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TProgress trumps fire service tradition
he final year of the first decade of the new millennium was a good one for Canadian fire services. Sure, we’re still fighting for tax relief for volunteer firefighters, with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs leading that effort. Residential sprinklers are not yet mandatory in new homes and people are still dying because they pull the batteries out of smoke detectors.
But there were considerable successes in 2009 that should be celebrated, primarily the extension of presumptive legislation to volunteer firefighters and the inclusion of sprinklers in buildings of four storeys or higher, both in Ontario.
Indeed, improvements to presumptive legislation happened in several provinces. On Nov. 4, Ontario Labour Minister Peter Fonseca announced the extension of workers compensation benefits to volunteer and part-time firefighters and fire inspectors. In Manitoba, presumptive legislation was expanded to include esophageal and primary site testicular cancer. And in New Brunswick, a new bill was passed in June and regulations surrounding presumptive legislation were put in place in July – two years after the original bill got held up by bureaucratic red tape.
Earlier in the year, after a lengthy campaign by the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, the McGuinty government mandated fire sprinklers in multiple-unit residential buildings higher than three storeys. Although not the all-encompassing sprinkler action that the fire service wants, the change is a start; the requirements apply to construction under building permits applied for on or after April 1. Some other successes:
• Firefighters in dozens of municipalities are working with police and municipalities to uncover grow-ops.
• Landlords across the country whose buildings are not properly equipped with smoke detectors are being charged with fire code violations thanks to co-operation among police, fire services and municipal solicitors.
• Wildfires consumed thousands of hectares of land in the summer of 2009 but few homes. There were no deaths. Experience and co-operation paid off.
• Sprinklers in seniors homes has become a national issue because of the clear and united message from the OAFC and the Office of the Fire Marshal surrounding the death of two seniors in a facility in Orillia, Ont., last January.
• The CAFC launched a pilot project to limit children’s access to lighters and matches.
• In September, the Stephen Harper government committed $2.5 million to a national monument honouring Canada’s fallen firefighters.
There were, of course, other milestones in 2009. The point is that for each success dozens of fire service representatives from fire chiefs associations and from regional and local committees put in hundreds of hours ensuring that the right bureacurats in the right offices of the right MPPs, MLAs, MNAs, MPs, counsellors and aldermen knew and understood the issues. They worked hard. They persevered. They used the media to their advantage. And they have put to shame that old fire service adage – 100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.
As a new decade opens, let’s scrap all references to that tired, overused and outdated (and only sometimes tongue-in-cheek) fire-service slogan and embrace the willingness of legislators to listen to the fire service and understand its causes, and let’s do the hard work necessary to make changes and force our issues onto political agendas at every level of government. Surround and drown. Plan the attack. You’ll be heard. And we’ll all make progress.
President Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com
Mailing Address PO Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT., P.O. BOX 530, SIMCOE ON N3Y 4N5 E-mail: lmorrison@annexweb.com
Canadian firefighters had their best showing ever at the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas in November, claiming victories in seven categories and beating seasoned veterans and previous champions. Waterloo, Ont., firefighter Dwayne Drover won the men’s competition with a time of 1:26:51 – his best ever on the international course and the best time by a Canadian since 2004. Fredericton, N.B., firefighter Ryan Hallam was second at 1:28:76 while Kamloops, B.C., firefighter Graham MacKenzie came third at 1:29:34, squeaking by two-time Canadian champion Joe Triff of Halifax. Triff came fourth at 1:29:66. Six other Canadians placed in the top 20. Drover, 34, also won the championship in the two-man relay, or tandem, with Shaun Henderson of the Oakville Fire Department in Ontario, in 1:14:70, two seconds faster
than the previous world record. The Kamloops team of MacKenzie and Mike Brown came third in the tandem at 1:18:53 followed by Darren Hillman of Windsor, Ont., with three-time world men’s champion Brandon Cunningham of Fort Graham, Ga., in fourth at 1:18:84 and Halifax’s Triff and Mike Sears in fifth at 1:20:50.
According to a story in Henderson’s hometown newspaper in Oakville, Drover had fallen a few seconds behind the competition in the final heat of the tandem event when he handed off to Henderson. “The veteran firefighter dug deep and began to close the gap on the leader,” the story says. “At the finish line, carrying a 175-pound rescue mannequin, Henderson thrust himself and his charge over the threshold, narrowly beating his opponent with his final effort.”
In the team event, the MonctonMoves. com group of Jason Bergeron, Matt Dunfield, Marcel Dupuis, Collin Powers and Jamie Richford demolished the competi-
tion with a winning time of 4:41:72. That was 2.5 seconds faster than second-place Team NewGold from Kamloops (4:44:16). Halifax Fire 1 came fourth at 4:45:07 (the team also finished fourth last year). Two other Canadian teams finished in the top 10 – Team Westshore Terminals from Delta, B.C., at 4:51:81 and Windsor Team Parker Construction in 5:05:62.
The top female was also a Canadian. Jacqueline Rasenberg of York Region Fire Department in Ontario came first with a time of 2:42:99. Julie Read of Halifax Fire came fourth with a time of 2:59:07 and Toronto’s Danielle Comolli came fifth at
Canadians Dwayne Drover of Waterloo, Ont., and Shaun Henderson, of Oakville, Ont., accept the gold medals for the twoman relay, or tandem, event at the World Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas in November. The two shaved two seconds off the world record with a time of 1:14:70.
2:59:95. Rasenberg has won nine medals since placing second in the Canadian competition 2001 with a time of 3:02:19.
Windsor’s Hillman also claimed the top male over-40 title in 1:35:43. Cyril Fraser of Halifax won first place in the over-50 race with a time of 1:53:62 and claimed the over-50 tandem title with Newfoundland’s Jack Hickey in 1:26:05. Four-time Canadian FireFit medal-winner Jimmy Kolar of Sudbury, Ont., placed third at the international event in the over-45 race at 1:45:90, followed by Mark Millward of Delta in fifth at 1:48:94 and Randy Kalan of Brantford, Ont., in eighth place at 2:07:38. Brian Jones of the Belleville Fire Department in Ontario placed third in the over-55 category at 2:23:60.
The championship course, erected on the historic Fremont Street in Las Vegas allowed thousands of spectators to watch the action. Hundreds of firefighters from Canada and the U.S. were on hand, plus others from Argentina, Chile, Germany, new Zealand and South Africa. The event was broadcast in the U.S. on the Versus TV network (formerly the Outdoor Life Network).
At 1:26:51, Drover outpaced 131 competitors including three-tie champion Cunningham. A committed competitor, Drover has won many events in Canada since he began racing in April 2005. He was fourth in the worlds in 2008 with a time of 1:33:04.
“My buddy Steve MacCullouch from Guelph [inducted into the FireFit Canadian Hall of Fame in 2006] told me that I should try running a competition to see how fit I was,” Drover said in an interview. “I felt fine until I grabbed that dummy. My first thought was what the heck am I doing?”
Since then, Drover has become a fixture at firefighter athletic events. To prepare for the worlds, he followed a rigourous training regimen that included numerous eightto-10 mph runs on a treadmill inclined at 15 degrees, running stairs, and squats on a Bosu ball.
“As soon as you’re done a sequence, the body gives one big sigh and says, ‘thank you’,” Drover quips. “I find that, with training, my recovery time is quicker, so that I can do more exercise over the same time period.”
Drover did two things to improve his odds when he arrived in Las Vegas for the 2009 worlds. First, he avoided partying before the event, preferring to spend his time training and resting. Second, Drover took
The firefighter combat championship course, erected on the historic Fremont Street in Las Vegas, allowed thousands of spectators to watch the action.
part in all the qualifying races to become fully familiar with the course.
“A lot of people say you shouldn’t do this, and when I eased off on the last day before the actual race, people said I had peaked too early,” he says. “But I hadn’t, and when race day came, I was calm and ready.”
Drover exploded out of the starting line when the race began and made his way up to the top of the tower with his hose bundle. “I kept pace with [Brandon Cunningham] up to the rope pull,” he says. “No one had ever done this before. Then [Cunningham] had a mis-pull on the rope that cost
him time. By the point where I crossed the finish line after hauling the dummy at full speed, I looked back and saw that he was still three-quarters of the way back. I dropped to my knees; I couldn’t believe that I’d won!”
The Moncton Fire Department’s MonctonMoves.com team posted a better time than its world-winning 4:41:72, scoring a personal best and jaw-dropping 4:09:72 at the Canadian championships in September.
This team had worked long and hard for the 2009 worlds. “We started in the second week of January,” said team member Matt Dunfield. “We began in the gym, and when the good weather came we were able to add time working out on training towers. I think we did two-three hours a day, four-five days a week.”
Dunfield says the team event was fairly intense because of the calibre of the competition. Fortunately, “everyone ran a personal best that day, and did so cleanly. You couldn’t have asked for a better race.”
The venue helped to psyche the team up, says MonctonMoves.com’s Jason Bergeron. “[There’s] one word to describe worlds at first: exciting! I was also surprised to see the amount of spectators supporting all of us. This event really brings out the brotherhood of firefighting that we all share.”
“The worlds are excellent,” adds MonctonMoves.com team member Jamie Richford. “Las Vegas sets it up as a main stream event and makes you feel like you’re part of something big. From all the lights to the huge overhead TV, you feel like you’re at the big show, that’s for sure!”
Jacqueline Rasenberg has competed at the worlds for nine years running. In the first four, she belonged to a female relay team that won annually. She has also won twice as part of a tandem team, once setting a world record. Besides winning the open female category at the worlds this year, Rasenberg and Denise Townshend from Petawawa, Ont., came second in the
tandem race at 2:12:64 followed by Julie Read and Melanie Edwards of Halifax in third at 2:18:29.
“I’ve been in sports all of my life,” Rasenberg said. “I went to university on a track and basketball scholarship. Once I became a firefighter, I stayed active. But when I saw the firefighter challenge on TV nine years ago, I knew that I had to compete.”
Rasenberg spends about 12 hours a week training, including workouts on a trial course in Richmond Hill, Ont., and at the gym. In Las Vegas this year, “I felt more confident than usual waiting for the race to begin,” she said. “What really told me that I was doing well was how I felt at the top of the tower. When you feel good after doing the stairs, you know that you are going to have a good race. This time, my legs felt great and I had no trouble finishing the rest of the course.”
For Windsor’s Darren Hillman, 2009 marked his eleventh appearance at worlds but his first time back since taking a year off.
“The difficult part for me was coming back, expecting to jump back in where I’d left off,” he said. “It’s a big mental game, doing this event. It took a few races under my belt to get my mental conditioning back.”
His advice for budding competitors? “Be patient. It takes a lot of training to be able to do this event. You can always tell the guys who have done the work: They make the event look easy.”
Top male over-50 winner Cyril Fraser is an old hand, having participated in the worlds since 1995. His 1:53:62 winning time is the result of 10 to 15 hours of training every week.
“It’s almost addictive running this race,” he says. “You get a little rush from it, which is what keeps me coming back.” This was Fraser’s first individual win at worlds, an impressive accomplishment along with the victory in the tandem event.; “In my age category, I do pretty well,” he said.
As for this year? Don’t be surprised if all of these winners return to Las Vegas. “The Challenge is a great way to keep yourself in top shape, physically prepared for any call we respond to,” says Colin Powers of MonctonMoves.com.
“I take part in the competition because of the camaraderie and the initiative to try to get fit,” adds teammate Marcel Dupuis. “Besides, taking part in worlds is amazing!”
2009 World Firefighter Combat Challenge over-40 tandem winners – with a time of 1:19:98
– Byron McDonald (left) of Owensboro, Ky., and Windsor, Ontario’s Darren Hillman. Hillman came fourth in the individual event at 1:18: 84.
The first five minutes
Although it’s great for our customers, the inevitable decline in the number of working fires due to advances in building and fire codes, fire prevention initiatives and even residential sprinklers, in some jurisdictions, means that most of us can’t treat any of our fires as routine.
It’s generally accepted that firefighting activities in the first five minutes will set the stage for the entire operation that follows, and we get only one chance to do it right.
Let’s look at the key elements that must be considered in the critical first five minutes of operations at a working structure fire.
Before the fire
At the risk of stating the obvious, all members’ preparation for their first five minutes, from rookie to veteran firefighter to company officer and chief, began the moment they entered the fire service. Through training, equipment familiarization, building pre-planning, firefighting tactics, personal initiative and years of service, responding members arrive with their own unique sets of tools, levels of experience, preparedness and ability to perform.
The one intangible factor – the manner in which one’s training and experience plays out in the critical first five minutes – is not so easily defined.
The truly great firefighters and officers are capable of working safely, acting professionally and executing calmly when confronted with stressful and potentially life-threatening circumstances.
To achieve this, members must constantly preplan, train, strategize and generally share ideas.
Responding
because the fire wouldn’t go out and it’s now threatening to destroy the rig, you know the importance of initial apparatus placement
If you’ve ever parked the pump in the perfect place for a quick hose stretch only to observe that the ladder truck is down the block and can’t put its guys on the roof in a hurry, you do too.
Although no rule can be applied 100 per cent of the time, especially in our business, there is a reason the ladder should get the front of the building and the pump has a long hose load for the initial stretch.
PETER HUNT
‘The moment the alarm sounds, a series of thoughts and behaviours come into play.’
The moment the alarm sounds, a series of thoughts and behaviours come into play. For the apparatus operator, it’s “Do I know that address?” and “What’s the most direct route?” Factors such as time of day, traffic patterns and temporary construction detours must be considered.
For the firefighters, it’s “How do I do my job (hydrant, force entry, vent, rescue, fire control, salvage, overhaul) at that particular building?”
For the company officer, it’s “Have we pre-planned that building (or one like it)?” and “Do we have strategies and tactics in place that adequately define each member’s role and responsibility on arrival?”
Responding to an incident can be more dangerous than the incident itself. Even experienced drivers will occasionally blow a red light or stop sign in their eagerness to get there. And who can’t relate to that bullet-proof feeling we all have in the rig that leads us to forget about our seatbelts?
We’ve got to get there in one piece to do the job, and every firefighter must develop the discipline to stop for the reds and buckle up!
On arrival
If you’ve ever been ordered to move a fully deployed ladder truck
Remember that the ladder operator is actually spotting the turntable, not the rig.
Also remember that orienting the pump to allow the nozzle to advance directly toward the fire will dramatically simplify the initial hose stretch, especially for companies with staffing issues.
On a related subject, some crews have developed a habit of driving past the hydrant and relying on the second due pump to provide a water supply. This can be a very dangerous practice if the first due company officer can’t guarantee that that pump is just around the corner.
Stretching the initial attack hose line
In many cases, first due units often face more jobs and responsibilities than there are firefighters to carry them out, and the burden placed on the officer in the first five minutes can be immense. Civilians screaming to be rescued; fire pushing from windows and doors; and exposures at risk of becoming involved in fire can overwhelm companies that are understaffed or unprepared. Having the discipline to carry out a proper size-up, taking the time to check the rear, and clearly communicating strategies and tactics, is critical.
A few key principles are also worth reviewing:
• Select the proper size hose line for the volume of fire. Stretch the 2.5-inch if you need it!
• If operating a fog nozzle, select the proper pattern based on extinguishing, holding or pushing the fire.
• Push fire away from known or suspecting victims and search crews and toward natural or man-made ventilation openings in a co-ordinated effort with the vent team.
• Additional lines should protect the access and egress of firefighting and rescue crews, and cover exposures.
Well-trained crew, who know their equipment, have thoroughly pre-planned their district and stick to the basics can make it through the first five minutes and set the stage for a successful operation to follow. As second due companies arrive, and command is passed to the first chief officer, the operation will ramp up seamlessly toward a successful conclusion. Good luck.
Peter Hunt, a 29-year veteran of the fire service, is a captain in the Ottawa Fire Department’s suppression division. He can be reached at peter.hunt@rogers.com
Back to work
The politics of the BC Ambulance strike
by Paul Dixon
In October 1909, Vancouver took its first motorized ambulance out for a test drive and ran over and killed an American tourist. A little more than 100 years later, in the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 2009, the British Columbia legislature passed Bill 21, ending a sixmonth strike by B.C.’s 3,600 ambulance paramedics. The strike was largely ignored by government until its potential impact on the Vancouver Olympics became frontpage news in early November.
The strike had little apparent effect on day-to-day ambulance service, as virtually all employees of the British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) were declared by the Labour Relations Board to be essential; mandated overtime was used to cover many open shifts. To the general public, the only indication of a strike was the “On strike” placards displayed on many ambulances.
The strike
One of the keys to establishing a professional, province-wide ambulance service in B.C. in the 1970s was to increase basic qualifications, which led to commensurate pay levels. Initially, pay rates for paramedics were close to those for police and firefighters, but today the union claims that the rates are 25 per cent lower than they should be. BC Ambulance management counters that BCAS pay rates are within “a dollar an hour” of paramedics in Toronto, Edmonton,
Calgary and other major cities.
B.J. Chute, spokesman for CUPE 873, said in an interview that even the employer acknowledges a shortage of about 100 full-time equivalent positions in the Lower Mainland region, while the union says the number is closer to 200.
“The ambulance service has become totally dependent on overtime to mask chronic staffing shortages,” Chute said.
The provincial government showed no inclination to get involved in the strike until the potential impact on the 2010 Olympics became an issue. A letter from the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) to the province dated Sept. 14 was leaked to the media at the beginning of November as the Liberal government was using the H1N1 threat as the pretext behind the imposed back-towork legislation. That was quickly blown out of the water when, in the letter, Dr. Mike Wilkinson, director of medical services for VANOC, stated: “Without full emergency services on site at the competition venues, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games may not proceed.”
Wilkinson further demanded “definitive confirmation” by Oct. 1 that required ambulance services would be provided at all Olympic venues or he said VANOC would be “forced to try to run its own ambulance
service or bring in outsiders”. Earlier in the year, BCAS spokesman Steve Roberts had said that between 125 and 150 BCAS paramedics would be required inside Olympic venues on any given day.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, after four days of debate and an all night sitting of the legislature, the government imposed a new one-year contract on the paramedics. Provincial Minister of Health Kevin Falcon resolutely maintained that H1N1 and the “approaching holiday season” were the determining factors in forcing through Bill 21, but finally admitted after the bill passed that the Olympics were indeed a “factor.”
On Friday, Nov. 6, the day before Bill 21 was passed, more than 200 angry paramedics picketed outside VANOC offices in east end Vancouver.
The result of the back-to-work legislation was a “sick-off” during which an unprecedented number of shifts went unfilled over the first weekend in metro Vancouver. At one point, metro Vancouver was short 25 ambulances out of 103 scheduled to work. Paramedics booked off shifts at the last moment and management was unable to find replacements. The ambulance service took the unprecedented step of issuing media releases asking the public not to call 911 unless it was a dire emergency.
Photo by Paul Dixon
The B.C. government showed little interest in the six-month BC Ambulance Service strike until its potential impact on the 2010 Olympics in February became front-page news.
VERY FEW
THINGS CAN SURVIVE AN INFERNO.
OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE ONE OF THEM.
The flames build. The smoke gets thicker and more intense by the second. People are fleeing. And what do you do? You push forward ready to do battle. It goes against every natural human instinct. But then again, firefighters are a different breed. For your infinite courage and selfless dedication, we salute you. But more importantly, we’re going to do everything we can to protect you. We’re MSA. And we equip firefighters with the most advanced thermal imaging cameras, helmets, air masks and gas detection devices available. Coincidentally, we’re somewhat of a different breed ourselves. You see, we’re a safety innovations company that’s been on a relentless crusade to protect lives for more than 90 years. Today we protect firefighters, soldiers, construction, iron and steel workers, oil riggers, utility workers, miners, consumers and hundreds more. Wherever there are workers who need to be protected, we will be there.
The strike had little apparent effect on day-to-day ambulance service. The only indication of a strike was the “On strike” t-shirts worn by BCAS workers and placards displayed on many ambulances.
Lee Doney, BCAS CEO, was quoted in the Globe and Mail on Nov. 14 describing the widespread absenteeism as a planned illegal job action and urging paramedics to return to work. “I appreciate that they are frustrated,” he said. “I appreciate that they didn’t want an end to the strike in this way, but there are other ways to protest than to put patients at risk.”
The union distanced itself from any involvement in the weekend scheduling issues. Barry O’Neill, president of CUPE BC, was quoted by local media as saying there was no organized job action and workers were likely not showing up for work “because they are sick or exhausted because of long hours of overtime (worked during the strike).”
After jousting through the media in the days after the resolution of the strike, both sides in the dispute appear to have gone to ground. (We were unable to get any response to requests for interviews from management or the union.)
In a poll of local fire departments to gauge the impact from the perspective of first responders, Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services and Surrey Fire Rescue Service, the two largest departments in the province, reported no degradation in service.
“Throughout the labour dispute, Vancouver Fire and BCAS have maintained a professional working relationship and have continued to offer all citizens the best EMS care possible,” said Capt. Gabe Roder of VFRS.
That was echoed by Deputy Chief Dan Barnscher of Surrey FRS: “We did not experience any adverse affects from the BCAS strike. Our volume of medical calls is always high, and there did not appear to be much change during the strike.”
The irony of the strike is that hiring and training were suspended for the duration as being “non-essential”. If BCAS had problems with staffing levels as asserted by the union the situation can only be worse now.
The background
That first Vancouver ambulance – the one that killed a pedestrian back in 1909 – was operated by the police department, as were many ambulance services across Canada. For much of the 20th century, ambulance services in British Columbia were operated by an assortment of private contractors, volunteer societies and funeral home operators.
In 1973, the B.C. government commissioned Dr. Richard Foulkes to investigate emergency medical services in the province. The Foulkes Report stated that “emergency services seen in total, encompass many aspects: the level of first aid training of citizens, the adequacy of emergency vehicles and the training of those who operate them, the status of [hospital] emergency departments and in-patient facilities in hospitals and the level of training and availability of those necessary to staff these areas.”
Foulkes continued, “there are in the province variable degrees of quantity and quality of all these components. There is no consensus on the content of training programs or the major source of much of this type of education. Any person that has a Class 4 drivers license can operate any type of vehicle that he wishes and call it an ambulance and without any special training for the job whatever!”
(The Foulkes Report, incidentally, came at a time when the existing emergency services in Canada – police and fire – were making the change from “jobs” to “careers.” As professional qualifications were established, rates of remuneration rose accordingly. Foulkes and Cain both placed pre-hospital emergency medical care – referred to as paramedics or ambulance – on the same plateau as police and firefighters.)
Metropolitan Ambulance provided emergency ambulance service under contract to the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster. Its staff, known as ambulance attendants, received a 12-week, pre-employment training program followed by a one-year probationary period under a mentor. In many smaller communities
Photos by Paul Dixon
around the province where there were neither local doctors nor a formal medical presence, emergency medical assistance was provided by local residents with minimal training, relying on station wagons, pickup trucks, and even tugboats at times, to transport patients to care.
In larger communities with contracted, professional ambulance services, some fire departments operated inhalator squads that augmented ambulance service, while in many smaller communities the ambulance was operated by the local fire departments.
The BC Ambulance Service was born out of the Foulkes Report, under the umbrella of the Emergency Health Services Commission (EHS) as empowered by the Emergency Health Services Act. BC Ambulance Service came into being on July 4, 1974. Standards of training and expertise were created that could be applied to all regions of the province, from basic entry level requirements for those working in remote areas to the highly skilled advance life support level paramedic working in urban core areas. The Justice Institute of BC, created by the same government as the training facility for law enforcement and fire fighting personnel in the province, was responsible for training emergency medical personnel through its Paramedic Academy. Standardized ambulances, based on the Dodge Kary Van, appeared across the province in the BCAS red and white colours.
In 1989, the chief coroner of the province of B.C., Vince Cain, was commissioned by the provincial Ministry of Health to conduct a review of pre-hospital care in the province. The Cain Report received many submissions, offered observations on the state of affairs and made a number of recommendations. Cain recognized a generally positive working relationship among fire departments and BCAS across the prov-
The imposed contract for BCAS workers expires March 31, after the Olympics but just weeks away.
ince, noting that where people were proactive and made a concerted effort to work together it was possible, though there were instances noted where people from both sides of the equation took extraordinary steps to maintain a negative atmosphere.
Cain provided the next step in formalizing the role of first responders within the emergency medical response umbrella. Up to that time, firefighters in the province received a mix of St. Johns and Industrial First Aid. Workers Compensation Board regulations mandated the number of firefighters requiring an IFA ticket, but that was solely related to the workplace and not to the first responder role. The First Responder program was created, with training and certification through the Justice Institute. Today there are more than 7,000 registered first responders in the province, the vast majority being firefighters, both volunteer and career.
The reality
Today, there are 192 BC Ambulance stations across the province and more than 3,600 paramedics, with about 2,200 in part-time, on-call positions. As with prospective firefighters now required to obtain their NFPA 1001 Level 1 and 2 at their own expense to be considered for employment, BCAS requires prospective employees to have obtained, at a minimum, an Emergency Medical Responder licence to work in rural and remote stations prior to engagement. To work in the Lower Mainland region, a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) licence is a minimum requirement.
In articulating the situation in 1973, Dr. Foulkes stated, “to a large extent the ‘backwardness’ of this province in developing a proper system must be blamed on the attitude towards this subject by the previous government. It appears that it was a deliberately stated policy that they were not going to get involved. That is, without doubt, the cause of the present confusion.”
Bill 21 is not the end of the story, nor even one chapter in the long history of pre-hospital emergency medical care in B.C. It is simply a subplot in a sometimes bitter and acrimonious relationship between labour and management that happened to rear its ugly head just months before the 2010 Olympic Games
The term of the imposed contract expires on March 31 – well after the Olympics have left town. What then?
Photo by Paul Dixon
Basic exercises produce top results
Whether you train for yourself, those around you or purely just for function, everyone needs to train with purpose. If nothing else, the overall well-being we can achieve through our health and fitness programs is a purpose for us all. We may have different training goals but we all strive for a strong, healthy looking body. Your personal level of fitness should be a priority, especially in our line of work. Our jobs require well-rounded individuals with little room for holes in conditioning. There is no shortcut or secret to help you reach your peak fitness level and it’s going to take lots of dedication and hard work. One of the toughest tests in this day and age when we’re all so busy is maintaining adequate strength. Let’s look at the best muscle and strength-building exercises. These exercises provide the best bang for your buck. These movements should be staples in all our fitness programs.
Basics of adding muscle
Adding a few pounds of muscle to your frame has never been easy and some people struggle their entire lives to do so. Adding muscle requires proper nutrition, hydration and proper training. There are hundreds of variables we can try in the gym; the most important variable in your training program may be as simple as exercise selection. Everyone has fancy tips and tricks to increase strength in the “smarter, not harder” fashion but at some point you need to pick up the weight and throw it around to get better with it. We know lifting volume generally builds muscle, and high-intensity, powerful, complex movements increase strength. Adjust the amount of weight and the number of reps and sets to fit your goals. If you are unsure how to perform these movements, enlist the help of someone who is or at least watch a few demo videos until you’re comfortable.
The squat and the front squat
top exercises for overall body development. Strong deadlift: 315 pounds or 1.5 x body weight.
Pull-up
The traditional, wide-grip pull-up is often referred to as “the upper body squat”. It’s also one of the most overlooked exercises in many athletes’ strength programs. The pull-up is the single best back-building exercise in any gym. It is also benefits your core and arms. Alter grip width between sets to trigger different areas of your lat muscles. A true pull-up is from a dead hang with palms placed away from you and outside shoulder width, with no “kipping” or swinging action. Strong pull-up: 20 repetitions.
BRad
LawRENcE
‘ Your personal level of fitness should be a priority, especially in our line of work.’
Let’s start with the most fundamental and functional exercise, the squat. It is the single most important exercise in the gym. No single exercise combines more muscles than the squat. The primary target –your quadriceps – feed off training volume and can take a beating in the gym. Quad muscles benefit the most from a high volume, heavy weight program. The squat not only benefits your legs, it recruits all your core muscles into one complex power movement. If squats aren’t a regular fixture in your leg training program, then revamp your program starting with the squat or the front squat.
Strong squat: 315 pounds or 1.5 x body weight.
The deadlift
Not far behind the squat is the traditional deadlift. The deadlift is another major compound movement recruiting most muscles in your lower half and core. Primary muscular targets are hamstrings, quads and core. The amount of core stability and core development attained from this exercise is underrated. The deadlift is thought to be the oldest and purest form of testing strength and it is one of the
Chest press (dumbbell or cable)
First things first: It is OK not to bench press. Bench presses are the most overrated exercise in the gym and have been proven over time to cause significant damage to the shoulder joints. Freeing your shoulder joints allows a horizontal and vertical load on your pectoral muscles, as opposed to the vertical only load of a bench press with your shoulder locked into place. Pectoral muscles will develop symmetrically and fully without a bench press. Besides, the benches are always busy, so move on to dumbbells or cables where you’ll get better results. Strong dumbbell press: 100 pounds or more than 50 per cent of body weight
Shoulder press (standing)
Most people are more familiar with the sitting version of the shoulder press. The press is a popular exercise that is, hands down, more advantageous from a standing position. A standing shoulder press is the best exercise for development of the shoulders. Secondary targets for this exercise include triceps and trap muscles. When performed from a standing position, your body is forced to engage the core, adding all core muscles and stabilizers to the lift. Perform this movement with a barbell or dumbbell; both will show great results.
Strong standing shoulder press: 135 pounds or more
One of the great things about building a better, healthier, stronger body is that nothing is absolute or set in stone. The possibilities are endless and variety is the spice of training. Remember to alter your training program about every six weeks or whenever you feel like you’ve reached a plateau. The exercises above should be a staple in any program and give you a base on which to build the rest of your program. Now that you know your exercise selection is correct don’t second guess yourself. Get in there and leave some blood on the barbell.
Brad Lawrence is a firefighter with the Calgary Fire Department and a certified personal trainer who specializes in training and nutrition for emergency responders. He has trained and coached countless firefighters through all aspects of fitness and overall well-being. E-mail Brad at bradlawrence@gmail.com
Weather woes
Increase in natural disasters challenges responders
by James Careless
In October, insurance-industry executives told participants at a conference in Montreal that climate change is to blame for the increase in the number of storms, floods and hail events that have resulted in a surge in insurance claims filed in Canada. Martin-Eric Tremblay of the Co-operators Group Ltd. said that insurance companies now expect to pay out claims on catastrophic events four times more often than they did in the 1980s.
“Years ago we were not even thinking about having hurricanes on the shores of the Atlantic (provinces),’’ Tremblay, Co-operators’ senior vice-president, told The Canadian Press.
In its 2009 report, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said insurance claims related to severe weather, even when adjusted for inflation, have doubled every five to 10 years since the 1950s.
The IBC says on its website (www.ibc.ca) that earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, forest fires, tornados, ice storms and severe rain storms are happening more often than ever before.
“Canada is not immune to this trend,” the website says. “Many of us remember the devastation of Hurricane Juan, which hit Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in 2003, and the sheer horror of the forest fires that swept across British Columbia the following summer. In 2005, Toronto and the surrounding area were hit with a severe rainstorm and tornadoes that led to the second-largest insurance payout in Canada’s history. The largest Canadian disaster was the ice storm of 1998.”
For Canadian firefighters, the implications of climate change and/or global warming seem obvious: warmer temperatures that lead to longer, hotter summers and extend the wildfire season; and warmer water that extends the hurricane season and its scope. The logical response is to increase the abilities of Canadian fire departments to fight forest fires and to improve hurricane emergency planning in the Maritimes.
It’s not that simple, says weather guru Dave Phillips, Environment Canada’s straight-talking senior climatologist. For one thing, a warmer climate doesn’t necessarily mean consistently warmer summers, as evidenced by the damp, cool weather in eastern
According to Phillips, climate change is a fact of life on Earth but it’s not the relatively new phenomenon that environmentalists and Al Gore have embraced.
“Some people think our climate is normally stable and consistent but that’s never been the case,” Phillips said in an interview. “Temperatures have risen and fallen over time due to a number of factors. What can be said, however, is that the current rise is occurring during a period where humans have been putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It seems apparent that this is having an influence on climate change but it is not necessarily the only reason that temperatures are going up.”
Complicating matters is the fact that “you have to be able to distinguish between what constitutes weather and what constitutes climate,” Phillips says. “Just because the previous summer’s weather was cool and damp does not prove that the climate isn’t getting warmer, nor does it prove that it is. Climate change is not something that can be deduced from weather, at least not in the short term. It takes years of comparative data to spot trends.”
Phillips says Canada’s climate from the 1940s to 1970s “was one of the most stable, quiet climates that we have seen for centuries.” In other words, the apparently reliable cycle of seasons that adult Canadians grew up with was an anomaly: winters during which the onset of cold temperatures and nasty weather varies from year to year are closer to the historical norm.
Still, there’s some predictability to all this science of climate change and global warming.
Last year – 2009 – was a terrible year for spring flooding along the Red River but floods are a normal part of life in Manitoba, says Ken Sim, deputy chief of operations with the Winnipeg Fire Department. That said, he’s concerned about the increasing strength and severity of wind storms and tornadoes in the province.
Insurance companies expect to pay out claims on catastrophic events, such as tornadoes, four times more often than they did in the 1980s.
Canada this year, says Phillips.
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The summer of 2009 was long, hot and expensive for the Wildfire Management Branch of the British Columbia Forest Service with 3,091 fires consuming more than 229,000 hectares. The branch spent $387.4 million fighting fires in one of its most expensive years on record.
“These wind storms are coming closer to Winnipeg than any of us can ever remember,” he said. “There has been a change in the pattern of these storms in a relatively short time. It’s a little unusual for a community like Winnipeg to be concerned with building construction and collapse.”
Sim doesn’t know what’s causing the increase in wind storms. But his department is training to keep up with the changes in the local climate.
“We are now putting more time into training for building collapses [and] learning how to find victims and extricate them safely in the wake of a tornado,” he said. “We have a large fire resource capability to deal with such problems, and we can count on assistance from our local Urban Search and Rescue team, which is funded by Ottawa.”
The summer of 2009 was long, hot and very expensive for the Wildfire Management Branch of the British Columbia Forest Service with 3,091 fires consuming more than 229,000 hectares. The branch spent $387.4 million fighting fires in one of its most expensive years on record.
Global warming? Not necessarily, says Bruce Young, the branch’s manager of wildfire operations.
“Although the 2009 fire season was above average, we credit the hot, dry weather to the ongoing La Nina/El Nino cycle, which governs the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean,” he said. “We had an early spring this year thanks to El Nino, which typically
points to a hot, dry summer. That’s what happened.”
That said, Young notes that the branch has done some analysis and determined that B.C.’s fire seasons are starting earlier and ending later, which he says is a more logical effect of warming or changing climate.
The branch uses the La Nina/El Nino cycle to predict patterns. But ultimately, what really guides it is the habit of planning for a worst-case scenario, Young said.
“We don’t have the ability to predict with certainty in March that we are going to have a bad fire season, so we have to prepare for it. But we also can’t go to our government and ask for extra funding each year based on a worst-case scenario, which is why we liaise with other jurisdictions to back us up when our worst fears are realized.”
Young’s statement underlines the challenge of trying to anticipate the weather. When so many immediate problems demand government attention, obtaining funding for potential situations, without scientific proof, is difficult, if not impossible. Instead, it makes sense to try to prepare to meet all threats, including climate change.
In Nova Scotia, climate change affected the 2009 forest fire season differently
“We had quite a slow season,” said Mark Saywood, acting fire management supervisor with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. Normally, Nova Scotia has about 300 forest fires a year but this year’s total was 168.
Saywood says the weather affected the number of fires, but in a good way. “We had quite a wet spring,” he said. “Things then began to dry out, only to be soaked by Hurricane Bill and Tropical Storm Danny in August. That effectively put an end to the fire season.”
Indeed, Phillips says last summer was the wettest summer on record in Atlantic Canada – the wettest in 62 years.
Still, says Saywood, it’s important to consider the positive and negative effects of global warming.
“The possible effects of climate change are considered in our planning process as a possible factor that may extend our shoulder season over the long term.
“In recent years, we have had fires that have started earlier in the season in the last week of March. This may be a natural cycle and not necessarily directly linked to global warming. If you look back through fire history, you will see that some fire seasons start earlier in the spring and some fire seasons extend later into the fall.”
A longer fire season means not just potentially more fires, but more people and money needed to fight them. Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources is responsible for hiring seasonal fire crews: “If the need to hire our crews on early or extend their term arises due to an extended shoulder season in the future, that would be something we would consider,” says Saywood. However, he hopes that a mix of careful, planning, plus close co-operation with local fire departments, would allow his government to meet the threat, rather than “having to put a lot more money into that.”
Clearly, there is debate about the impact of climate change on Canadian fire fighting but there’s agreement about how to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws our way.
“We can’t be sure that what is resulting in long, hot summers is climate change or some other short-term factor,” says Environment Canada’s Phillips. “But what we can do is prepare for all eventualities, by predicting, monitoring and reacting to weather trends as they occur.”
James Careless is a freelance writer living in Ottawa and a regular contributor to Fire Fighting in Canada.
Symbols and the fire service
Fire fighting as a profession has a rich and interesting history, peppered with milestones dating as far back as 200 BC, when the first fire pump was developed by an Egyptian named Ctesibus. However, the commonly accepted birth of fire fighting is traced to AD 6 and the Roman Empire’s implementation of fire brigades under the order of Caesar Augustus. These brigades were the first known organized firefighters; they bore the responsibility not only to extinguish fires and parole the city on fire watch, but to enforce established fire codes and bylaws. These original firefighters were named the Vigiles, meaning Watchmen of the City.
Fast forward a few hundred years to AD 250, when a man named Florian Von Lorch was born. Florian served as an officer in the Roman military. A self-proclaimed Christian, he held the position of general with the Roman army and also organized firefighting brigades. Because of the social and political upheaval related to the spread of Christianity at that time, Florian was sentenced to be executed. A Roman soldier named Aquilinus was sent to carry out Florian’s demise by burning him alive. When Aquilinus threatened Florian with death by fire unless he repented his religious beliefs, Florian countered by exclaiming that he would climb to heaven upon the flames. Hearing this, Aquilinus became apprehensive and decided instead to tie a stone around Florian’s neck and drown him. After his death Florian was made a Christian saint and although Florian had been killed, his fearless stand in the face of a fiery death paired with his efforts in the fire service made him St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.
meant to represent the traits of courage: loyalty; piety; generosity; bravery; honour; contempt of death; mercy for the poor and sick; and respect for the church.
Our modern-day cross is a loose rendition of the original one worn by the knights and is often referred to as a St. Florian Maltese Cross. Over time, the points of the cross have taken on meaning perhaps more appropriate for the fire service: pride, honour, charity, loyalty, gallantry, generosity, dexterity and protection. Many services have opted to impose other symbols of firefighters within the cross, such as: a trumpet/bugle signifying leadership; a helmet depicting safety; and the axe, hook/ pike pole, ladder, and fire hydrant that represent the tools of the trade.
JEssE cHaLLoNER
‘Our history is filled with symbols and metaphors, reminding us what we do and why.’
Another symbol with a significant historical connection to our profession is the Maltese cross. The origin of this worldwide symbol of the fire service originates in fire itself. Throughout the Christian crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, a group of knights (the Knights of St. John) battled against Saracens. During the battles the Saracens used a new kind of weapon unknown to the knights previously. The Saracens would hurl glass bottles filled with naphtha into the ranks of Christian knights. After drenching their opponents, the Saracens would ignite projectiles and launch fire into the soaked warriors. Out of necessity the knights became proficient firefighters, dousing flames and extinguishing their comrades. As recognition for heroic efforts on the battlefield, warriors were awarded a stylized cross. Eventually these knights came to reside on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. Because of this, the knights eventually became known as the Knights of Malta and the cross aptly known as the Maltese cross. Through the actions of the knights, the Maltese cross took on new meaning as the emblem of firefighters everywhere. The eight points of the Maltese cross were
Historical timelines with reference to the fire service are intriguing. Our history is filled with symbols and metaphors, reminding us what we do and why. It is interesting and exciting to think that we are writing the eventual history of the service. This is why it’s paramount to ensure that we consistently act with consciousness and purpose.
Any organization or service that has been around for a few years is bound to have picked up some representative symbols. When the public sees us out on the job fighting a fire or tearing a vehicle apart, they do not see Johnny or Suzie from down the street; they see the uniform that is the face of the fire service. Our actions are the symbols and the way we carry ourselves is how we represent a tradition two millennia in the making. It’s a tradition of honour, respect and outstanding service in all regards.
If we care to look and listen, we find anecdotes from the fire service everywhere: the stories of the big save or that close call, of a Roman general or a knight saving his brother.
What does it all mean? If we blow the dust off history and discover where we’ve been, can that shed light on where we are or where we’re going?
Perhaps, at least, the knowledge gained can help us understand that we are part of something bigger then ourselves as individuals. We are ordinary people who choose to involve ourselves in extraordinary situations. We are looked over by a patron saint, we wear the cross of knights and we are the watchmen (and women) of the city.
Jesse Challoner has been involved with fire/EMS since 2002 and has been with Strathcona County Emergency Services in Alberta since 2005. He is a second-year paramedic student with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and is an instructor at the Emergency Services Academy in Sherwood Park, Alta.
Big rig rescue, part 1
In September, I instructed at a two-day big rig rescue symposium in Nisku, Alta. The other two lead instructors were Billy Leach Jr. from North Carolina and George Klemm from Vancouver Island. The first morning was devoted to theory and discussions of large-vehicle anatomy and construction, challenges for rescuers, correct cribbing applications and load-bearing equipment.
The remaining day and a half was spent working with simulated, large-truck accidents involving passenger vehicles. Students rotated through scenarios and spent three to four hours learning the proper ways to approach, stabilize, lift, then extricate patients from crushed wrecks. First, the students dealt with the situation as though the incident had happened on a rural highway outside of a city and they had responded with their own departmental resources; then, they played out the scenario with the assistance of a heavy wrecker tow truck that had arrived on scene after a certain length of time.
In this column and the next two (in April and July) we will look at the program content and what students learned, including large-vehicle classifications, anatomy, construction, arrival hazard control, stabilization, disentanglement and patient removal from the crushed passenger vehicle and the cab of the truck. In the final issue of 2010, in October, we’ll run an exam, with the answers available on the Canadian Firefighter/Fire Fighting in Canada website (www.firefightingincanada.com).
Volume of truck traffic
Driver fatigue and inattentiveness were also listed as factors in crashes for drivers of both passenger vehicles and large trucks.
weight classifications
The weight of large trucks varies but these vehicles are basically categorized as medium or heavy. Classes 3, 4 and 5 are considered medium-duty trucks and have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of between 4,500 kilograms (10,000 pounds) and 8,844 kilograms (19,499 pounds). Classes 6, 7 and 8 fall into the heavy duty truck category and their GVWR falls between 8,845 kilograms (19,500 pounds) and about 15,000 kilograms (33,001 pounds).
Anatomy of a semi
There are a number of different truck designs. Straight trucks are built on solid frames and are not designed to pull trailers. A lot of these trucks have two to three axles. Specialty trucks are designed for particular purposes and include concrete haulers, dump trucks, heavy wreckers and fire trucks. Another common type of truck is the semi-trailer combination. It is estimated that 60 per cent of trucks on North American highways are semi-trailers. These consist of a truck – known as either a bobtail or a tractor – and two or three axles. The average weight of a tractor minus the trailer is between 8,100 kilograms (18,000 pounds) and 9,900 kilograms (22,000 pounds).
According to the U.S.-based National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), every year for the last 10 years there has been an average of about 5,500 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in North America – 550 in Canada and 4,500 in the United States. In addition, 100,000 large trucks were involved in injury crashes every year and, since the late 1970s, 12 to 13 per cent of all traffic-related fatalities in North America have been the result of crashes involving large trucks.
The NHTSA data suggests that drivers of passenger vehicles may have contributed to the crashes more than the drivers of the large trucks. However, a speed limit of 100 kilometres an hour or more, poor weather conditions and curved roads significantly increased the likelihood of rollovers and jackknifes of large trucks.
Cabs of these large vehicles are called either conventional or cab-over units. The conventional unit is the most popular design and features the cab behind the hood and engine. The hood and front fenders are usually moulded in plastic or fibreglass because of the complex aerodynamic shapes. The front bumper may be stamped and drawn from steel or aluminium, or it may be moulded in plastic and backed with a steel substructure. The cab-over is positioned above the engine. The cab-over design, or flat-nose, tilts forward to gain access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. Construction of either cab styles incorporates steel, aluminium and fibreglass and a new, lightweight product called Metton (www.metton.com) for aerodynamics. The cab roof is generally one of the weaker components of the cab and usually consists of
RaNdy scHmiTz
Photo 1: Scene of rollover.
Photo 2: 2010 International Lone Star. Photo 3: By removing the thin rubber bead in the middle of the gasket the window will fall out.
Photos by RanDy schmitz
two lightweight ribs surrounded by lightgauge material. Mounted on the roof area is a fairing usually made of fibreglass or Metton, an air-conditioning unit, air horns and possibly a GPS locator.
Windshields are made of typical laminated safety glass that is surrounded by a thick rubber gasket; standard tempered glass is used for the side windows and in the doors. Driver’s seats on newer trucks are powered pneumatically through buttons on the side of the seat cushion or a pull/push button under the seat. A tip for rescuers: if you are unsure which button will move the seat up or down, choose the red one.
Large truck cab doors are built somewhat stronger than doors on passenger vehicles, with heavier gauge steel; the hinges are either piano-style hinges (which may be made of stainless steel in newer models) that run the length of the door, or standard, passenger-vehicle type hinges. The latching mechanisms for large truck doors are located in the centre of the door, as one would expect, but because of the height of the vehicle the door handle is placed in an easily accessible position at the lower corner of the door.
Accommodations
Most long-haul semi units have what’s known as a sleeper; this allows the other drivers to rest if the number of driving hours exceeds the legal limit. The sleeper unit is a compartment mounted behind the cab that can have upper and lower bunk beds for sleeping. Inside decor can be basic or it may have more elaborate luxuries such as a microwave, a wall-mounted TV, closet compartments, a sink, a fridge, a toilet and even a shower.
Typical construction features a multitude of materials ranging from steel, fibreglass, sheet metal and aluminium stud walls to wood, fabric and plastic. Breaching the walls of these sleeper units can lead to problems if the above-mentioned appliances are mounted on the walls. Access is common via the cab but some compartments have access doors on the driver or passenger side of the unit. It is highly anticipated that there will be casualties in crashes involving longhaul semis with sleeper units if occupants are sleeping inside the compartment.
Because of the long-haul nature of semis and the high fuel demands required to supply the diesel engines, these trucks may have up to two aluminium saddle tanks. These tanks can have a capacity of between 200 and 600 litres (50 to 150 gallons). These tanks can be on either side of the truck in various locations.
Electrical system requirements for semis are usually 12- or 24-volt batteries, wired in parallel to each other, housed in aluminium or metal battery boxes and can found directly under the doors (and often used as a step into the cab). A battery shut-off switch on some of the new trucks can be found on the side of the battery boxes; rescuers should keep an eye out for this handy option.
Typical compressed air brake systems are common in larger trucks. Components of these kinds of systems include air-tank reservoirs, supply lines, air chambers or piggy-back chambers with large springs that mechanically engage the brake drum or disc under each axle in case of loss of air.
Air-ride suspension is very common. This uses flexible, air-inflated, rubber bags know as bellows; these are attached to the truck axles where metal leaf springs would normally be found. This system allows for a smoother ride. The air pressure within the bag is monitored electronically and adjusted to accommodate the weight of the load and changing road conditions.
Trailers
One or more trailers can be attached to the tractor. Common names for these multiple trailer units are B-trains or super Bs. Some different trailers you will encounter are flat beds, end dumps, box trailers for hauling regular cargo, product haulers called dry bulkers, fuel tankers, reefers or refrigeration units, and lowboys for hauling heavy equipment.
A complete tractor-trailer unit can legally weigh up to 36,360 kilograms (80,000 pounds) but can go as high as 62,500 kilograms (138,000 pounds) if special permits are issued.
Products that are commonly transported are pressurized and non-pressurized liquids, corrosive materials and compressed gases, to name a few. That being said, the metal used to construct these trailers varies considerably. A box trailer or van trailer used for hauling product, for example, is constructed of relatively light-gauge metal, such as an aluminium stud frame, with wood and thick insulation lining the inside of the trailer. Refrigeration units are of similar construction on the outside but have spray foam insulation and fibreglass sheeting on the inside, with a ribbed aluminium floor, whereas compressed gas tankers weigh considerably more, are made from heavy gauge steel with piping and other components, and have placards attached indicating their hazardous content. Livestock trailers present another challenge for rescuers because of their distinctive construction (the interiors of these
Photo 4: The red button pictured here raises or lowers the driver’s and passenger’s seats.
Photo 5: These piano-style hinges run the length of the door and are stainless steel.
Photo 6: There are likely to be casualties in crashes involving long-haul semi trucks with sleeper units if occupants are sleeping inside the compartment.
Photo 7: Battery box under driver’s door used as a step into the cab.
Photo 8: Battery shut off switches on some newer model Kenworth T660s.
trucks can be changed and sectioned) and the unique nature of the cargo – live animals. (Incidents that involve livestock trailers are to be handled in a certain way and will be addressed later.) One important design change: because of a federal mandate to reduce diesel fuel consumption by six per cent over the next two years, trailer manufactures are installing fibreglass or Metton skirting underneath trailers to reduce drag and wind resistance. With this in place, fuel tanks that are installed on the underside of trailers that supply refrigeration units will no longer be visible to unsuspecting rescuers.
Most new trailers also have air-ride suspension components. Since semi-trailers rest on top of tractors they have high centres of gravity, which makes them less stable than straight truck rigid vehicles.
Tractors are coupled to trailers via a pivot point known as the fifth wheel, which is bolted on to the top of the tractor chassis above the rear axles. The fifth wheel has a large steel plate that can pivot and adjust to the height of the trailer, which mates with a kingpin and is then locked with two steel jaws. Most trailers have landing gear near the front to allow them to free stand when uncoupled from the tractor. To raise and lower the load there is a gearbox attached to the landing gear that has two speeds, slow or fast, with different gear ratios. Pulling out the crank handle, or pushing it in, allows for different mechanical advantages. The landing gear can come in handy for supporting or raising the trailer in an emergency situation for rescue.
To add braking power to the trailer, glad hands are coupling devices used to connect the service and emergency airlines from the truck to the trailer. The couplers have a rubber seal, which prevents air from escaping. To connect the glad hands, the operator presses the two seals together with the couplers at a 90-degree angle to each other. A turn of the glad hand attached to the hose joins and locks the couplers. The service airline is colour coded blue and the emergency airline is red. For flexibility of the lines when
the trailer is turning, the lines themselves are attached to a flexible pole called a pogo stick. An electrical link is made between the tractor and the trailer through a cable called a pigtail. This cable is a collection of wires in a single sleeve. Each wire controls one of the electrical circuits on the trailer, such as running lights, brake lights and turn signals.
This should give you a basic understanding of the anatomy and construction of common large vehicles and trailers. It is important to understand and learn the new technologies and materials on these vehicles. Rescuers should visit their local truck dealerships and see first hand the changes that have taken place in truck and trailer design to get a thorough understanding of what they will
be dealing with on the roads and highways.
In the next issue we will focus on arrival, hazard control, stabilization and extrication operations.
In the meantime, stay safe!
Randy Schmitz is a Calgary firefighter who has been extensively involved in the extrication field for 17 years. He is an extrication instructor and has competed internationally. He is the education chair for Transport Emergency Rescue Committee (T.E.R.C.) in Canada, a T.E.R.C. International extrication judge and a tester and evaluator for manufactured prototype products for extrication equipment. He can be reached at rwschmitz@shaw.ca
Photo 9: 12-volt batteries wired in parallel located directly under driver’s door.
Photo 11: Pogo stick, glad hands and trailer wiring.
Photo 10: Thermo King refrigeration unit, or Reefer, used for meat and produce; runs on a separate diesel fuel tank underneath the trailer.
RIT tactical considerations
by Mark van der Feyst
In October we discussed tactical considerations when searching for an injured, trapped or lost firefighter and we looked at the differences between a search for a civilian and a search for a firefighter. Here we will review tactical considerations when locating a firefighter with a search rope, or lifeline.
When incident command receives a mayday call from a firefighter, seconds count. We train our fire-service professionals to respond to calls that involve human life in the balance and we need to respond to a mayday call in the same fashion.
A search rope, or a lifeline, can help us quickly locate a mayday firefighter. When a firefighter declares a mayday we need to act quickly to locate him. We teach firefighters to maintain contact with the wall of the structure during a search. Using either the left or right hand to ensure that there is contact with the wall, they are better able to find the way out. This method adds to the time it takes to locate a mayday firefighter.
Using a search rope enables us to head directly to the firefighter by using our sense of hearing. For this method to work, the
personal alert safety system (PASS) alarm must be turned on by the mayday firefighter. If the mayday firefighter is unconscious, not moving, pinned or trapped, his PASS alarm will go off automatically. If the firefighter is conscious and able to move, he must turn on his PASS alarm to indicate his location to the RIT. The search rope allows the RIT to forget about a left- or right-hand search and head directly to the PASS alarm. The search rope acts like a trail of breadcrumbs to lead the RIT out and to help other RIT members going in to assist or relieve.
A rope between 7.5 millimetres and nine millimetres thick is ideal for use as a search rope. This width allows the rope to be used
Photo by maRk van DeR Feyst
A four-person RIT (Braeden Mackenzie, Justin McRae, Sera Lapointe and Joshua Graham from Lambton College in Sarnia, Ont.) ready to deploy the search line. The last man has the rope bag and is tasked with managing the search rope. The first step is to secure the search rope around an object outside the structure.
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to its full capacity, provides good mobility for the RIT and allows the RIT to carry 100 feet of rope without adding too much size or bulk. Within the length of the search rope there should be a series of knots tied at regular intervals (see photo page 33), one knot followed by two knots. This system of knots allows any firefighter to read the rope to find the way out. RIT firefighters can become disoriented and lost but if they can locate the search rope they can read their way out. These knots need to be spaced so that at any point on the search rope a firefighter can grab the rope with both hands, fully extend his left or right hand and come across a set of knots. A good knot interval is about eight to 10 feet. The knots tell the firefighter which way to head; one knot is the way in to the firefighter; two knots is the way out. A simple way to remember this is “one way in, two ways out” (see photo below).
Who deploys the search line? Ideally, we want four people on our RIT. This makes the operation work more efficiently. Typically though, we see two-person RITs. Two-person RITs have to do a lot of work. They are going to carry a RIT pack or SCBA, hand tools, thermal camera and a search rope. This is a lot of equipment to be carried by two people. Usually we teach two-person searches using the structure as a guide without search rope. A two-person team can use a search rope if desired but this means sacrificing another tool. A four-person team can use the search rope much more effectively (see photo page 30). The search rope is deployed by the last person entering the structure: this way the rope will not get tangled by RIT members. The job of the fourth person is to manage the search rope. This starts with securing the search line around a solid source outside the structure such as a tree, iron railing, lamp post or column.
Photo by maRk van DeR Feyst Firefighter Joshua Graham reads the search line by locating the knots – one knot in, two knots out.
Photo by maRk van DeR Feyst
The RIT search line needs to have a series of knots placed at even intervals of about eight to 10 feet.
Once the RIT enters the structure, the fourth person ensures that the rope plays out from the rope bag untangled, that it does not get caught on furniture and that it does not get snagged at corners. When the mayday firefighter is located, the fourth RIT member ensures that the rope line is in position to be followed out. This entails getting all of the slack out of the rope, ensuring that it is taut and making sure the remaining rope is out if the way of the RIT members.
Lighted rope is also an option and has been on the market for about 10 years. Lighted rope provides a pathway and has an electrical receptacle at the end for electrical hand tools. Within the lighted rope are coloured lights at regular intervals. The lights are red and green. The red lights indicate the way into the fire and the green lights indicate the way out. Lighted rope is heavier and not as mobile as a search rope. It is also costly.
Using a search rope speeds up the search process for the RIT. It works well only if firefighters are trained in this technique and the equipment is at hand when the mayday occurs.
Mark van der Feyst is a 10-year veteran of the fire service who works for the City of Woodstock Fire Department
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in Ontario. Mark teaches in Canada and the U.S. He is a local level suppression instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, an instructor for the Justice Institute of BC and an associate professor of fire science with Lambton College in Sarnia, Ont. He can be reached at Mark@FireStarTraining.com
The fast track
Pro racing safety team looking for recruits
by Keith Hamilton
This story is about a group of volunteers who run a “professional” safety service for the racers at Mosport International Raceway just north of Bowmanville, Ont., and the Toronto Grand Prix/Indy races.
In 2008, I wrote about the International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) safety team that travels North America to supply medical and fire/extrication support for the American Le Mans Racing series (“Life In The Fast Lane”, Fire Fighting In Canada November 2008). While interviewing the IMSA safety team I learned that some team members are also local volunteers and that the Mosport track has its own team that supplies medical and fire safety for the professional race series at the track. The safety team that supplies medical and firefighting services during the racing season at Mosport is the Ontario Race Physicians (ORP). The group is always looking for recruits.
Mosport International Raceway
Ontario Race Physicians was started by doctors who were racing on the Mosport track and realized the need for quick medical and fire intervention in the case of an accident. The team has expanded to provide medical and fire support for all of the professional race weekends at Mosport and several private events. (The history of ORP and other information is available at http://www.racemedical.com/)
The ORP is contracted by Mosport International Raceway and the Toronto Grand Prix/Indy to provide medical and emergency fire/extrication support. There is a fee for its services but only to help the team buy equipment. Except for a minor fee for the doctors who are under contract – mostly to cover their insurance – all the safety workers are volunteers. To save on expenses and to help the volunteers get to know each other, many team members camp out in the track infield for events (although there is a hotel available).
Kevin Tripp, a firefighter with the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services in Ontario, and a former paramedic, is the team’s fire/rescue co-ordinator. In the beginning, team members were brought on as required, usually through personal contacts, but for many years now the team has actively recruited volunteers through the paramedic and
Cooper Atlantic Championship series driver Simona De Silvestro crashes in corner two at the Mosport Race Track in Bowmanville, Ont., bringing out the IMSA safety team. The team is responsible for the driver’s safety and health and for making the racetrack safe for participants by removing the car and any debris from the track.
firefighting programs at Ontario community colleges.
ORP advertises for volunteers starting in January. Students receive training and experience under the watchful eyes of professional safety workers. Full-time and part-time working paramedics and firefighters can use the opportunity to learn new aspects of their professions and network with others from various services. The one-day, in-house training program consists of the theory of providing medical and fire safety at a race track and includes information on safely working around race cars, motorcycles and the various vehicles that team members will encounter on the track.
On the practical training day at Mosport, recruits go through multiple scenarios with various race cars that have been donated by drivers; they are shown areas of the track so they can discuss accident situations and are taught and practise fire suppression on a “burn car”.
Instructors perform heavy tool extrication on non-race vehicles and discuss similarities and differences to race vehicles. All team members
Photos by keith hamilton
Photo by: Matt Hayes
Volunteers with the Ontario Race Physicians racetrack safety team participate in several events during the racing season. Events occur on weekends, usually Friday through Sunday. The ORP recruits through Ontario colleges that offer firefighting and paramedic programs but students from other provinces are welcome to apply.
are cross trained for medical and firefighting duties. The race cars are used to illustrate driver extrication techniques. Paramedics are trained to back up the fire crews and fire crews are trained to back up the paramedics. When there are sufficient numbers of doctors, the team can respond on the safety trucks to on-track incidents. Doctors receive the same training as other crew members and must have completed the process before they can work trackside with the safety team.
Some team members volunteer with other safety organizations or race series such as NASCAR and IMSA. Presently, there are just two safety teams that travel with their racing series – the IMSA team with American Lemans Series and the Indy Racing League team with Indy Racing. During the Toronto Indy (cancelled in 2009 due to lack of sponsorship but returning this year), many ORP team members work alongside Toronto EMS paramedics because of their race car/track training. Team members are encouraged to join other race-track safety teams and to complete the race marshalling/flaggers school. Once members have sufficient training and experience the team helps them make contacts so they can travel and work with other safety teams and gain more experience.
Teams are mainly responsible for on-track events. ORP also provides crews in the “pits” for many events. This is the most dangerous area of any race track, with a constant threat of fire and a strong potential for traumatic or medical emergencies. Team members also provide assistance in the paddock areas and to the spectators as required.
The ORP team is contracted for seven or eight pro events each year. Events occur on weekends, usually Friday through Sunday for a pro series event.
Photo by keith hamilton
Application criteria
• Firefighters – volunteer or career firefighters or students who have taken and successfully passed their local provincial college course; firefighters from outside Ontario are welcome.
• Paramedics – full and part time or students who have completed their first year of a paramedic college course; first year students are limited in what they can do trackside.
• Nursing – preference is be given to emergency room or critical care nurses with ACLS and ATLS certifications.
• Doctors – hiring is handled differently and the preference is emergency room physicians with ACLS and ATLS certifications.
The team supplies a fire suit but volunteers must have their own helmets, balaclavas, boots, gloves, belts and gear.
Recruiting
Dave Geall is the training officer for ORP. He has also been a full-time advanced care paramedic since 1991 for Halton Region EMS in Ontario (west of Toronto). Geall was invited to participate in ORP about 17 years ago and is now in charge of recruiting and team marketing and sponsorship. Every spring, Geall and his team go into Ontario community colleges to recruit paramedic and firefighting students for ORP. Geall is looking for students finishing their first or second years of study. Training starts in late April or early May. Students attend classroom sessions at colleges to learn the basics of car racing including flags, rules and safety. Then, race car roll cages are brought in so students can practise extrication from a roll cage and students are shown tools that are unique to racing safety.
After classroom orientation, students go to the racetrack to train on extinguishers that put out fuel fires, and extrication. Real race cars are brought in so students can practise packaging with the Kendrick Extrication Device (KED) and collaring, and the removal of injured drivers through the roll-cage system. This training also allows the firefighters and paramedics to understand the tools, roles and duties of the team members in both disciplines.
The team usually has seven events per season but may have up to nine this year. The team prefers that members attend as often as possible. Recruits are expected to attend the training and at least a few events; often it takes just a few months to determine if a member will enjoy the experience and continue to participate. Weekends are set up more as mini vacations than work, with the evenings
A wet racetrack and two wheels make for difficult conditions during the Parts Canada Superbike Doubleheader Weekend at Mosport, one of several events during the season at which Ontario Race Physican members are on hand.
for socializing and camping in the infield.
Paramedic or firefighters who are not studying at one of the Ontario colleges that Geall visits can contact him at dgeall@racemedical. com. Calls to potential volunteers start early in the year in order to have a recruiting list by the end of March. There will be at least two days of training by the end of April, because the first race of the season is in mid May. The manda-
tory commitment expected for a new volunteer is to attend the two training days and at least two events but it is hoped that recruits will attend as many events as possible. Most team members attend most events but the ORP sends out a calendar and notifies members about a month in advance of an event to see who is available. The core team members are actually growing, with members returning year after year.
Photo by keith hamilton
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To be or not to be . . . a bureaucrat
Can I have that in writing?”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally the government official said, “I have to check with my supervisor.”
I sent him a follow-up e-mail and, to his credit, he replied a month later. His advice? Contact another government office with my questions . . . the same office that had referred me to him a month earlier.
Bureaucrats – the kryptonite of all action-oriented, get-’erdone, superhero citizens. They’re from the government and they’re here to help . . . sort of. As firefighters, our feet are firmly fixed in reality, and we know it. We combat disaster, sorrow and suffering with courage, compassion and physical aid. From this occupational high ground it is easy to take potshots at these unfortunate government appointees who are mired in the quicksands of policy and procedure. Some are so stuck they couldn’t dodge a rotten tomato to save their lives. But not all bureaucrats are spineless societal leeches. In fact, a bureaucrat might live closer to home than you care to admit.
During a conversation with another government agent, I made a flippant comment about being smothered by bureaucracy. He laughed pleasantly, a good sign that he didn’t take himself too seriously. Then he dropped the bomb: “You know Tim, you’re a bureaucrat too.”
seconds of stunned surprise they exclaim, “What a coincidence! I was just about to call you . . .”
People living in unorganized areas like Upsala have a particular dislike for any bureaucrat. We’ve lived our whole lives without the restraints that fetter our municipal cousins. Our rugged, independent citizens fiercely defend their rights to build whatever they want, demolish whatever they want, renovate whatever they want, whenever they want . . . without the annoyance of codes, permits and inspections. Until the fire chief shows up (as the only real bureaucrat in town) and says, “Hey, maybe I should inspect that . . . that . . . what did you say that thing was again?” It’s best to do those kinds of inspections after tomato season ends.
Tim BEEBE
‘ Ideally, legislation of any kind should help, not hinder, service delivery.’
Way to burst my bubble, man. I couldn’t escape the bald facts: fire chiefs are appointed, not elected; we exercise delegated authority and we work for a government office, also known as . . . a bureau. I would have been utterly dejected by this revelation except that I don’t take myself too seriously either.
To regain peace for my soul, I turned to the Internet in search of truth. Answers.com says a bureaucrat is “an official of a bureaucracy.” Hmmm. Sounds like me. YourDictionary.com takes it a step further: “especially one who follows a routine in a mechanical, unimaginative way, insisting on proper forms, petty rules, etc.” That’s better. I’m not one of those. Honest.
It’s universally accepted that there are bureaucrats but then there are bureaucrats (wrinkle your nose and frown when you say it to get the full effect). Let’s face it though – we need these appointed officials. On the one hand we have elected politicians who know little or nothing about fire protection, building safety, health or any of the essential components in a smooth-running government. On the other hand, we have the well-trained, efficient bureaucrat. Yes, that sounds like an oxymoron, but they are supposed to have the expertise to administer to these areas.
Conversely, bureaucrats are the guys or gals who give the rest a bad name. You know the type. You leave 11 messages on their voice mail over two weeks without a reply. You persist because you have faith in government, or because you’re just plain mad at being ignored. You make one last call, and they pick up the phone, probably because their caller ID is on the fritz. After a few
Rules and regulations are often perceived as a hindrance to progress, an unnecessary nuisance to the hard-working entrepreneur. In theory though, there is purpose behind every inch of governmental red tape. The fire and building codes evolved out of tragedy. Standards like those created by the NFPA are made with our welfare in mind. Operational guidelines are developed to meet specific needs, often safety related. Bureaucracy becomes a problem only when it takes on a life of its own, controlling and manipulating our actions apart from its original purpose. When red tape eclipses our mission, we’ve created a bureaucratic monster.
Ideally, legislation of any kind should help, not hinder, service delivery. The person trapped in a smashed car doesn’t care that he is one kilometre past your boundary. He wants the service you provide, with the tools you have right there, right now. But emergency service management can’t be simplified so easily, especially with hungry packs of legal wolves waiting in the forests of litigation to eat us alive if we lose our way. Unfortunately, we must all be controlled by bureaucracy to some degree . . . and we must all decide for ourselves when to ditch it.
Then there’s me. I’m a paradoxical hybrid: I am solidly entrenched in the real world but the gremlins of bureaucracy still haunt me. They sit on my shoulder, mummified in red tape, and whisper ominous forebodings like, “you’d better follow the book on this one,” and “don’t take that liability risk.” The angel on the other shoulder counters with, “It’s only a dollhouse, stupid. It doesn’t have to meet the fire code.” It’s a kind of Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. The strain of this double personality has taken its toll and I fear that I’m slipping. I deleted a message the other day without returning the call. Mind you, it was only a telemarketer, but I take it as a warning sign. Perhaps I should make an appointment with my therapist. Or maybe just throw a rotten tomato at the telemarketer. Now there’s an easy target.
Tim Beebe is the fire chief in Upsala, Ont. Contact him at upsalafd@ tbaytel.net and check out his blog at www.beebewitzblog.blogspot.com
