25 | Expanding our reach through new media strategy
26 | Committee reports
29 | Help the FFAO spread firefighter-safety message
By Laura King
Mrs. Singh’s worst day
On that worst day, when Mrs. Smith – or Mrs. Singh or Mrs. Ahmad –calls 911, does it matter who shows up as long as the responders are properly trained and do their jobs to the best of their abilities?
The people who run the City of Toronto think it does; they want the fire-service professionals who respond to the more than 150,000 emergency calls that Toronto Fire Services (TFS) receives every year to reflect the community – the most diverse in Canada.
That’s no easy feat.
Fire fighting is not the sought-after career in many countries that it is in Canada. Few new Canadians, few women and few people from visible minorities apply to be operational firefighters.
As Chief Jim Sales said in a wide-ranging interview about the department’s career-access program that encourages non-traditional candidates to consider fire fighting, people who know firefighters tend to apply; those who don’t, don’t. Logic, then, dictates that if most TFS firefighters are white males then most applicants will be white and male.
Toronto’s 2015-2019 master fire plan mentions diversity nine times. Toronto Fire Services has a path-to-diversity strategy. And now that a hiring process is in place (see story page 16), the next step is to develop programs to ensure the needs of the diverse work-
force are being met on the job.
If you’re Mrs. Smith, if English is your first (and likely only) language, and if you are familiar with emergency-response procedures – fire trucks and ambulances and paramedics and sirens and hospitals – then the status quo is probably just fine. That may also be the case in many small Canadian cities and towns. But in emergencies, communication is crucial, and in Toronto, where more than 30 per cent of residents speak a language other than English or French at home, it’s increasingly challenging, hence the TFS diversity strategy.
Few new Canadians, few women and few people from visible minorities apply to be operational firefighters.
Why does this matter to firefighters and fire officers from coast to coast? In areas where recruitment is challenging and it’s tough to man fire halls during daytime hours, then diversity within the department probably isn’t an issue – although it’s certainly something to consider.
Canada welcomes more than 250,000 immigrants every year; most land in major cities – like Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver – places with career fire departments. Toronto’s diversity program – which uses Ontario’s firefighter candidate testing
service – allows departments to diversify while maintaining physical, medical, interpersonal, clinical and technical standards; it’s a program others should emulate.
On your worst day I expect you would be grateful if whoever shows up to help speaks your language and understands your culture and customs.
I bet Mrs. Singh and Mrs. Ahmad would be too.
Months ago, the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario (FFAO) approached Canadian Firefighter about partnering to help bolster communication with its members. In the centre of this issue, you’ll see the FFAO newsletter and details of its new communication strategy.
The association represents volunteer firefighters in Ontario; it boasts new leadership and hopes the newsletter format will encourage new memberships.
Even if you’re outside Ontario, have a look and see what the FFAO does for its members and where it’s headed.
If you happen to be in the Niagara region, this summer, pop by the annual FFAO convention and camping/training weekend – I have no doubt that firefighters from anywhere would be welcome!
January 2016 Vol. 39, No. 1 firehall.com
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Second wildfire day approaches
May 7 is not far off – the date of the second annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. For year two of the initiative, organizer FireSmart Canada is offering up dozens of neighbourhood project ideas, including working with emergency management authorities to practise evacuation plans. Up to 20 project-funding awards of $500 will be given out to communities that apply between Feb. 8 and March 18. Learn more at www.firesmartcanada.ca
- MARIA CHURCH
Department creates unique calendar
An Ontario department is raising funds to pay for swimming lessons for local children by selling a calendar, but it’s not the type of calendar you would expect. Working with local photographer Ethan Bender, the Hanover Fire and Emergency Services calendar highlights specialized services firefighters provide for the community including ice-water rescue, swift-water rescue, confined space, high angle, auto extrication and fire prevention. Platoon Chief Jeff Dentinger said in an email that the calendar has been very well received in the community and has raised more than $15,000. — MC
Donation to treat firefighter cancer
Mesothelioma is a cancer that is most commonly found in firefighters and other industry workers who are exposed to asbestos. Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation recently received a $1-million donation from an anonymous donor in support of its mesothelioma program. The program handles more than half of all cases in the country, offers diagnosis, screen and therapy and is the only facility in the word that conducts early detection for prior asbestos workers. — MC
MAY 7
Date set for the second annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.
Canadian firefighters share skills in Nicaragua
In November, Canadian volunteers helped train and equip 36 bomberos (Spanish for firefighters) from four cities in Nicaragua. The 11-member team was part of a volunteer project that is taken to developing countries all over the world through the Canadian charity GlobalFire.
A fundraising calendar from the Hanover Fire Department highlights firefighters working in the community.
This year GlobalFire provided an intensive six-day training program covering current firefighting topics that are beyond what is found in the basic textbooks. The training was relevant to fire fighting in Nicaragua, which is unique to the country and its climate.
Prior to the training, the team surveyed the Nicaraguan stations and equipment to determine their exact needs, donated surplus equipment and trained crews in its use and maintenance. The team also put two out-of-service vehicles back on the road and installed a breathing-air compressor.
Mark Matheson is the Global-
Fire Alberta co-ordinator and was one of the six firefighters who took part in the Nicaragua operation. He said in an email that he is full of admiration and respect for his fellow firefighters in the developing world.
“Their dedication and professionalism towards their communities often rivals ours here in Canada,” he said in an email. “The Nicaraguan bomberos run the same kinds of calls we do except they severely lack the resources we have.”
Matheson, a 23-year full-time firefighter in Alberta and 18-year advanced-care paramedic, has been part of GlobalFire since 2012.
“I would encourage everyone to take part in similar international causes,” he said, “as the impact you can make is huge, and the impact on you is huge.”
Learn more at www.globalfire.ca or email mmatheson@globalfire.ca — MC
Find the latest fire-related news, stories, blogs and analysis from across Canada, and access to our forums . . . www.firehall.com
Fit for duty
By Sherry Dean
Shake up your workout to prevent boredom
Anyone who has spent any amount of time working out has experienced boredom or lack of motivation. Don’t worry, it’s not just you. The good news is that we benefit from variety. Your body is very smart and adapts by finding easier ways to complete routine tasks. Mixing things up is ultimately an advantage and should improve your results.
If you are not getting the results you want, perhaps you are looking at the wrong results. It’s easy to measure your workout success by pounds lost or by the amount of weight lifted, but there are many other ways too. Lost inches, increased flexibility and energy, improved sleep, enhanced mobility and stability are just a few other ways to determine if your workout is working.
Setting realistic goals that are short term and specific will help you attain them. If you set goals too high, you are less likely to see the improvements you are making along the way. Keep a record of your workouts and compare them once in a while. If you find you are not improving in a certain area, you can make changes based on what you have done before. Avoid doing the same workout twice. Every workout can be different. Small or big changes are good for your progress and can be as simple as changing the number of reps, modifying the exercise angle or weight, or completely changing the movements.
Repetition modification:
Day 1 – low reps (three to six) with longer rest periods and higher resistance or tougher exercises.
Day 2 – high reps (12 to 20), short, one-minute rest and lower resistance.
Squat
Your body is very smart and adapts by finding easier ways to complete routine tasks.
Sherry Dean is a career firefighter/engineer with Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service. She has more than 20 years of experience in fitness and training. deansherry@bellaliant.net
Day 3 – med reps (eight to 12), two-minute rest and midrange resistance.
Go back to Day 1.
Intensity modifications: (Use these examples for any type of exercises.)
Push-up
• pike or inverted from a box, add a Spiderman knee, wear a backpack
• high reps drop to knees when failing
Squat
• add a press, use kettle bells or dumbbells, one leg
• high reps air squat
Pull-up
• wear a backpack, change your arm or hand position
• High reps assist with a band/ partner or just do a negative lower
Spice it up! Try something completely different for a month or two. There are endless varieties of activities that will benefit your health and wellness, such as yoga, functional training, boot camp, group exercise, TRX, interval training, CrossFit, spin class, and so on. Challenging your body in ways it is not accustomed to may be awkward or difficult, but the payout is great. Whether you are challenging your cardio, balance or co-ordination, you will benefit from variation even if it is to give yourself a rest and recovery.
Total body workout: two to four rotations, 10 to 15 reps each exercise.
(Use what you have – dumbbells, hoserolls, sack of flour, kids.)
1. Weighted squat and a half –squat as low as you can safely,
then come halfway back up, lower back to bottom and return to start position.
2. Decline push-up – elevate your feet on a bench or rolls of hose as high as you need for a challenge. Go as low as you can in a full range of motion.
3. One arm inverted rows – use a piece of webbing tied to an elevated point, and tie a hand loop in it too. Keep your body in a very straight line (plank) and don’t allow your hips to rotate. Fully extend your arm, then pull your body up until your hand is just below your pec, beside your ribs. Choose an angle that will challenge you but not cause you to move out of a plank position. Complete right and left arms.
4. Burpees – you know you love them! Chest to the ground, back up and hop in the air.
5. Travelling lunges with arms straight overhead – choose a weight to hold overhead with straight arms and alternate lunges on right leg, then left leg. That’s one.
6. Floor to shoulder figure eight – choose a weight you can handle with control. Place it on the floor to the right side. Lift to the left side as though you were placing it on a shelf (shoulder height), then return it to the floor on your left side. Now lift it from your left side floor to your right-side shoulder height and then place it on the floor to your right.
7. Single arm deadlift – place a weight between your feet, keep your head and chest facing forward. Pick the weight up with one hand but imagine you have a weight in the other to keep your body from rotating.
8. One minute cardio movement of your choice – high knees, lines, jumping jacks, or whatever you’re feeling!
Between alarms
By Arjuna George
Arjuna George is the deputy fire chief of operations on Salt Spring Island, B.C., and has served on the department since 1997. ageorge@saltspringfire.com @AJGeorgefire
Communicate purpose this year
Leadership is about sharing knowledge and demonstrating a clear vision; it is also about inspiring others around you. Imagine starting each shift with a clear understanding of our purpose – our why I want to share a simple idea that can bring you and your fire department to greatness.
Firefighters train daily to stretch hoselines, perform CPR and tie knots. Our what is fire fighting, rescue and medical, but have you ever truly reflected on why we do what we do?
The bestselling book Start With Why by leadership expert Simon Sinek has enlightened me about this simple question. I believe the author’s ideas can be incorporated into our fire services to help transform mediocre departments into amazingly engaged workplaces.
Have you ever thought about why some fire departments are so innovative and strong while others barely function, despite having much the same tools and resources and providing the same services? Members of those struggling departments all likely understand their how and their what, but they are missing their why.
Successful fire departments and leaders understand why and inspire great performance from their members.
Figuring out your why can be a department goal, but it should also be a personal target. Determining your own why is just as important as understanding your department’s reasons for being.
Why do we exist as fire services and do what we do? Sinek provides a simple concept for answering these questions, called the golden circle. The golden circle is so basic in that it has only three components: the inner circle – why; the middle circle – how; and the outer circle – what.
Sinek suggests we start all conversations with the inner circle – why. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you
When a fire department is clear about its why, support from the community and firefighters will strengthen.
do it,” Sinek writes. We, individually, as firefighters and officers, need to embrace this model, and fire services need to amend it to read, “People don’t support what you do, they support why you do it.”
Sinek’s basic concept should be included in everything we do; when we are challenged by tight budgets or dealing with community concerns, we need to communicate more to politicians and taxpayers about why we do things the way we do them (standards, SOPs, health and safety) and less about what we do (men and women in bunker gear).
Our what is hard for the public to truly comprehend –as with any industry, fire has technical jargon that is difficult for people to understand and support. Communicating our why (who we are) has never been so important.
When we embrace the reason behind ideas, practices and policies, it brings meaning and a human element into the discussion. Why we do what we do
impacts people on a deeper, more emotional level; one to which more people can relate.
The golden circle starts with why, but to clearly communicate your department’s vision it must be followed with how and what. Why must be clear, how must be disciplined, and what must be consistent. The clear meaning of your department’s existence includes all three messages.
Facts and figures don’t instill inspiration, they make only rational sense; real inspiration and greatness come from emotion and a sense of purpose. We need to target the limbic part of our brains, the part that triggers feelings such as trust and loyalty. Success lies in purpose, and cultivating purpose is the key to building a strong culture of leaders.
In order to be one of those departments that we dream about and to become one of those leaders who is so inspiring to others, we must be clear about our why, and incorporate it into our brand, our department culture and our image.
For far too long we have been hiring firefighters according to what they do. Perhaps it is time to start hiring members based on why they do things. Inspired members will be happier, more productive, more engaged and better public servants.
For our departments, why may be our values, our history and our core beliefs. Our why should be apparent in our reports, business cases, press releases and in our recruitment. When a fire department is clear about its why, support from the community and firefighters will strengthen.
This beginning-of-year column is meant to ignite your inspiration, to clarify your why, and to find ways to build a culture of greatness.
Leadership from the bottom to the top is about inspiring. Let 2016 inspire you to inspire others. It’s time to celebrate your why.
Dispatches
By Jennifer Grigg
Value the calls that have an impact on you
When I looked in the mirror on the morning of my 44 th birthday, I had a profound thought: it wasn’t the wrinkles I noticed, although I knew they were there; it was much deeper than that.
“So this is what 44 looks like,” I thought as I studied my reflection. My next thought was: “I haven’t done enough with my life. I haven’t done enough to help others.”
I wasn’t disappointed in myself; it was more of a call to action. I didn’t quite know where the thought came from or what it meant, but I knew that something was about to change.
I’ve always felt that being a volunteer firefighter is a gift – an honour bestowed upon me. Fire fighting is a way for me to help others and provide a service to my community. But is that enough?
Being in the presence of those who are suffering – physically or emotionally – gives those of us in a first-responder role, in that moment, a unique perspective on life. We may not all feel the same in all situations, but no one walks away from a tough call unaffected or unchanged in some way.
We think of our kids when a child is involved, our parents if an elderly person is the patient, and our spouses when we’re working on someone’s beloved while the husband or wife stands desperately nearby. It’s impossible to not relate. We are a compassionate bunch, which is what draws us to this line of work.
Sitting in the back of the rescue truck one day after a call for a cancer patient, I said to the firefighter
scene, he took over CPR from his captain and continued compressions until two more firefighters arrived with the med bag and the defibrillator and assisted with resuscitation. The patient was revived more than once during the call, which forever left an imprint on the lives of the firefighters who were there that day. The firefighters had the opportunity to meet this gentleman when he returned to the area, and it was a moment they will likely never forget.
When I asked my husband what word he would use to describe the experience, he said, “Gratifying.” He, unlike me, is able to sum up an experience in one word, but I know there’s so much more to say.
We never know what call may be the one that touches our lives, or changes us forever.
next to me – who happens to be a paramedic – “He’s near the end, isn’t he?”
“Oh yeah. Definitely,” the firefighter replied.
I was immediately struck by what an honour and privilege it was to bear witness to the very personal, very sad moment in this family’s life.
I was also vitally aware of the feeling of being in the right place at the right time, infinitely understanding why we’re called to do what we do. We don’t make it to every call, but we’re definitely meant to be at the ones we attend, for whatever reason that may be.
My husband and his fellow firefighters from the Tay Township Fire Department in Ontario had the profound experience of meeting a gentleman whose life they saved after performing CPR. The gentleman is from England and was visiting family during the summer of 2014 when he collapsed and EMS was called.
When my husband arrived on
We never know what call may be the one that touches our lives, or changes us forever. Even the routine calls are opportunities to be present, focused and of service to others.
When you’re on a call and in the moment, it’s easy to know and to feel that you’re making a difference. But what about the rest of the time?
That’s the question I was left with after my thought-provoking glance in the mirror on my birthday. How do I make a difference when I’m not on a call? What can I do to help others, connect with others or maybe even inspire others?
The question demanded my attention. I knew I needed to take some time to explore this further because whatever it was, it had ignited a spark.
I recently took a month off work without pay. I socked away some money for the month’s bills and cut back on non-essential spending. Sound crazy? Likely. Am I inspired? Amazingly so.
I have no idea where this journey will take me, but I’m committed to taking the best of me and turning it into the rest of me.
Stay tuned!
Jennifer Grigg has been a volunteer with the Township of Georgian Bay Fire Department in Ontario since 1997. jhook0312@yahoo.ca @georgianbayjen
Firefighters with the Tay Township Fire Department meet a man whose life they saved by performing CPR in 2014.
PHOTO: ANTHONY PEACH
Diversifying
Toronto aims to reflect multicultural community
By Laura King
Sitting in a boardroom at Toronto Fire Services, Jim Sales recounts an anecdote offered by a member of the fire chief’s council on equity and diversity.
“People become firefighters because people they know are firefighters,” Sales said in an interview about workplace diversity and how to achieve it.
“When you have a largely white, male base of firefighters . . . it’s logical that more white males will know somebody who is a firefighter than anybody from a diverse community.
“So,” Sales said, “you need to find a way to get outside the box and go into other communities so that people think, ‘Oh, I could do that too.’ ”
That’s what Toronto Fire Services (TFS) hopes to accomplish through its career-access program for recruits.
As is the case for most career departments across the country, Toronto has struggled to find candidates other than white males who qualify for jobs as operational firefighters.
TFS employs plenty of women and minorities, some in suppression but mostly in fire prevention, dispatch and other support divisions, says Deputy Chief Debbie Higgins,
whose portfolio included recruitment (it is now the responsibility of Deputy Chief Jim Jessop). The challenge, she said, is finding qualified firefighters from outside the traditional base of Caucasian males.
As Sales puts it, “We haven’t quite broken down that barrier in the operations division.”
TFS tried outreach programs and had partnered with a community college known for its multi-cultural student base to try to increase diversity. But that program’s 17 weeks of training with TFS was costly and failed to reach the target audience, so the city’s auditor general recommended a change. Toronto city council is adamant that the fire service, similar to the police force, better reflect the community it serves – the most diverse in Canada.
The biggest obstacles for non-traditional fire-service candidates is cost; so-called pre-service fire-training programs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars and there’s no guarantee even with a diploma that a graduate will be hired.
Indeed, many candidates discover only after completing pre-service programs that they are unable to pass the aptitude, interpersonal, physical or medical tests necessary to become career firefighters.
Toronto Fire Services needed a way to entice non-traditional firefighter candidates not only to apply for suppression jobs, but also to ensure a successful education-to-career path. Essentially, TFS had to reverse the longstanding process – find people to apply, make sure they are mentally and physically suited to the job, hire them (conditionally), then send
them to school.
That took some doing. But it’s working. Albeit slowly.
With more than 3,000 personnel, TFS hires between 100 and 125 firefighters each year. To achieve the lofty diversity goal envisioned by council, TFS would have to replace a significant number of white, male firefighters with women and/or minorities; with just a handful of retirees each year and so few recruits, and with fewer women and minorities applying than white men, it is, admittedly, a long-term strategy, Sales acknowledged.
TFS launched its career-access program in 2014, shortly after the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs implemented a province-wide standardized testing system –called Candidate Testing Service or CTS (www.ofai.ca). Many career fire departments in Ontario have signed on to CTS and require new hires to have completed its three intense levels: interpersonal skills and aptitude; medical (hearing and vision) and clinical (including VO2 max); and physical (CPAT)/firefighting skills (ladders, SCBA, hoses, ventilation, medical skills).
As of Jan. 1, Toronto had hired 36 candidates through the career access program, 11 of them women or minorities.
District Chief Ron Barrow heads recruitment for TFS. His message at countless sessions for potential career-access candidates across the Greater Toronto Area was simple but also inspirational: “We want you to succeed,” he said, repeatedly, to rooms full of young, eager candidates. “We are setting you up for a job with Toronto Fire Services.”
firefighters were hired through Toronto Fire Services’ career-access program as of Jan. 1
PHOTO: LAURA KING
Career-access candidates must still meet strict requirements and pass stages 1 and 2 of the standardized candidate testing before being interviewed by TFS. The interview, Chief Sales emphasized at outreach sessions, is crucial; there are 18 attributes that TFS looks for in candidates during interviews.
“We’re looking for people who have a particular fit to work in customer service areas like fire,” Sales said. “We’re looking for the personal fit within Toronto, finding the individual we think will be successful in a highly urbanized environment, and a very busy environment, working 24-hour shifts. Are they going to be able to manage the stress?”
If, in the interview, a candidate demonstrates that he or she is indeed
the right fit for TFS, a conditional job offer, or right-of-first-refusal letter, is issued – conditional on reference and criminal-record checks, submission of a driver’s abstract, and an assessment by a chief medical officer that includes a 12-lead EKG, a full physical, a second round of eyesight and hearing tests and a chest X-ray.
Candidates must also complete stage 3 of CTS – the CPAT and firefighting skills.
Early on, there was a misconception that anyone accepted into the career-access stream would be hired by TFS. Higgins said that’s absolutely not the case.
“All it really does is get them their interview sooner,” Higgins said, “but they still have to pass that interview, the same as any-
body would after doing the pre-service – they just do it at a different point. We don’t give offer letters to all the people who go through that system.”
Career-access candidates who pass CTS stages 1 and 2, are successful in the interview and meet the conditions of the job offer then have two years to complete a firefighter training program at a college or other centre and obtain a DZ licence.
“We give them up to 24 months,” Sales said. “We give them all the information about all the programs available within North America that are NFPA compliant, the intake dates, times, the cost. We also require them to get their DZ licence – we give them within Ontario all the places they can
Timeline
September 2012
Toronto Fire Services hosts workshop on diversity.
January 2013
Toronto city council directs chief to consult with police service about its diversity hiring program.
June 2013
TFS lays out medium (five-year) and long-term diversity goals for community outreach and recruitment.
November 2013 TFS announces participation in Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs candidate standardized testing program.
Fourth quarter 2013 TFS re-launches fire chief’s council on access, equity and diversity.
2014 TFS launches career-access program.
March 2015 TFS graduates most diverse class: 2 career-access candidates, 8 women, 6 visible minorities.
Dec. 31, 2015
Total of 36 career-access candidates hired – 11 women and minorities.
District Chief Ron Barrow speaks to the March 2015 recruitment class at the Toronto Fire Academy. Barrow’s mission is to set potential non-traditional firefighter candidates for success with TFS to better reflect the diverse community.
but it will take time for TFS personnel to mirror the
obtain their licence. We also require as a minimum, health-care provider first aid, and we give them all the locations, course times and dates where those are available and the costs associated.”
Prospective firefighters who have passed all three CTS stages and have been to firefighting school can apply to Toronto the usual way – through its
website (rather than the career-access stream). There’s no target number of women or minorities, Higgins notes, just a goal to generally diversify, particularly in suppression.
For some candidates, the career-access route reduces the stress of having to complete all CTS stages within a short timespan – for example, a particular
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department’s brief application window. Others need extra time to train part-time while working in another field.
A Global News report in March 2015 noted that in 2013, just 3.6 per cent of Toronto’s firefighters were from racial minorities. But that makes sense, Chief Sales says, because so many on staff at TFS were hired years ago, when recruits generally came from the military.
“The average Toronto firefighter has 20-plus years of service,” Sales told the network. “You have to look at the makeup of the city 20-plus years ago when the average person was hired. I’ve got people with up to 44 years. When that person was hired what did the city look like 44 years ago? We’re not an expanding department – we hire based on retirements.”
Last March, when Global aired its report, TFS graduated its most diverse recruit class since amalgamation in 1998 –39 firefighters, including eight women and six members of visible minorities. Two of the six women were hired through the career-access stream – the first two to complete the program.
“We’re trying to prepare people for success,” Sales says. “By breaking it down this way, each individual will have met all qualifications – in fact the new qualifications through CTS are the highest qualifications this province has seen . . . not only are we trying to create a workforce that mirrors our community, but a highly qualified and highly educated work force.”
While Toronto offers a translation service, it’s not immediate or available at incidents. According to the city’s website, its three million people speak 140 languages and dialects.
“Today when we look at a city like Toronto, with the diversity we have, it’s important to have a workforce that can relate to your community, that understands your community, and can be effective building relationships and networking within that community,” Sales said.
“The majority of calls, whether they’re medical calls or fire calls, require the ability to communicate with our audience, and so when you have a workforce that can speak multiple languages and can understand the people within the community, it gives us a tremendous opportunity to support them and serve them at a higher level.”
Tim-bits
By Tim Llewellyn
Tim Llewellyn is a firefighter for the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh, Pa., and an instructor for a number of fire academies and training faculties. llewellyn.fire@gmail.com
Simplified rope-rescue deployment
When I set out to write Tim-Bits, I try to pick a topic that centres on modifications I’ve learned over my years of fire fighting that simplify an ordinary task. This column, however, is a bit of a stretch; I’m going to broach the topic of technical rescue.
First, a disclaimer: I am not a technical rescue guru. I’ve taken courses and have passed international-certification examinations, but by no means do I consider myself to be a rope guy. I’m confident enough to say that I could be a part of a technicalrescue crew, but am not a specialist. And, with a few exceptions, neither are the rest of the firefighters in my department.
Most fire departments have some type of rope-rescue equipment; the ropes are stored in rope bags and the hardware and software in other bags. When the equipment is needed, the bags are laid out and systems are built. The rationale behind this is simple – when the rescuers need to build a hauling or lowering system, they can choose the equipment they need to build what the situation requires.
One of the problems we find when we train our staff on rope rescue is that most of the firefighters who struggle also fail to grasp the very basics – tying knots and building mechanical-advantage systems. Once the systems are built, running the system is not a problem for those firefighters: hauling, setting the brakes, lowering, belaying, and so on. The trouble for many firefighters, despite regular training, is figuring out knots and systems. It turned out that in our department, the bags of loose equipment created too much confusion for our staff, which is largely made up of non-rope guys, like me.
The solutions to our problem are twofold: first, continue to challenge and educate our firefighters through basic, realistic rope-centered trainings; and second, create functional, purpose built, pre-rigged rope and equipment bags that contain the
most commonly needed systems.
Each bag we’ve created is colour coded and contains the equipment necessary to perform a functional task: black bags contain a 4:1 hauling system; blue bags contain a 3:1 hauling system or z-rig; red bags are lowering systems; yellow bags are belay lines; and orange bags contain just life-safety rope. Each of the bags has a label that identifies the contents and also lists the specific pieces of equipment contained. The bags also contain a laminated diagram of the system and the most commonly associated other system that will be needed for safe operation.
The bags are packed in a way that makes removal and use of the contents as easy as possible. The rope is stuffed in the bag in the typical fashion and the constructed systems are held by the anchor strap. With the help of another firefighter, the system is shortened – slack is taken out of the pulleys as much as possible. Next, each piece of the system is carefully laid in the bag on top of the bulk of the rope. Finally, the anchor strap is packed, with a small tail of the anchor strap loop hanging out of the
bag. The bag is then fastened around the anchor-strap loop, which holds it in place. When the system needs to be removed from the bag for use, the firefighter simply grasps the anchor strap loop, opens the bag and lifts the system out of the bag. This enables easy removal of the system and quick identification of the different components for attachment to an anchor point or the load. We make sure that our firefighters know it is imperative that the systems are load checked and knot checked prior to placing any life load on them. (It is possible that pre-tied knots may loosen in storage over time – they need to be checked and tightened before use.)
Pre-rigged systems such as these might not be for everyone. But for us, we’ve taken what was a stumbling block, eliminated a few steps and made it possible for our firefighters to get systems into use faster. Our rope guys have even stated that the systems are placed in service a lot faster than building the systems manually. If you think your department might benefit from pre-rigged systems, give them a try. Now go tie some knots!
This pre-rigged 3:1 hauling system contains a laminated sheet that shows the system in action along with the other required system – a safety belay.
Two bags contain the pre-rigged lowering and belay systems. The red lowering-system bag contains extra equipment that can be quickly converted to a 3:1 hauling system.
Dealing with drugs
Fire
call morphs into a suspected meth-lab response
By Jamie Coutts
We had just finished a twoweek drought –zero calls for the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service in Alberta. It was Friday night, Nov. 15, and we were all talking about how people must have settled down and we were finally going to enjoy some quieter times. A couple of hours later, at around 6 p.m., we were paged to a confirmed fire at a single-family dwelling. Off we went, loaded up our initial attack truck with a few guys and blazed over, loaded up our ladder truck and tried to find a spot, and finally took the main fire truck and a few extras in a pickup.
Upon arrival, the B/C corner of the house was lit up. The fire was into the roof trusses and the back corner was fully involved; the first-in truck hit it quickly while the ladder truck tried to find a way around all the trees. The last crew pulled in and we started to win a little.
RCMP were on scene and we were immediately told there was no one in the house – they evacuated when they smelled smoke. Crews were sent in and the battle continued from the inside out. The back door was black and buckled, and there was a pour burn on the back floor. This door was also shut with a 2 x 4 screwed to the floor and a 2 x 4 up to the handle. (Extra security, hmmmm.)
As the fire dimmed we started to get our first look at the house and the heavy drug-use paraphernalia lying around. As crews did their thorough secondary search they reported extensive baggies, needles and pipes. We headed downstairs to look at extension in the back corner and water damage downstairs. More
drug paraphernalia was found.
We called for the RCMP and asked for members downstairs. We moved what we could out of the water and noticed a blue bin that looked odd and out of place. As we started to move the bin, the lid came half off and a strong chemical smell wafted out. A quick look confirmed our fears; we sealed it up and bailed out. The RCMP were notified and an investigation began.
The fire was now out and RCMP would watch the house overnight while we got warrants for fire investigation and for the material found in the house. We have an excellent relationship with the RCMP so we formulated a plan and officers called K division in Edmonton to start lining up the drug team.
Saturday morning brought news that we would be investigating the fire as arson, and the RCMP would handle the drug investigation. We were asked to support a rapid intervention team for hazmat and the decon line and people. We have this training and equipment and were quick to help. While we set up and waited for the RCMP drug team to arrive, a strong northwest wind (45 kilometres per hour) picked up and, sure enough, a little bit of smoke started to rise from the attic space.
Rekindles are not my favourite, as they mark a job left undone. We were waiting for warrants and didn’t want to enter the house. We paged a firefighting crew in and tried everything in our power to extinguish the fire from the outside but it
Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service’s response to a fire at a single-family dwelling turns into a hazmat incident after firefighters find drug paraphernalia and containers of chemicals.
Jamie Coutts is the fire chief of Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service in Alberta. jamie@slavelake.ca @chiefcoutts
Lesser Slave Region Fire Service
• 1 regional fire chief
• 1 deputy chief, rural ops
• 1 deputy chief, life safety and training
• Maintenance officer
• Admin assistant
• 4-person FireSmart crew
• 110 volunteers
• 5 stations, plus search and rescue
• 5 frontline mini pumpers
• 4 tankers
• 1 heavy rescue
• 1 rescue pump
• 2 wildlland trucks
• 7 varied support vehicles
• 2 ladder trucks
• Tractor
• Skidsteer and mulched head
• Command trailer
• 2 UTV
• 1 ATV
• 1 marine unit
• 10,000 population, approx.
• 10,490 square kilometres
• 350 calls per year, on average
was stubborn and wouldn’t go out. The problem now was that we had to go in before things turned into another real issue for the homes on both sides. We were given permission to enter the upstairs only, to extinguish the fire, again.
Once the fire was out, and with warrants in hand, we could start the rest of the process. The fire investigation was handled by two investigators, and the RCMP drug team members entered the basement to gather their evidence. Our hazmat team members were on standby and helped where they could. What should have been a daylight operation quickly turned into a full-night operation – pitch black, - 7 C, and a dozen people who were trying to finish up. The RCMP members catalogued their evidence and packaged everything for shipping; we deconed them and helped to pack up.
I don’t really know what was in the basement and we were told it would take months of testing to determine if it was a small meth lab. As for the arson, it is under investigation and will move itself along. The neighbours in this area all knew something was up with the house, but when we pulled up I would have never thought that something such as this would happen in our little region. (I guess I should know better by now!)
Interestingly, the following Tuesday we had planned a crystal-meth training session with all our protective-service partners; 35 people were signed up for the classroom session and the live exercise. We went ahead with the training and everything we witnessed that Friday night makes great sense now. Our firefighters needed to get some training and understand the risks.
Whether you’re in a big city, small town, or an acreage in the middle of nowhere – all the same risks can apply with a small crystal meth lab.
When rescuing children in ice. There is a need for speed.
• MARSARS ice rescue sleds come pre-rigged, ready for immediate use
• Nearing a victim, empty sled becomes a self-rescue reaching device for victim that can assist in own rescue.
• Faster extraction by sled while minimizing risk of injury to both victim and rescuer.
low time line of “Two boys rescued from Hood Pond” incident takes place at Derry, New Hampshire ember 20th, 2014. Note: Within the first four minutes of immersion one boy struggles to stay afloat.
16:51 - Two Boys fall through soft 1” thick ice. Boy’s cry for help alerts bystander.
16:52 - 911 is called within first minute of boy’s immersion.
16:53 - Dispatch is made for Engine 4 that was returning to Station (3 man crew) Engine 4 immediately stops; ice rescue suit is retrieved and donned by firefighter en route
16:54 - Engine 4 responding
16:55 - Engine 4 on scene. Firefighters observe one immersed boy in the active phase of drowning. With tether line fastened to suit’s back, firefighter crawls 120’ atop/through weak ice and grabs both boys.
16:59 - Both Boys are pulled free from water.
The following article has been reprinted with permission of the New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester, NH
DERRY
–
press release
The 12-year-old boys had gone to Hood Park to play street hockey Thursday evening when they decided to venture into the 911 call, one boy was clinging to the ice while the other was rescue suit, reached the hole in the ice, the boy in the water was about 7 feet deep, the release saidgot wedged by the ice when the ice cut through and ripped open the back of the ice rescue suit, the release saidice and the back of his suit being ripped open during the resthe release said.
Modern Ice Rescue Equipment Minimizes Rescuer’s Risk Of Injury
Marsars file photo
The bel on Nov
EXPANDING OUR REACH THROUGH NEW MEDIA STRATEGY
The Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario is moving with the times to ensure we are an organization that remains relevant and supportive to our membership, building on a proud tradition and looking ahead to a strong future. Change is necessary.
One of the most important steps has been creating a new partnership with Annex Business Media. We are proud to have a home for our communications in the pages of Canadian Firefighter – a publication our membership enjoys – and a place r through which future members will learn about us too. Although this new relationship ends the FFAO’s independent publication, we believe Canadian Firefighter offers relevant information, feature stories and issues around education and r training that represent the values of our membership. Stay current with us here
Moving with the times with the help of local media expert Kelly Waterhouse, we’ve created a new user-friendly website, complete with a mobile-friendly format. Members have instant access to timely information, direct contacts to the resources that will support their needs, and the opportunity for fire departments to promote their fundraising and education events. From buying a membership to filling out executive nominations, booking a campsite for the 2016 convention, or finding out when we’re meeting again, it’s all online and accessible to everyone, any time.
Follow us on Twitter; get connected and stay in touch
While some things needed to change, the FFAO knows our roots are in the community of firefighters we serve. While we all work hard, we like to play hard too. But we’re at our best we can do both. Thus, a highlight for the FFAO is the annual convention.
The 2015 convention, hosted by the Wainfleet Fire Department, was a great success. From education and training opportunities to the meetings and trade show, we packed a lot into this week-long gathering. The social events, camping and family friendly atmosphere make this convention an opportunity for firefighters of all ages and stages to come together as a community. The firefighter games created some friendly competition and the children’s activities made the experience something everyone could enjoy.
We thank the Wainfleet crew, not only for hosting us in 2015, but for doing such a fine job that we’re heading back there this year. Don’t miss out. We’ve planned a two-day bus extrication course offered by Code 4, and are working with Spartan Rescue for a full week of specialty training.
Our new FFAO executive is working hard to ensure we stay true to our roots, continue to forge ahead by staying relevant and offering our membership benefits and services that support them, and their families. We offer experience and knowledge with issues such as the section 21 committee and presumptive legislation. We can offer assistance with WSIB claims, and difficult issues such as line-of-duty deaths, and other benefits that families may not know about, to which they are entitled in the case of injury or tragedy. The FFAO executive is here to help and will advocate on your behalf
Honouring our past is an important part of the FFAO’s mandate, and we actively participate in several memorial services each year, including the memorial parade and service in Ottawa, and the annual gathering at the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst. Please consider joining us there on Saturday, June 25, when we honour our fallen
Throughout the year, our quarterly meetings are structured to offer professional speakers from various trades within the fire service to educate our membership on issues relevant to our work, education and safety standard. We are always working to improve our programs and provide current courses that will benefit firefighters. The only way to be the best is to learn from the best.
Over the next year, we will be increasing membership benefits, planning ahead for education and training, and looking for ways to keep the current membership engaged while welcoming new members.
As the FFAO looks to the future, we welcome new members, be it individuals, fire departments or businesses who understand the value of continuing an organization that has proudly been a part of the fire service in this province for over 100 years. Consider being a part of our tradition.
Chris Karpinchick President, Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario
HOW TO FIND US
> On the web: ffao.on.ca
>By email president@ffao.on.ca
>On Twitter @joinffao
>2016 annual convention Hosted by Wainfleet Fire Department July 25-Aug. 1
CONVENTION UPDATE
O) ssociation of Ontario (FFAO) ) convention returns to Wainfleet in August and nd o Augu members of the Wainfleet Fire Department ne need eet Fire ed our support. Come out and enjoy yourselves. It’s enjoyyourselvesIt’’s our convention, it ’s our training, it ’s our games. It’s our time to meet up with old and new friends.
In 2015, we were welcomed by Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs and Niagara Region councillor Alan Castleman, as well as Fire Chief Harr y Flagg.
Brock Township firefighter Jackie Mussel brought greetings from Fire Service Women of O ntario. I would like to quote Jackie on an important message: “Women are unquestionably newer and fewer to the fire service, and yet we stand ready to proudly and competently support fire departments, chiefs and firefighters to help integrate all of these capable and dedicated individuals into the frontline roles of protecting and serving our public.”
FFAO ambassador Tiffany Lensilink brought greetings, as did the president of the Wainfleet Firefighters’ Association, Gord Davies.
David Conner was the speaker for the education portion of the event. Connor, a district chief with Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services, who spearheaded the department’s peer team, discussed mental-health issues among firefighters, including PTSD. The presentation was excellent, with a lot of food for thought.
The Wainfleet firefighters will use the same excellent venue for the 2016 convention. We will be on the level baseball diamonds and soccer fields. Mayor Jeffs said we did an exceptional job protecting the grounds and sports fields for the kids in the community who use this space daily, and thus has welcomed us back for 2016. Everything will be on site . . . the training,
education, hospitality night, trade show and the games. Come out and enjoy your convention.
The 2016 convention is going to be bigger and better. Be there. Bring a friend. Enjoy
We are looking for a host department for 2017; Seaforth had to move the convention back a year due to a conflict with a local festival, so we are looking for a fire department with space to host this great event. Let us know if you can help Tentatively the future conventions look like this:
2017 – OPEN
2018 – Seaforth
2019 – Mount Forest
2020 – OPEN
2021 – OPEN
If your department would like to host a convention please contact me at convention@ ffao.on.c a
> John Payne, convention chair
SOCIATION AIMS ASSO MS OOST MEMBERSHIP O BO TO
n is a flourishing Our association is ant organization and and vibrant or we will make our presence wewill known through our new website, ffao.on.ca.
Since the annual general meeting in August, members of the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario (FFAO) board have been very busy organizing and reorganizing all the old and new board positions. We have provided all board members’ contact information under the About Us tab on the site and we encourage you to contact any member if you have any questions or concerns.
If you’re interested in giving back to the fire service, consider running for an office on the executive this year. You can make a difference
We are looking to expand our membership and grow our association. We’ve proudly been a part of the Ontario fire-services community for more than 100 years. Be a part of the tradition.
I invite you to learn more about us at ffao.on.ca and follow us on Twitter @ joinFFAO
> John Payne, board chair
C LARITY F O R 2016 FIREFI G HTER G AME S
I learned a lot running the games and I apologize for any problems. The 2016 games will be run by the FFAO rules and guidelines
I am in the process of putting all the rules and layouts in simple form on signs that will be posted at the games so that there is no misunderstanding about what’s expected at each event
I would like to thank everyone who helped me run the games. There are too many names to remember, but you know who you are, and I appreciate your support. Special thanks to Dave Thompson, Rob Timmson and Ted Lucas of the Niagara District Fire Fighters Association for judging the games
Congratulations to everyone who took part.
We also ran a successful game day for the children, which went over really well; every child who participated won a prize. Grand Valley set up its children’s wate ball, which was a blast for everyone.
I would also like to thank Christine Willick and Brandon and Brittany Keller from Wainfleet for all their help.
Extra special thanks to co-chair Beckers Devris; without her help in setting a these events up, this would have been impossible to manage. Thank you so muc > Steve Pandur, games chair
EXECUTIVE
President: Chris Karpinchick (Karpy)
Past president: Dave Carruthers
1st vice-president: vacant
2nd vice-president: Ron King
Secretar y: Veronda Brydges
Treasurer: Gilles Boisvert
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair: John Payne
Director: William S. Burns
Director: Brad Patton
Director: Dennis Thain
Director: Marion Kuiper-Lampman
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Credentials: Karen Brooks
Convention: John Payne
Fire prevention & education: Shawna Wyant
Fire services society: Marion Kuiper-Lampman
Games and competitions: Steve Pandur
Laws and legislation: Wayne Nie
Membership: Bevin Brooks
Occupational health and safety: Jeri Ottley, Jonathan Karn
Padre: Rev. Stephen Berryman
Sergeant at arms/regalia: John Uptegrove
Training: Shawna Wyant
Ways and means: Linda Carruthers
BOARD AT WORK FOR YOU
When you become a member of the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario (FFAO), your voice is heard by our executive. The FFAO will put your ideas into action, and if you have questions or concerns about issues related to fire fighting, we will work to help you get the answers you need
We are always working to get special discounts on products and services that benefit our members and their families Our newsletter now comes right to your doorstep, in this magazine. You are invited to quarterly meetings to listen to professionals from various trades and businesses, and from different fire departments who may help you become a better firefighter or improve the health and safety of your entire station
We have executive members on the Ontario fire-service advisory committee under section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, who work with WSIB and who have health-and-safety training. These members can offer help with difficult issues such as line-of-duty deaths
Memberships are available for fire departments, fire stations or individuals, fire-service related corporations or industries, and municipal, provincial and federal governments. An individual membership is just $50 per year. Fire departments can join for $50 per station, per year. Associate membership is just $200 a year and a website sponsor is $200 a year.
If you are interested in a membership or have any questions about becoming a member, please do not hesitate to contact me.
We hope you’ll join us
> Bevin Brooks, membership chair
CONSID COONSIDER RUNNIN RUNNING FOR OFFICE
We had a very successful convention in Wainfleet in August and I am certainly looking forward to an even better performance this summer.
With that in mind, it is time to start thinking of nominations for the next term of office so we can ensure that we continue to move forward with the goals of the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario.
Nomination forms for the next term of office are available on our website, ffao.on.ca. If you or a friend are considering stepping forward to volunteer your services, now is the time.
Remember it is your association and it is up to the members to keep the FFAO strong and vibrant.
> Dave Carruthers, immediate past president
REMEMBERING
THE FALLEN
The memorial parade and service at the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst in June was a great success thanks to the support from the OFC, King Township honour guard and various chapters of the Red Knights. We hope to see you all this year, on Saturday, June 25.
The memorial parade and service held at the FFAO convention in Wainfleet also had a good turn out. The event was officiated by our padre, Rev. Stephen Berryman. I know most of the membership stayed the weekend, not wanting to miss the parade and service to our departed
In September, I attended the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation memorial parade in Ottawa. First, I attended the Ottawa Fire Department service and parade for its fallen members on the Friday. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Sunday was the national event, and although we all got drenched in the rain, it did not deter us from paying our respects to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and to the families they left behind.
On Oct. 2 and 3, I attended the funeral of acting Capt. John Kovacs, of the Tillsonburg Fire Department.
The Ontario memorial parade and service that was to be held on Oct. 4, 2015, was cancelled due to construction around the site at Queen’s Park. Due to safety reasons, the organizing committee deemed it fit to honour the names of those departed at a ceremony next year. I will post that date when it is confirmed.
I would like all of you to consider attending some of these memorials as they are a special time to remember and honour those with whom we have worked and those who have made the fire service what it is today.
For more details contact me at memorial@ffao.on.ca
> Dennis Thain, director and memorial chair
NAVI G ATIN G THE HEALTH-AND- S AFETY PR OC E SS
As I was driving home from another funeral for a firefighter struck down by cancer, I could not get something out of my mind: it was a conversation I had while standing outside the church before the funeral service was to begin for acting Capt. John Kovacs of the Tillsonburg Fire Department. A woman approached me. She was confused as to why Captain Kovacs’ passing due to cancer was being reported as a line-of-duty death. I responded with a phrase that I had heard at another funeral: “He did not die in a fire. He died because he was at the fires.” This seemed to clear it up for her but still left a nagging sadness in my heart.
The difficult thing to grasp about cancer is that the disease hits us years after we have been exposed to hazardous situations, and the accumulated effects of those exposures continue throughout a firefighter’s career. In the past we took of our packs off as soon as we could and I shudder to think what we breathed in when doing overhaul. Today, the only advice I can give my fellow firefighters is to always wear air packs or respirators when we are in contact with any possible off gases. When you think about it, that makes a lot of sense even if it is uncomfortable. Also educate yourselves about the chemicals and carcinogens to which we are being exposed and how to
deal with them safely. Start with the guidance notes of the Ontario fire-service advisory committee under section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and your own department’s SOPs. Learn how to minimize the dangers.
One last thought: at the point of being diagnosed with a type of cancer, a firefighter and his or her family are overwhelmed. It is devastating news. Then, the families tries to deal with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) on top of everything else. The presumptive legislation that has been put in place makes this process a lot easier but does not make it automatic. Also, there are a number of other benefits that families may have to ask for that may not be offered up front, unless the family knows to ask for them. Anybody who has ever had to deal with the WSIB knows it seems to speak a different language. This makes it difficult to understand what is needed to speed the process along. The adjudicators at WSIB are not trying to put something over on you; they just have to work within a bureaucracy that can be frustrating at best. That is where I can help. I have a working knowledge of “comp-eeze.” Please feel free to contact me with your questions. I can guide you through the process and advocate on behalf of our members.
> Jeri Ottley, health and safety chair
HELP THE FFAO SPREAD FIREFIGHTER-SAFETY MESSAGE
I am the communication chair for the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario (FFAO), focused on our organization’s information exchange via our quarterly publication in Canadian Firefighter and through our new website, ffao.on.ca r
I started in the fire service in 1983 when I joined the Flamborough Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. By 1997 I was the deputy chief. When amalgamation transformed communities, I became an area commander for Hamilton Fire Department. For the last 12-plus years I have been fortunate to be the fire chief for Centre Wellington Fire & Rescue.
Somewhere along my way in the fire service I had forgotten my roots. I have been full time since 1990. I was an active member of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) for more than 15 years and also a part of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC). It was at meetings for these organizations that I heard the FFAO was still around and active. Despite being a life member, it had been years since I attended an FFAO convention or a general meeting.
In 2015 the FFAO approached me to sit as its representative on the Ontario fire-service advisor y committee under section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. After some thought I felt I owed the fire service and the more than 20,000 volunteer firefighters in Ontario a debt for this career. The health and safety of firefighters has always been a primary concern of mine. However, a last-minute change meant I could not represent the FFAO on the committee.
I thought my good deed had come to an end before it started, but I was then asked to sit on the board of directors and assist the FFAO in creating a new media strategy.
Media relations is not only necessary for the fire service in public education and safety messaging, but also in terms of legal accountability, resource sharing and learning how to work with media partners.
When I thought about media for the FFAO, I wanted to ensure we had a strategy that made our members feel connected – to the executive, to our partners and to one another.
Well, here we are – a new publisher, new website, new Twitter feed, a Facebook page and a lot of new “friends.”
Since my introduction to the board, I have spent countless hours attending meetings, working with the executive reaching out over the phone or via email, and working as part of a dynamic team. It struck me that these people are true volunteers. The FFAO has no big expense accounts; many of my fellow executive members have full-time jobs, as well as actively volunteering as firefighters in their own communities.
These people donate their time and a great deal of effort to make life better for firefighters who are active members of the FFAO. They represent firefighters on provincial committees, they work with the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management on special projects, and they work on firefighter memorial services. They partner with the OAFC, the CAFC, the Ministry of Labour and the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters’ Association. If there is a group that is working for the betterment of firefighters, the FFAO is always willing to help however it can.
The FFAO has a proud history that dates back to Aug. 29, 1899, when the inaugural meeting of The Volunteer Firemen’s Association of Ontario was held in Toronto. This was the beginning of our association
Changes came on Aug. 2, 1909, in Paris, Ont., when membership was made available to all volunteer, fully paid, partly paid, exempt and veteran firefighters. With an increased membership, we adopted the new name of The Firemen’s Association of Ontario
On July 23, 1910, Letters of Patent were granted to the association. The first constitution and bylaws were adopted at a meeting in Welland on Aug. 2,1910
By 1963, to reflect the changes in the membership and the occupation itself, we adopted the name The Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario
It’s a new era in fire fighting; rules, laws, and safety standards have changed. Our organization has evolved but our mandate remains clear. The FFAO executive and its members have been, and will continue to actively participate, on provincial committees dealing with equipment standards, occupational health and safety, firefighter training and legislation.
Please check out our website at ffao.on.ca. Follow us on Twitter @joinFFAO and help spread the word
But above all, I ask you to consider becoming an active member of the FFAO. Have your voice heard. Share your knowledge and experience. In the fire service, we know the power of teamwork and dedication. Help us make the fire service better and safer for all involved, so everybody gets home safely
Brad Patton Director and communications chair
At their core, these people donate their time and a great deal of effort to make life better for firefighters who are active members of the FFAO.
Back to basics
By Mark van der Feyst
Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1999 and is a full-time firefighter in Ontario. He teaches in Canada, the United States and India and is the lead author of Residential Fire Rescue. Mark@FireStarTraining.com
Eliminate firefighter complacency
For the past eight years, this column has explored the rapid intervention team (RIT) and the many aspects of that important fire-ground assignment. As we begin a new year, I want to turn our attention from rescuing other firefighters to rescuing ourselves.
A key training element for RIT firefighters is self-rescue. Firefighter survival is all about being able to recognize your need for help and then get out of danger by doing something unorthodox in terms of operational practices, thereby saving your life.
In order to properly examine the topic of survival, firefighters must first understand why there is a need to know self-rescue. As tough as it is to hear, complacency is often the reason firefighters are forced to use self-rescue skills. Complacency kills.
It is during everyday responses that firefighters can develop good habits.
Danger is inherent when a firefighter becomes lazy and begins to cut corners, circumventing certain operational steps to complete a task. Complacency can be the result of the repetitive nature of a firefighter’s job. Doing the same task all the time becomes monotonous. Responding to the same address for the same type of call all the time can wear down a firefighter’s resolve to fight laziness.
Firefighters who always donned their personal protective equipment (PPE) including SCBAs when responding to alarm bells ringing, an automatic fire-alarm activation or for a report of a smoke alarm going off in someone’s home, begin to don just parts of their PPE or leave the SCBAs in the truck when going in to investigate – this is complacency.
Firefighters are also complacent when they do not wear their PPE properly –
Firefighters develop good habits during everyday calls – wearing the proper PPE with all the buckles and straps done up, carrying the right tools for the type of call and communicating.
SCBA waist straps hanging down or helmet chin straps undone and instead wrapped around the back brims of helmets – or their flash hoods when conducting overhaul or fighting car fires.
So how does complacency kill? How do short cuts lead to a firefighter’s death? Unsafe decisions don’t happen all at once – rather they are made over a period of time. Each time a firefighter chooses the easy, unsafe way, think of it as a single domino lining up. The tones go off for an
automatic alarm and a firefighter responds wearing only his structural pants and jacket. He leaves the SCBA in the truck and goes in to investigate, because he has been to that address numerous times and did the same thing; nothing happens and he returns to the station. Later on in his shift or on a different shift, he goes back again, and again nothing happens. The firefighter continues to leave his SCBA in the truck; each response is like a little domino lining up.
Carrying hand tools such as a Haligan and flat-head axe will help firefighters to survive and save themselves should the need arise; don’t leave them in the truck.
One day one domino is going to tip over and begin to collapse the other ones. It is on this day that the firefighter responds to the same address for the same call and there is smoke and fire – this is a real call and he is caught off guard. This is how complacency kills.
The same thing can be said about bringing the proper equipment on certain types of calls – hand tools, for example. How often do firefighters respond to a structural fire call or for an automatic alarm and fail to bring with them a set of hand tools? Instead the firefighters leave the tools in the truck and go back to retrieve them only when necessary. But what happens when firefighters are caught off guard and their lives depend on having that flat-head axe, or Haligan or a roof hook or a thermal imaging camera?
Repeating the same inci-
dents and following a certain regimen for particular calls can become tiresome. It is not fun to carry a set of hand tools at 2 a.m. while walking through an empty church because the alarm was activated – but having the tools with you is going to help you to survive and save yourself in an emergency.
It is during everyday responses that firefighters can develop good habits. Good habits are the first step to firefighter survival: repetition shapes muscle memory so that certain safe practices become the normal, accepted way of doing things.
Firefighters should begin to remove or reduce the number of dominos that can line up and eventually put them in a situation in which their lives are in danger. Eliminate the dominos by developing good habits and avoiding the complacency factor.
Fight complacency by having firefighters train with all the required tools for each scenario. Repetition builds muscle memory so that certain safe practices become the normal, accepted way of doing things.
Extrication tips
By Randy Schmitz
Randy Schmitz is a Calgary firefighter extensively involved in the extrication field. He is the education chair for the Transport Emergency Rescue Committee in Canada. rwschmitz@shaw.ca @firedog7
Preserving collision scenes
Firefighters responding to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) rarely think about scene preservation. The No. 1 concern for first responders is to get to the scene as safely as possible and to gather relevant information from dispatch while en route to help determine what actions are required by rescuers.
However, every significant MVC is potentially a crime scene, therefore it is essential that evidence can be collected. Preserving evidence is often difficult at large incidents because the first priority of emergency services is to save lives and take care of casualties. Inevitably, establishing control posts, rescuing and treating casualties, and taking steps to prevent escalation of the incident disturbs the ground at the immediate site of the incident. To prevent unnecessary destruction of evidence, incidents must be co-ordinated to protect scenes.
Traffic-collision investigators jokingly refer to first responders as evidence-eradication teams. Crucial evidence from MVC scenes is often moved or destroyed by either emergency medical personnel or firefighters who are simply performing their jobs as they have been trained to do. First responders should be aware of what is involved with traffic-collision investigations in order to, when possible, preserve evidence at crime scenes.
Traffic investigators often arrive at the scene when emergency-response crews are in cleanup mode, well after they have finished the job. Post-incident cleanup is one of the most crucial periods during which to preserve evidence. First responders can be great resources
to traffic investigators by identifying the initial positions of patients in vehicles, seatbelt use, road and weather conditions, and providing details about how the scene was found and what was moved. With data from the rescuers, investigators can document the original position of physical evidence.
Scene preservation for evidence collection is needed to:
Each firefighter’s conclusions must be centred on the facts and statements gathered, heard and known to be true.
• Ensure that any evidence is not contaminated. Physical evidence must be protected from accidental or intentional alteration from the time it is first discovered to its ultimate disposition at the conclusion of an investigation;
• Help in establishing the cause of an incident;
• Gather information to prevent a further incident from occurring;
• Accurately identify and assess the damage attributable to the incident.
Evidence is gathered in variety of ways, including photographs, videos, forensics and witness statements.
There are two principle types of errors that damage scenes under investigation: commission and omission.
Errors of commission: occur when emergency personnel destroy existing evidence or add evidence. Examples are:
• Smearing fingerprints on the steering wheel, seatbelts, inner-door handles
• Stepping on evidence of skid marks, alcohol containers
• Adding your own fingerprints on the steering wheel, inner-door handles
• Rearranging the scene, such as picking up a cell phone from the floor of the vehicle
Errors of omission: occur when personnel fail to recognize evidence. Examples are:
• Failure to notice odours
• Failure to listen to occupants or persons standing near the scene discussing the event
• Failure to take efforts to protect existing evidence that may otherwise be destroyed
• Failure to notice unusual actions or behaviours
Most of these types of errors are unintentional, but they still complicate the investigation. First responders should be aware of the problems commonly found at scenes and the needs of the investigating officers to help to prevent some of these difficulties. When should first responders expect an MVC investigation? According to protocols, MVC investigations will occur when death or serious injury is expected, imminent or known to exist, someone has fled the scene and injury or death has occurred, an involved driver is believed to be intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the incident is major and
Crucial evidence from multi-vehicle collision scenes is often moved or destroyed by either emergency medical personnel or firefighters who are simply performing their jobs.
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Extrication tips
of an unusual nature (coach bus, school bus, train), or the collision involves hazardous materials.
First-arriving crews should:
• Make mental notes about the scene upon arrival.
• Take note of weather conditions, heat, cold, light dark/dusk, smells, noise.
• Make a note or inform an investigator if you need to move something such as a vehicle or pole and include it in the report.
• Move vehicles and debris only if a real potential danger exists.
• Disturb the scene as little as possible.
• Take photos or have a higher-ranking officer take photos as the scene or situation progresses if your
department policy allows (always follow your department’s procedure for photography at scene!)
• Take photos if things must be moved and investigators are not yet on scene.
• Leave all bodies and body parts as found if possible. If bodies need to be moved to gain access to live patients, make a mental note as to the location and relay that information to the investigating officer, and included in your witness statement and fire report.
• Cordon off the affected area and limit access (when it is safe to do so).
• Do their best to preserve the integrity of evidence. Physical evidence can be very fragile; objects can be
easily broken, misplaced, removed, cleaned up, destroyed and distorted.
• Preserve the scene until it has been photographed and recorded. Do not spread sand or hose down the road until after the scene is examined.
The condition or appearance of seatbelts is also critical information for an investigator because it can reveal facts about high-speed collisions (less so for low-speed collisions). If a seatbelt is cut it is a good indicator that it was worn during the collision. However, if a person was ejected it may suggest that the belt was not worn. If rescuers cut the belt, crucial information such as blood, hair, dirt or glass can be hidden as the belt recoils back into the spool. Bruising on the patient’s shoulder
Extrication tips
closest to the door side is an indication of seatbelt use. Depending on the severity of the collision forces, a deformed steering wheel may indicate that the driver was not wearing a belt. Note that if the seatbelt pretensioners were activated during the collision, the belt will not recoil. Burst threads or fibres on the belt indicate it was under load and possibly stretched. Even the floor-mounting plates that attach the lower belt sections to the vehicle could be deformed from severe force during the collision. Other signs of seatbelt use or non-use can be verified if there has been occupant impact within the vehicle; for example, hair stuck in the plastic trim on an upper A/B pillar or dash area may suggest a person was not wearing a seatbelt during a roll-over.
If rescuers use their tools in any of these
areas in order to extricate a patient the metal could be distorted and evidence destroyed. If possible, the investigator should be made aware of any observed evidence. A good rule of thumb for an extrication officer is to designate dedicated debris piles of dismantled vehicle parts for each vehicle involved, facing upward to preserve crucial evidence.
Rescuers may often decide to move a vehicle from its original position to reduce extrication time or to gain access to critical patients. The officer in charge should make this decision. After a vehicle is moved, mark the former positions of the wheels on the ground if possible.
Tire-pressure monitoring systems –Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138 – are mandatory on all new cars sold in the United States and while they are not required in Canada,
most late-model vehicles have them. If a rescuer lets the air out of the vehicle’s tires, let the investigator know this was done intentionally for rescuer/patient safety and not as a result of the incident. Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, tire-pressure monitoring in late models will help determine tire inflation or blowout, which is recorded in the vehicle’s event data recorder (EDR) –also referred to as the black box.
An EDR is a device that records technical information about the occupants and the actual vehicle for a brief period of time prior, during and after a crash, typically for a few seconds. Crash data is hard written in an EDR, meaning once it is recorded it can’t be erased, even if the battery is disconnected after the crash. However, rescuers with hydraulic tools can inadvertently crush the box, which
can make it more difficult to access the information stored inside. Rescuers must do their best to avoid damaging the EDR and protect the crucial evidence. With crash data, an accident reconstructionist can determine facts about the cause. (Watch for more on EDRs in a future column.)
After the extrication, the officer in charge should stop unwanted visitors from entering the cordoned-off areas. If extraneous people do have to enter the scene (i.e. tow-truck operators), make sure they are escorted to prevent them from inadvertently destroying any valuable evidence.
Emergency personnel have a responsibility to properly record all of the facts surrounding a crash/incident. As difficult as it may be, firefighters must do their best to emotionally detach them-
selves so that reports of the incident are rational and accurate interpretations of the events. Each firefighter’s conclusions must be centred on the facts and statements gathered, heard and known to be true. For example, if I’m rendering medical care to a patient, part of my initial assessment is to establish level of consciousness. If my patient smells of alcohol and shows signs of intoxication I would need to ask certain questions to establish this fact. I cannot assume that just because I smell alcohol on the person or in the vehicle that they are indeed under the influence of alcohol. I must ask the patient if he or she have been drinking alcohol and how much had been consumed in the last couple of hours. If the patient confirms that he or she consumed alcohol, only then can I state that in my report as fact rather than
an assumption. I can write, “The patient admitted to drinking alcohol,” or, “Patient had slurred speech, blood shot eyes and his breath smelled of an alcohol-like odour.” Both statements are facts and not conclusions.
Traffic crashes are not accidents, but are avoidable events caused by a single variable or chain of variables. When an investigation is complete and the cause has been determined, anyone found guilty of causing the collision can be prosecuted. Investigations do not only apportion blame; from a rescuer standpoint, they can also highlight the need for improvements to road and vehicle safety to help prevent collisions. The goal of rescuers should be to assist traffic investigators in reducing traffic injuries and fatalities by addressing the factors that cause them.
Recipe rescue
By Patrick Mathieu
Patrick Mathieu is an acting captain at Waterloo Fire Rescue in Ontario. He was recently featured on Food Network’s Chopped Canada. stationhousecateringco@ yahoo.ca @StationHouseCCo
Get cracking for your health
There are very few ingredients in the cooking world that have the versatility, mass appeal, and recipe variation as the incredible edible egg (thanks for that one, Canadian Egg Farmers!).
As one of nature’s most nutritious foods, the humble egg that was once reserved for early morning sunny-side up has hatched into one of the biggest trends in food today. From haute cuisine fine dining to beachside burger shacks, you will now find eggs on menus worldwide for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and for every course – appetizer through dessert. Eggs are everywhere!
It is easy to understand why there are entire cookbooks dedicated to egg preparation; eggs are delicious, inexpensive and there is no limit to the ways in which they can be prepared. As a bonus, eggs are also highly nutritious. Did you know that one little egg has just 70 calories, contains six grams of muscle-building and energizing protein, and provides 14 nutrients that benefit bones, teeth, skin and eyes? And, just so you know, brown and white eggs have the same nutritional value.
Eggs suffered a bad rap because of links to dietary cholesterol and coronary heart disease, but recent research shows healthy adults can enjoy an egg daily without increasing the risk of heart disease. Actually, the lutein found in egg yolks also protects against the progress of early heart disease.
Eggs are on top of the food world, delicious and nutritious, so let’s go over the many different ways to cook them like a pro in the fire house or at home.
• Cooked in the shell – yes, I’m referring to boiling eggs, however, eggs cooked in their shell should never be boiled, rather simmered for the best results. Place enough water in a pot to completely submerge eggs and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a simmer and gently lower in your eggs with a slotted spoon or spider to not crack them. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and do not allow the water to
5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Frisée, torn into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 eggs
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Drain off all but three tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan and add lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper. While whisking slowly, drizzle in oil until vinaigrette is emulsified. In a large salad bowl toss the fris<1>é</1>e with the vinaigrette and reserved bacon and divide between four plates.
2. Boil water in a saucepan and add the vinegar. Reduce heat to medium and crack eggs, one at a time into a glass or bowl and slide into water. Cook until whites are set, about three minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide eggs between plates; garnish with more black pepper.
Enjoy!
come to a boil. Start the cooking time once the water reaches its simmer; five to seven minutes for soft/medium cooked, 10 to 12 minutes for hard cooked. Rinse eggs under cold running water to cool, although if you have prepared hard-cooked eggs they are much easier to peel while still warm. Serve as a garnish for salads or vegetables, prepare deviled eggs for a classic hors d’oeuvre (recipe follows), or keep a batch of hard-cooked eggs on standby for a little protein bomb on the go.
• Poaching – poach eggs by slipping
10 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp Boursin soft cheese, at room temperature
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp minced shallot
2 tsp snipped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of smoked paprika
About 10 thin slices of deli country maple ham, torn into 20 pieces
1. Submerge eggs with water in a pot and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain the simmer; do not allow it to come to a boil. Start the cooking time once the water reaches its simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes for hard cooked. Peel eggs and set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Boursin cheese, mustard, shallot and one teaspoon of the chives. Halve the eggs lengthwise, scoop out the yolks and add them to the bowl. Mix until smooth and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
3. Scrape the egg yolk mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe the filling into the whites or carefully spoon the filling into the egg whites. Top each egg with a piece of ham. Enjoy!
shelled eggs into barely simmering water with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt and cooking gently until the egg holds it shape, about three to four minutes. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the eggs and blot them with a paper towel to dry. Poached eggs are famous in eggs benedict, Florentine or on top of corned-beef hash, but now they have become hugely popular as the topper to salads (Lyonnais salad recipe follows), burgers (my favourite!), pizzas and pretty much anything that would benefit from a rich and creamy egg
Deviled eggs with maple ham
Classic Lyonnais salad
Diversifying
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Recipe rescue
yolk. Also try different poaching liquids such as broth, wine, cream or even tomato sauce to experience new flavours.
• Frying – it sounds easy enough, but if you fry a perfectly fresh egg, on the correct heat level, in the right amount of fat, you will notice the difference. For best results use a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Heat a teaspoon of fat – such as clarified butter, oil, infused oils or rendered bacon fat (the best!) – per two eggs. Allow the fat to become hot, crack the eggs into a cup and then slide them into the pan. Keep the heat at medium and cook until desired doneness, seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Properly fried eggs should have shiny, tender and fully set whites that are not blistered or browned. The yolk is up to you – cook sunny-side up, or give the eggs one flip and another 30 seconds for over easy. Fried eggs are a breakfast or sandwich staple but try them in hearty main dishes such as the famous Mexican huevos rancheros.
• Scrambling and omelets – Scrambled eggs can be made two ways for either large or small curds. Start with a nonstick pan and teaspoon of fat over medium heat. For a single portion, beat three eggs and add a dash of cream and season with salt and pepper. Either stir constantly over low heat for a delicate curd and creamy texture, or stir less frequently over high heat for a firm texture and larger curd. Introduce an array of flavours and textures with any variety of garnishes such as spices, fresh herbs, grated cheese, meats and vegetables. Scrambled eggs are the perfect medium for experimenting with different flavour and spice combinations from around the world. Omelet preparation begins much the same as scrambled eggs but as the eggs start to set they are simply rolled over. Again, the sky is the limit for flavours and textures. Any of the garnishes listed above can be added before rolling the omelet, or served on top.
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic; 1 chopped, 1 smashed
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp ground cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 415-mililitre can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp unsalted butter or rendered bacon fat
6 large eggs
6 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed 1/2 cup cojita, queso fresco, or shredded pepper-jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add two teaspoons of olive oil. Add the tomato, onion, jalapeno and chopped garlic to the skillet. Fry until the salsa thickens slightly, about five minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add the beans to the same pan along with the smashed garlic, 1/2 cup warm water and a pinch of salt; cook over low heat until warmed through and slightly mash them up with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter or bacon fat in another skillet over medium/low heat. Once the butter starts to foam, slide in the eggs and fry until the whites just set and the yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place a warm tortilla on each plate and divide the beans among them. Top each tortilla with a fried egg, salsa and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro, avocado slices and serve with another drizzle of salsa. Enjoy!
These four methods of cooking eggs are just the tip of the iceberg; I haven’t even touched soufflés, quiches or custards yet (but I did include a recipe for you). Eggs offer so many countless recipe variations that far exceed breakfast. Master these four egg techniques and be creative and you will soon find yourself putting nature’s little super food on just about everything as well. Get cracking with these recipes!
Huevos rancheros
From the floor
By Jay Shaw
Redefining toughness
Sometimes I feel as though I should have been a firefighter in the ’70s when firemen were firemen and we rode on the apparatus tailboards, our senior officers were one generation removed from the war, and folks appeared to be just a whole bunch tougher. These were the times when you were told to suck it up, quit your complaining, and “Take it like a man.” When veteran firefighters tell stories about what it was like to be on the job back then, I am so proud of our history and a little fearful for our future if we don’t start to understand just where we are going.
I truly believe the fire service has changed for the better over the years and that the progress we have made is revolutionary. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want to go back if it means disrespecting our new traditions or eliminating equality in the fire service. I just sometimes feel we’ve lost some of our moxy and bravado. We still have ties to the foundational para-military roots that are at the core of our service. But with all this softening and erosion of our old-school values I can’t help but wonder if we are tough enough to fight fire any longer or do the dirty work that is the staple of our blue-collar existence.
My boss sent me to a non fire-service conference recently to learn about information governance – basically aligning data management with other agencies. During the session a delegate sitting at the table of eight with me pulled out a colouring book. That’s right, a colouring book – mid session, while the presenter was engaging us about how to protect and secure our data in a manner that is more organized and relevant. I was completely floored. Pencil crayons started to appear along with a sharpener. The delegate looked up every once in a while to sneak a peek at the PowerPoint slide, then returned to sharpening the aqua blue and rose red crayons. Slowly, an image of a flower started to appear on paper in front of me. I was having a hard time concentrating on what I was being paid to learn because of
this individual’s steadfast determination to colour. While we were on a session break I returned early to the table with my coffee and saw that the colouring book was a de-stressing workbook.
I chuckled to myself as I pictured a fire officer yelling for water, only to find the pump operator curled up in the cab of the rig colouring because the job was too stressful – fire all around, the commander shouting out orders, hose teams struggling with low pressure, all while the driver operator is sharpening his deep-purple crayon in order to draw and blend the colours of a perfect sunset. What in the heck is happening to us?
I couldn’t wait to tell my daughter, who is taking a first-year university psychology course while still attending high school. I’m very proud of her; she is tough, strongwilled, and has a heart the size of Texas. When I informed her of what I had witnessed she told me, without hesitation, that what I saw was completely healthy and normal. In fact she said, “Dad, you should be more tolerant and accepting of those who use colouring mandalas for de-stressing.”
“What did you just say?” I asked. “You’ve
heard about this? You support this?”
After a healthy discussion about all things psychology – and my own ability to relate emergency services issues to the common theme of mental health awareness and my support of our fire, EMS, police and military workers who have suffered very real ailments – I could completely see and agree with her.
Society, and our profession isn’t that weak after all; in fact, in many ways we are braver and tougher than ever before. How brave do you have to be to say you’re in pain? How much torture do you have to take before you ask for help? I don’t have all the answers, but I can tell you that I will learn, grow and continue to refine and shape my views about how we should move ahead in the emergency services.
Skills that were needed in the ’70s have changed. While there will always be a need for toughness, how we define, support, recruit, and develop strength at the core level of our service is more important now than ever before. Making sure that we take those steps will be the toughest thing we’ve ever had to do.
Jay Shaw is a firefighter and primary-care paramedic with the City of Winnipeg, and an independent consultant focused on leadership, management, emergency preparedness and communication skills. jayshaw@mts.net @firecollege
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