way to hone this new skill is to taste it, then smell, then taste again. Then, make your next move, and taste again. This means to not just put food to the tongue, but really, really taste. You will soon see what amazing skills mastering taste will provide. Eat well and stay safe brothers and sisters.
1. Place the milk, cream, vanilla, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 5-6 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spatula.
2. Place the chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne in a large bowl. Pour the warm custard mixture over the top and fold until chocolate is melted and combined and very smooth.
3. Divide the mixture into four ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until set about 2 hours. Enjoy
Spicy Grilled Lobster
INGREDIENTS
3 cups shredded/ julienned green papaya
1 medium carrot, shredded/julienned
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic
1-10 red Thai chilies (depending on how spicy you want your salad to be)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish
sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons fried onion salad toppers
3 tablespoons chopped honey
roasted peanuts
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1. Place green papaya, carrot, and tomatoes in a bowl. Crush the chili peppers and garlic into a paste. Add lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and whisk together. Pour over salad. Separate into plates and sprinkle with cilantro, basil, fried onions, and peanuts. Top with lobster tail.
2 green onions, sliced diagonally + more for garnish
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
175g Chinese egg noodles – fairly thin ones, ideally
For the sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2-4 tablespoons Sichuan roasted chili oil
2 teaspoons black rice vinegar ½ tsp granulated sugar
1. Toast the peppercorns in a dry, hot wok or frying pan until fragrant, then grind and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over a high heat until shimmering, then add the pork and stir-fry until brown and beginning to crisp. Add the preserved vegetables, the whites of the green onions and the ground pepper, and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rice wine and soy sauce, and continue to cook until dryish and crunchy. Be sure to fry the meat until is crisp.
3. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a heatproof bowl, adding two tablespoons of chili oil at this point.
4. Cook the noodles in just enough boiling water to cover until just done, then scoop out 1 cup of cooking water and set aside. Drain the noodles.
5. Whisk four tablespoons of cooking water into the sauce, then taste and add more chili oil if you think it needs it. Toss the noodles in the sauce and divide between bowls. Sprinkle over the pork and green onion. Serve immediately, with extra chilli oil on the side. Enjoy!
Chili Chocolate Pot de Crème
Dan Dan Noodles with Spicy Pork
Habanero Honey Chicken Wings
MAKES 4 SERVINGS INGREDIENTS
Habanero Honey Sauce:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
5 medium habanero peppers, stems removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
Seasoned Flour:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
Wings:
3 tablespoons of butter
2 pounds whole chicken wings, drumettes and wings separated and tips removed
1. To make the Habanero Honey Sauce, combine the lime juice, vinegar, habanero peppers, and salt in a blender and purée until smooth. Strain through a sieve and discard the solids. Set aside. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Cook until the butter turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in the honey and a tablespoon of the habanero vinegar. Taste and add a little more vinegar if desired. Set aside until needed.
2. P reheat your oven to 425F.
3. To make the seasoned flour, whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Lin e a large baking sheet with foil and melt the butter on it.
5. B e sure the wings are dry and coat the wings in seasoned flour. Place the wings on the baking sheet and turn to coat well.
6. P lace wings in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn wings over and bake for 15 more minutes or until crispy and done.
7. If n eeded, whisk the Habanero Honey Sauce again to make sure everything is well combined. Toss the wings in about a cup of the sauce, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping. Bon appetite!
Fit for duty
By Sherry Dean
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. Contact Sherry at deansherry@bellaliant.net.
How to start a workout program
As we age and life priorities take different directions with jobs and families, previously active lifestyles can also change.
Maybe you have never needed to officially work out because you were already active in a sport that kept you strong and your cardio challenged. If your ability to maintain that activity has been reduced, a physical job like fire fighting requires you to find a way to keep fit and manage a limited timeframe.
Making time for your workout is critical, but it doesn’t mean two hours a day in the gym. If you are venturing into working out for the first time or it has been a long time, how you start will help with your success. If you have a medical condition, consulting a physician is always recommended. Please consider the physical requirements of your actions as a firefighter. If you need a physician’s okay to work out, you need a physician’s okay to fight fires.
Be realistic about your current fitness level. If you don’t run, don’t expect to head out to do a 10-kilometre jog the first time. Discover your current fitness levels and set them as a benchmark. Time a five-kilometre jog/run, take your body measurements, mark your best pushups/situps etc.
Set goals and measure them occasionally. Setting a standard to lose 20 pounds or increase a squat by 50 pounds may both be entirely attainable, but cut-
ting the goals down into manageable pieces is better.
Ensure your goals meet the needs of your work. Be practical about what you need to work on. If you are strong, but don’t have good cardio, don’t avoid it. Goals should be moveable targets and may switch between cardio, strength, endurance or mobility or involve all aspects.
Design your workout. If working out is new to you, it may be difficult to know how or where to start. It isn’t necessary to hire a personal trainer. Online resources are more than plentiful and friends and colleagues can be great resources.
shouldn’t work out the same way every day. Variety allows your body to better recover from the stressors of exercise and muscles to repair.
Listen to your body. It isn’t necessary to push yourself to the point of complete exhaustion or nausea. Feeling lightheaded and nauseous is not uncommon if you are new to working out. Your body is telling you the workload is exceeding its ability to balance oxygen and blood flow demand.
Gradually increase the demand. There are a number of changes you can make to a simple workout to help move you forward in progress. These
“MAKING TIME FOR YOUR WORKOUT IS CRITICAL, BUT IT DOESN’T MEAN TWO HOURS A DAY IN THE GYM.”
Personal trainers can be great. It may be just what you need. Trainers should provide you leadership and direction to be able to work out without needing a chaperon. If you are learning new exercises and form they can be invaluable to help you get on the right track. Progress realistically. Try not to overdo a new regime. It can make for burnout and injury. Slower, steady progress is a good approach. New workouts often bring quick results, but they may be followed by plateaus. Plateaus are great indications for changing it up. You
are just a few options.
• increase the number of different exercises
• increase the intensity of your effort – more weight, faster
• increase the work period time – three rounds instead of two
• decrease the recovery time between exercises
If you find you are losing interest or motivation, change s omething up. Maintaining your fitness is an imperative part of your responsibility to your crew and your family. Following is a 20-minute,
non-stop workout, but modify it to suit your fitness level. Use the adaptations provided as you need.
Warm-up x 2
• 20 walking lunges
• 10 scapular push ups (Arms do not bend, shoulders do all the work.)
• 10 wall slides (Body, hands and elbows close to wall. Hands travel from shoulder height to overhead and back – slowly.)
• 10-inch worms (Bend at hips, pike position. Use arms walk out as far as they can to fully extend and lower the body to the ground. Keeping your legs straight use your feet to walk towards your hands into pike position. Repeat)
Workout - 10 to 20 minutes with as few breaks as possible
• Five pullups (Body weight inverted rows using an angle that challenges you to complete five reps.)
