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Thrown under the fire truck?
It’s a well-worn cliché, but it suits: Everyone, it seems, in this challenging fiscal environment, wants to have the proverbial cake and eat it too; some even want the corner piece with all the icing. The results of that sense of entitlement? Overindulgence, bloating, and, ultimately – in order to survive – an assessment of priorities for a leaner, more efficient system.
Municipal councils want fire departments – which chew up a significant portion of taxpayers’ money – to cut spending but maintain service levels and meet response-time standards. The motivation: re-election, by keeping tax increases minimal. Try explaining to politicians that slashing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fire budget means longer response times, or fewer trucks and fire halls. In Toronto as I wrote this, a city councillor had rallied her neighbourhood to fight against the recommended closure of a fire hall. The fire chief, who had been directed by the mayor, council and the acting budget chief to reduce spending, had chosen a hall that had been identified years ago for shuttering. Still, the councillor – to appease residents and score political points, and after claims by the firefighters association that the move could put residents at risk – opposed the chief’s recommendation and enjoyed considerable media coverage. Just so we’re clear: the councillor, who is part of the council that ordered the fire chief to trim the budget, loudly protested the chief’s well-researched decision. Win-win for the councillor. No-win for the chief, despite Mayor Rob Ford’s endorsement of his recommendation.
Firefighter associations want parity with their police counterparts – rightly so – and arbitrators are serving up big slices of tit-for-tat. But municipalities can’t afford the sweet salaries. In Kitchener, Ont., as in many Canadian communities, fire swallows 29 per cent of the city’s budget, and 96 per cent of that is eaten up by wages and benefits. Cutting personnel means reducing service levels. Fire chiefs have built their departments to function efficiently, effectively and safely, striving to meet local needs and circumstances and NFPA standards. Unwilling to risk safety, chiefs are taking a stand – and, in some cases, being publicly admonished by mayors and CEOs for doing so – by trying to put the onus on their councils to set response levels and then explain those decisions to unions and taxpayers
As one chief said to me recently, it appears that municipalities are looking for new methods of service delivery but they’re afraid of the wrath of the firefighter associations should they opt to convert to composite models or combine fire with EMS to more efficiently respond to medical calls, and they’re expecting the fire chiefs to take the heat, so to speak.
What’s more, there’s a palpable anxiety among fire-service leaders that they’ll be the scapegoats for municipalities that do opt for change.
In Corner Brook, N.L., the fire chief is still reeling after being forced by the city to lay off four firefighters following an arbitrator’s ruling that gave the association a 16 per cent (retroactive) wage increase.
In December, taxpayers in Saint John, N.B., overwhelmingly singled out the fire department as a target that should produce a new operating model or face budget cuts.
And in Brockville, Ont., a consultant has recommended that the full-time fire department be changed to composite to save money.
In a nutshell – or maybe an eggshell, to stick with the cake analogy – as Kitchener Fire Chief Tim Beckett told his council, it’s out of his control; the vicious circle of want-get-spend-cut starts with arbitrators’ rulings and ends up squarely at the feet of the fire chiefs, who, for the record, are being advised by their associations to negotiate exit packages into their contracts and are receiving negligible pay increases while their firefighters, in many cases, get double-digit raises.
Not exactly the icing on the cake, is it?
January 2013
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Getting there first – alberta’s fire-EMS conundrum
It’s 6:50 a.m. An elderly man awakes with crushing chest pain and dials 911. As he fights to catch his breath and cope with the pain, nothing is more important to him than receiving aid; he needs help now and he needs it fast. The 911 dispatcher advises him that help is on the way; the medical system has been set in motion. What this patient does not know is that minutes prior to his call for help, another emergency had occurred nearby and now there is no ambulance available in town to respond. The patient will have to wait until an ambulance from a neighbouring community arrives. When a situation like this occurs in Alberta, the way it is handled can mean the difference between life and death. Community first responders (usually local fire departments) play a key role in the medical system. Sadly and surprisingly, some communities still fail to recognize this valuable lifesaving service.
The issue of community first response appears to be burning once again. An analysis of recent activities in Alberta may provide some insight for other provinces, in hopes of advancing patient care. After all, the sick and injured should be a top priority. Since the Alberta government assumed ambulance care in 2009, there have been many changes – both good and bad. Some cities and towns quickly handed over their EMS systems, while others fought to maintain the ambulance services they had built with pride. Improvements were witnessed with the launch of province-wide patient treatment protocols. This standardized care placed all responders on the same page. Attempts to centralize dispatch centres and regulate response levels created tension among government leaders, emergency service chiefs and front-line medics. It was evident that Alberta Health Services was trying to apply a standardized vision of EMS care. With every citizen deserving the same level of care, We are one seemed to be the new slogan. The idea of a province-wide system was met with questions from all levels, especially the integrated fire/EMS departments. It was soon realized that a cookie-cutter approach was failing in some areas. It became evident that Alberta was an incredibly diverse province with unique needs in different regions. Long-serving EMS and fire systems that had been tweaked to excellence through local requirements were suddenly altered . . . some for better, and some for worse.
are still waiting for an official answer.
The equal level of care that was projected did not come without a price. With the vision of borderless EMS service also came a new protocol. System status management (SSM) meant that, theoretically, code-red events – when no ambulances are available – would not exist. SSM ensured overall area coverage, and rapid chute times were the only true measurement. Priorities stretched, as did response times. When multiple 911 calls are stacked, EMS units are sent, no matter what. But the response can come from a great distance and the system could potentially result in a community being without an ambulance for hours. When a serious call comes in, a community’s ambulance may be on a call, or covering other busier response areas, and patients may wait longer for an ambulance to arrive.
Lee Sagert
Studies show that early medical aid by local fire-rescue crews directly impacts patient outcomes.
Luckily for some towns, for years, fire departments have been initiating care prior to ambulance arrival. Studies show that early medical aid by local fire-rescue crews directly impacts patient outcomes. Larger cities have used full-time fire-first response for years. Overlooked within this new EMS system was the increased call volume for volunteer departments that already struggle with recruitment and retention issues. Volunteers are being called away from their jobs at an increasing rate, and Alberta Health Services must rethink funding, training and compensation for this critical service. It is clear that community first responders are a needed service in a growing system, but they remain overlooked, underfunded and unrecognized.
Front-line emergency workers and municipal governments began to speak out through the mainstream media and social media. Response times and community coverage made headlines. Some areas experienced reduced coverage and required neighbouring communities to forfeit ambulances. As everyone was adjusting to these changes, the fire service was responding with medical care when the ambulance system was stretched. Certainly, ambulances were dispatched and front-line paramedics did their best. However, when ambulances were delayed, Alberta’s fire departments were sure to answer the call and respond quickly to the sick and injured. So the question was asked: where do local fire departments fit into the medical response system? Fire chiefs
Remember the patient with chest pain? He requires help urgently; therefore, the ultimate objective is early arrival. Alberta Heath Services shares several goals for improving health for Albertans. Pushing forward with a strategy of community first response using local fire services is one reliable way to achieve these goals. Recognizing this valuable resource with province-wide standards, simultaneous dispatching, adequate training, and funding, will ensure the best care for Albertans. A group of concerned stakeholders has rallied and started the Rural Emergency Direction (RED) group. Go to www.ruralcommunityfirstresponders.com to view the presentations and strategies. EMS leadership must place fire into the chain of survival. By giving clear direction and quality assurance to fire chiefs, planning, budgeting and staffing can be outlined. The added value to citizens will result in better patient outcomes and community satisfaction.
Be an advocate for your patients. Do no harm and, most of all, be safe.
Lee Sagert is a career paramedic/firefighter with the City of Lethbridge in Alberta and a volunteer lieutenant with Coaldale Emergency Services. Lee is a former flight paramedic with S.T.A.R.S. and has trained at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. He resides in Coaldale, Alta., and enjoys photography and spending time with family. Contact him at leesagert@shaw.ca
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Interior nozzle operations
Choosing the correct technique for the situation
By Ian Bolton
The interior fire operation techniques of direct attack, indirect attack and gas cooling are often confused with one another in definition and application. The way these techniques are defined and used can vary from department to department and from one region to another. Each technique, when used properly and with a good understanding of its capabilities and limitations, can be extremely effective. Conversely, when these techniques are misused, conditions can often deteriorate and become much worse for firefighters and any potential fire victims.
We will explore each technique and look at situations in which it can provide the greatest benefits for firefighters operating on the interior.
Gas cooling
When firefighters first arrive at a working fire, flames are often the primary focus of crews during fire-ground size-up. Although flames can help firefighters determine the areas of involvement, the flaming combustion, in many cases, should not be the first concern for firefighters considering interior operations. The first danger to firefighters entering an involved compartment or structure is the potential for ignition of the accumulated fire gases. The danger and ignitability of the fire gases, and the significant contribution of fire gases to fire development, must not be ignored. When firefighters find themselves in the presence of hot fire gases, a strong effort should be made to take control of the environment through gas cooling.
In many parts of world, and particularly in Europe, gas cooling is a bread-and-butter technique used by firefighters. However, in North America, gas cooling has been an area of debate in the fire service. Some firefighters believe gas cooling doesn’t work and if the nozzle is opened before the seat of the fire is found, an enormous amount of steam will be created, which will drop the thermal layer to the floor. This concern is warranted if the fundamentals of gas cooling are not well understood and practised. But, when gas cooling is performed by knowledgeable and well-trained firefighters, it can be extremely effective for controlling the fire environment and helping to minimize the threat of flashover.
One reason gas cooling is not used as often in North America as it is in Europe may be that fire schools and fire departments do not frequently teach the science behind gas cooling or the method for properly applying this skill. Instead, the methods taught end up resulting in a technique that is similar to surface cooling rather than gas cooling. This more frequently taught method involves the projection of large quantities of water in a fairly narrow cone, upward into the super-heated gas layer, for a duration of time that is often too long. When this technique is used, the water stream frequently passes right through the hot gas layer, hitting super-heated surfaces,
such as walls and ceilings. This action then commonly results in the production of a large quantity of steam, which adds to the overall volume of gases in the hot gas layer and, in turn, pushes the layer down to the floor. Moreover, when this occurs, there is very little cooling of the fire gases. For this reason, it is very important that firefighters avoid hitting all super-heated surfaces within the compartment they are trying to cool.
An essential element of gas cooling that is not always conveyed to firefighters during training is the scientifically proven contraction effect that takes place when fire gases are cooled. Because of this effect, when water droplets of the fog stream are converted to steam and expand by absorbing the thermal energy of the fire gases, the fire gas layer will decrease in volume. Not only do the fire gases contract when they are cooled, but also they contract at a greater rate than water expands, and this can result in the fire gas layer actually lifting when gas cooling is performed correctly.
The ability of properly projected water droplets to significantly affect the temperature of fire gases has also been well documented. In 2002, the National Research Council of Canada studied the effects of gas cooling based on European techniques. The final report found that when these techniques were used, “the smoke temperature was quickly reduced by 200 to 250 C and then continued to cool.” This temperature reduction is crucial in lowering the chances of the fire gases igniting by reducing the flammability range of the fire gases, as well as keeping the gases well below their autoignition temperate.
To gas cool more effectively, water droplets must be placed high into the hot fire gas layer without hitting the compartment boundaries. To achieve this, firefighters may need to adjust the fog angle and the duration of the opening and closing times, also referred to as the pulse. To cool gases close by, firefighters should consider adjusting the fog pattern to as much as a 60-degree cone with short pulses lasting approximately half a second. To cool fire gases farther away, the cone angle should be narrowed to about 30 degrees, with pulses lasting from half a second to several seconds; this allows for better projection and travel distance of the water droplets.
To cool fire gases that are farther away, use a narrow fog pattern with pulses lasting from half a second to several seconds.
PhotoS by John Riddell
It is also imperative that gas cooling is done frequently inside the structure. Firefighters should attempt to cool all fire gases around them and within the reach of stream. The natural flow path that the fire will create has the potential to carry the recently cooled fire gases outside via a doorway or opening, as the developing fire is continuously creating new hot fire gases.
Gas cooling is a skill that takes considerable practice to master. These recommendations serve only as an introduction, as this skill can truly be developed only with the assistance of an experienced and capable fire instructor in a safe and controlled live fire training setting.
Direct attack
Once interior fire crews have safely advanced and found the developing fire, either a direct or indirect fire attack can be made. Direct fire attack is probably the only technique that is not often questioned and, for the most part, firefighters can agree on its definition. Simply put, direct fire attack is the act of placing water directly on the surfaces on the burning combustibles. By
doing this, the temperature of the involved combustibles is lowered below the fire point, stopping further pyrolysis, and inhibiting the chemical chain reaction that is fire by removing the heat. This should always be done at the first available opportunity, as these involved surfaces create the heat, fire gases and dangerous environment that firefighters occupy.
Indirect attack
The indirect fire attack has been around for a very long time. It fact, it was Chief Lloyd Layman of Parkersburg, Va., who is credited for its creation shortly after the Second World War. Even though its roots stem from one source, there is still some confusion over the definition of indirect fire attack. In basic terms, an indirect attack is using the principles of water-to-steam conversion and expansion to knock down a welldeveloped fire by absorbing heat energy. This is performed by directing a straight or narrow fog toward all super-heated surfaces within the fire compartment until the fire is knocked down. When the projected stream makes contact with the super-heated walls
Fire gases that are close by should be cooled using a wide fog pattern and short pulses, lasting no more than half a second.
and ceilings, most will immediately be converted to steam; the remainder of the stream will be broken into smaller droplets and rebounded to other surfaces, cooling the environment even further, as the droplets are also converted to steam. This method has been found to be extremely effective, but it creates a large volume of steam. This massive steam expansion, in all likelihood, will make the fire compartment very untenable for firefighters, and for this reason it should only be performed from the protection of a doorway or with considerable distance between the firefighters and the fire compartment.
While use of this technique is often necessary to gain control of a fully developed fire, indirect fire attack can also help firefighters prevent potential backdraft situations. By using the protection of a doorway, firefighters can work together to maintain proper door control while performing an attack. For this attack to be successful the door should be opened only enough to project the fire stream inside the involved compartment. Any airflow into the structure can be minimized by reducing the size of the door opening. While the fire stream is flowed, firefighters should aim to hit all fire gases and surfaces possible for between two and five seconds. Following this controlled attack, the door is closed for five to 10 seconds to allow for the steam to expand and cool the environment. This sequence should then be repeated as many times as needed until conditions improve. Firefighters should watch for indications that the temperature has decreased, steam has filled the entire compartment, and there is a reduction in the air/gas exchange at the doorway.
Ian Bolton has been active in the fire service for 10 years. While working in Australia he achieved instructor level certification in Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) and tactical ventilation, and has received advanced training in fire behaviour and ventilation from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency in Revinge, Sweden. Ian is currently working as a firefighter and lead fire behaviour instructor for the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service. He is also studying Fire dynamics in preparation for exams with Institute of Fire Engineers. Contact Ian at ian.bolton@firedynamics.ca
Counting down to improved fitness
Iknow, I know, you just finished counting down the days until Christmas and then you counted down the seconds until the new year, but this is a different countdown. This simple (I didn’t say easy) countdown workout is a surefire way to help eliminate those unwanted holiday pounds and get you back on track.
This is how it works: In each set of two exercises, you will reduce the reps on one exercise from 10 down to one and increase the other exercise from one rep to 10. That’s it. Simple right? Well then, get to it.
Exercises one and two
10 push-ups and one squat
Start with 10 push-ups and one squat. Next, do nine push-ups and two squats. Then do eight pushups and three squats. You get the picture. Continue until you do one push-up and 10 squats. Continue this method for each set of two exercises. You can easily modify your workout, making it harder or changing the focus. I have listed a few options, but you are limited only by your ability and imagination.
Modified options:
• Twisting push-up – after you do your push-up, bring your knee across your body and into the opposite ribcage.
• Sliding push-up – hands shoulder width apart, start with your seat high in the air. Lower your head down toward your hands, then slide your body forward until you are in a proper narrow hand push-up position. Reverse the movement, raising your seat and sliding your head and body backward to the start position.
• Squat – add a jump to your squat, and narrow or widen your stance.
Exercises three and four
10 tricep dips and one alternate lunge (right and left leg equal one)
Options:
Options:
• Mountain climbers – bring your knees out to the side toward your shoulder.
• Mountain climbers – bring both knees together jumping to the right side and repeat on left side.
• Skater – add a weight to your hand.
DeaN
A simple – but not easy – countdown workout is a surefire way to help eliminate those unwanted holiday pounds.
• Tricep dips – add weight to your dips by putting something on your lap.
• Lunge – increase lunge difficulty by raising your hands straight up over your head.
• Lunge – jump from a right-leg lead to a left-leg lead instead of stepping into each lunge.
Exercises five and six
10 mountain climbers (right and left equal one) and one alternate skater (right and left equal one)
Mountain climbers start in a high push-up position. Alternately, bring your knees into your chest.
Skaters start from a standing position. Lift right leg slightly off the floor and reach your right hand down to touch your left toe. Repeat on the left.
Exercises
seven and eight
10 burpees and one jumping jack
Options:
• Burpees – add a jump to your standing position and a push-up to your plank.
• Jumping jacks – get really low in your jack (wide squat).
Exercises nine and 10
10 Turkish get-ups and one butterfly crunch Turkish get-ups can be difficult to perform, but be patient – they are an excellent exercise. In a prone position, put your right hand in the air with your left arm to the side. Using your left elbow and then your left hand for support, bring your right foot up toward your glutes and lift your glutes in the air with your left leg still fully extended. Bring your left knee back to the floor, in under your glutes. Lift your left hand off the ground and stand straight up. Try to keep your right hand and arm directly above your head and look at your hand at all times. Reverse the steps and end back in a prone position. If you find this confusing, there are great demonstrations on YouTube. If you are doing this exercise for the first time, don’t use any weight. If you are adding weight, easy does it.
Butterfly crunches are simply crunches with the soles of your feet pressed against each other and your knees out to the side.
Options:
• Turkish get-ups – add weight to your get-ups.
• Challenge yourself to any abdominal exercise.
That’s it. Simple, but not easy. Burpees and Turkish get-ups are difficult, whole-body exercises. If you find any of the exercises too difficult, do as many as you can and move on to the next set. If you have been disciplined over the holidays and need more of a workout, add exercises. This structure will work with anything as long as you use separate muscle groups to avoid not being able to complete rounds. Want an extra challenge? Add one-minute intervals of cardio between sets of double exercises. Happy New Year and happy countdown.
Sherry Dean is a career firefighter/engineer with Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service. She is an NFPA level 1 instructor with hazmat technician and special rescue certifications. Sherry has more than 20 years of experience in fitness and training including the Scott FireFit Challenge, competitive body building, team sports and personal training. Contact her at sbdean@eastlink.ca
Sherry
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Keep it simple – and safe
Life is complex, the world is extremely hectic and the fire service has grown into an intricate, diverse art. How can we stay afloat when it feels as if we are treading water?
The keeping-it-simple principle is not profound or new, but sometimes we need to check ourselves and our operations and ask if we can simplify. Can we get the same results using simpler procedures?
I embrace technology and am an early adopter of new ideas and gadgets, but I also see the importance of going back to basics. Oftentimes, simple processes and equipment are easier to use and to maintain than more modern procedures.
For example, today’s fire apparatuses come with what looks like no moving parts on the pump panels. Does this save us time? Does this make us better firefighters? Does this advancement make it easier to do repairs? I have come to the realization that technology is not always the answer. People I have spoken with regarding the new-generation pump panels have had nothing but difficulties with them. This may be only a transition issue, but it is clear that such new technologies – though here to stay – are not without their problems.
The fire service has morphed into a jackof-all-trades response agency, and the K.I.S.S. concept may be the only tool we have to help us manage all these skills and disciplines. The fire service’s complex skills – from fire fighting to hazmat, and from tech rescue to medical training – all require expert skills and continued maintenance. If we make these skills more complex than they need to be, we will be in trouble and we will eventually sink with our life rings in sight.
So, how can we simplify our lives in the fire service? How can we take these extensive skill sets and make things easier and safer, while maintaining our objectives? Here are a few things to consider.
down to one or two load types versus three, four or five? Unless you are loading and reloading your beds daily, it is almost impossible to expect firefighters to remember the different types of hose loads in addition to the numerous other skills they must maintain.
We need to decide what is important and what we can shorten and simplify. I would rather be proficient at a number of skills than mediocre at many. We don’t want to reflect the old saying that we are jacks of all trades and masters of none.
ArjunA GeorGe
The fire service has become a complex response agency, and the K.I.S.S. concept may be the only tool to help us manage it.
Are your department’s mission and vision statements short and simple? Keep your mission straightforward so that all can embrace it and follow it through. The brain can recall only seven items at a time; keep that in mind when creating new programs or steps in a procedure. There is a reason the recommended span of control on the fire ground is five to seven; it is a classic example of keeping it simple.
Are your department’s operational guidelines simple? Your department’s OGs are only as good as the members who can remember them. Our department has slashed our OGs in half and we plan to cut them in half again this year. We are not reducing our operations, or putting our safety in jeopardy, but rather making the OGs into documents that matter and that we can recall.
Is your accountability system simple? There are numerous types of fire-ground accountability systems; consider reviewing yours to ensure it is as uncomplicated and as safe as possible.
Are your engine hose loads simple? Can you reduce your loads
So, there is a time and a place for simplicity, but we need to be wary of oversimplifying our operations. There are obvious areas in which complexity is required or the skill or regulation is vital for our safety; these are best left as they are.
We do have great new tools to help us simplify our jobs and our lives. Tablet computers, smartphones and software apps are all super straightforward and very user friendly. Apps are, in essence, simplified software programs; there are usually no big bells and whistles, just basic and quick information available when you need it.
Another great tool with which the fire service is already very familiar is the use of checklists. The fire service has been using checklists for incident command, action plans and equipment checks for a long time, but are there other areas in which this simple, systematic tool can be used? The Checklist Manifesto, a book written by Dr. Atul Gawande, discusses how the introduction of quick checklists has greatly decreased failures and increased survival rates in surgery. He suggests using short and uncomplicated checklists that cover common fail points or high-risk steps. In the fire service we face high-risk, low-frequency situations that lend themselves to the use of checklists too.
Our goal should be to find creative ways to keep things simple, to make our jobs clear and retainable. Technology and old-school methods should all be considered; use what works best for you and your department.
In the paid on-call, volunteer- and career-firefighter worlds, it is crucial that we simplify our tasks. We are always trying to make efficient use of firefighters’ time and energy, and we need to adapt in order to retain them, keep them focused and keep them safe. When firefighters reach a point at which they feel they are sinking amid new or unnecessarily complex procedures, we end up losing them.
Step back and look at how you can make things simpler in such a hectic business. Choose one task or program to tackle and find ways to make it simpler within your own department. If you are treading water, reach for the life ring and keep things simple and safe!
Arjuna George is a 15-year veteran and the deputy fire chief of 0perations on Salt Spring Island, B.C. E-mail him at ageorge@saltspringfire.com
Honouring heroes
Home is a haven for first responders and their families who need medical care
By Len Garis and Karin Mark
When the mother of a Metro Vancouver firefighter needed back surgery in April, no family members could provide the fully accessible facilities required for the week after the operation.
A hotel wasn’t an option because of the cost.
Fortunately, the family was put in touch with Honour House, a hospice of sorts for first responders and their families who need a place to stay while relatives undergo medical procedures or during recovery.
Located in the City of New Westminster in British Columbia, Honour House has accommodated more than 750 overnight stays since opening its doors in September 2011, following a three-year fundraising campaign and the complete renovation of a 1936 heritage home.
“The whole idea of Honour House is to honour the heroes who keep us safe,” explained general manager Marg Gordon. “They don’t ask for anything of us, and we finally have an opportunity where we can help.”
The concept is similar to that of Ronald McDonald House, which provides temporary housing to out-of-town families of children receiving medical treatment. Although Canadian veterans can get help reintegrating back into the community and workforce, little to no support was previously available for military or first responder personnel, and their families, who needed to be away from home for medical purposes.
“When you go through something as traumatic as that, you need the support of family, but it’s not always convenient to stay in someone else’s home,” said the firefighter’s father. “Honour House was like being in your own home. It’s a very comfortable setting and a warm environment.”
John Hatch, deputy fire chief in New Westminster and one of the project’s supporters, said it can be difficult enough to have to relocate for medical treatment without having to worry about hotel bills.
“The bottom line is we can support people and their families at a
difficult time, and provide them a comfortable place to be among friends and other people in our profession,” Hatch said.
Much effort has been made to provide a home-like, healing environment where guests feel like they are staying with family rather than strangers, Gordon said.
“No one wants to be alone and lonely at a time like that,” she said. “It’s a comfort to be here, a home away from home.”
The building has served many purposes, from hosting weddings to providing supportive housing, since its construction as a private home by an Irish sweepstakes winner in 1936. It had fallen into disrepair before the $4.8-million reconstruction that increased the building’s size to 870 square metres from 545 square metres (5,865 square feet to 9,400 square feet).
The project added a third storey, an elevator and a sunroom while retaining original features such as the fireplace and oak floors – along with the home’s official heritage status.
Set on a quiet residential street among mature trees and wellmaintained gardens, Honour House still has the appearance of a grand heritage home. Low-key signage, a flagpole, children’s play equipment and small parking lot off the back lane are among the few signs of its purpose today.
The fully modern interior is decorated tastefully yet comfortably, with added personal touches such as paintings and framed poetry contributed by local artists, and military and first responder memorabilia.
Guests can relax and mingle in front of a fire in the spacious living room, or seek out solitude or privacy with visiting family in the bright sunroom, cozy sitting room, or a bench in the garden. Evenings often find people cozied up in front of the flatscreen 3D TV in the downstairs media room, which is equipped with a bar fridge and microwave for popcorn. In the morning, the large modern kitchen – featuring two stoves, ample counter space and private cupboards – bustles with families getting ready for their appointments.
Honour House, a Vancouver-area hospice, has accommodated more than 750 overnight stays since it opened in September 2011.
Photo S by Ka R in Ma RK
Better outcomes demand exceptional CPR
ABOVE LEFT: Each of the 10 fully accessible bedrooms at Honour House has its own bathroom, dresser, nightstand, clock radio, seating and reading lamps, and a patchwork quilt donated by the Blue Mountain Quilting Club.
ABOVE RIGHT: Marg Gordon, the general manager of Honour House, sits in the home’s large living room.
RIGHT: Guests at Honour House can relax in several of the comfortable spots on the property – including the sunroom.
Each room is fully accessible and has its own bathroom, dresser, nightstand, clock radio, seating and reading lamps, along with a patchwork quilt donated by the Blue Mountain Quilting Club. (Guests also receive quilts from the Quilts of Valour Quilting Club to comfort them through medical and hospital visits.)
“It was just a godsend,” said the firefighter’s mother. “We were very lucky to be able to stay there. It’s such a comfortable facility. I could come downstairs, and I’d actually fall asleep on the chesterfield. The quilts were lovely and cozy. I never dreamed it would be like that.”
Guests generally clean up after themselves, change their sheets, do their own laundry and keep their rooms tidy between the biweekly visits from the volunteer housekeepers.
“Our guests treat it like their own home,” Gordon said. “It’s interesting to see how everybody shares. It seems each day I come into the kitchen and someone’s baking for everyone.”
Gordon meets all the guests and is often inspired by their stories. One woman, a former firefighter and paramedic, was a triple amputee who had come to Vancouver for a prosthetic fitting. Now a Wal-Mart greeter, she told Gordon about the time she had leapt out of her wheelchair to resuscitate a man who collapsed as he entered the store.
“She saved his life,” Gordon marveled. “That’s the type of person we’re helping.”
The project has received abundant support from the city, community, Fire Chief Tim Armstrong and the fire service in New Westminster, along with a number of corporate sponsors throughout B.C.
But like other non-profit societies, Honour House continues to look for a source of sustainable funding. Its current focus is selling annual $20 memberships to military and first responder personnel across Canada.
“It’s an amazing journey that has brought us this far. Almost everybody grabs on to the idea once they hear what we do,” Gordon
said. She noted that plans are in the works for a similar project in Edmonton. “Eventually, our dream is that Honour House will be the lighthouse for other places like this across Canada.”
Staying at Honour House
Current and former members of Canadian military and first responder (ambulance, fire and police) agencies and their families may stay at Honour House for up to 30 days at no charge if they are visiting the Metro Vancouver region for medical treatment for themselves or a relative. Guests must be referred by their service organization.
Supporting Honour House
Those who wish to support the Honour House Society are invited to make a donation or purchase an annual membership for $20. For information, contact Marg Gordon at 778-397-4399 or admin@honourhouse.ca.
To learn more, visit www.honourhouse.ca.
Len Garis is the Fire Chief for the City of Surrey, B.C., and an adjunct professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley and a member of the Institute of Canadian Urban Research Studies (ICURS), Simon Fraser University. Contact him at lwgaris@surrey.ca
Karin Mark is a former newspaper reporter who writes for publications and corporate clients in Metro Vancouver, B.C.
The Kovac Strap
By Tim Llewellyn
No firefighter can ever know everything or do it all. Sharing safe ideas and methods makes our jobs easier and allows us to gain valuable knowledge. Outside of training, I have never rescued a fire victim from an upper-floor window via the bucket of a tower ladder, but I have learned how to do it from firefighters who have. Their experiences and the knowledge they have gained and shared with me will allow me to reproduce what they have taught and have accomplished.
As I travel to different parts of Canada and the United States for training or teaching assignments, I try to pick up one idea or tip that is new to me and that works, and then I make a point of incorporating that idea into my future training sessions. I’ve written in the past about different webbing techniques and webbing storage tips, but this idea – the Kovac Strap – is unique in its simplicity: it takes an ordinary piece of one-inch tubular or flat webbing and turns it into a versatile, multi-use piece of equipment that no firefighter should be without.
This device is named for Fire Chief Brian Kovac, of the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company in Pennsylvania, a wise instructor from whom I have had the opportunity to learn on many occasions. The Kovac Strap is a simple modification of a continuous loop of webbing. What separates the Kovak Strap from the simple, continuous loop is the addition of one piece of hardware – a carabiner – and a simple, non-traditional loop.
To construct the Kovac Strap, start with a 4.5-metre to six-metre (15-foot to 20-foot) piece of webbing and attach a carabiner to one end with a loop secured by a double overhand knot. Keep the loop tight against the carabiner, so that it stays in place with the tension created by the double overhand knot; this will facilitate opening and closing the carabiner and make it easy to find during lowvisibility operations. On the opposite end of the webbing, tie an overhand loop. Make the loop 15 centimetres (five to six inches) deep, or big enough to fit a gloved hand inside. When you tie the overhand loop, twist the webbing half way so that the loop does not lay flat against itself. A twisted loop is better than a flat loop because it is easier to open with a gloved hand when your vision is obstructed or obscured. To open the loop, simply grasp the knot between your thumb and forefinger and run your thumb to the end of the loop. When your fingers get to the end, the twist will allow the loop to open, whereas a flat loop will not. Next, open the carabiner and place the loop through it. The Kovac Strap is now complete and ready for use.
The Kovac Strap can be used many ways:
ABOVE: The overhand loop of the Kovac Strap should be large enough to fit a gloved hand inside. The loop should also be twisted so that the webbing does not lie flat against itself, making it easier to open during times of obscured vision.
LEFT: A Kovac Strap takes an ordinary piece of webbing and turns it into a versatile, multi-use piece of equipment that no firefighter should be without.
firefighter uses the traditional girth hitch method, un-loop the Kovac Strap at the carabiner and attach it to the other firefighter’s girth hitch, or create a girth hitch of your own around the victim. Transform the opposite end of your Kovac Strap into a girth hitch and place it across your shoulder and torso. The longer length of the Kovac Strap will enable you to help with the drag from in front of the other firefighter, allowing both firefighters to pull and maintain a narrow width for longer straight corridors.
• Unloop the Kovac Strap and lower the carabiner end out and down from second- or third-floor windows to haul equipment or tools.
• Use the Kovac Strap’s pre-tied ends to keep a rolled mattress securely together for easier removal.
• When searching large areas, the Kovac Strap can be used as a tag line for searching off of, or moving further away from, a search rope. Two different search arc widths can be used; one with the Kovac Strap in a continuous loop and the other with it un-looped. The continuous loop of webbing is already a versatile piece of personal equipment that can be simply modified and used many ways. Try it; if you like it, pass it on.
• Use it as a traditional continuous loop of webbing to drag an unconscious victim; make a girth hitch from it, placing the girth hitch around the victim’s chest or feet and use the loop on the free end as a hand hold.
• Use it to help another firefighter drag a large victim. While one
Tim Llewellyn is a career firefighter for the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh, Penn. A volunteer firefighter since 1989, he currently serves for the Adams Area Fire District in Pennsylvania. He has recently been appointed as a suppression-level instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. He has taught structural firefighting tactics extensively in Canada and the United States. E-mail him at llewllyn.fire@gmail.com
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a vivid lesson learned
As I wrote this in late November, all thoughts were on the approaching Christmas season and fire departments were focused on holiday safety.
I remember the first smoke alarm my dad bought and installed. It was 1976. My dad was worried about a fire in our home, for no real reason other than the fact that it could happen. The smoke alarm was big, square and ugly, but I recall him installing it, testing it, changing the batteries and telling us all where to meet should we have to get out in case of a fire. When dad became a volunteer firefighter in our small town and saw first-hand the effects of fire, his fears were heightened.
One cold February night, sometime after 1 a.m., I was awakened by the sound of my dad running down the stairs of our two-storey home and opening the front door; he was greeted by our next-door neighbours, who had been fiercely knocking – all five family members clad only in their nightclothes. My dad knew exactly why they were there before they even said, “We have a fire in our house.” My siblings and I were about the same ages as the kids next door.
Dad yelled back upstairs for Mom to call the fire department – a seven-digit number – there was no 911 back then – and then he took off out the back door to go to the fire hall. I got up and went downstairs to see all the commotion. I recall putting on a coat and going around to the rear of the burning house, where I could see a fire in the kitchen that appeared to be on top of a chair near the rear door. I assumed that the neighbours had put their garbage there to be taken out later, perhaps in the morning. People used paper bags for garbage then.
I am today and my attitude toward fire and protecting ourselves from it. My dad taught me many things, and one of them was the importance of smoke alarms, and of testing and maintaining them. This year, I look forward to another wonderful Christmas and a few days off relaxing and spending time with the kids, although this was to be the first Christmas without having everybody home. My oldest is in Calgary working and building a life of his own, and my other kids are almost ready to take flight. I hope I’ve taught them well; I hope they remember to check their smoke alarms, and that they have an escape plan and practise it.
I love when a new year starts – it’s as if all the things from the year before have been wiped clean. I picture an artist before an untouched canvas with paints, brushes and, hopefully, inspiration. This is all just metaphorical nonsense really. But on the other hand, it’s not too far from the truth.
My dad taught me many things, and one of them was the importance of smoke alarms, and of testing and maintaining them.
A short time later, my dad and another volunteer firefighter arrived with the pumper truck. Then, more firefighters arrived. The fire was extinguished in minutes. The home suffered minor damage and it was repaired in a couple of weeks.
I remember the neighbours saying their small dog had woken them up, barking and causing quite a stir due to the fire and smoke. I recall thinking that the neighbours were lucky. My dad was concerned by the events and spoke to the neighbours about having a smoke alarm in their home. I’m not sure they ever did put one up; the alarms were rather expensive in the mid-1970s.
Many years passed and, as most kids do, I moved out; I was 20, and went off to college. I had the wonderful experience of being on a fire department for four years, two as a junior firefighter and two as a regular member. I knew it was in my blood.
My parents sold that house and also left that town of 800. I lost track of a lot of folks from there, but I will always remember that fire next door.
Perhaps it was events such as this one that helped to form who
At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2012, the fire-loss record for the next 12 months was blank. But somewhere in Canada, a fire burned or an alarm sounded. This isn’t a failure on our part as a fire service; fires start for a number of reasons.
I know well-trained crews responded with safety on their minds to intervene in the worst day of somebody’s life. Perhaps this year something will happen to lower the number of fires, such as a new program or the resurrection of an older program that is reworked so that it is effective today. (I know many of you have fireprevention programs and are seeing the positive effects of them.)
If fire is a problem in your community – and if you have just one fire, then it is a problem –what strategies are you looking at to solve the problem or to better educate citizens? Now is your chance to become involved, kind of like a New Year’s resolution.
All this is to say that we in the fire service have the knowledge and have easy access to more information than in days past to analyze, intervene, design and implement a strategy that will make a difference in our communities. Who will do it?
Sadly, I found out that just a few years ago, the neighbours (minus the children) who came to our house some 30 years ago, died in their home from fire. I don’t know much about the circumstances; I can only surmise.
Ken Sheridan is captain of fire prevention in Norfolk County, Ont. He is a certified fire prevention officer and certified fire and life safety educator for the Province of Ontario. He is a graduate of the Dalhousie University fire administration program and has more than 21 years in fire suppression and fire prevention. Contact him at ken.sheridan@norfolkcounty.ca and follow him on Twitter at @KennyBoy55
KeN SheriDaN
Hand tools – part 2
By Randy Schmitz
In the October 2012 issue of Canadian Firefighter and EMS Quarterly, we focused on the First Responder Jack (FRJ). Now let’s look at uses for the FRJ in a rescue application.
First, an inspection for lubrication, wear, and missing or damaged parts is necessary. Check the steel bar to make sure it is straight, and make sure the climbing pins are not worn and have been properly lubricated with light-penetrating oil, Teflon or silicon spray. Do not use regular motor oil or grease to lubricate the jack components. Also, check to make sure that the jack is clean and free of mud and dirt. If the moving parts of the jack or the steel bar are clogged, use air pressure, water pressure or a stiff brush to clean them. Use a non-flammable cleaning solvent or another good degreaser to clean the jack. Remove any existing rust, preferably with a penetrating lubricant.
Never use the jack to support or stabilize a load without the proper cribbing. Always block up the load that is being lifted and follow the Golden Rule: lift an inch, crib an inch. If the jack has chains attached to either the running nose or the base plate, make sure that the chain is grade 80 or better and that it is no smaller than eight millimetres (5/16 of an inch). Remember that the load rating for the chain, cribbing and straps must be equal to or greater than the load rating of the jack, which is 2,114 kilograms (4,660 pounds).
The following parts require lubrication: the standard steel bar, the Pitman arm, the springs, the shear bolt and the climbing pins. Please refer to the owner’s manual for clarity and location of these parts.
Seatback relocation
Depending on the severity of a motor-vehicle collision, rescuers may need to take spinal precautions for the patient. Often, the decision is made to remove the patient applying the least amount of spinal manipulation possible, and thus, egress is usually accomplished by reclining the seatback downward and laying the patient onto a spine board, then removing the patient out the back of the vehicle, in a straight line.
For this to happen, the seatback must be operational and must not have been damaged in the collision. In some cases, the seatback must be reclined electronically. However, if battery power has been either removed by cutting the negative and positive 12-volt cables, or destroyed as a result of a crash, reclining the seat on its own power may not be an option.
First, place the FRJ base plate on the outside corner of the seatback and insert hard protection between the patient and the tool (see photo 1). The lifting nose, or runner, is then moved upward until it comes in contact with the roof rail inside the window frame of the door (see photo 2). Engage the handle and slowly force the seatback downward until it is relocated to the rear seat cushion (see photo 3). The patient will remain in the seated position and be held there by the medical team. With the seatback reclined, the FRJ can be removed. This provides more space for sliding a spine board in through the rear window. Insert the foot end of the board underneath the patient so you can lay the patient onto the board.
Total side-wall removal
In a side-impact collision, in which the side of the vehicle traps the patient, the removal of the rear door, B-pillar and driver’s door can often be
done in a few short steps.
Starting from the rear-door area, insert the FRJ with the base gripping the roof rail and window frame, and the lifting nose placed on top of the doorsill. Secure the FRJ with a rope, webbing or a strap – the rope will prevent the FRJ from slipping off the window frame during the operation. Engage the jack handle to apply downward pressure to the door; this will create a space between the edge
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Photo 1: For seatback relocation, place the First Responder Jack base plate on the outside corner of the seatback and insert hard protection between the patient and the tool.
Photo 2: The lifting nose, or runner, is then moved upward until it comes in contact with the roof rail inside the window frame of the door.
Photo 3: Engage the handle and slowly force the seatback downward until it is relocated to the rear seat cushion.
rIT – Moving firefighters up and down stairs
By Mark van der Feyst
Extricating a mayday firefighter from a building is an exhausting task. On average, it takes 12 firefighters 18 minutes to rescue one firefighter from a building.
Sometimes, the mayday firefighter will be in an area that requires transport up or down stairs. Moving a firefighter up or down stairs adds to the fatigue factor for RIT members.
One area of concern with a rescue that involves stairs is the amount of weight that is being applied to the steps. According to the NFPA, the average weight of a firefighter fully dressed in gear is 300 pounds. When there are two RIT firefighters on a set of stairs along with the mayday firefighter, there can be up to 900 pounds of weight on the stairs. By habit, we generally place our feet in the middle of the step, so all of our body weight is concentrated in one small area, which is the weakest area of the stair. When rescuing a firefighter on a set of stairs, RIT members need to place their hands and feet on the sides of the stairs, where there is more strength and stability. This takes practice as it is not normal to do this.
Another area of concern is the handrail. The handrail cannot be relied upon to help support RIT members on the stairs. In an industrial or commercial building, the stairs are built to accommodate heavy and repeated use and the handrails are solid. But in a residential building, the handrails are not built to withstand repeated use or heavy weight. Grabbing the handrail to pull yourself up, or for support while carrying the mayday firefighter, can cause the rescue to fail. Do not rely on the handrail.
When rescuing a mayday firefighter, proper technique is crucial for success. Using brute force or muscle to lift or pull a mayday firefighter up or down stairs will not suffice; you will tire quickly. Weight-lifting skills work best with these evolutions as the proper techniques for a mayday rescue closely resemble deadlifts and squats. The top RIT firefighter performs a deadlift while the bottom RIT firefighter does a leg squat. Setting up in this fashion helps to ensure that the mayday firefighter gets up the stairs. Going up stairs is more difficult than going down stairs (see photo 1).
Gravity works to the advantage of RIT members when transporting a mayday firefighter down stairs. This task still requires two firefighters working in tandem to ensure the safe and effective removal of the mayday firefighter. One RIT firefighter drags the mayday firefighter to the edge of the top stair using proper drag techniques (the shoulder strap of the SCBA). When at the top stair, the RIT firefighter relocates one hand to grab the bottom of the SCBA cylinder around the bumper of the cylinder neck; this ensures full support and control of the mayday firefighter and also ensures that the cylinder neck will not catch on any part of the stair. This positioning also helps with pulling or dragging the mayday firefighter down the stairs as there are now two areas on which force is being applied to pull: the top area with the shoulder strap and the bottom area with the bottom of the SCBA cylinder.
The second RIT firefighter positions himself behind the first RIT firefighter to act as a support and guide while descending the stairs
Photo S by Ma RK van
Photo 1: It is easier to move a mayday firefighter down a set of stairs than up.
Photo 2: When descending a flight of stairs, the second RIT firefighter positions himself behind the first RIT firefighter to act as a support and guide.
Photo 3: When ascending a flight of stairs, RIT firefighters need to get the mayday firefighter’s back end as close as possible to the base of the first step. This requires sitting up the mayday firefighter and sliding him to that position.
Photo 4: Next, the RIT firefighters should lift the mayday firefighter up two or three steps at a time. This allows RIT members to position themselves for a proper lift the rest of the way up.
5: Once the mayday firefighter is up two or three steps, the bottom RIT firefighter can reposition himself under the legs of the mayday firefighter.
6: There is less chance that the mayday firefighter’s legs will slide off if his thighs are resting on the RIT firefighter’s shoulders than if the knees are directly above the RIT firefighter’s shoulders.
(see photo 2). This firefighter checks the steps as the RIT members go down, looking for any holes in the stairs and slowing down or braking the momentum of the down-the-stair removal. The second RIT firefighter should place his hands on the first firefighter’s back to help with this.
Going up a set of stairs is challenging: for this to work, the SCBA waist belt has to be converted into a harness. This conversion is done with the initial assessment and packaging of the mayday firefighter. The RIT members drag the mayday firefighter to the stairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs, RIT members will need to get the mayday firefighter’s back end as close as possible to the base of the first step. This requires sitting up the mayday firefighter and sliding him to that position (see photo 3).
The next step is to lift the mayday firefighter up two or three steps so that RIT members can position themselves for a proper lift the rest of the way up. This involves the top RIT firefighter pulling up or deadlifting the shoulder strap of the mayday firefighter’s SCBA, while the bottom RIT firefighter deadlifts the bottom half. This is accomplished by bear-hugging the mayday firefighter around the lower back and grabbing on to the waist belt of the SCBA. On a co-ordinated count, the mayday firefighter is lifted up two to three steps (see photo 4).
Once the mayday firefighter is up two or three steps, the bottom RIT firefighter repositions himself under the legs of the mayday firefighter. This requires the RIT firefighter to get down and dirty with the mayday firefighter. The shoulders of the RIT firefighter must be right in the middle of the thigh of the mayday firefighter (see photo 5). This positioning helps with the lift up the stairs and provides a more stable place for support. There is less chance that the mayday firefighter’s legs will slide off if his thighs are resting on the RIT firefighter’s shoulders than if the knees are directly above the RIT firefighter’s shoulders (see photo 6).
Once in position, RIT members can lift the mayday firefighter up the stairs in a coordinated fashion. Taking it one step at a time is best as it keeps the process consistent and prevents knocking over the top RIT firefighter.
Mark van der Feyst is a 14-year veteran of the fire service. He works for the City of Woodstock Fire Department in Ontario. Mark instructs in Canada, the United States and India and is a local-level suppression instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and an instructor for the Justice Institute of B.C. Email Mark at Mark@FireStarTraining.com
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By Kirk Hughes
AFire and ice
Cold-weather tactics from the Arctic Circle
ll firefighters loathe fighting structure fires in cold temperatures but those who make their homes in the Arctic Circle are particularly proficient at dealing with the effects of extreme weather on the job.
Gear preparation is vital to successfully combating fire in cold weather. A cold firefighter exhausts more quickly, and rapidly becomes ineffective when the temperature bottoms out. To limit the effects of cold temperatures on firefighters bodies, most northern firefighters reinforce their gear with items that will retain body heat, and they wear items that can be easily replaced when they become wet or cold.
A thicker balaclava should be used by a firefighter actively engaged in fire suppression, coupled with a Nomex neck gaiter for extra thermal protection. When not involved in firefighting operations, a firefighter should switch to a heavy knit toque, which should be long enough to cover the neck and ears without obstructing hearing. A good toque can easily be worn under an adjustable helmet with a quick turn of the ratchet. Extra balaclavas can easily be carried in a pocket or in a small gym bag that also can be used to carry extra socks, flashlight batteries, snowmobile mitts, toques and sweaters.
Underneath the bunker jacket, firefighters operating in low temperatures for extended periods should wear a heavy-gauge work sweater, preferably over a moisture-wicking fabric base layer. The ability to move sweat away from the skin helps to keep firefighters dry and warm. Bunker pants are hard to prep, but purchasing long thermal underwear a few sizes larger than normal and lining them inside the pants is an excellent way to provide another thermal layer without having to remove any articles of clothing that may slow down your response time.
The extremities are the first indicator that a firefighter is being affected by the cold. When donning flame-resistant gloves, start by putting on a thinner, insulated neoprene utility glove that will keep body heat closer to the fingers and palm, and will provide another barrier to prevent the cold and wetness from contacting the skin. Nothing is better for keeping hands warm than firefighter mitts, a staple for Arctic firefighters, so if possible, invest in them.
Feet stuck in hardened and reinforced rubber
Assistant Chief Kirk Hughes stands in front of a truck with a winter grill – a coat for the truck to keep the engine heat inside. A
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boots are bound to become ice in no time when walking in snow, sweating from work and trudging through ice, slush and puddles on the fire ground. A good, thick pair of work socks is a must, and a comfortable, shock-absorbing contoured insole is a worthy investment. These two items prevent heat loss when in contact with the ground.
A properly dressed firefighter is not useful if the truck isn’t acclimatized for winter work. Department operating procedures should be adopted regarding wet and dry tanks, draining of valves and vehicle maintenance. Radiator heat shields should be checked regularly to ensure that they are fastened properly. When on scene at any incident, keep the pump circulating water at all times and place the pump heater on its highest setting. In environments in which extreme weather lingers for months at a time, it is advisable to coat truck and hoseline threads with anti-freeze to assist with breakdown. Pack a few towels in the pump panel to be placed on top of hose connections to prevent the formation of ice around vital foot-traffic areas.
Arriving on scene, an incident commander should be wary of additional risk factors associated with winter-weather operations. Of particular note should be ice and snow accumula-
tion on load-bearing platforms, such as roofs, which could increase the potential for building collapse and hamper rescue operations. If ventilation crews cannot access the roof because of these increased dangers, horizontal ventilation should be considered. Homeowners often seal their homes up in the colder months, so the possibility of backdraft exists. All firefighters should be reminded of the signs of this fire condition.
Be mindful of escalating firefighter fatigue and the onset of frostbite or hypothermia. Rehabilitate and rotate fire crews often, and use medical sectors to monitor firefighters’ health and safety. Firefighters in rehab should be encouraged to eat and drink to keep their internal furnaces going and to replace body fluids lost during physical exertion.
During rehab, firefighters should doublecheck SCBA, especially for regulator freezeup and facepiece failure. Ideally, SCBA should be placed away from the elements as much as possible, even if they are simply covered up with a wool blanket.
Fire gear such as coats and helmets should be hung up outside and not brought into warm areas where they could thaw and soak through, causing them to re-freeze when that firefighter
is moved back to fire-ground operations. Ideally, firefighters covered in ice should transition to another set of bunker gear, but not all departments can afford such a luxury. At the very least, firefighters should shake off excess ice and snow from their gear with a brush as often as tactics permit, especially prior to entering rehab. All firefighters should be encouraged to change wet socks, gloves and balaclavas often to maintain dexterity and prevent freezing.
Setting up the fire ground is an essential factor for firefighter safety. Time should be taken during large, extended operations to create pathways by shovelling away snow and slush, and spreading sand to prevent accidents. Some departments swear by the creation of snow shelves dug into snow banks and covered with a high-visibility tarp. These snow shelves are then used as staging areas for items. This thwarts missing and lost tools and speeds up equipment access. Using pylons to mark staging areas provides ease of recovery and circumvents buried hoselines. Hoseline nozzles not in operation should be left flowing to prevent them from icing over; if possible, nozzles should be placed near the exhaust of a truck to keep them defrosted. Hoselines that are immediately drained after application or are left uncharged until needed, can be quickly placed back into service without fear of ice blocks or obstructions. Firefighters should make it a habit to check charged hoselines and to move them around in cold weather to prevent dreaded freeze-up.
Arctic fire fighting is a unique vocation; however, cold-weather firefighting in winter months affects all Canadian fire departments. These tips were gained through experience by firefighters working in one of the world’s harshest, most demanding and most unforgiving environments. Take the time to prepare for the winter so that your department won’t be left out in the cold.
Kirk Hughes is the assistant fire chief of special operations for the Déline Fire Department and a local assistant to the fire marshal of the Northwest Territories. Hughes is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s fire-service leadership program and is the 2011 winner of the NWT Fire Service Merit Award. He has worked for Emergency Management Ontario, and as a firefighter in Portage la Prairie, Man., and Burlington/Kilbride, Ont., and at Ball Industries. Prior to arriving in the Northwest Territories, Hughes served as the RCMP emergency-services co-ordinator for the G8 Summit. Contact him at khughes@firehousemail.com
This structure has extensive ice buildup, which prevents ventilation and increases the risk of structural collapse.
4: For total side-wall removal, a reciprocating saw or an air chisel can be used to sever the Nader pin, which will release the door and allow it to be forced open.
Photo 5: Ensure that all trim is removed and avoid cutting into the seatbelt pretensioner, which is usually located in this area.
of the door and the Nader pin. At this point, cut the top of the Bpillar to take the pressure off of the patient, and continue to operate the handle and force the side of the vehicle farther away.
Once sufficient space is created, a reciprocating saw or an air chisel can be used to sever the Nader pin, which will release the door and allow it to be forced open (see photo 4). The window frame can also be cut before engaging the jack handle; this helps to reduce the effort required to release the door.
The next step is to insert the reciprocating saw or air chisel at the bottom of the B-pillar and cut the B-pillar away from the rocker panel. Ensure that all trim is removed and avoid cutting into the seatbelt pretensioner, which is usually located in this area (see photo 5). Additional force may have to be applied with the FRJ inserted into the driver’s door window area to continue to spread and create space as the B-pillar is being severed (see photo 6). The whole side section can now be rotated using the driver’s front door hinges. Cover all sharp edges before removing the patient.
Brake-pedal entrapment
Remove driver’s door, build a crib platform to support the FRJ in a 90-degree position, and rotate the base plate so it will accommodate the rocker panel. Use webbing with a girth hitch or attach a rope to the lifting runner and the other end to the brake pedal. Carefully engage the lifting handle to apply force and bend the pedal away from the patient in the foot-well area (see photo 7).
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overcoming winter fitness challenges
One of the unique features of our beautiful country is that four-, five- or six-month period of the year that we call the Canadian winter.
Extreme weather conditions affect several aspects of life, including our health, wellness and general fitness plans, and our winters can add time and difficulty to everything from transportation to motivation.
Probably the biggest challenge winter brings to our fitness is the tendency of cold and severe weather to make us less active. Animals hibernate, and humans can easily fall into that trap. This means we have to find ways to make up for lower activity levels.
Winter supplementation
Winter is the most important time of the year to get into a proper supplementation routine. Immune systems are down and the spread of sickness is up.
• Multivitamins. For obvious reasons, you should take a multivitamin all year round. Capsules are best because our bodies tend to absorb them better. Even a relatively cheap tablet will provide you with many of the essentials your body requires and, hopefully, help you fight off an illness.
• Lift heavy. Heavier weights and increased exertion lead to a bigger growth-hormone release and a longer metabolic boost. Heavier weights also help to build more muscle, which takes more effort for your body to maintain, thus raising metabolism.
A well-built, balanced fitness program will take care of you for all 12 months of the year.
• Vitamin D. Growing in popularity, vitamin D, also known as the sunshine pill, promotes calcium absorption and strong, normal bone growth. Newer research also suggests that vitamin D may help to fight immune diseases, infections and cancers. Studies are showing that almost all Canadians are deficient in vitamin D through the fall and winter months. Dosage recommendations vary but are usually between 800 and 2,000 international units a day, much more than you will find in a multivitamin.
Winter training
While there may be a drastic change outdoors, your approach in the gym shouldn’t undergo the same transformation. A well-built, balanced fitness program will take care of you for all 12 months of the year. The most obvious change our bodies experience is the difference in ambient temperature from outside to inside.
Warm-up: Simply extend your warm-up and ensure that your body is ready to work. Use your body weight for dynamic movements such as squatting, lunging or six to eight minutes of running. Warm up until you feel like you are about to start to sweat, and the deep chill is long gone from your body. Your warm-up is key, especially now when the risk of injury is at its highest.
Training methods: With a general decrease in our activity levels, the majority of us will experience a drop in metabolism through the winter. The best way to counteract this is just to work hard and stay active. When you get into the gym, try a few of these metabolism-boosting tactics.
• Use compound movements. When selecting exercises, try to implement more multi-joint movements into your program. Multi-joint exercises such as squats, pull-ups and lunges, provide the biggest and longest-lasting boost.
• Shorten rest periods. Stay moving, stay working; opt for a shorter, harder workout rather than a slower-paced version.
Cardio training: Running indoors and outdoors may seem very similar to some, but our bodies notice a difference. Again with our metabolism in mind, there are a few things to consider: there is no change in terrain, and there is never any wind resistance. Studies have shown that running indoors can be up to 10 per cent easier than running at the same speed outdoors. Try altering your treadmill experience slightly from time to time with one of these tactics.
• Bump up the incline. Simply setting the treadmill incline slightly uphill, even one per cent, can equate to a change in environment.
• Vary your program. Try adding a high-intensity, interval training program once every week or two. This will push your metabolism higher and maintain that high longer than traditional running.
Winter nutrition
Unlike winter, nutrition isn’t seasonal. Your year-round healthy diet will do just fine, but if you need an added boost try these metabolism-boosting tips.
• Never skip breakfast. Kick-start your metabolism and eat a proper breakfast every day. Skipping the most important meal of the day has been proven to lead to increased weight gain, making you work harder for the same results.
• Protein power. Include protein in every meal. High-protein diets allow for higher muscle mass and less fat. Each meal should include a quality protein.
While a long, cold Canadian winter can provide several obstacles to everyday life and to fitness, we all have the ability to overcome them. Winter should be viewed as a change of pace for your fitness plan, not as a setback. Try these tactics we’ve discussed and make this your fittest winter to date.
Happy training!
Brad Lawrence is a firefighter with the Calgary Fire Department and a certified personal trainer who specializes in training and nutrition for emergency responders. E-mail Brad at bradmlawrence@gmail.com
BrAd LAwrence
Superfoods build better bodies
As we embrace the new year, we are faced with resolutions for change. After overindulging with family and friends, the chance for a new beginning is welcome. The time to sink our teeth into achieving these goals couldn’t be better.
Living a healthier lifestyle is not all about numbers on a scale; it’s about health for life and feeling good about your body. Of course, exercise is essential to the overall success of healthy living, but research shows it’s the change in diet that offers the body superior benefits. Much nutritional acclaim has recently been given to the consumption of “superfoods”; that is, foods that are naturally occurring, calorie sparse and that have high nutritional content.
Imagine something available at your supermarket that is powerful enough to help lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and, as a topper, put you in a better mood. A healthy diet incorporating a variety of superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease and live longer.
One thing these foods all have in common is that they are not processed. Some examples of these foods are beans/lentils, blueberries, broccoli, oats, pumpkin, trout/salmon, spinach, onions/leeks, black beans, tea, tomatoes, walnuts, kale, quinoa, herbs, garlic, hot peppers, cinnamon, acai and cocoa. Try making these ingredients the staples of your diet and the bulk of the items in your refrigerator and pantry, and it won’t be long before you reap the incredible health benefits that these superfoods can provide.
The effect that diet can have on how you feel today and in the future is astounding. Our profession is demanding, and it affects every system in our bodies. From exerting ourselves in extreme heat conditions, to job-associated cancers, to the effects of shift work, we should take every measure available to ensure our bodies and minds can withstand not only our careers but also our lives beyond the firehouses.
A simple change in diet to incorporate these superfoods is a small tweak that even the healthiest of us can make to ensure that we all have long, health and happy lives.
I have included breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to kick-start the change for a healthier you!
Patrick Mathieu is a 13-year veteran of Waterloo Fire Rescue, where he is acting captain. He has won several cooking competitions and has helped raise thousands of dollars for charities by auctioning gourmet dinners at the fire hall. Contact him at stationhousecateringco@yahoo.ca
Super steel-cut oats with berries and dark chocolate
Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp raw sugar
Directions:
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup crushed walnuts
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• ¼ cup dark chocolate shavings ( must be 70 per cent or more cocoa)
2. Add the oats and stir continuously until they smell nice and nutty, about three minutes.
3. Add three cups water, the almond milk, brown sugar and salt. Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.
4. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Remove the lid and stir in the walnuts blueberries and chocolate. Cover again and cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring on occasion, until the oats are soft and creamy.
Grilled trout with clementine quinoa salad
Ingredients:
• 3 clementines
• 8 thin slices fresh ginger
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup quinoa
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Directions:
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (with seeds for maximum heat, if preferred)
• 2 green onions (both white and green parts), minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ cup black beans, rinsed
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped • freshly ground black pepper
Fish:
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, centre-cut trout fillet, cut into 2-inch cubes • steel skewers
1. Peel two of the three clementines, reserving the peel and segments separately.
2. Warm the clementine peels, ginger and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to bubble, after about two minutes, remove from heat. Set the oil aside to steep while you prepare the rest of the dish. Strain and reserve the oil.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in a bowl and drain. Put the quinoa in a small saucepan with the vegetable stock and half-teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Set aside off the heat for five minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and fluff with a fork.
4. Juice the third clementine over a medium bowl – there should be roughly two tablespoons. Whisk the clementine juice with the vinegar, honey and salt to taste in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in three tablespoons of the reserved clementine oil then season with pepper to taste.
5. Toss quinoa with the dressing, jalapeno, green onions, shallots, black beans and cilantro. Slice the reserved clementine segments in half and add them to the salad. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
6. For the trout, preheat a stovetop or outdoor grill to high heat. Thread the trout cubes onto the metal skewers. Season the trout skewers with salt and pepper, and brush with the remaining clementine oil. Grill the skewers, turning as each side browns, but the trout is still moist, about three minutes per side. Place trout skewers on top of quinoa salad and enjoy!
Super greens and aged cheddar soup
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ pounds broccoli
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced leek
• freshly ground pepper and sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup packed spinach
• 1 cup chopped packed kale
• 2 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1 cup aged white cheddar, shredded
Directions:
1. Cut the broccoli florets from the stems and roughly chop the stems into half-inch pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, celery and broccoli stems. Lower the heat to medium, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables slowly until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.
3. Add the thyme and stir. Add the broccoli florets, spinach, kale, stock, and salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, until all the vegetables are very tender.
4. Puree the soup with a hand blender until smooth. Add the aged cheddar one handful at a time, stirring constantly to incorporate it. Add the lemon zest and chili flakes and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Photo by Pat R ic K Mathieu
Photo 6: Additional force may have to be applied with the FRJ inserted into the driver’s door window area to continue to spread and create space as the B-pillar is being severed.
Photo 8: Insert the FRJ at the edge of the open door, and place the lifting runner under the corner.
Photo 7: To rescue a patient from brake-pedal entrapment, carefully engage the lifting handle to apply force and bend the pedal away from the patient in the foot-well area.
Photo 9: Because the door hinges are extremely strong, a lot of space can be created between the ground and the bottom of the vehicle where the patient is trapped.
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patient removal from under a vehicle Occasionally, pedestrians are run over by vehicles and remain underneath. Depending on the location of the patient, it may be beneficial to use an FRJ to lift the vehicle off the patient to create space for removal.
Due to the rounded shape of a vehicle, lifting directly from the lower rocker panel may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack, as an angle is created from the lifting height. If it is not safe to lift off the front or rear bumper, then open the door to 90 degrees and apply a bit of force against the hinges to keep the door open. Insert the FRJ at the edge of the open door and place the lifting runner under the corner, as shown in photo 8. Engage the handle. Because the door hinges are extremely strong, a significant amount of space can be created between the ground and the bottom of the vehicle where the patient is trapped (see
photo 9) This evolution is very quick to employ; however, the lift-an-inch, crib-an-inch principle must be used in case of a load failure or for protection if the jack were to slip off. An alternative is to insert the lifting nose into the wheel well on the side of the vehicle from which the patient will be removed. Again, be extremely mindful of the angle created so that the vehicle doesn’t slip off the end of the lifting runner.
These options are to be used when no other hydraulic tools are available; for example, in instances of equipment failure, or when there is multiple-vehicle entrapment and other tools must be used to quickly extricate patients who are in critical condition. These options will not work on all vehicles or at all crashes, but knowing what is possible in certain situations gives rescuers more confidence to get the job done.
Randy Schmitz is a Calgary firefighter who has been extensively involved in the extrication field for 19 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. Follow him on Twitter at @firedog7
Do we practise what we preach?
When I sat down to write this column, Hurricane Sandy had just devastated the eastern seaboard of our neighbours to the south. Where I live in beautiful Waubaushene in central Ontario, we were relatively unscathed. A little rain, a little wind, power outages here and there. Typical fall weather, really.
We had training at the fire hall the night Sandy was to hit our area. As we wrapped up our discussion of the Emergency Response Guide, the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre (CANUTEC) and hazmat responses, our conversation turned to the impending storm. We talked about emergency preparedness and the recommended 72-hour provisions – the ones that I (for one) couldn’t say for sure that I had. And I know I’m not the only one . . . We figured we’d all just end up at the fire hall because we knew the generator would be on and there would be heat, hydro and water; it would just be a fight for the one cot that is stored in the corner of the meeting room.
We joked about it at the time – the irony of us being emergency-service workers and not actually being prepared, but as one captain said quite seriously, “You have to think of your family at home and make sure they’re taken care of.” However, his next comment to me was, “But in your case, you’ll both be on the trucks anyway.”
it, and yet, many still found themselves in dire circumstances. I read something on Twitter about how emergency-service response times were being criticized by the same people who were ordered to evacuate in the first place. Crazy.
Speaking of Twitter, I also read one tweet about FDNY using Twitter to receive calls for service and respond to them when the 911 lines were overloaded. How great is that? Not great that the 911 system was overloaded, but fantastic that social media was used to keep emergency services going. There were reportedly thousands and thousands of tweets using #sandy during the storm, and almost as many pictures were posted. What a great way to keep people informed, especially with phone lines overloaded and cell service interrupted.
It’s easy for me to say what I’d do while sitting in the fire hall, warm, dry and safe. But what about those who were caught off guard by Sandy?
Which of course, then led to joking about me and my significant other both being out on calls and the kids and dogs being home alone to fend for themselves. As the laughter died down and the conversation carried on, I found myself thinking about my two daughters, who are 11 and 13. What would I do if they were home with me (as opposed to being at their dad’s) if a storm hit and the pager went off? Easy. I would stay home with them. I’d get to the fire hall when I could to help out however I could, but my kids would come first.
If they were at their dad’s and a major storm hit, I would obviously respond to the call(s), knowing that they are safe at home with him, but guaranteed, I’d call them frequently to check in. (I say that now but in all honesty, I’d probably have to go see them first before I would be able to respond to any call. Being a mom, I’d have to know first and foremost that they are OK. Any of you with kids will appreciate what I mean.)
It’s easy for me to say what I’d do while sitting in the fire hall, warm, dry and safe. But what about those who were caught off guard by Sandy? Although the media advised everyone of the storm well in advance, there were still people caught in the midst of it. They may have thought that they were prepared, or perhaps that they were far enough out of harm’s way to even worry about
Where am I going with this? I can’t help but feel sorry for the residents of New York and New Jersey, as well as other affected areas, but those especially. It seems that not that long ago, they were struggling to rebuild their lives, their homes and their cities after the devastation from 9-11. However, out of that disaster came stories of many unsung heroes, a new respect and admiration for police officers, firefighters and EMTs, and the incredible strength and courage of everyday people in the face of fear. We will all experience difficult times in our lives, but how we react is what really matters. Maybe that’s something that I have learned through the fire service, or perhaps it’s just life experience (or a bit of both), but one thing I know for sure is that life is always about moving forward. Sometimes you go with the flow and sometimes you’re dragged along, and one way is definitely easier than the other.
Disasters, fires, floods, car accidents and medical emergencies are going to happen; all we can do is listen to, and actually follow the advice of those in the know (evidently, that was not me, up until now, when it came to emergency preparedness) and do our best to be prepared.
And then, the rest is up to the emergency services that will come to your aid.
Jennifer Mabee is a volunteer with the Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department in Ontario. She began her fire career with the Township of Georgian Bay in 1997 and became the department’s fire prevention officer in 2000 and a captain in 2003. She was a fire inspector with the City of Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services before taking time off to focus on family, and is excited to be back at it. E-mail her at jhook0312@yahoo.ca and follow her on Twitter at @jenmabee
JeNNifer Mabee
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