Find out by enrolling today and train where firefighters learn from the best. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s state-of-the-art Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI) offers hands-on training courses ranging from basic fire extinguisher to NFPA firefighter level I and II as well as a variety of rescue programs. Clients from across the globe in search of top quality instruction make FESTI their first choice for their emergency response training needs.
is a fun time of year in my job. Provincial and regional fire chiefs’ associations hold trade shows and conferences and I get out to talk in person with people who have been at the other end of phone lines and e-mail strings over the cold, isolating Canadian winter. And while there are many traits shared by members of the fire service regardless of where they are, two stay front of mind for me.
First, Canadians are enormously lucky to be served by the dedicated men and women in the fire services across Canada.
And second, these people are increasingly making do with old and failing equipment; fighting an uphill battle in making the case for more money.
It is, simply put, a travesty.
A recent survey by the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs suggests some 68 per cent – about seven of every 10 – fire departments in Canada’s largest province are using personal protective gear that is sometimes more than 10 years old and no longer in compliance with NFPA standards. The same survey also showed 42 per cent of Ontario’s 2,654 fire trucks in service are more than 15 years old, and again, do not comply with NFPA standards. One in every six fire trucks is more than 20 years old.
On this, Ontario is not unique.
If I have a fire emergency at my home, I’d rather not be depending on apparatus that dates back to when Boy George was considered hip.
Fixing the problem is expensive. Putting it off will be worse. And sadly, procrastination will have deadly consequences.
So, where to start?
The OAFC estimates that it will cost more than $425 million to replace fire trucks and emergency vehicles that are outdated, plus another $163 million for replacing obsolete equipment. The Ontario chiefs are proposing that for small municipalities, the province pick up 75 per cent of the bill; it scales up to 50-50 for medium-sized municipalities and 25-75 for larger ones.
As someone who has sat through many municipal council meetings where councillors wrestled with budgets, I know there’s a lot of complex math underneath those cost-sharing formulas.
It’s a complex issue and there are challenges ahead beyond just finding the money. But there’s money out there – Statistics Canada announced in June that federal, provincial, territorial and local governments ran up $28.1 billion in budget surpluses in 2007, the fourth year in a row in which the collective government black ink topped $20 billion.
Associations have to convince chiefs across the country to speak out and then get the message out to the public. Ottawa is spending money telling Canadians to be prepared in case of a national emergency – have enough food and water to last for three days. But nobody is hearing about the fact that entire volunteer departments in rural Canada are not staffed during the day because all the volunteers are at their paying jobs – entire communities are left without protection. Nearby departments cover those areas but the response times are up to half an hour in some cases.
The Canadian Governmental Affairs Committee, made up of provincial association reps, chiefs and manufacturers’ reps, is kicking into high gear to push for change and Canadian Firefighter and Fire Fighting in Canada are helping. In September, we launch a comprehensive national fire survey that will provide a snapshot of the fire service. We’ll publish the results in March and work with the committee to get word out about the state of the fire service. Stay tuned.
With this issue, our education and training issue, we have leapt into the 21st century and moved our education and training listings online to our website, www.firefightingincanada.com, so you can access them any time. Click on the training tab and then follow the links for our comprehensive list of universities, colleges and training programs for the Canadian fire service.
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In this second instalment of Fire IQ, we broaden our scope a bit to include some lessons learned along with fire fighting terminology that we hope to help make consistent across the Canadian fire service.
As always, we’re anxious to hear from departments about terms you use and their definitions. If you agree or disagree with what you see below, or can suggest terms that will help us raise the collective fire fighting intelligence quotient, please let us know.
Just as it sounds, checking the shaft means that when responding to a report of alarms or fire in a high-rise building or any structure serviced by an elevator, always remember to check the elevator shaft for evidence of smoke or fire. To accomplish this, use a flashlight (the one that you always carry) to look up and down the shaft through the small gap between the car and shaft walls.
Although not a definitive answer to the question of whether or not to use the elevator, it may give you some idea of what’s going on upstairs.
This term is a slight modification of a widely accepted fire department tactic that says the ladder truck always gets the front of the building.
Depending on the size of your department, you may operate aerials, ladders, platforms, articulating booms, snorkels, ladder towers or tower ladders and they may be front, mid or rear mounted.
probably DOA. We were about to start our initial assessment of the victim when a second and more experienced cop arrived and asked the first cop where the shooter was. We all froze for a moment at the reply “I don’t know!” then raced for cover behind our truck.
As it turned out, the shooter (still armed) had been watching our arrival from a second-storey window overlooking the parking lot and shooting victim.
PETER HUNT
‘ As it turned out, the shooter had been watching our arrival from a second-storey window overlooking the parking lot and shooting victim.’
While the placement of the apparatus is important, the location of the turntable in relation to the building is critical in reaching a civilian in need of rescue or in placing firefighters on or in the building efficiently.
When spotted properly, the ladder or platform will be able to reach two sides of the building and the roof (depending on height).
To accomplish this, ladder crews must be thoroughly familiar with their apparatus and, more specifically, the turntable in relation to the cab.
You’ll recall that in all your medical training, the instructor emphasized the importance of checking the shooting victim for an exit wound, as it might be more severe than the entry wound, and to treat accordingly.
However, it wasn’t until I attended my first shooting incident that a second and equally important thing to check was forever reinforced . . . the location of the shooter!
We arrived moments after the first police officer to find the victim slumped over the steering wheel of his car with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
The officer did not appear too concerned, saying the victim was
It took two hours, a full SWAT response and neighbourhood evacuation before the shooter surrendered. Watch your back!
Every so often, suppression guys need to remind themselves that hazmat incidents require a different response than typical bread-and-butter operations.
If you arrive before the hazmat team, remember to approach (or at least stage) upwind, uphill and facing away from the incident. Try to ID the product(s), size up the scene from a safe distance, immediately restrict access and egress by civilians and always refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook provided by CANUTEC. Remember that in most cases mass casualty decontamination can be carried out successfully with gross quantities of water.
If you don’t have hazmat capabilities in your department, or if the hazmat response time is unusually long, contact CANUTEC directly and its staff will assist you.
Note: The 2008 edition of the guidebook has been printed and will be shipped to your department soon.
These are generic terms that describe various types of structural components and modern construction methods that are extremely unstable in a fire environment.
They are no longer new, they are everywhere, and they are injuring and killing firefighters on a regular basis.
It’s not uncommon for first-due companies to find the floor already gone in fires in lightweight constructed homes, and roofs will not support the weight of a ladder company conducting traditional roof operations.
Command, company officers and firefighters must work together to rapidly identify lightweight components and adjust their tactics accordingly.
Horizontal ventilation (including the opening of gable ends), and defensive firefighting strategies may be your only safe options.
Peter
Hunt, a 28-year veteran of the fire service, is a captain with the Ottawa Fire Services suppression division.
•
by STEVE SORENSEN
What do you do with a group of teenagers and a weeklong break from school? Send them to firefighter boot camp. This was the vision of Deputy Chief Mike Dine of the Pender Island Fire Department in British Columbia. After viewing a similar program hosted by the Comox Fire Department, Deputy Chief Dine wondered why his department couldn’t run a similar program.
With just one high school serving all of the Gulf Islands, an eager group of Pender Island firefighters contacted their neighbours at the Saltspring Island Fire Department to see if they could share the load. Training officer Jamie Holmes fully supported the plan and, together, the two departments approached the high school to discuss an outline of the plan. With the endorsement of the local school, it was decided that the camp should:
•
Provide excitement;
Top: High school students on their spring break learned basic firefighting skills and some life skills during a week-long camp run by three neighbouring departments.
Conquer challenges;
Teach team goals and participation as well as individual skills;
Focus on success, building on life skills;
Overcome fears;
Teach basic firefighting skills; Encourage youth to volunteer in the community and, hopefully, consider joining their local volunteer fire department.
With everyone on board, the first camp was held in 2005 with 14 kids in attendance. The camp was a huge success and another was planned for the next year. However, this was not as easy as first thought. The second year, not enough participants signed up to make the program viable. With a minimum age requirement of 16, the number of students eligible to attend was limited. To keep the camp viable, Deputy Chief Dine decided that he would need to include other fire departments and schools. Langford Fire Department was contacted next and provided five youth from its existing cadet program. With a total of 14 now enrolled, anther successful camp was held in 2006. However, 2007 proved to be another difficult year as only a few students signed up for the program. Unfortunately, the boot camp was cancelled with plans to try again this year. With that in mind, Deputy Chief Dine contacted the Sooke and Otter Point fire depart-
ments to see if the departments and the high school would be interested in participating. Deputy Chief Jarvis Seabrook of the Otter Point Fire Department offered the use of its recently completed live fire training facility. This seemed like a perfect fit and the 2008 camp moved into the planning stages.
Firefighters and youths from three high schools along with firefighters from six departments participated. These included Pender Island, Saltspring, Langford, Metchosin, Otter Point and Sooke. A total of 15 students, aged 16 to 18, signed up and the camp was held for one week during spring break. The 15 students were divided into three platoons and were to live, eat and sleep in the Sooke fire station for the week, with the majority of the training held at the Otter Point Fire Department training centre, which is just five kilometres from the Sooke station. The day began at 7 a.m. with a short exercise program, followed by breakfast and a cleanup of the sleeping area. Cadets were then transported to the training centre where they received instruction in a variety of firefighting operations including:
• Safety and orientation;
• SCBA and personal protective gear;
• Hose handling;
• Ladders;
• Water supply;
• Live fire training;
• Search and rescue;
• Rope rescue;
• First aid and patient handling;
• Incident command;
• Aerial ladder training;
• Safety around helicopters (several helicopters were donated for this exercise);
• A firefighter fitness challenge.
At 6 p.m., cadets had a dinner break and then went back to training for another hour or two each night. Each platoon was assigned chores for the day, such as washing the floor or doing dishes, which had to be completed after the training session. Then it was free time for the cadets until lights out at 11 p.m.
On the last night, students were surprised to be awakened by the fire alarm, alerting them to a fire that they would be attending. Running for their turnout gear, the kids quickly donned their gear and headed out on fire trucks to the Otter Point training centre where a fully involved structure fire was in progress. Using all of their recently learned skills, the cadets had to work together to extinguish the fire. Upon returning to the station after their first call, equipment had to be cleaned and returned to service. The very excited “new firefighters” found it difficult to get back to sleep as they kept talking about the event.
Firefighters in training get a taste of the real thing during the week-long camp for high
Each of the cadets also received clothing including sweatpants and shirts, ball caps and T-shirts that were theirs to keep. Each participating department provided turnout gear and enough SCBA for each student from its area. The cost, about $1,000 for each student, was garnered from fundraising within the fire departments, donations from corporate sponsors, funding from school boards and a $100 fee charged to each student. On the final day of the program, the parents were invited to attend to watch these young firefighters in action. A variety
Young firefighter cadets were put through the paces during a week-long boot camp, including rope rescue training.
of firefighting challenges were performed with the finale being a team firefighter combat challenge event among platoons. After lunch, a graduation ceremony was held with each student receiving a certificate. A fulllength, professionally edited DVD of the week was also provided to each participant. The deputy fire commissioner, Dave Ferguson, from the B.C. Office of the Fire Commissioner, spoke at the ceremony, praising the accomplishments of the youths and the instructors. He also offered to try to secure provincial funding to help continue this very valuable program.
The highlights for the youth involved can be seen in the following quotes:
“A great learning experience.”
“The rappelling was sweet.”
“ I made some good friends.”
“ The live fire response was exciting.”
The instructors were very pleased in the way the cadets performed and had nothing but praise for all those involved.
For further information or a copy of the curriculum used, contact Pender Island Deputy Chief Mike Dine at deputychief@ penderfire.ca.
Recent and past events in the world have left the public with little faith and trust in the establishment. We inherently and frequently trust institutions with our livelihood and well-being, yet there are often mistakes made that negatively affect public perception of these institutions. I do not promote an activist viewpoint or claim that all public servants should be painted with the same brush; what I am trying to get at is this – emergency responders are respected members of communities and small, selfish acts can impact a department tremendously. Thankfully, there are only a handful of instances in which emergency personnel have abused trust. Results of these kinds of behaviours can be catastrophic from a publicrelations point of view. More importantly, the faith a department once had is lost and it takes a great deal of effort to regain it.
Losing faith in an entity that is trusted is disappointing and, although it is rare in our business, it still happens. Saying this, I am an optimistic soul and have decided to apply a different perception in the loss of confidence in public service by comparing it with public business.
I will begin with the simplest of rules because it is the most obvious: the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Easy enough, but I admit that there have been times when I have not followed this directive and wondered why I received a negative comment or letter or encountered a lessthan-positive attitude from other firefighters. The simplest ideas apply; unfortunately, we witness and are aware of emergency responders missing that point.
VERN ELLIOTT
‘Emergency workers perform heroic and selfless acts every day that build our reputations in our communities.’
Time heals a great deal of injury but when you are a part of a trusted body it takes more than a few months to mend a damaged reputation. Our status in society means there really are no second chances. If a major disruption occurs this can affect more than just reputation – it can damage relationships, budgets and even jobs.
Financial institutions are supposed to be trustworthy – we place our hard earned funds there for future (and hopefully increased) value. The recent credit crisis in the United States shows how mismanaging funds can influence an economy. I contrast this to how front-line workers and management should operate. Management should take its intellectual capital (human resources) and treat it carefully as an investment for the organization’s future. A department can have the best and newest equipment but without personnel who can maintain and operate it efficiently and effectively, the department has nothing. Management should never mishandle intellectual capital; allowing the right people to carry the right projects creates empowerment, pride and motivation.
The lesson for the firefighter is to learn and understand the job every day and share it with the organization by, for example, holding an impromptu training session, asking someone a question or simply reading an emergency industrial magazine. Never be satisfied with what you know because there is always something else to learn; investing in your organization will provide future interest. The other side of this is to help someone in the public by performing an act of kindness. Scouts are encouraged to do something for others every day – why can’t we? The simplest of acts can seriously change how someone feels about your department. Government is our defence against disorder. Representatives are chosen to stand for our best interests and represent themselves as a model for society. No matter what your position is in the fire department, you must embody control, correctness and impartiality as a model for the community you serve. This is not a part-time posting; we must be aware that at all times someone is watching and is aware of our actions – not in the Big Brother sense, mind you, but it is a fact that one bad apple can spoil the bunch. Use wisdom in your judgment as a firefighter, officer or manager, on and off duty. I am an “angel with a dirty face” and am far from perfect – maybe I am writing this to atone for some of my trespasses (not all of them because that would take up the entire magazine!). What I know is that we are a proud group who serve our communities. Remember that as trust is gained, so can it be lost. Thankfully, there are very few examples of loss of faith in emergency responders. I simply realized that within society there are certain assemblages that we should be able to trust but we have been severely disheartened by the actions of some of those institutions. My reaction to those kinds of incidents and behaviours allowed me to understand what a client might experience in a similar business situation.
Emergency workers perform heroic and selfless acts every day that build our reputations in our communities. If something happens on the job or in your private time, think about how you will react. Before you offend someone, make a comment or perform an act – think about what the implications are. People call on us to assume their risk; this puts a great deal of trust in our ability, knowledge and our character. Will you contribute to or restrict the trust and integrity of our occupation?
Vern Elliott has 14 years’ experience in emergency services in municipal and industrial departments as a firefighter/paramedic. He works with Strathcona County Emergency Services in Alberta.
For more information, call your local Cairns dealer or Safedesign.
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALBERTA
Coquitlam, British Columbia 800-667-3362
Calgary, Alberta 800-661-9227
Edmonton, Alberta 800-222-6473
Kamloops, British Columbia 250-374-0044
Nanaimo, British Columbia 250-758-3362
Prince George, British Columbia 250-960-4300
QUEBEC
LaSalle, Quebec 800-905-0821
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
St. John's, Newfoundland 800-563-9595
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 800-567-1955
Saint John, New Brunswick 800-567-1955
MANITOBA AND SASKATCHEWAN
Thompson, Manitoba 204-778-7123
Annex Bookstore winners announced
Annex Bookstore, Fire Fighting in Canada and Canadian Firefighter and EMS Quarterly magazines thank all those who came to see us at our booths at the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs trade show in Toronto in April and the Fire Chiefs’ Association of B.C. trade show in Kelowna in June.
This year’s prize packages included a DVD on school bus extrication and Emergency! Behind the Scene.
The winners are Wayne Shields of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands and Tanya Lamarche of the Shell-Glen Volunteer Fire/Rescue. Congratulations!
Three Detroit firefighters – Lieut. Robert Distelrath and firefighters Mike Risher and Brendan Milewski – received the Fireslayer of the Year Award, presented annually by global safety equipment manufacturer MSA. Distelrath, Risher and Milewski accepted the award during a ceremony at the annual Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. MSA established the award in 2000 to recognize firefighters who display selfless dedication in the line of duty.
With the nation’s highest foreclosure rate fuelling arson at six times the national average just doing the job is tough enough. Widespread firehouse closures, faulty equipment and deep personnel cuts make it even tougher.
later that afternoon. Tragically, the threeyear-old perished.
In addition to the award, MSA will make a $5,000 donation to the International Association of Fire Fighters’ (IAFF) Burn Foundation.
Summerville, S.C. – Creditors of American LaFrance have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the company’s plan of reorganization, paving the way for emergence from bankruptcy. The bankruptcy court was to review the final plan at a confirmation hearing in May.
ALF CEO Bill Hinz said in an update that employees were called back to work on March 31 and the company began to implement lean manufacturing principles in all areas of production. ALF has shipped more than 20 finished trucks since it cranked up production.
Hinz said that as ALF wraps up its legal proceedings it is focusing on the future and is ready to repair its relationships with suppliers, dealers and customers.
“Shortly, we will be able to announce exciting new products and enhancements to our current line that will truly set American LaFrance apart from the competition. Our heritage is that of the industry leader and we are preparing to reclaim our legacy.”
877-253-9122
www.safedesign.com
On the morning after U.S. Thanksgiving 2007, Distelrath, Risher and Milewski risked their lives entering a burning house to search for two children, ages one and three. Equipped with just axes, sledgehammers and SCBA, Milewski and Distelrath entered the three-bedroom house first. Risher, who drove the truck, dressed quickly and followed them seconds later. The upstairs bathroom and rear bedroom were fully involved. The only way to find the kids was to painstakingly search the room by hand. To increase sensitivity, Distelrath removed his gloves and searched with his bare hands. Distlerath found the children quickly. Paramedics rushed the children to Children’s Hospital of Michigan, performing CPR along the way. The younger child’s condition was upgraded to serious
Lowell, Mass. – Mark Athearn has been appointed as the general manager for the Canadian operations of Tyco Electronics’ M/A-COM business. With more than 15 years of industry expertise, Athearn will be charged with supervising and growing M/A-COM’s footprint in the growing land and mobile radio marketplace in Canada, as well as facilitating co-ordination with LMR systems in the northern United States.
“As we strengthen our corporate presence in the Canadian market, it’s vital that we have a first-rate team in place to provide each of our customers with the outstanding product and service support that has always been synonymous with M/A-COM. A professional of Mark’s varied experience and deep expertise is the ideal person to lead this effort,” said Chuck Shaughnessy, vice president of operations, Tyco Electronics.
Athearn began his career with Tyco Electronics’ M/A-COM in 1994. Most
recently, he was the P25 Programs Business Manager in Lynchburg, Va.
Springfield, Mo. – Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has named Charles Sutton to the newly created position of director of market development, retail solutions. Sutton will assist DMP authorized dealers in providing retail security solutions for national and regional chain stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Sutton’s 30 years of experience in the security and fire-control industry include time with System Sensor, Notifier and Honeywell.
Appleton, Wis. – Pierce Manufacturing Inc., North America’s largest manufacturer of fire and rescue apparatus, has completed a territory change in its North American dealer network for Canada.
Darch Fire Inc., centrally located between London, Toronto and Hamilton in Ayr, Ont., has assumed responsibility for the province of Ontario for Pierce and Contender by Pierce fire apparatus. Darch Fire
is now an authorized Pierce dealer, with a sales and service office in Ontario.
“Darch Fire’s sound industry knowledge and commitment to customer service makes them the right dealer to bring Pierce products to Ontario,” said Wilson Jones, Pierce Manufacturing president.
Darch Fire has been in the fire service since 1993, specializing in emergency vehicle sales, parts and service, as well as offering an extensive line of fire and rescue equipment.
Darch Fire can be reached at 800- 2542049 or by visiting http://www.darchfire. com.
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Industrial Scientific Corp,, a global leader in gas detection and monitoring instruments, systems and related services, has hired T.J. Bloom as director of operations for Industrial Scientific Americas. In his position, T.J. will have responsibility for manufacturing, manufacturing engineering and supply-chain functions within the company.
T.J. comes to Industrial Scientific from
Eaton Corp., where he has worked since 1998.
Springfield, Mo. – Jeff Mawer has joined Digital Monitoring Products, Inc. (DMP) as the northeast regional sales manager responsible for developing new sales and providing ongoing service to DMP authorized dealers in eastern Canada.
Jeff’s extensive sales experience is evident from his certification as both a Xerox Professional Selling Skills Level III trainer and a Sandler Sales Management trainer. He developed his sales and management skills in previous positions with local, regional and national security system providers.
Jeff was born in Toledo, Ohio, and attended the University of Toledo. He will be relocating to Hermitage, Pa.
DMP is a privately held independent manufacturer of innovative intrusion, fire, and access control products that are designed and made in the United States of America. DMP is the recognized leader of alarm communication over data networks, with products that are available through professional electronic security companies. For more information visit www.dmp.com.
• Record-keeping is easy!
• Test data can be printed or saved for future retrieval
• When a Complete Test is not required, the “Quick Test” evaluates the operational readiness of most SCBA components in less than 2 minutes. Consumes less than 1% of the SCBA’s air supply
• Tests Low Pressure (2216 psig) and High Pressure (4500 psig) SCBAs for mask leakage, exhalation check valve opening pressure, static mask pressure, bypass flow rate, pressure gauge accuracy, low pressure alarm activation, first stage regulator performance, breathing resistance at standard and maximum flow rates
FIREFIGHTERS ENCOUNTER RISKS EVERYDAY. DON’T LET YOUR SCBA BE ONE OF THEM. Thousands of fire departments today rely on the Sperian BIOSYSTEMS POSICHEK3® to positively verify their SCBAs are fit for use. It is the only NFPA-CompliantSCBA Test Bench that meets the stringent NFPA 1852 requirements. In fact, the BIOSYSTEMS POSICHEK3is the standard test bench for virtuallyeverymajor SCBAmanufactureraroundtheworld.
PHOTO BY MIKE GUTSCHON
How to develop your department’s rapid intervention team
by MARK VAN DER FEYST
We have all heard the term rapid intervention team or RIT. Many fire departments have begun to train their personnel in the concepts of rescuing downed, trapped or injured firefighters. The concept of rapid intervention teams is not new. It has been around for 10 to 15 years in the U.S. but has only begun to infiltrate the Canadian fire service in the last five years. What was once a trend is now a standard practice with many fire departments implementing some kind of a RIT program.
We have now adopted rapid intervention teams into NFPA standards such as 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, and 1720: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments. The Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Fire Service Section 21 Advisory Guidance Note 6-11 (35) also addresses the idea of establishing and using
a rapid intervention team, but the question is who are they, really?
NFPA 1410: Standard on Training for Initial Emergency Scene Operations (2005) defines RIT as “Two or more fire fighters assigned outside the hazard area at an interior structure fire to assist or rescue at an emergency operation.” Ontario Fire Service Section 21 Advisory Guidance Note 6-11 (35) defines RIT as follows:
The Rapid Intervention Teams (R.I.T.) can either be:
• on-scene firefighters designated and dedicated to rapid intervention crews, or;
• on-scene firefighters performing other functions, but ready to deploy as rapid intervention teams if necessary.
The standards tell us what a rapid intervention team is and when to use, but they do not specify the minimum standard to which RIT members should be trained.
NFPA 1001 Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications lists the subjects in which a firefighter must be trained and certified Why not also specify how a firefighter must be trained to be part of a RIT?
At any typical structure fire, most fire departments will assign at least two people to be the initial RIT. The initial RIT team will gather what they can for equipment and will stage at a location near the structure or by
the IC. The two people (minimum number) who have been assigned to be the RIT will be chosen by the IC in order to fulfill legislative requirements, as in Ontario’s Section 21 Guidance Note 6-11: The employer should provide written operational guidelines for establishing rapid intervention crews/teams of at least two firefighters to rescue firefighters in circumstances where there is the potential to become lost or trapped. The potential to become lost or trapped can occur at emergencies such as interior structural fires, confined space rescues, high angle rescues etc.
The question is whether the firefighters assigned by the IC to the RIT are the firefighters we really want to be our rapid intervention team. Are they trained to locate and rescue a downed, lost or trapped firefighter?
A few years back, I was visiting a department in Ontario and spoke to the firefighters who were working that day. I asked about their RIT capabilities. Did they train on RIT techniques? What do they do if they have to deploy a RIT? The answer I received was astonishing: they treat a firefighter rescue the same as a civilian rescue. This is a big misconception and also a common occurrence among fire departments. Given that all firefighters are trained to rescue civilians, why not assign just any
“Our fire department recycles used rechargeable batteries and cell phones. So should you.”
We protect our citizens and we protect our environment. The fire stations in our department recycle the used rechargeable batteries in their mission-critical equipment such as two-way radios, cell phones, portable defibrillators and cordless power tools. With RBRC as our partner, recycling is easy and free! RBRC has enrolled more than 4,300 public agencies and recycled millions of pounds of rechargeable batteries and cell phones since 1996. Get started today at www.call2recycle.org or call toll free 1-877-723-1297. RBRC. Responsible Recycling.
one firefighter to the RIT? Presumably, they have the tools and knowledge for rescue if they are already trained in civilian rescue. Another city fire department I worked for had a standard operating policy on RITs. It stated the minimum standards as based on the Section 21 Guidance Note. We were dispatched to a reported structure fire and we were the fourth-due engine company in the first alarm assignment. Once on scene, we were assigned to be the RIT. We grabbed what equipment we needed as per the SOP and sat by the IC. While waiting, I asked my captain if we should do a complete 360 of the building. He said that wasn’t necessary because the guys inside were almost done. I then asked if we should ladder the second-storey windows to provide a secondary means of egress for the crews and to provide a quick means of entry for the RIT. Again, the answer was no, because it was not needed. If the SOP did not state what to do at the scene, then it did not get done.
To be an RIT firefighter requires special training. It requires special emphasis on many subjects that need to be looked at from the RIT perspective. When I was working in Pennsylvania with the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company,
• Basic Vehicle Rescue – 16 hours
• Incident Command System (ICS) – 16 hours
• Firefighter Safety and Survival – 16 hours
• Respiratory Protection (SCBA) – 16 hours
• Introduction to Rapid Intervention Teams – 4 hours
• Rapid Intervention Crew Exercises (RICE) – 16 hours
• Advanced RICE – 16 hours
• Advanced Vehicle Rescue – 16 hours
• Fire Department (Incident) Safety Officer – 16 hours
• Structural Collapse I – 4 hours
• Structural Collapse II – 16 hours
• Building Construction – 16 hours
• Accountability – 4 hours
• High Angle Rescue (ropes and knots) – 16 hours
• Confined Space Rescue – 16 hours
we had dedicated firefighters trained as RIT firefighters. We had to meet certain qualifications in order to be an RIT firefighter.
Part of these qualifications included training on specific topics. We were denoted as RIT members by wearing an orange balaclava and we had an orange RIT sticker on our helmets. By wearing these items, any officer could quickly identify who was RIT trained and who was not, which was beneficial on the fire ground. The fire department belonged to an organization called ABBETRIT (www.abbetrit.org), an association comprising three counties that shared in RIT responses for mutual aid. Part of the mandate was to train firefighters in rapid intervention techniques.
Here is the training that would be beneficial for RIT firefighters. (Note that the amount of time devoted to actual RIT techniques is only 36 hours.)
Is every fire department able to provide this type of training to each of its members? Probably not all at once, but, over time, each department can – how and when is up to each department. Usually, training is dictated by budget constraints and time availability. This list may seem lengthy and extreme but it is an example of the kind of training that is needed and beneficial for a firefighter to be proficient at rescuing downed, lost or trapped firefighters.
BY MIKE GUTSCHON
I had the privilege when working in Pennsylvania to be under the tutelage of Assistant Chief James Crawford from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. He is regarded as the godfather of RIT and was instrumental in the training and development of hundreds of RITtrained firefighters. He had the experience of locating and recovering fallen brothers in the City of Pittsburgh at the Bricelyn Street fire in 1995. He will tell you that it takes firefighters well trained in rapid intervention techniques to rescue firefighters.
While at Cranberry Township, we responded to an autobody shop fire one night as the dedicated RIT team. As soon as we were on site, we were deployed to locate a missing firefighter. The front wall of the shop had blown out and when a PAR check was conducted, one firefighter could not be accounted for. Within minutes, we had located him and he was taken to hospital for evaluation. Our quick rescue was a result of our training. We were trained to locate and rescue firefighters in distress and that night it paid off. I can recount numerous other times when we responded as the dedicated RIT for other mutual-aid structure fires and, even though we were not deployed, we were ready, because of our training. The other fire departments asked themselves if these were the guys they wanted as their RIT. They knew the answer. Do you know yours? Is this the same question you will ask when it comes time to establish your RIT?
Mark van der Feyst , a 10-year veteran of the fire service, is the training officer for the City of Woodstock Fire Department in Ontario. He is a local level suppression instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and an instructor for the Justice Institute of B.C. Contact Mark at mvanderfeyst@gmail.com.
by ANDREW A. SANOJCA
flood management focuses on local responders
romocto, N.B. – Finding water to use for firefighting operations can often be a challenge for fire departments. But, on occasion, firefighters find they have more than they need. Flooding along the St. John River in New Brunswick is an annual spring occurrence but rarely causes any significant damage. Such was not the case this year, when heavy rains and warm temperatures all combined with a heavier-than-normal snowfall to cause the worst flooding since 1973.
The St. John River runs 673 kilometres from north-central Maine to the city of Saint John, where it empties into the Bay of Fundy. It crosses into northern New Brunswick near Edmundston. Serious flooding had occurred along the river in 2005 and many lessons learned from that experience were put to use this year.
Andy Morton is the deputy director of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization, and told Fire Fighting in Canada about his agency’s role with the emergency.
“It is the local response which is the most important aspect,” he said. “NB EMO provided assistance when local resources were insufficient, and monitored events throughout the river basin.
“Early on it was obvious that we had a lot of suspended water in the northern snow pack following a record setting winter. The only question that we had left was how fast it would melt out and would we get any heavy rain during the melt-out period when the river was already full. Without the rain, water levels would have exceeded flood stage in most areas but not to the same level of severity. Basically, we only realized how bad it would be when we were able to see how much rain fell, especially in the northwestern part of the basin.”
Once it was recognized in early March that flooding would occur, meetings were held with numerous fire departments in Fredericton and Oromocto and with other organizations to prepare them for the situation and encourage the development of detailed floodresponse procedures, Morton said.
NB EMO also shared information on flood forecasting with all agencies involved. “Two major points that came out of spring 2005 were that local response is the key element to a successful operation, and, secondly, that public communication is vital to ensure that public safety messaging occurs in a timely fashion,” he said.
PHOTO COURTESY OROMOCTO FIRE DEPARTMENT Oromocto firefighters help with sandbagging efforts to protect residential and commercial properties from the rising St. John River.
The Town of Oromocto Fire Department provides fire protection and rescue services to about 25,000 residents over 1,000 square kilometres. Besides the Town of Oromocto, the department also covers the unincorporated areas in the local service districts of Burton, Geary, Lincoln, Maugerville, Rusagonis-Wassis and Sheffield. Jody Price is the fire chief in Oromocto. He said the department worked after the 2005 flood with a local citizens’ group to be prepared, including, “surveying of the entire 105 Highway, which was the old Trans-Canada Highway, for occupants, farm animals and people with special needs, including the elderly and those on medications.”
The department also checked for hazardous materials and noted those locations. High- and low-water marks from previous events were recorded for reference. Speaking of all the work done then to prepare for the next flood, he said, “This aided us greatly in the ramp-up of this disaster emergency response from donuts to military barges used to evacuate cattle.”
Preparations for possible spring flooding began in January by the Oromocto department. The snow pack in the upper river basin area in northern Maine, southern Quebec and northern New Brunswick was above normal years with about 450 centimetres of snow compared to an average of about 300 centimetres. The Oromocto Fire Department hired a student in January who went door to door and issued passes to be used by residents to return to check on their homes in the event that they were evacuated due to flooding. Passes were issued beginning in January, and the process continued until the end of the emergency, in midMay. Firefighters also helped some seniors move items in their homes to a higher level in the two weeks leading up to the flooding, while they surveyed the neighbourhoods and handed out flood information packages. “Sometimes that family support network isn’t there, and we went in and assisted these people with this,” Price said. Those operations were carried out with the assistance of RCMP auxiliary officers and members of the York Sunbury Ground Search and Rescue.
Following the 2005 flood, it was determined that a better location would be needed for a command post, something that was larger than the department’s mobile command post. An unused vegetable stand in Burton was identified in 2006 as a possible command-post location, and arrangements were made in January 2008 with the owner.
Pre-planning and co-ordination with other agencies helped the Oromocto fire department ensure an efficient response to flooding in May.
Firefighters are seconded to deliver
Fredericton residents are familiar with the
and again this year.
The site had power and could have phone lines set up.
Price gives NB EMO credit for being able to get some things done before the St. John River overflowed its banks.
“We met with NB EMO about a week and a half before the flood and they authorized certain expenditures for us, such as phone lines. It made it easier for me, since I knew I would be reimbursed for spending town money in the LSD [local service district] areas.” Phone lines were run into the command post on April 23, the day it was being set up, and the first day flooding began to affect the area.
Two satellite command posts were set up. The first was positioned at the Fredericton end of Route 105 near St. Mary’s and was manned by York Sunbury GSAR and EMO officials. This was a convenient location from which to issue residents their passes so they could return to check on their houses and farms if conditions were safe. A second satellite post became necessary to serve the Lincoln and Rusagonis-Wassis areas, which had not been
affected by earlier floods. A trailer was provided by an RV dealer and was set up in the dealer’s parking lot near the Lincoln Big Stop Restaurant along the Trans-Canada Highway. This post, under the direction of New Maryland Fire Chief Harry Farrell, was staffed by the New Maryland Fire Department and members of the Tri-County GSAR team.
Price said there were more than 50 agencies involved during the two-week operation, including 25 surrounding fire departments. On April 26, the third day of operations, New Brunswick’s Department of Natural Resources offered its assistance and took over planning and logistics.
“This took a huge burden off of our shoulders as commanders,” Price said, “because besides organizing everything that needed to be done, we also had to deal with feeding everyone.” At the height of operations, 296 meals were served to emergency workers and volunteers at one sitting. Meals for evacuated residents were provided by the Red Cross at its evacuation centres.
The DNR planners prepared daily action
plans, outlining the tasks and priorities that needed to be accomplished each day. These plans were distributed to the divisional supervisors in the field after an operations and safety briefing each morning. The safety briefings appear to have been helpful as only two minor injuries were reported among the hundreds of people who rotated through the area over the two weeks.
Some parts of Oromocto’s fire coverage area were either cut off by water, or were threatened by rising water, making normal access routes impassable. The Fredericton Fire Department deployed an engine company and crew to a community centre in the Maugerville area, north-east of Oromocto, while the New Maryland Fire Department to the west provided coverage to the Wassis area. Farrell was the site commander of the Lincoln command post. His firefighters drove through the area each day and reported their findings to the main command post at Burton to keep the incident commander up to date on the constantly changing conditions.
“We stopped to talk to the people and to check up on them,” Farrell said. “If they needed any assistance we either provided it or told them who to contact.”
Although power was disconnected from many homes, phone service was not affected. The Canadian Forces Base Gagetown Fire Department was on standby to back up the duty crew that was covering the Town of Oromocto from the main fire station in the town.
The Oromocto Fire Department went through a lot of consumables, most notably hand sanitizer and medical gloves. “The flood waters included material from sewerage lagoons, so every boat needed to have sanitizer on it,” said Price.
Life jackets were purchased from area stores to provide safety for those being removed from their homes by boat. Some of the boats used were for enforcement duties, and therefore had only enough life jackets on board for the crew. Price noted that finding child-sized life jackets was a problem. (Any items acquired for this incident that can be reused, will be cleaned, packaged and stored.)
Meals were being ordered from local restaurants a week in advance to ensure restaurant workers had enough time to order in and prepare the food.
While every effort was made to encourage residents to evacuate before the water arrived, many chose to stay. Once these residents
decided it was time to get out, they had to be rescued by boat, making the removal from their homes more of a challenge. “It appeared some people were looking for an adventure,” Price said, “but this placed a burden on us to remove them when conditions became unbearable, and was riskier to accomplish.”
A DND Bisson vehicle was used for one medical call but even it couldn’t navigate the higher waters later on. For possible medical calls, two boats were put on standby, with two Department of Fisheries members, two Oromocto firefighters and an RCMP officer.
With all the pre-planning, the Oromocto Fire Department still learned some lessons. Issuing passes to residents, while a valuable tool, was labour intensive and time consuming. The department will look at having the passes issued by more than one agency but recorded in a data-base that is accessible to all agencies that may need it. Communications between the command post and area residents is important, and was carried out on a regular basis to keep those affected up to date. Price noted, “The ICS system functioned excellent, and allowed over 50 different departments to work under one system, with one incident commander.
“Provincial DNR staff proved to be invaluable with their knowledge of ICS and large and long-term incidents.”
Price also learned that additional launch sites for boats need to be identified as rising waters compromised primary sites.
Price wanted to stress that a chief should never be ashamed to call on outside resources. The response to this natural disaster included 25 fire departments from as far away as the Moncton area, 175 kilometres east of Oromocto, and the Woodstock area, more than 100 kilometres northwest, well beyond the reach of normal mutual-aid response areas.
“We’re not scared to ask for help, whereas some areas may be reluctant,” he said.
Even as the department dealt with an abundance of water, things began to dry out, raising concerns of wildland fires.
Firefighters from the Moncton area were teamed up with an Oromocto firefighter to staff an engine company and did respond to a couple of calls.
Ironically, on the last day of operations for the flood, May 14, the Oromocto and area mutual-aid fire departments dealt with a large forest fire in the Lincoln area north of Oromocto.
In the two previous issues (January 2008 and October 2007) we talked about basic stabilization and then moved on to more advanced stabilizing situations with vehicles on their roofs and sides.
Here, we’ll focus on lifting vehicles for patient removal using mechanical strut systems.
When presented with situations that require rescue personnel to lift a vehicle for patient removal or to deal with a trapped appendage, one of our first thoughts is to use the rescue lift bags or a hydraulic spreader to perform the lift procedure. These are excellent choices that work quite well when dealing with a vehicle that has all four wheels contacting the ground and in situations where the patient is under a vehicle.
The circumstances change somewhat when the vehicle has come to rest on its side and patients are caught under, or are ejected from/trapped between, the vehicle and the ground.
Another common situation is a vehicle that has left the road, rolled over many times and has a severely crushed roof, with patients trapped. These situations may be the result of highway on/off ramp crashes and poor road conditions that leave the patients trapped on the side slopes of these on/off ramp embankments.
In these types of circumstances, rescuers and patients are subjected to extremely hazardous situations because of the lack of stability of the vehicle.
There are alternatives for safe lifting practices, such as mechanical strut systems with jacking or lifting attachments. These options can solve a lot of problems when put into safe and proper use.
uses a lifting jack attachment that can move the telescopic strut sections up and down to perform lifting operations.
Res-Q-Jack comes complete with the jack permanently attached and Air Shore, Holmatro, Paratech struts offer compressed-air operated systems. Res-Q-Tek has a threaded screw pin in the middle of the strut body that can lift heavy loads; when the spindle handle is rotated, it will slowly start to lift a load similar to jacking a tele-post in a house.
RANDY SCHMITZ
‘Listen intently to the officer in charge of the lifting operation, as he should be in a bird’s-eye-view location to monitor the situation from the proper perspective.’
There are many types of strut systems on the market that offer some type of lifting application. Rescue 42, for instance,
All of these systems perform the same function – stabilizing and lifting loads. They all have different load ratings so be sure to check that out before you purchase.
The procedure will focus on the proper application of lifting techniques in general, rather than specific strut operations for each brand or company. Each type will have its own precise operational instructions.
The first application we will look at is a lift with the vehicle on its side and a patient’s arm trapped underneath the vehicle.
The strut brand used here is the Rescue 42 strut system with the removable jacks attached to the rear supporting struts.
As always, ensure scene safety and inner/ outer circle surveys have been completed prior to any extrication procedures.
The decision to lift or just simply stabilize in place must be made early as strut size, strut placement locations, degree of entrapment and vehicle position may differ for both applications.
Choose which side of the vehicle requires stabilization first, depending on which way it is most likely to roll over. Securing the vehicle with a winch line, rope, chain or other means may be required to make it safe before working around it.
Perform initial stabilization of the vehicle, (refer to Stabilization 101, part two, in the January edition of CFF for initial stabilization methods).
Once this has been done, continue to carefully insert wedges or crib blocks to fill voids where required between the ground and the vehicle. Also crib in the immediate vicinity of the patient’s entrapment area to try to minimize vehicle movement and reduce aggravating the patient’s injuries. (See photo 1.)As mentioned in January, if manpower permits, commit a team member to put a hand on the vehicle at either end to monitor any movement while the strut system is being put into place. Be ready to warn rescuers if the vehicle has the potential to shift or to continue to roll over. (See photo 2.)
Assemble your particular strut system according to manufacturer’s suggested guidelines. Position struts while keeping in mind where medical personnel will enter the vehicle, patient position and egress options. This will ensure a potential egress path is not blocked off.
During assembly, make sure the struts are placed at an angle that is between 45 degrees and 70 degrees to keep a proper stable lifting triangle. This is an important factor for all types of strut systems.
Find a suitable location in which to insert the strut heads, such as the upper frame rails and trunk lid seams. The strut base plates should be kept in line with each other. Otherwise, when the ratchet strap that hooks the two plates together is tightened, the plates will shift to form a straight line to each other, which will cause unwanted movement.
When all of the strut components are in place, safety checks are done and the lifting operation is ready to commence. There should be two rescuers to operate the lifting mechanisms and two rescuers to insert cribbing from either side of the vehicle.
If a lifting height of more than 12 inches is required, crib locations may need to be slightly offset. This will ensure that the crib stacks will not run into each other as they are inserted from the opposite sides of the vehicle.
Always try to position the cribbing on rocker channels or other structurally sound portions of the vehicle. (See photo 3.)
Listen intently to the officer in charge of the lifting operation, as he should be in a bird’s-eye-view location to monitor the situation from the proper perspective. (See photo 4.) Any freelancing from the lift crew could have dire consequences during a lift.
Once given the command, rescuers should start the lift very slowly, consistently and at an even pace. Be ready for periodic freezes of the operation to re-check the strut components and cribbing around the
vehicle. As the vehicle starts to rise, keep a close eye on the patient and monitor constantly. Continue to lift until there is sufficient room to remove the trapped patient. (See photo 5.)
Crib up tight to the vehicle and slightly lower the load onto the support cribbing to take the weight, pin or lock off strut-system components for load security. The patient can now be prepared for removal.
When side-to-side load shift is predicted, you may carefully attempt to equalize
the load by lifting up on one side until you are confident that stability has been achieved.
If load shift is imminent and further movement will certainly risk patient injury, additional load-rated ratchet strap(s) or a come-along can be added to either side of the strut base plates and back to the lower part of the vehicle to ensure it will not shift in either direction. This has very effective results. Make sure there is not too much tension on the straps or come-along as the load continues to be lifted. (See photo 6.)
To minimize forward load shift during lifting operations, it is important to wedge or crib the opposite end of the vehicle between the ground and the vehicle being lifted. This will keep the vehicle from moving forward as the lift angle increases.
If the vehicle is badly damaged and
the integrity of the metal is in question, a three-eighths rescue chain can be used to support the load. (See photo 7.) Chain slots engineered into the strut head are common with a few different brands.
When working with soft ground conditions where the ratchet straps cannot be inserted under the vehicle body to attach base plates together, metal pickets or stakes can be driven into the soft ground through holes that are engineered into the base plates.
A little planning will go a long way prior to inserting the pickets. If not placed correctly or at the proper angle, the jackcranking handle may come in contact with the pickets as it is operated during the lifting procedure. Pickets should be used only when ground conditions are suitable to hold a load.
If you are dealing with extremely soft conditions such as mud, you can spread out your base plate surface area by putting down three-quarter inch plywood. Twenty-four-inch by twenty-four-inch pieces are ideal as most rescue trucks carry these for lift-bag platforms. You may even be able to use your aerial outrigger pads for support underneath the base plates if that particular apparatus is present at the scene.
Strut systems have multiple uses and can be used to perform a dash roll if necessary (see photo 8), or to lift a pole and other heavy objects. (See photo 9.)
If the strut system does not have a jack attachment or a means of lifting mechanically, an option is to attach a come-along to the base plates when the struts are set up in a triangular configuration.
The come-along can be used to slide the base plates closer to one another; the force of the plates being brought together will cause the load to be forced upward a short distance, enough to create space under the vehicle or load.
Be aware that the closer the base plates are brought together the less stable the load will be.
While in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle, always be on one knee while working low to the ground. This position allows the rescuer to be in a state of readiness and offer a better chance of getting out of the •
vehicle fall zone in case of load or cribbing failure.
Never turn your back turn while working in the vehicle fall zone. Ensure no more than a one-inch gap at any time between the support cribbing and the vehicle. Lift an inch, crib an inch!
Never put fingers or hands under the load.
Be sure to maintain control of the load at all times.
Know your load ratings! Make sure the strut-system capacity is not
Strut lifting systems are another multi-purpose lifting tool. They may not always be your first choice for a simple lift but when a complex lift is required they are hard to beat.
Calgary firefighter and extrication instructor Randy Schmitz has been involved in the extrication field for 16 years and has competed in all levels of extrication competition including world challenges.
by JAMES CARELESS
Fire prevention education is an important priority for all fire departments. But when it comes to educational efforts, larger departments have more people and resources available to do the job than their smaller counterparts.
Mindful of this, P.E.I.’s Charlottetown, Crossroads and North Shore fire departments have banded together to form the Metro Fire Prevention Association (MFPA). By working together and sharing people and resources, they hope to provide better fire prevention education to their three jurisdictions than they could on their own.
“What we did was to get two reps from each station to join the MFPA committee, so that we could collectively design better and more efficient ways to deliver fire education,” says Cindy MacFadyen, the CFD’s fire prevention officer. “Our goal was clear: We wanted to raise fire-prevention education to a new level in our jurisdictions.”
To do this, the MFPA decided to get fire prevention out into the community both at public events and area schools. Here’s how they have done it.
Mindful of how much people – especially children – like realistic props, the MFPA used money from its various fundraising campaigns to build a miniature fire truck called “Sparkn”. Built on a go-cart chassis, Sparkn gives kids “a chance to feel like they are riding in a real fire truck, but built to their size,” says CFD fire inspector Wynston Bryan. “They can even ride in the back and put on kid-sized turnout gear.” Besides turning up at community events and schools, Sparkn is regularly seen in local parades.
Freddie the fire dog is the MFPA’s second impressive educational device. Funded by the three fire departments, the Island Shriners, the general public and the MFPA, Freddie is an animated dog in a robotronic fire truck. He speaks, moves, listens, winks and can even play music thanks to a remote-
The MFPA used fundraising dollars to build a miniature fire truck called Sparkin, which is a fixture in local parades.
control operated by an adult at a distance.
Freddie has a knack for talking to children at their level and the mobility to glide down school hallways with ease. And yes: Freddie’s siren and warning lights work!
“Our last purchase was a 10-foot inflatable firefighter,” says Inspector Bryan. “He really stands out in a crowd!”
Sparkn and Freddie the fire dog exist for one purpose – to communicate fire prevention knowledge to children. “Kids are like sponges, soaking up everything you give them,” McFadgen says. “In turn, they go home and make sure their homes are equipped with smoke alarms and escape plans. They really carry the Learn Not to
Burn message straight to the parents and older siblings.”
MFPA volunteers reach kids wherever possible – in schools, at public fairs and parades, shopping malls – you name it.. Interactive materials such as a “hazard house” display in which kids can identify potential fire-causing threats are used to help kids understand the details of fire prevention.
The Metro Fire Prevention Association also teaches kids about establishing a meeting place where the family can gather after
evacuating the home. The MFPA provides official meeting place decals for families to put up at these locations to make the meeting places clear and reinforce the idea in the kids’ minds.
“You cannot overemphasize the importance of teaching children about fire prevention,” says MacFadyen. “This is why we work with McDonald’s during the semiyearly changing of the clocks to promote the idea of changing smoke detector batteries at the same time. Kids get the message when they see us at their local McDonald’s and make sure their parents get it too.”
In a similar vein, each of the region’s three fire stations chooses a local child to serve as co-chief during the local Christ-
The MFPA’s 10-foot inflatable firefighter stands out in a crowd.
mas parade. “We put their names on the side of the fire truck they are riding in,” Bryan says. “It really fires their imaginations!”
Beyond these efforts, the MFPA provides each school child with a fire prevention activity book just prior to Fire Prevention Week each October to get them thinking about fire safety. Finally, the MFPA gives a $1,000 bursary to a student whose chosen career lends itself to promoting fire safety. This year’s recipient is Melissa Driscoll, daughter of CFD firefighter Joe Driscoll. Now in her third year of university, Melissa is planning to become a teacher.
The many activities staged by Charlottetown’s MFPA have raised public awareness of fire prevention. “It’s to the point that when kids see me in public, they call me ‘Sparkn’s mom,” laughs MacFadyen. But what is really impressive are the fire statistics from this area. Although statistics are
not readily available because the amalgamation has changed the way the numbers are tabulated, MacFadyen says fire injuries are down substantially since 1995 as more families ensure that their homes have smoke alarms and escape plans.
“Part of our success is due to the quality of the education our volunteers deliver,” says Bryan. “We also ensure that every penny we raise in fundraising goes back into our communities. Not only does this maximize the educational capabilities that we have at hand, but it also plays well with the public.”
“We are very thorough in reaching the kids, with fire prevention programs crafted to meet the intellectual abilities and attention spans of each age group,” MacFadyen adds. “As they get older, the information we teach becomes more sophisticated. They are really our front line in the fight against fire injury and damage.”
“By joining together, our three fire departments are able to do far more in the area of fire prevention education than we could ever do separately,” Bryan concludes. “This is a lesson that other departments should heed: Combining resources can make a difference.”
Toronto firefighters face same challenges as small-town peers – just more often
by JOHN RIDDELL
Zero to 60 in three seconds. Sounds like a pretty decent acceleration rate for a souped up dragster, right? How about that same acceleration for your heart rate several times a day?
In a big city, firefighters can face that kind action daily. Toronto Fire Services (TFS), with an operations staff of 2,790, responded to more than 142,480 calls in 2007.
Recently, I observed and documented through photographs, precisely what a Toronto firefighter is exposed to on a typical day. Because every station and every truck is not constantly on the go, I asked to be positioned at one station in each of the four commands that divide the city. Each quadrant faces its own set of challenges.
My first stay was on a Sunday in a downtown station that houses a 1992 Spartan heavy rescue squad and a 2007 Spartan pumper, Station 313.
Fortunately for me, Sunday is big breakfast day at 313 and I was treated to a healthy serving of spicy eggs, potatoes and ham. But it wasn’t long before the first call came in – a report of alarms ringing in a residential high rise . . . zero to 60 in three seconds!
We arrived at the scene in about three minutes. Ten minutes later, the scene was cleared and we headed back to the station for what
would turn out to be a reasonably slow day. False alarms are common. While medical calls made up 53 per cent of calls in 2007, alarm bells accounted for another 20 per cent of responses. That’s 27,978 incidents just for alarm bells ringing.
The rest of my 12-hour stay consisted of a couple of medical calls, two more calls for alarm bells and a full first-alarm response for pepper spray being deployed inside the Toronto Eaton Centre.
A slow day for a firefighter is a good thing. That said, 313 invited me back on a weeknight and I returned the following Wednesday when A shift was back on. Shortly after we sat down for dinner, a call came in for bells ringing at a government office building.
Surprisingly, this alarm call was for actual fire rather than a false alarm – not a lot of fire, but fire nonetheless.
Workers using welding materials in a stairwell sparked what appeared to be insulation material behind an old hot-water heater in the wall. Stubborn and smoky, it took the full complement of crews from two pumpers, an aerial ladder, and the squad to find the source, extinguish it and ventilate. Luckily, all employees had gone home for the
RIDDELL
The crew from Toronto Fire Services Rescue 115 make their way to the stairs of a building to attend to an alarm call that ended up being burned fish in the oven.
Crews help R115 driver James Coones (right) clean up after a two-alarm kitchen fire in an apartment across the street from the station.
day. Not an inferno by any means, but typical of the small, stubborn fires that regularly happen but no one writes about.
My second visit was to Station 445 in Toronto’s west end, formerly the City of Etobicoke. Before amalgamation in 1998, Station 445 was home to the former city’s communications department and acted as headquarters. The district chief and the platoon chief responsible for all of west command are posted at Station 445. Similar in size and manpower to Station 313, it houses a 2004 Spartan heavy rescue and a 2002 Spartan pumper.
My assignment at this station was also on the squad. This would enable me to see what a similar truck with similar responsibilities could encounter in a seemingly quieter corner of the city. This squad typically covers highway calls on Highway 427, Highway 401 and the Gardiner Expressway/Queen Elizabeth Way combination, where car
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Offering: A 2 course certificate in incident command for experienced incident commanders. Please contact our office for more information.
Are you looking to take on more responsibility in your Department? Trying to round out your technical ability with leadership skills? Preparing to advance your career?
At Dalhousie University we offer a three course program, the “Certificate in Fire Service Leadership” to career and volunteer fire officers.The 3 courses Station Officer: Dealing with People,Station Officer:Dealing with New Operations and The Environment of the Fire Station are all offered in each of our 3 terms, September, January and April. The program can be completed in one year.
For more information and a program brochure please contact:
Gwen Doary,Program Manager
Dalhousie University Fire Management Certificate Programs 201-1535 Dresden Row,Halifax,Nova Scotia B3J 3T1
Tel:(902) 494-8838 • Fax:(902) 494-2598 • E-mail:Gwen.Doar y@Dal.Ca
You will also find the information in our brochures or at the following internet address:Web site:http://collegeofcontinuinged.dal.ca
accidents requiring extrication are common. Not on my watch! After a number of false alarms during the day, a reminder of life’s quiet fragility was revealed in a medical call – a report that an elderly gentleman had fallen down in his home. Upon arrival, the crew of Squad 445 realized that this was more than a bump on the head. Immediately, they sprang into action and turned into first responders for a man in cardiac arrest. A paramedic unit quickly arrived, followed by an advanced life support paramedic. Seven trained medical responders worked relentlessly for 45 minutes but to no avail – they were not able to save him.
Firefighters don’t encounter death only in the midst of a multiplevehicle crash or an intense building fire. They can also face it under the most ordinary circumstances and the most routine calls. Typical for a population of 2.5 million? Sadly, yes, but that’s no consolation to people who are trained to saves lives. Feeling defeated, they packed their medical bags on the truck and went back to the station knowing they weren’t able to save that man from massive heart failure. Thankfully, my day with Station 445 ended with little further action. I had experienced enough in one day to last a while.
My next visit was with Station 245 in the east end of the city, commonly known as Scarborough. The single-truck station had an extremely different dynamic than the larger halls. Four firefighters working and living together in a small, cozy station is much different than sharing your space with seven or eight other people all the time.
Pumper 245, a newly delivered 2007 Spartan model, is situated in an area of the city where it sees a little bit of everything. To the north is Highway 401, with car and truck accidents and the like. Residents are older single-family homes from the 1950s and 1960s with original owners alongside new condos and apartment buildings that populate the neighbourhood in patches.
This visit started just as the truck came back from a medical call for a young , out-of-town pregnant girl having pains. The ambulance arrived and took over the call, allowing the crew to return to the station. Fire is called in a tiered system around the city where fire and ambulance are dispatched in most medical scenarios for a faster response time, accounting for the 53 per cent call rate. After a short meeting with the visiting district chief while on his rounds, I learned that Station 245 hadn’t yet offered a selection for its station emblem/ patch, which was still a work in progress at the time. A couple of years ago, to boost morale and create unique identities to the amalgamated
Crews including squad 313 gather in the stairwell to assist in finding and extinguishing a fire behind a heater in the wall of a government building.
stations, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 3888 requested that each station submit a symbolic crest that represented the station’s history or included something symbolic about each particular area of the city. Some of the selections were easy. Station 332 in the downtown entertainment district features the comedy/drama masks of the theatre. Station 325 in Toronto’s Cabbagetown district has a Cabbage Patch Kids doll in its design.
Old Scarborough and Station 245 don’t have a lot to offer in the way of landmarks or history but a couple of the guys from B shift were assigned to come up with ideas. Thankfully, there was time for this task, because reasonably quiet Station 245 was extremely quiet when I was there. An alarm-bells-ringing dispatch to a school that had already let out was the busiest it got before 8 p.m., at which time I had to leave. During my visit with Station 245, I was able to see that a small four-person station works very closely and communicates on a different level than a larger hall.
North Command. Station 115. Rescue pumper 115 – a 1996 Spartan model in another single-truck station. Arriving the morning of Good Friday, the theme of my visits seemed to continue as the dispatch for bells ringing in a high rise came through. Rescue pumper 115 was the first to arrive. We made it to the floor in question to find that cooking odours had set off the sensitive alarms in the building.
Top: S313 Captain Keith Hamilton (left) and crew member Al Meyers survey the situation after being dispatched to the Toronto Eaton Centre as part of a first-alarm response after security deployed pepper spray in the mall.
Bottom: Pumper 245 Acting Captain Rick Berenz (standing) helps Greg Brown do some research in designing a station crest.
Another false alarm.
Similar to Station 245, a four-person station makes it easier to sit around the kitchen table and exchange stories than in a larger hall. This passed some time as we talked about highway calls that rescue pumper 115 had run in the past. Spending time around firefighters over the years, I have realized that reminiscing and sharing experiences tend to be therapeutic in some ways. Listening to veterans on the job describe horrific scenes of destruction that they see on a daily basis and remembering specific calls and people years later shows that not every call runs into the other. There
are instances that can stick with someone throughout an entire career.
As the holiday passed without incident, dinner time approached and the preparation began. The pork roast was in the oven and the potatoes were put on to boil. If you’ve read this far, you may have noticed a pattern developing . . . Zero to 60 in three seconds. Report of a kitchen fire in an apartment almost directly across the street from the fire station. The crew of Rescue pumper 115 barely had time to get their SCBAs on en route when we pulled into the driveway of the building. We got to the front entrance of the building and the alarms bells were
Pumper and Squad 445 sit in station ready to roll.
ringing. A familiar sound by now, usually followed by silencing the bells, resetting the alarms and going home.
By this time, the lobby was full of people evacuating the building – a positive sign. The standard procedure for the first incoming vehicle is to take elevator control and go two floors below the fire, then ascend via stairs to other two floors. This was not possible as the weekend superintendents couldn’t find the elevator keys. While we were talking to the building manager and trying to get the elevator, the tenant from the apartment in question came running into the lobby in a panic, saying something about his kitchen on fire and that he left the suite with the flames and smoke getting worse. It was now a confirmed fire – no resetting of bells this time.
When we realized that the elevator was not an option due to the burning apartment above, the crew of three, with me in tow, located the closest stairs and made our way up six floors in a speed I never thought possible. The smell of smoke was obvious and the requisite check was done before entering the hall. A haze of smoke was lingering in the hallway but nothing to indicate a rolling fire. A line was connected to the standpipe located next door to the apartment in question and the door to the suite was gingerly opened to examine the extent of the fire. At that point, thick black smoke was visible and the fire was described as rolling up from the stove and over the ceiling. It’s more than a pot on the stove now. A second alarm was called and the line charged – ready for a fast attack. By this time, the other first-in crews had arrived and made their way
to the floor to back up rescue pumper 115. My vantage point of a civilian was safely in the stairwell, away from any danger before doors were fully opened to fight the fire. After the adrenaline rush, racing up six flights of stairs and discovering heavy smoke and fire, Captain Wallace’s first instinct was to remember that I was accompanying them and to instruct me to step into the stairwell for my own safety. Experience and calm under pressure was something that showed when it counted. Of course, he would later rub it in that “it would’ve made a pretty picture with the fire rolling up over the ceiling right before they hit it with water.”
When it was deemed safe, I was allowed into the apartment to photograph the aftermath of what started as a burning pot on the stove and eventually destroyed the whole kitchen. The family made it out safely, and thankfully, by remaining calm, did the right thing by closing the door as they left. Sadly, however, when they returned, they were faced with a smoke-damaged one-bedroom suite. Being new to the country and having no insurance, 30 seconds of leaving a pot unattended has made their lives considerably tougher. Forty-five minutes passed, the second alarm cleared and the smoke ventilated. We were the first truck in, and the last to leave.
When we got back to the hall, experience and coolness under pressure was shown once again, when it really counted . . . the oven had been turned off and the potatoes were removed from the burner before we got on the truck. Dinner was saved.
A typical day in the life of a Toronto firefighter.
John Riddell is a freelance photojournalist based in Toronto. His work can be seen at www.torontofirephotos.ca
by DR. WILL BROOKS
Walk into any fire station and ask the crew if anyone has ever suffered from depression. Watch the result. In the average house, silence is the most probable response. Silence, averted glances and changes in body language, all of which say “Let’s not go there.”
This is by no means always the response but it is typical and may be part of what harms our firefighters. Despite more than 30 years of work by groups such as the World Health Organization, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to de-stigmatize depression, it is a mental illness and is therefore typically bound into misconceptions that few of us even know we hold.
Keeping quiet about depression – whether your own depression or that of a friend – is like failing to write up a locked emergency exit on an inspection; you are doing no one any favours.
Part of the reason talking about depression doesn’t happen easily is that it is not part of the picture of the fearless firefighter slaying the red dragon. Nuts to that one. Another and more easily understood reason is that depression has many meanings and many levels of impact on those who experience it and on those around them.
So, depression is like fires. Some are of short duration and are managed quickly; others take longer, do more damage and require additional resources to stop. Rarely, there is a big one, a fire so awful that every resource available is brought to bear and the conflagration may last for a long time.
“Depression is similar to townhouse fires,” says Lori Gray, a clinical psychology intern at the Psychological Trauma Program, Workplace Stress and Health Program in Toronto.
“Initially, the fire is small and can be fought with relative ease. As with townhouses, depression might appear small and manageable to the average person. However, upon closer inspection, one realizes that just as a townhouse fire spreads to the neighbouring units, depression slowly creeps into multiple areas of firefighters’ lives, including their jobs, marriages, relationships with their children, families and even hobbies they used to enjoy.
“As with townhouse fires, the spread of depression can go undetected to onlookers for some time but becomes obvious after much devastation has been caused.“
We all know some folks for whom life seems more down than up, for whom life’s glass is always more than half empty. These people don’t feel good inside and it usually shows. They tend to be downers and may mask this trait in a variety of ways in the firehouse. Constant cynical comments and jibes that go beyond the usual watch-desk and kitchen banter might be a tipoff. Mentalhealth workers refer to this constant low level of unease as dysthymia. Folks with dysthymia will sometimes develop a more severe depression but by no means always.
More severe clinical depression can be slow to start or come on
swiftly as a reaction to a critical event. It might be invisible when the first-due rigs arrive, but when it shows itself, there is usually no doubt about what is going on.
Those with clinical depression will have experienced certain signs and symptoms most of the time for at least two weeks. The Canadian Mental Health Association website (www.cmha.ca) helps those who think they might be suffering any form of depression to examine those feelings and determine whether they mark some type of depression,
Depression can be a killer if the individual suffering it reaches the point of suicidal thought and action. For some who are near this stage, a helpful friend who can point out resources and just be with the sufferer can sometimes be enough to prevent such destructive actions. Sometimes, more active interventions are necessary. As with many of the life-saving techniques firefighters learn on the job, it is vital to know how to respond when one of our own is trying to deal with depression.
Ask for training to the degree that is appropriate. Sometimes the best thing to do is help the firefighter friend make contact with an appropriate professional through a help line or an employee assistance program. If you know depression is working into the “big one,” get some real help. Talk with a qualified mental health worker or your physician. Call a help line. Tell a close friend or talk to your spouse. If you have access to an effective employee assistance program, use it. Do what firefighters are known for: act! Search out a source of help. If the first person you meet does not “get it,” move on. Don’t wait for a flashover!
Dr. Will Brooks is the founder and past president of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Will is a retired psychologist and firefighter with roots in several parts of Canada.
St. Catharines, Ont. – Replace your existing caution tape with new high-visibility reflective caution tape to improve safety. This new reflective caution tape has reflective strips every 36 inches to ensure that restricted areas such as accident, crime, fire, spill sites and construction areas maintain highly visible day or night and in fog, heavy rain or snow.
Increased visibility will ensure that not only is the restricted area is enforced, but that the individuals working in the area are protected. Visit www.linetechdesign.com for details.
Covington, Tenn. – After four years of research and development, Hydratrek has unveiled its industrial duty emergency response vehicle to the mass market.
Able to maneuver into areas that have rarely before been accessible by land, Hydratrek’s amphibious vehicle can effortlessly trek up and down steep inclines, through heavy sticky mud, swamps, woodlands, earthquake zones and flood waters.
The Hydratrek is the ultimate disaster vehicle for situations including disaster response and urban search and rescue.
The Hydratrek comes equipped
with a patent pending hydraulic circuit and valve arrangement that allows for tri-mode propulsion including land only wheel drive, a proprietary designed eleven inch bronze dual prop system for water drive, or a combination of prop and wheel drives. A fully integrated hydrostatic closed-loop drive system includes an individual motor for each wheel and prop and allows for the wheels and props to work independently from one another. The base model retails at US $52,000. For more information visit www.hydratrek.com.
Scott Health & Safety has received NIOSH approval for its Scott AV-2000 facepiece as a CBRN approved airpurifying respirator (APR), making it the first facepiece that can be converted from CBRN APR to a CBRN SCBA application without using tools.
Using Scott’s revolutionary top-down convertibility design feature, the Scott AV-2000 facepiece can now be used in two unique CBRN applications from fire fighting and emergency response SCBA to decontamination and triage (APR). This universal application of CBRN approval is unique in the industry and allows first responders to respond to any emergency situation without carrying two different facepieces and changing out facepieces in the field.
There are no tools required to utilize the CBRN approval of the AV-2000 facepiece as an air purifying respirator. The AV-2000
CBRN air-purifying respirator is a complete system that uses Scott’s newest AV-2000 facepiece, (identified by a grey nosecup and Kevlar head harness) with the Scott CBRN 40mm adapter and CBRN Cap-1 canister. The one-time use CBRN canister has a shelf life of seven years from the date of manufacture as long as it remains sealed in its original packaging. Visit www.scotthealthandsafety.com for details.
Rosenbauer introduces new aerial command seat (ACS) that affords great visibility for aerial operations. With the ACS, operators will have control of the aerial and waterway monitor functions at their fingertips.
The ACS is an added benefit for operators’ stations at the turntable while having personnel in the platform operating the aerial. It will add extra comfort on long lasting fires and reduce the stress on firemen standing for long periods of time.
The new, single joystick controls the aerial raise/lower function, as well as the extend/retract and left-to-right functions. By flipping a switch, the monitor’s stream, pattern, up/down and left-to-right functions can equally be controlled from the joystick.
The joystick will also be able to activate the aerial’s AC and DC lights and switch the aerial speed between high and low. Four lights on the joystick will illuminate to indicate which functions are selected. For more information visit www.rosenbauer.com.
Pittsburgh, Pa., April 2008 – MSA’s new FireHawk M7 Responder air mask is uniquely versatile SCBA protection that can quickly be transformed into a CBRN air-purifying respirator (APR) or a CBRN powered airpurifying respirator (PAPR).
Just open or close the SCBA cylinder valve to convert to another mode—as your job changes from first response and rescue to scene management and remediation activities.
This practical emergency respiratory protection system meets/ exceeds the latest requirements of NFPA and NIOSH standards. Visit www.msanet.com for details.
Putnam, Conn. – Kochek introduces a new, highly compact and light weight floating strainer with a poppet style check valve for forest fire (wild fire) and other applications. The strainer is made using light-weight aluminum and is available with either a NH or NPSH female fitting. The strainer body has a unique self leveling, full time swivel for use in any conditions. It can be ordered in custom powder coated colours. For more information visit www.kochek.com.
AMKUS Rescue Systems introduces the NEW AMK21A cutter with increased cutting capability. The new and improved version of the AMK-21 cutter offers a new style cutting blade and maintains its unique 360degree rotating handle.
The design of the blades provides increased cutting capability and a higher NFPA performance level rating. Departments can specify the position of the control valve – left, right or centered – in relation to the cutting blades, at the time of ordering. For more information visit www.amkus.com.
Portland, Ore. – The Danner Fire King is the first structural fire boot developed by Danner. The Fire King joins Danner’s successful Flashpoint, an NFPA certified wildland firefighting boot, and its offering of supportive station boots.
The Fire King will be available in 2009. It features a proprietary co-branded Danner Vibram fire and ice outsole to ensure a sturdy step in hot and cold environments and specially developed fire zone external lugs that are extended by six millimetres for increased slip resistance on pitched rooftop surfaces. Materials such as SuperFabric surround the foot make to make all the difference in durability with its fire, cut, puncture and tear-resistant capabilities. The CROSSTECH liner by W.L. Gore provides waterproof, breathable protection against blood borne pathogens and the protective Vibram diamond-plate material fully protects the toe and heel. Visit www.danner.com for more information.
Now there’s a powerful air compressor for service vehicles that doesn’t take up tons of space. The new 15CFM diesel air compressor from Next Generation Power measures just 30 inches long, 16 inches wide and 20 inches high. It weighs just 175 pounds and fits easily into the tightest compartments.
Ideal for running blowguns, impact guns and other air tools, the heavy-duty 15CFM diesel air compressor produces an air flow volume of 15 cfm at 150 psi. With all CNC-machined parts, the powdercoated Schulz air compressor operates at a very low 1,000 r.p.m.
The diesel-powered unit offers a longer life, lower maintenance and better fuel efficiency than gasoline. A single cylinder, watercooled Kubota seven-hp diesel engine supplies constant, reliable power.
The compressor employs an electric start and has a suggested retail price of US$3,495. Visit www.nextgenerationpower.com for details.
The HammerHead search flashlight the ideal companion for fire and arson investigators. The simple tap of a switch allows the user to change from one strong CREE XR-E White LED to 12 UV LEDs. The white LED alone supplies up to 160 lumens of light.
The UV mode of the light is used in conjunction with a pair of orange goggles. Together, petroleum-based accelerants will fluo-
resce, making it easier for fire investigators to identify the culprit.
The Hammerhead is lightweight and sleek with a powerful beam, allowing the user to keep a comfortable amount of distance between themselves and the speculative substances under investigation.
Three CR123 batteries provide up to eight hours of life. The Hammerhead is made of aluminum, and is waterproof and fire resistant. It retails for about US$294.99.
For details see www.foxfury.com and click on products.
Southlake, Texas – Designed to ensure maximum battery performance on 12-, 24-, 36- and 48-volt systems using six-,12- and 24volt lead-acid batteries, PowerPulse by PulseTech Products Corp. is ideal for any kind of vehicle or equipment that is charged on a regular basis.
Not a charger, but a performance device, PowerPulse is designed to help batteries charge faster and provide maximum performance and power. PowerPulse, which can be used on emergency vehicles comes with lugs that connect directly to the battery terminals.
By employing the patented PULSE Technology, PowerPulse maintains and enhances battery performance by safely preventing the main cause of battery problems and failure: sulfation buildup within lead acid batteries.
PowerPulse carries a five-year limited warranty. The MSRP range for this family of products is $53 to $83. For more product information go to www.pulsetech.net.
The bridge to your future
•MUNICIPAL FIRE FIGHTING
• HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE
• INDUSTRIAL FIRE FIGHTING
• CONFINED SPACE ENTRY/ RESCUE
• INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM
• CUSTOM TRAINING TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS
• PRE-SERVICE FIREFIGHTER EDUCATION and TRAINING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
• FIRE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA PROGRAM
FIRE & EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING CENTRE Sarnia,ON,Canada 1-800-791-7887 or 519-336-4552, ex t 21 • Fa x : 519-336-4537
e m
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www.lambton.on.ca/fertc
Prevent firefighter injuries and fatalities during life fire training. Vital to safety during training exercises, NFPA 1403 compliance would dramatically decrease the likelihood of fire fighter injuries and deaths. Completely updated and revised for 2007, this Standard applies to the training of fire fighters under live fire conditions and focuses on training for co-ordinated interior and exterior fire suppression operations while maintaining a minimum exposure to risk for the participants.
The 2007 edition advances safety with:
• Updated requirements for props
• Changes regarding the evaluation of the structural integrity of fire training structures
• The latest coverage of safety issues with respect to live burn
Item#: 140307
Live Fire Training in Acquired Structures can allow your department to participate in real-world, practical scenarios. But, with real fire training comes real risks. This DVD will assist you in following the procedures established in the National Fire Protection Association 1403 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions. This program also presents guidelines to help your department properly acquire, inspect, prepare, and drill in acquired buildings. Additionally, this DVD looks at the roles of all participants—including students, instructors, and safety officers—and their responsibilities in creating a safer live fire training atmosphere that follows nationally accepted safety standards.
Item#: 1593701406
$5,22500
When it comes to mastering the basics for certification or refresher training, you need the all new Essentials of Fire Fighting 5th Edition for NFPA 1001- 2008.
Each DVD title in this series is instructionally designed to teach current NFPA 1001, Firefighter I & II skills and prerequisite knowledge. Simplify technical material and reinforce your training objectives through the seeing is believing of these training programs.
Item#: REFFFTDVD
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Phone 519-429-5178
1-888-599-2228 ext. 252
FAX 1-888-404-1129
CUSTOM TRAINING PROGRAMS: MESC will provide custom design training programs. Other courses available include: Building standards, Rescue program, Emergency Medical, Management Program, Fire Prevention, Public Safety and Hazardous Material. Manitoba Emergency Services College, Brandon, Manitoba, phone: (204) 726-6855.
FIREFIGHTER CAREER TRAINING: Fire services career preparation Certificate recruit training program. Business leadership for the fire services. Courses available: Fire Prevention, Fire Suppression, HazMat, Emergency First Responder, Search and Rescue. For more details call Durham College, Whitby, Ontario or call Don Murdock at (905) 721-3111 ext. 4069.
LIVE FIRE FIGHTING EXPERIENCE: Short and long term courses available, Municipal and Industrial fire fighting. Incident Command System, Emergency Response/HazMat, three year Fire Science Technology Diploma program. Lambton College, Sarnia, Ontario, call 1-800-791-7887 or www.lambton.on. ca/p_c/technology/fire_emerg_resp.htm. Enroll today!
Everything we do on the fire ground is with a partner and our workouts should be no different. Having a partner will help keep you motivated and hold you accountable to continue your workouts regularly. Finding the right person to be your workout partner is not as easy as it sounds. Consider the following factors when choosing a workout partner: time available; similarity of workouts; accountability; level of motivation; talkativeness; and similarity of goals.
Find a partner who works on a similar schedule as you do; this will allow you to set regular workouts and reduce the possibility for cancelling appointments. Your partner needs to be reliable. Don’t choose a partner who is regularly late, as that wastes your time. A partner should be someone who calls to let you know when he is running late or if he can’t make the workout – nothing is more frustrating than waiting around for your partner and wasting valuable workout time.
Having a partner who is doing similar workouts will help keep both participants on the same time frame – one partner won’t finish early and have to wait for the other to finish. If you can find someone who will lift the same levels of weight this will cut down on overall time, as there will be no wasted time changing weights. Choose a partner who is on the same level as you; if you are a beginner don’t pick a partner who is an expert, as you will become frustrated because you can’t keep up and may eventually quit. Choosing a partner who is at a similar level will keep both partners motivated and give both of you more out of your workouts.
Choose a partner who understands that you are at the gym to work out and not to socialize. Your partner’s job is to motivate you during the workouts and keep you accountable for your attendance, not to distract you with chatter. There is plenty of time outside workouts for chit chat; you don’t need a partner who turns an hour workout into a two-hour event with chatter. Don’t pick someone who doesn’t say anything either – you need a partner who will motivate you to push through those last reps.
AARON BROUWER Instructor Canwest Fire, B.C.
‘Having a partner who is doing similar workouts will help keep both participants on the same time frame – one partner won’t finish early and have to wait for the other to finish.
Your partner has the right to force you to go, that is his job. By asking someone to be your workout partner you are giving him permission to keep bugging you to get to the gym no matter how many times you turn him down or how lazy you may feel.
Make sure your partner is just as motivated as you are; pick someone who you know is motivated and committed to working out. If you are all gung ho and your partner is laid back you will become frustrated with your workouts; you are more likely to become laid back than to convert your partner to be gung ho. Choose a partner who has a positive attitude – remember you are trying to increase your strength or cardio and don’t need someone being negative around you to bring you down.
Don’t just work out for the sake of working out – set attainable short-term and long-term goals to work toward. Find a partner who has similar long-term goals (for example, passing a fire department physical test, competing in the FireFit combat challenge, etc). Nothing motivates more than turning everything into a competition. By setting similar short-term goals (increasing bench press by 20 pounds, running seven laps in 12 minutes) you can add a little competition between you and your partner. Competition will provide more motivation to keep your workouts going and push you to work harder so you can beat your partner. As you try to beat your partner he will be trying the same thing; this will push your drive and intensity up during your workouts. A little competition never hurts.
A partner can be a different age and a different gender. It doesn’t matter whether your partner is male or female or 25 or 45, as long as the partner can motivate you to work out. That’s all that matters. Although age and gender doesn’t matter when it comes to choosing a workout partner, it is extremely important that your partner is strong enough to spot you for all your exercises.
Having a partner will help motivate you through your tough workouts. A partner can spot you to get one more rep in without worrying about dropping the weight. Finding the right partner may take some time but once you do you will see immediate results as you will miss fewer workouts and your workouts will become a lot more intense as your partner encourages you to push harder.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford
Aaron Brouwer is a firefighter with Prince George Fire Rescue in B.C. and in an hand-on training instructor with Canwest Fire. Contact him at ff_brouwer@hotmail.com
