20 | Psychological PPE de A leadership team is like a rudder
The closure of the Ontario Fire College’s Gravenhurst campus shocked many and brought much debate to the subject of training in Ontario, which is moving forward with its regionalized model.
BY JULIE FITZ-GERALD
BY STEVE PILUSO
The
Defining the scope and importance of professional development for today’s successful firefighter. BY
ADAM MCFADDEN
You cannot pour from an empty
Tips for how to “fill your cup” physically, mentally and emotionally. BY
JULIA LONG
From the editor
By Laura Aiken
The networking piece
This month’s cover feature shares the story of the closure of the Ontario Fire College’s Gravenhurst campus with firefighters across Canada. This Ontario landmark at the mouth of Muskoka has played a central role in training the province’s firefighters since 1949. That’s 72 years. Seven decades of memories have informed a collective legacy.
After the initial shock in
be pragmatically gained, but what could be subjectively lost. Networking and comradery are emotional pieces that pain many who are upset over the loss of the campus. As anyone who has attended a college or university for a stint can attest, the experience is beyond instruction. A reflective narrative of time spent in colleges or universities is always a mix of what happened in and out of class. Uncomfortable beds and
Making friends and meeting others we admire that we want to learn from are certainly ways to help a career, but they are also the ways in which we support our personal development, stretching ourselves in the novel ways in which we interact with the world.
January that the Gravenhurst campus would be permanently shuttered and training in Ontario would move to a regionalized model, the province’s fire service is now adapting to what’s to come. Announcements about new regional training centres have popped up in the news and much discussion has been posited as to what curriculum may be more effectively delivered online. Fire fighting is a tactile skill-set and that handson requirement has been an important conversation.
The fear that seems to prevail — the unknown in the aftermath — is not what will
noisy nights are a rite of educational passage. Sometimes when we say the word networking, we think of talking to people for a specific career gain, but as humans we are far more altruistic in seeking connections with others. Making friends and meeting others we admire that we want to learn from are certainly ways to help a career, but they are also the ways in which we support our personal development, stretching ourselves in the novel ways in which we interact with the world.
The pandemic has forced a reconsideration of the time and money spent on the road
furthering our education and networking opportunities. This rethink has not concluded removal, far from it. There are many who are eager to get back to getting together in bigger numbers with new and familiar faces. Gathering to educate as a group in an environment with fewer typical distractions with the additional opportunity to immerse overnight is of high value and that notion has far from gone away. Regional training centres offer the opportunity to meet with those beyond your department, bringing fresh perspectives and conversation to training. There is no way to quantify if this will still be as valuable for personal development as attending a campus, which serves as a natural conduit for mass congregation, but it could still be effective. This may depend on how individuals approach it. The plan in motion is the way forward in Ontario. Time and assessment will undoubtedly refine the system, for though the fire service may joke amongst itself about being resistant to change, they are most serious in their aspirations to improve.
July 2021 Vol. 44, No. 3 cdnfirefighter.com
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Fire-resistant wood
A recent field test showed that BarrierTek-treated wood structures do not allow fire to leave the point of origin, dramatically reducing fire damage and posing no threat to the surrounding community or any adjacent buildings. BarrierTek, a company that specializes in fire-resistant wood construction, performed the full-scale field test at a local fire training facility in Alberta. The large-scale burn experiment provided a comparative analysis between two three-story wood buildings. One was constructed with BarrierTek fire-proof coating and the other was untreated standard construction. Both buildings were identical in construction and were ignited with an equal amount of fuel-load.
BarrierTek reported that its treated building did not ignite and reached a maximum temperature of 230 C, while the untreated building reached flashover.
N.L. firefighters awarded for work in Australia
Four forest fire fighting personnel from Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture have been awarded the New South Wales Premier’s Bushfire Emergency Citation for their efforts in battling unprecedented bushfires in Australia during 2019 and 2020. The recipients include Mark Lawlor, supervisor of industry services, Corner Brook; Matthew Wells, conservation officer, Lewisporte; Darren Jennings, ecosystem management ecologist, Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Joe Russell, wildland fire training specialist (retired), Corner Brook.
The New South Wales Bushfire Emergency Citation is a meaningful commemoration that expresses gratitude, while symbolizing camaraderie and teamwork during challenging times. The citation recognizes those who served both on the front line and behind the scenes.
New online intervention to support couples
A research team at the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University has developed a free intervention for couples that helps military members, veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program, Couple HOPES, is an online, guided, self-help intervention for couples to improve PTSD and enhance relationship functioning at the same time.
Candace Monson, lab director of the study, said the team is assessing the program’s safety, rating, and whether it’s helping people with PTSD. Monson said the study results will be defined by data collected from couples who used the program.
“We look at everyone who enters the study. We use their data on whether they completed it or not and what the effect of this intervention was on their healing process.”
The online program includes seven interactive modules that are 20 to 30 minutes each. These modules educate couples about skills used to cope with PTSD and
support their partner throughout their journey.
The program also includes four 20-minute coaching sessions that refine the skills couples learned throughout the intervention.
Monson said participants are “much more likely” to achieve their goals when interventions have a coach. Before and after the program, couples are required to answer screening questions about their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Monson said one of the key aspects of the program is educating them to stop preventing their partner from facing their triggers. She said this avoidant behaviour only prolongs the healing process.
“We understand that you’re doing it well-meaningly, but it’s actually making your loved one sick. We’re systematically trying to get the person with PTSD to be engaging and approaching the things that they are avoiding because of the disorder.”
The program is currently being offered free to eligible couples.
— MAZ ATTA
Candice Monson is the lab director for the study based on Couple HOPES, a new online self-help program to support relationships and improve PTSD.
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Training in Ontario
The aftermath of losing the Ontario Fire College campus
By Julie Fitz-Gerald
The Ontario government stunned the fire service back in January when it announced the closure of the Ontario Fire College (OFC) campus in Gravenhurst, effective March 31.
Many of the province’s fire chiefs, captains, local unions and firefighters alike were left reeling from the news that their beloved fire college as they knew it was no more.
The 99-acre campus, located in the scenic cottage town of Gravenhurst, Ont., has been a staple of the fire service since 1949, with many firefighters feeling a deep emotional connection to the networking, comradery and training that took place there.
Ontario’s fire training will now move to a regional approach, encompassing 20 regional training centres (RTCs) across the province that will provide hands-on training, as well as curriculum delivered through online courses and learning contracts. In addition, two mobile live fire units can be booked by municipalities for training purposes starting in October. While the government says this new approach will modernize and improve fire training, some worry that the costs are simply being dumped on small municipalities that will be unable to cover the fees.
Nick Dorken, a captain with the Kitchener Fire Department, has been with the fire service since 2005 and leads Kitchener’s technical rescue team. He says volunteer and rural departments will be the most heavily impacted by the OFC closure. Beyond the costs, Dorken worries that the networking opportunities and hands-on training that the OFC offered will be lost through this new regional approach.
His sentiments are echoed elsewhere, including by Bracebridge’s former deputy fire chief Jared Cayley (who became the fire chief in Gravenhurst since his interview with Fire Fighting in Canada) and by president of OPSEU 317 Chris McConnell. According to McConnell, “There are certain types of courses that
regional training centres can do and have already been doing. This is not new; this was there before. So really, the big thing is that we’re shutting down the one place that all municipalities could afford to send their firefighters to that was high quality. It cost $65 all in: room, board, everything.”
According to Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg, RTCs are what he calls “the Cadillac option.”
“If municipalities can afford to, they can get their firefighters trained at Regional Training Centres very quickly and at a high level, but that isn’t the only option. We have online courses, we have blended learning, and I think the part that’s really going to change training across Ontario is the learning contracts. Learning contracts are at the same cost as it was to go to the Fire College, so $65 per student, and they can train at their own speed, at their own pace, in their local department,” Pegg explains. He notes that a department can take a learning contract for any course and instead of having to get it done in two weeks, they can take several months to complete it, which he believes will benefit volunteer departments where firefighters have other full-time jobs. “Then, when they’re ready, we’ll come in and test, just as we always would, so I do believe that’s going to be the revolutionary part of the fire college closure and the modernization – I think that’s the key part,” says Pegg.
He asserts that learning contracts still allow for hands-on training. “It will give the full curriculum for the course, including hands-on. They can do that inhouse or a blended version with the theory in-house under the learning contract and just attend the regional training centre for the hands-on, which is an option that will drastically cut down on the cost,” Pegg explains.
The Fire Protection and Prevention Act 1997 (FPPA) stipulates that the Ontario Fire Marshal must maintain and operate a central fire college. So, is Ontario still in compliance with the act?
“The best way to look at it is, we’ve closed the Gravenhurst campus, but the fire college is still being maintained. We’re still maintaining all the instructors [from the OFC], who will be going to the regional training centres and helping local fire departments. We maintain the scheduling of courses and our back-office staff, so I still believe we’re meeting the mandate of the FPPA. I believe the intent is to make sure we’re delivering training to the fire service and we’re definitely still doing that. I would argue that
The closure of the Ontario Fire College campus in Gravenhurst has prompted the introduction of more regional approach to training in the province.
PHOTO: OLINCHUK/ADOBE STOCK
we’re enhancing it and making it more accessible and attainable for the fire service.”
Without one centralized training campus, McConnell worries that a silo effect will begin to happen with varying levels of training across the province, depending on the size and budget of the municipality.
“We may end up with people not being plugged in, not necessarily up-to-date and aware of everything that’s going on in the fire service. We don’t want a bunch of little silos where people are acting independently from one another. Now, the Fire Marshal’s office is saying that’s not going to happen, but one of the biggest reasons it hasn’t happened to date really is because of centralized training at the OFC,” says McConnell.
Pegg acknowledges the concern, but believes he has a system in place to prevent gaps in training. “I’ve always been worried about this, but I think I’ve got a good plan to keep that under control and to rectify anything,” he explains. “Not everybody trained at the fire college when it was open – RTCs existed then. The issue we had at that point was that our instructors were dedicated to the fire college, so they couldn’t go mobile, they couldn’t go and check in on regional training centres and make sure that training was being delivered at a high level. This new model frees up our instructors. They can actually be mobile and be assigned to RTCs, so we’ll have that oversight and hands-on with municipalities and within RTCs, which I think is a huge enhancement.”
The province estimates that approximately 2,500 firefighters received training annually at the OFC, although it has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. McConnell argues that the peak capacity of the college with firefighters staying on-site was 5,000 and that the government’s number reflects a reduced capacity that occurred during renovations over recent years. Pegg says enrollment for training under the new regional model has already doubled. “The learning contracts are out there and we’ve had a huge uptake in them. We’re well in excess of 5,000
The 99-acre campus, located in the scenic cottage town of Gravenhurst, Ont., has been a staple of the fire service since 1949.
students this year through RTCs and learning contracts, so yes, training is ongoing certainly and we’re geared up and ready to go in any model that any department wants to go with,” he says.
Apart from the hands-on training that the OFC was known for, networking was perhaps the next big draw to the facility. Chief Cayley says the networking aspect cannot be replicated.
“The OFC had the ability to draw in people who had significant life experience and experience with what they were teaching, and the networking that occurred can never be replaced,” he says. “I remember having a conversation learning about recruitment processes when I was trying to get a full-time job, and I was sitting there next to the deputy chief of Toronto, and we were talking like there was no rank. We were just having a conversation. You can’t duplicate that.”
Pegg says he’s had many emails and phone calls from firefighters who are worried about losing the fire “experience” they got from attending the OFC. “I absolutely understand that. I think there’s an emotional connection to the Gravenhurst campus, but I think the same thing can happen on a regional basis. If you’re training with five or six departments coming together, that hands-on experience can be portrayed the same way as it was at the fire college.”
In March, the Ontario government announced $5 million in grant funding to assist municipal fire services with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including fire safety training and virtual inspection programs. Each municipality is eligible to receive a $4,500 base grant plus additional funding based on population served.
“I will say that a majority of the applications that came in were for training, and I think that’s a very good story because training was very much impacted through COVID and still is. I’m hoping those funds can help get people the courses that they need,” says Pegg.
The closure of the OFC campus shocked many in Ontario’s fire service. The perceived wastefulness that the province would scrap a well-loved, functioning facility, the perceived haste with which the closure occurred and the emotional toll of losing a legacy campus ruffled a lot of feathers.
Pegg says he understands. “I have those emotional connections and I can tell you, the last few days being on-site were emotional for me and very tough. I understand the angst and worry around the decision, but as Fire Marshal, when I look at the training on a whole for Ontario, I have to make sure we’re offering training and courses for all the firefighters across Ontario. We need to modernize and we need to get better access to courses so people aren’t waitlisted for multiple years.”
Thousands of Ontario firefighters attended the former Ontario Fire College Gravenhurst campus annually.
Steve Piluso is an experienced EMRI, AEMCA, military veteran, and multidisciplinary technical rescue instructor. He is the owner and operator of Swift Response. Contact Steve: Steve@SwiftResponse.ca or visit swiftresponse.ca.
Training Connections: Part 2
Don’t throw away your rope rescue training
By Steve Piluso
Editor’s Note: Training Connections is a three-part series discussing training across disciplines and how to train and apply your training in a holistic way.
In preparing to be hired as a firefighter, many candidates spend time, money and effort on rescue training. Be it ice water, rope, or confined space rescue, these are skills that, once you’re hired, you may or may not continue training in or using on a regular basis. Some of the skills you learned in your rescue training, although valuable, may end up being put on the shelf. I am a strong believer that every training you do should build on the training and experiences that you have, and that everything you learn can be used to make you better at what you do in a more holistic way. Training in a wide variety of skills and disciplines gives us not only additional skills, but makes us think differently, making connections we otherwise wouldn’t, and can enable us to come up with creative solutions to problems that we face every day.
Whether you work for a large department and specialize in one area, or you work in a small department and wear many hats, keep those skills fresh, because they can be applied to everything you do.
In this article we are going to look at two examples of where the skills from rope rescue training can be applied to other areas of fire fighting, and I will give suggestions on how to keep those skills sharp even if you aren’t formally training in them.
Scenario 1: Applying what we know about Crush Syndrome to a welfare check
You are responding to a request for a welfare check on an elderly person, whose family hasn’t been able to get in touch with them for a day. You arrive at their
building and enter to find that they are conscious and responsive, laying on the floor in the kitchen. From an initial assessment it seems that they twisted, fell, and were unable to get up. They have been lying on their side since they fell the afternoon before, with their leg pinched
Training in a wide variety of skills and disciplines gives us not only additional skills, but makes us think differently, making connections we otherwise wouldn’t, and can enable us to come up with creative solutions to problems that we face every day.
beneath them, and they are experiencing a lot of pain in their hip.
What would you do in this scenario? Without training, a person like a friend or family member may try to help them to stand up, or help them into a more comfortable position. We know from our medical training that moving a person before understanding what’s going on is not the right first reaction. Furthermore, if we draw from our rope rescue training, we can consider that this is a similar pathology to suspension trauma, where part of a climber’s body (usually their legs) has restricted returning blood flow (venous return) due to them being unconscious in their harness. Outside of rope rescue, we call this restriction of returning blood flow due to a physical force or positioning Crush Syndrome.
Crush Syndrome is a medical condition characterized by hypovolemic shock, kidney failure and life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. This can occur when a portion of the body (usually a limb) is trapped for an extended period of time. Although Crush Syndrome is often thought of as resulting from a large crushing force like that of a fallen structure, we have learned from our rope rescue training that the force required to cause Crush Syndrome needs to only be enough to restrict the returning blood flow from the area. It can also be caused by a fall like the one described in the case study, or from the use of a tourniquet. In these situations, we need to be aware of the possibility of Crush Syndrome and treat accordingly. If the affected body part is released without advanced medical protocols being applied (such as IV therapy), the result can be immediately life threatening.
Scenario 2: Firefighter rescue using mechanical advantage
You are engaged in a house fire and one of your colleagues is in the basement of the home when the basement stairs collapse. Without another way to easily exit the basement, it’s decided to pull them up through a safe opening to the main floor.
What would you do in this situation?
Drawing from your rope rescue tech -
niques, you can apply the same principles of mechanical advantage to assist in the rescue of a firefighter. You may not have the rope and the pulleys that you would have when doing a planned rope rescue, but you have other tools like a hose, pry bars and your axe. Throwing something down for your colleague to climb or to hold on to be pulled back up could work, with a lot of effort. How can we use mechanical advantage to make it easier for the person at the bottom and the people at the top? Let’s do a quick review of the fundamental principles of mechanical advantage that we learned as part of rope rescue.
required to haul the person back up. This option also helps if the person is injured and has difficulty climbing
The same concept we apply here can be used on a horizontal plane to drag a heavy person/object. When we get comfortable with the concepts from our rope rescue training, we start to think creatively about how these principles can be used without high efficiency pulley and static rope systems.
How to keep our rope rescue skills sharp
I have to admit that it is hard to train in every skill as regularly as we may like, but
Training in a wide variety of skills and disciplines gives us not only additional skills, but makes us think differently, making connections we otherwise wouldn’t.
These are the principles of mechanical advantage. A pulley system splits force (shares the force to either side of the pulley). A ramp trades distance for effort. A lever lessens force required to move an object
Here’s the 1 to 1 system example of tossing down a rope/hose:
• Rope/hose through opening
• Person at bottom grabbing the end
• Downside: Much force is required to haul the person back up, and for them to climb or hold on
Here’s what it could look like using a fast 2 to 1 system:
• End of rope/hose secured somewhere past the opening
• Create a bend that is then dropped down into the opening
• Person at the bottom grabs on, one arm and leg over the bend
• Benefit: Half the amount of force is
there are ways that we can keep our skills sharp by bringing the thought process and principles we have learned into our everyday life. My most common use of my rope rescue training is moving heavy objects around the Swift Response back shop. This includes hoisting a kayak to the ceiling for storage and moving a 500-pound tire.
The Challenge: Challenge yourself to use these principles the next time you have something heavy or awkward to move. Instead of asking friends or colleagues for the muscle power to help pick up and move something, engage your skills and knowledge of mechanical advantage, find a creative solution, and have them watch in awe as you safely and efficiently move it yourself (or with minimal help).
If you take on this challenge, I would love to hear about it! Share with us on Instagram @Swift_Response.
Front Seat
By Jason Clark
Jason Clark has been a volunteer firefighter in southwestern Ontario since 2007. Having made the transition from firefighter to captain, Jason shares perspective on roles in the fire service and riding in the front seat. Contact Jason at jaceclark71@gmail.com or @jacejclark.
Communication during the pandemic
The pandemic has changed the way we communicate with one another, especially as we are forced to adapt with the ever-changing environment we are currently going through. Many people have to work from home, learn from home, and somehow keep a normal sense of communication between multiple groups of people.
Since we are still unable to meet in person the way we once
did, communication becomes something that we need to work on, and we had to make other arrangements to make that communication model work. If we could not find a solution to make it work, we usually just ended up putting things on hold like many groups did.
But we could not put the fire service on hold during this pandemic. Calls were still coming in, and we had to respond when the public needed us. At times, we changed our numbers to have less people in training
environments or spaced out as well as we could.
A form of communication that we were already accustomed to, but also relied on more during the pandemic, is email. Everyone has a different form or style of email etiquette and ways to compose their thoughts. Some are formal and drawn out so they don’t miss any information, where others can be straight to the point and keep their message short and sweet.
Then, there are the ones who take short and sweet to a new
level by forwarding information with the dreaded ‘For Your Information’ or ‘FYI’. If you are one of these communicators in the ‘FYI’ group, I am begging you, as a firefighter and a communications graduate, to re-evaluate your plan the next time you forward an email to your crew with ‘FYI-read below’ with no context, clarity, or call to action.
As much as I love talking about fire fighting, sometimes, we need to take a step back and discuss other life skills so we can become better leaders and firefighters. So, in a fire response analogy, this is the equivalent of the chief arriving in their vehicle before anyone else and saying to
the first crew, “FYI, I’m on scene.” How about a call to action? How about a description of what you are seeing or what your expectations are for a successful outcome?
We want to build teams of great firefighters because those firefighters will eventually become our future leaders if the system is working correctly and we are helping build each other up.
Think of what has changed in your department over the last year and a half during the pandemic. How was that information presented to you? I bet if you think back far enough, you had at least one email or information session with pages of
information to sift through with ‘FYI’ attached to it.
I get it, there is a lot of information coming down the pipe, and it is coming at a rapid pace. It is even coming from outside agencies who have a say in how we conduct business, such as public health and various other governing offices.
As fire officers, for us to do our job well and for those in the ranks below us to be successful, we need to do better at sifting through the information and develop key takeaways and expectations that we want to see for successful outcomes.
It is our job as fire officers to have set expectations for our
crews. We cannot just pass off information to our firefighters and magically hope that they read our minds and come to the same set of goals or objectives. We are often tasked with communicating to various groups, including our public. They expect clear information when we are working for them. Our firefighters are no different. In a fast-paced environment where information is changing constantly, we have to remember as officers that it is our job to sift through the information, find out what pertains to us specifically, and pass that on to our crews. This keeps us all on the same page and moving in the same direction.
Recipe rescue
By Patrick Mathieu
Fire up the grill
There is much to love about summer, but for me there is no better way to cap a sunsoaked day than firing up the grill for dinner. Of course, as firefighters we love fire, but there is just something primal and social about cooking over open flame. No matter what you are about to throw on the grill there is no easier way to build flavour into it than by using a marinade. Being able to build a marinade is a pretty simple and essential tool to have in your tool belt. Using a marinade is an easy way to boost the flavour of lean proteins, infuse flavour into vegetables or ensure tough cuts of meat will turn out tender and juicy. Even 15 minutes of soaking time is enough to enhance the flavour of many ingredients. The best part? It is super easy to whip together, and you really do not need any special equipment. It can turn you from a zero to hero on the grill!
So, what makes a marinade, a marinade? A marinade is a flavourful liquid that is used for soaking meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. It tenderizes the surface of the meat while also infusing it with extra flavour. All marinades share a few key parts: oil, salt and acid. This is your basic marinade blueprint. Oil lets the marinade ingredients stick to the food’s surface while salt helps the meat retain moisture. The acidic component—like vinegar or citrus juice—tenderizes the meat’s surface by breaking down tough muscle fibers and the acid is also what gives that pop of flavour. If your food ever tastes dull or bland, it is more than likely missing the acid component. After these three basic components of the marinade is where you can build on your different flavourings to make it special in its own way. Several fla-
Patrick Mathieu is an acting captain at Waterloo Fire Rescue in Ontario. He was featured on Food Network’s Chopped Canada. You can reach Patrick at stationhousecateringco@yahoo.ca or @StationHouseCCo.
A marinade is a flavourful liquid that is used for soaking meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
vouring ingredients can be added in combination to boost your marinades, like spices and herbs, vegetables like onions, garlic and ginger, or condiments like Worcestershire, soy sauce, ketchup and mustard. These components might not be able to penetrate into the inside of the meat, but they will stick to the surface after the meat or vegetables are removed from the marinade. It is also helpful to use ingredients like sugar, honey or maple syrup because they help promote browning and caramelization as ingredients cook. What a marinade won’t do is season the inside of a large cut of meat; unlike a brine, it can’t penetrate much further than a few millimeters below the meat’s surface but it can break down tough proteins on the meat’s surface, and the oil used in marinades helps the flavourings stick to the meat’s exterior.
Is marinating necessary? It might not be necessary, but it is a good idea when working with tougher cuts of meat and lean proteins. Certain cuts of beef like flank and skirt turn out much juicier and more tender when
marinated overnight. Lean proteins like chicken breasts and shrimp can turn out dry and bland when cooked without seasoning. Marinating gives them extra fat from the oil and the seasonings coat the exterior to boost their flavour. Tender vegetables like zucchini or eggplant are also great targets for a marinade. When cut into small pieces, they will soak up the flavours of the marinade effectively, making them stars on the grill. The only thing you really need to build a marinade is a suitable container. I like to use plastic sealable bags that allow you to shake the contents and evenly disperse the marinade. If you want to get really fancy look to a vacuum sealer for quick marinating jobs. Vacuum sealing lowers the pressure inside the bag, allowing the meat to absorb the marinade more quickly. A common misconception is that the longer you marinate something the deeper the flavours will infuse. Actually, it is possible to marinate for too long and unfortunately there’s no coming back when you do. Marinades contain acidic ingredients that break down meat proteins. When the meat is exposed to the marinade for extended periods of time, it can become mushy and the texture will be off. For best results, set a timer and stick to these marinade times for most ingredients you might throw on the grill:
• Beef: eight to 24 hours
• Chicken: four to six hours
• Firm tofu: 30 minutes
• Fish: 30 minutes
• Kabob cuts (one and a half to two-inch cubes): two hours
• Pork: six to 12 hours
• Shrimp and scallops: 15 minutes
• Hard vegetables: 30 minutes to an hour
• Tender vegetables: 15 to 30 minutes
If you are into meal prep, most marinades can be made well in advance and stored in airtight
containers or mason jars in the refrigerator. If you really want to plan ahead, make several batches of marinade at once and portion them into gallon-sized bags. You can freeze the marinade for up to six months, thawing the bag in the refrigerator before using.
Below are a few of my all-purpose marinades, so you can use them for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. To make these marinades simply mix all the ingredients together, pour in a sealable bag and toss in whatever ingredient you want to marinate, allowing it to rest it in the fridge. Feel free to add and play with different flavour combinations to make them your own. Enjoy my friends! Eat well and stay safe!
Asian Fusion Marinade
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup sherry or chicken broth
2-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Key Lime Marinade
1 large red onion, sliced
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Key lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Greek Marinade
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Southwest Chili Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Ginger-Peach Marinade
1/4 cup peach preserves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cajun Marinade
3/4 cup canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Between Alarms
By Arjuna George
Arjuna George is the fire chief for Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue in British Columbia. He has served on the department since 1997. Contact Arjuna at ageorge@saltspringfire.com.
Seven muscles of resilience
Fire fighting is a tough and demanding job, where being physically fit is an important component to serving our communities. However, we often forget about our mind’s health, our stress response, and how we can manage the challenges we face daily. This month’s column is about a program called Prosilience that develops resilience.
The word ‘resilience’ has been a hot topic these past few years . As first responders, we witness disruption daily, which can create anxiety and uncertainty .
Most people would say resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges, and I agree. But, I also like the proactive approach and consider self-care as the foundation for our body and mind so that we can withstand and recover from disruption. Being a yo-yo bouncing back and forth can be very energy-draining and stressful, but if you are equipped to withstand the storm of change, you will recover stronger.
There are so many golden nuggets in Linda Hoopes’s book, “Prosilience: Building Your Resilience for a Turbulent World”. The real gem of this program is the concept of your seven resilience ‘muscles’ that help you manage stress in your life. These muscles are for learning purposes and are not physiological muscles. Every firefighter possesses all seven muscles; it just depends on their level of strength and use that dictates your overall resilience.
The first muscle is positivity. This is a powerful muscle to keep strong, especially in these turbulent times.
The second muscle is confidence. This “can-do” muscle provides you strength and courage to believe in yourself and take full ownership of the situation. Firefighters being confident in decisions and actions can be the difference between life and death.
The third muscle is prioritizing, and it is key to getting things done. This muscle was my weakest during my assessment and further clarified my chink in my resilience armour. Priorities focus on what is import-
ant, staying on track, and delegating effectively, including establishing boundaries and saying no.
The fourth muscle is creativity, and that one doesn’t necessarily mean you should start drawing or painting. In terms of being creative, you’re an idea generator. You’re open to new ideas and input with an open mind. You listen, use humour, and respect other points of view. .
decisions that are risky and foreign to our day-to-day operations. If you have a strong experimenting muscle, you are able and comfortable to work outside your comfort zone and try a different approach.
Just like physical muscles, the more you use these seven resilience muscles, the stronger and more balanced they become. Most people who examine their resilience muscles find out they have one or two dom-
Being a yo-yo bouncing back and forth can be very energy-draining and stressful, but if you are equipped to withstand the storm of change, you will recover stronger.
The fifth muscle is connection, and it is another strong muscle for building resilience. As we are all experiencing during COVID-19, isolation can be debilitating. Connection means reaching out and having a support network, but it also means asking for help when you need it so you can get things done and reduce the overload.
The sixth muscle is structure, and it is a major established practice in the fire service. The structure muscle includes systems, habits, and processes that allow a decision to be made fast with high accuracy. As firefighters, we live and breathe checklists, action plans, and pre-incident plans, which allow us to reduce our stress levels by deciding on what to do under pressure. By building these efficient systems, we can concentrate more time on execution and coordination. Even though the fire service is entrenched in structure, it may not necessarily mean your structure muscle is strong or even being flexed.
The seventh muscle is experimenting, and it is the final muscle that plays a key role in executing solutions. The fire service is risk-based, and we often need to make
inant muscles and a few they may seldom use. To be super resilient, you need to be able to draw from all the muscles at some point.
The key is to have well-balanced muscles and not overuse one muscle. Overusing one specific muscle means you are leaning too heavily on that one go-to muscle and atrophying the others, bringing you out of balance. A great place to start flexing your resilience muscles is on small micro problems. Most large-scale challenges we face are built upon several micro challenges. Once you master handling those, you are ready to manage most of what life may throw at you.
I recently became a certified practitioner to help share this powerful program with our first responder community. If you are interested in learning more about resilience and specifically the Prosilience program, please feel free to connect with me. Between alarms, hit the resilience gym and begin to start strengthening your resilience muscles so that you’re fully prepared to handle the constant change and disruption we face daily in emergency services.
Psychological PPE
By James R. Rychard
In addition to being a firefighter and R2MR Instructor from the City of Burlington, Ont., James Rychard is an advocate for mental and behavioural health in the fire service, sitting on multiple association committees. He can be reached at jaymzr007@hotmail.com.
A leadership team is like a rudder: It steers the organization
ALeadership Team (LT) is similar to a rudder. In order to effectively steer an organization in the direction it needs to go, the LT cannot be compromised. LTs, regardless of industry, are vulnerable to external events. But by working together and maintaining priorities (staff), LTs can help build psychologically safe environments that deliver optimal services.
A rudder is a mechanism used to steer an aircraft, ship, or submarine in a desired direction. No matter how strong, resilient, and heavily armoured a vessel can be, having a compromised rudder can be frustrating and catastrophic. Rudders essentially help guide the vessel against the forces of nature: wind and water. Historically, there are significant events that have occurred because of a compromised rudder, and there is no better example then the German battleship “Bismarck” during the Battle of the Atlantic in May 1941.
The Bismarck, along with her sister ship Tirpitz, were constructed for the sole purpose of annihilating the British Navy and cutting off supplies from North America. The Bismarck was commissioned in August 1940 and set out to sea. In less than one year’s time from her commission, the Bismarck had surpassed expectations. She had very impressive amour and artillery capabilities; this battleship
was daunting. She was built to take a lot of damage and still be operational. Though the marine engineers thought of everything atop the water, what they did not account for was what could happen below it. A hit on her rudder assembly system could render her vulnerable to attack. Unfortunately, on May 25, 1941, after being hit by a torpedo from a Fairey Swordfish biplane, the Bismarck’s rudder assembly system became disabled; the German battleship could only travel in an NNW direction of 23 degrees. With a compromised rudder, the Bismarck was unable to reach safe shores and was sunk the next day when the British Navy deployed substantial resources to sink her. The Bismarck sank with over 2000 sailors aboard.
towards the same goal. The desire to uphold a strong unified front is exhausting mental and emotional reserves.
When you have a compromised LT, an organization can go in circles or in a direction that does not lead to progress, leaving everyone vulnerable including firefighters and support staff.
There are three things you can do to stave off this fate.
Firstly, be transparent. To be an effective LT, everyone needs to be on the same page. Although we encourage those on our teams to focus on their careers, problems arise when career aspirations diverge from the current organization. Each member of the LT needs to buy in to the common goals and how best to steer the organization in the direction it needs to
By being transparent, supportive and humble, leadership teams can remain strong and effective.
I share this story because I would like you to imagine your organization, strong and engaged, with no grievances or costly arbitrations, a wonderful staff, and a supportive CAO/ city manager and council. Then suddenly the fire deparment LT is unravelling from costly and mentally exhausting disagreements and conflict made worse because not all members of the LT are working
go.
Second, have support . If members of the LT do not support one another and appreciate cognitive diversity, it is difficult to move the organization along. One of the competencies organizations look for in leadership is innovation. When great ideas are presented, choosing not to hear them out may lead an LT towards groupthink or even a
standstill. The Bismarck was out there on the Atlantic Ocean by herself. Once the Bismarck experienced a compromised rudder, she was vulnerable. No matter what the Bismarck’s crew tried to do, there was nothing they could be done to overcome their dire situation. Without steering capabilities, the German battleship was left on her own and unable to outrun her adversaries no matter how much fire power she had left.
Lastly, be humble . A first glance at the Bismarck was awe-inspiring. There was nothing about her that did not radiate invincibility. So much went into her design and construction that the German Navy “Kriegsmarine” felt that she would always be the hunter, not the hunted. The Bismarck oozed confidence, self-assurance, and might. The propensity to hire LTs is based on the competencies of success and achieving results. However, having character and a sense of humility is what keeps the LT strong and remarkably effective. Humility and character demonstrate to firefighters that LTs are human too.
Ultimately, having a compromised steering system (rudder) for a vessel can be detrimental to the overall outcome of a particular situation. Like steering, leadership is vital to the overall direction you aspire to take. By being transparent, supportive, and humble , leadership teams can remain strong and effective.
Fit for duty
By Sherry Dean
Good to the core
Most physical activities depend on well-conditioned core muscles. Almost everything you do is supported by your torso, including your abdominals, low back, pelvis and even hip flexors and glutes. The core is used to stabilize the thorax and the pelvis during the simplest dynamic movement. Even your overall balance is affected by a strong or weak core. Whether you are doing your job as a firefighter, playing a sport or even vacuuming, the activities you are doing are supported by an engaged torso. Having a good core is not about a chiseled six-pack, it’s about having a fully performing and strong trunk section.
Torso activation supports bending forward or backward, leaning from side to side, rotation of your upper body and moving your hips in any direction. Science studying the activation of core muscles using electrodes shows the core muscles are the first to fire in almost every activity we do. You may not think about your core when you are reaching to pull a transverse line, but if you pay attention it’s easy to recognize how fired your core is during the task.
Strong abdominals and a weak low back can lead to injury. Poor mobility, lower back pain and incontinence can all be the result of an imbalanced core. As one muscle engages, another must relax to allow for full unimpeded joint movement. Tight muscularity in one spot can cause your body to shift permanently until tight muscles are released and weak muscles are strengthened. It is essential to have a well-balanced core and not simply focus on sit-ups.
An overall regime of core conditioning and strengthening is by far the best approach. Spend as much time working on your back, pelvic and gluteal muscles as you do on your abs. Target the following muscle groups: rectus abdominus (six pack), internal and external obliques (side flexion/extension and rotation), erector spinae (flexion and rotation of vertebrae), pelvic floor (supports and stabilizes torso) and
Sherry Dean is a career firefighter/engineer with Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency. She has more than 20 years of experience in fitness and training. Contact Sherry at deansherry@bellaliant.net.
also include glute and hip flexor activation. Muscles are muscles and your core needs rest too. Expect to have delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) in your core when you are working it hard enough. You don’t have to do specific core exercises more frequently than any other body part. Enjoy the workout and be safe.
Core Workout - 3 times through (modify as needed and work up to the full workout)
Elevated leg crunches: 10 on each side
• Lying on back, raise one leg to a 90-degree angle from your body and the other leg slightly lifted off of the floor. Neither foot touches the ground during this exercise. Reach toward your foot with the opposite hand. If you can’t touch your toes, reach as far as you can. Slowly lower your upper body back to the ground as you slowly switch leg positions. That’s one rep.
• Variation – Use your same leg side arm to reach behind the knee to support your reach toward the foot. Try not to pull your leg toward your head. The grip should only assist as much as needed and not doing all the work.
Twisting alternating lunges, weighted with extended arms, 15 on each side
Use a medicine ball or light weight. Lunge forward and ensure your lunge is kept low and strong (knee slightly off the ground, legs and core engaged). Extend your arms straight out and rotate 90 degrees to the side, then return to the center. Push back to a standing position. Alternate sides. You can complete either a forward or a rear
lunge. There should be no rotational movement in your knees during the exercise.
Plank – 1-minute hold
• Each plank should be a different position. The first is a full prone with straight arms. Second set, right side plank. Third set, left side plank.
• Variation – move to the elbow and to knees if required to complete the entire minute. If one minute is too easy extend the time or add shoulder taps/toe taps
Hollow hold and Superman 30 secs X 3 each position (3 minutes)
• Lying supine, lift your feet and shoulders slightly off the ground, activating your core. Hold this position for 30 seconds, try to transition to the next position without using your hands. Stabilize and roll to a prone position keeping your shoulders and feet elevated. Pull your elbows to a 90-degree position with hands close to your shoulders and engage/squeeze your scapula together. Hold 30 secs. Return to hollow hold position without using your hands.
• Variation – use your hands to assist with transition from supine to prone positions.
V-ups X 15
• In a supine position raise both your upper and lower body simultaneously and bring your hands toward your feet. If you can’t touch your feet, reach as far as you can. Return to the supine position under control.
• Variation – bend the knees or complete leg-only raises.
Bridge X 15 with two-second top hold
• On your back with your feet firmly planted close to your glutes, raise your hips as far in the air as can, creating a straight line from your knees to your head. Hold the top position for two seconds and slowly lower your glutes back to the ground, but don’t disengage your core. Immediately raise your glutes again into a bridge and repeat.
• Variation – omit the two-second hold at the top
Adam McFadden is a professional firefighter and hazmat technician for TFS. He is the owner of Firehouse Training and published author of the book “So You Want to be a Firefighter, Eh?”, a career coaching and study manual. He can be reached at info@firehousetraining.ca.
The journey of lifelong learning
Being a successful firefighter means plenty of professional development
By Adam McFadden
So, what does it take to succeed? How do we not only attain the career of a firefighter, but work to get better in this trade each and every day, over a career that may last 30 years?
Does it take motivation? Does it take the ability to read, participate, and become a lifelong learner? Does it take the right attitude? Yes, it takes all of these traits.
Once hired in a fire service in Canada, do we rely on our own fire department to provide us everything we need to succeed and become the best we can be? Will we be provided with everything we need as we rise through the ranks and look for future promotional positions and opportunities?
Some firefighters seem to feel that once they are a part of a fire department, either big or small, they should be handed everything on a silver platter. We feel that we should be given every tool we need to succeed either on the fireground, in the fire station, or as we look for promotional opportunities. For many firefighters across the country, this is not the case. And this misconception is no different than many other employers out there, including those in the healthcare, automotive, or customer service industries.
If you want to be the best firefighter you can be, and especially if you want to move
up in the ranks, you need to see professional development as something you never stop pursuing throughout your career.
So what is the definition of professional development?
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, volun -
tary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Professional development is learning undertaken to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees, but may also involve everything from formal courses to attending conferences, taking virtual training programs,
Adam McFadden turned his passion for career development into authoring a book, “So You Want to be a Firefighter, Eh?”, which is a career coaching and study manual that specializes in career preparation and professional development for firefighters.
and pursuing informal learning opportunities. It has been described as intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative or assessment stage.
A fire service mentor of mine once explained to me that the difference between a firefighter and a professional firefighter is that the pros are the ones who have a passion for the career and will dedicate extra time to continuously learn, participating in off-the-clock endeavours to improve at the job. This makes for a better, more well-rounded firefighter, enhancing knowledge and decision-making skills both on the fireground and in the fire station.
Professional development also allows us to gain a better breadth and depth of job-related knowledge and experience, whether it be the type of equipment or new ways of training being used by other fire services, or revised policies, procedures, and industry best practices and trends within the fire service. Almost always, this knowledge will come from participating in conferences, association meetings, training courses, and educational classes with members of other services. When you participate in additional training opportunities not provided by your fire department, you also get the advantage of the relationship-building and networking that take place during many of these events. Having the ability to learn, socialize, and break bread with firefighters, instructors, and fire service leaders from across the country, is sure to yield valuable insights and understanding as well as new friends and contacts.
The importance of continuous learning
What if you could do something today that your future self would thank you for? Well, you can.
Fire service leaders, fire chiefs, and human resource professionals all advocate for aspiring firefighters and new candidates to showcase continuous learning and professional development and education on their in -
Professional
development also allows us to gain a better breadth and depth of job-related knowledge and experience...
itial applications. This is no different as those firefighters rise through the ranks into positions as company officers, training captains and fire chiefs. The concept still rings true: The ones who have pursued professional development opportunities in addition to the inhouse training their particular fire service has given them, will be the ones who not only attain these promotional opportunities, but typically excel at them. Whether it is a post-secondary emergency management degree program, technical rescue disciplines, enhanced hazmat training, incident command courses, or training classes in the areas of leadership and supervisory development, any opportunity to learn more about the job and get more education is a win-win situation. You’ll become a better firefighter and leader, and you’ll enhance your professional reputation with the people who will help determine your career trajectory.
Although the fire service in Canada, and our provincial Fire Marshal’s office in particular, have not necessarily adopted a standardized continuing education program or requirements that would follow the completion of your professional firefighter designation certificate, many fire service leaders have been promoting such a program in recent years to coordinate better opportunities for consistent training and skills maintenance for Canadian firefighters. The need for such an approach has been a topic of discussion in the past among local training associations, the Office of the Fire Marshal, and fire chiefs associations.
Fire department tuition reimbursement programs
If the idea of continuous professional development sounds appealing but expensive, it is important to remember that many fire departments and municipalities have grants or educational funding and tuition assistance available for employees to participate in professional development opportunities. Such funds may cover a portion, if not all, of the training or attendance costs. Contact your fire service management or municipality regarding the possible education and tuition reimbursement programs that may be available not just for firefighters, but also for many city staff. You may find there is support available for you to take part in weekend training courses with third-party training companies, night school opportunities through a local community college, or even multi-year university degree programs.
Remember that if you put everything into this career, it will give everything back to you and more, and provide more pride and fulfillment than anything else. Happy training!
You cannot pour from an empty cup
Tips to incorporate selfcare into your life
By Julia Long
Let’s pause and chat a wee bit about self-care, shall we?
Think back to the last time you boarded an airplane. What was the safety presentation’s number one guidance with respect to the use of oxygen masks? Apply your mask first before assisting others. This is the meaning behind the statement, “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” Fill your “cup” with energy, physical health, positive affirmations and strong mental resilience before you set out to help others.
Imagine you are the firefighter that has just finished at a multi-alarm fire. It is time to pack up. You are exhausted, but it is time to roll up the hoses. You know you have to get the water out of the hose to get back to the station, where a thorough cleaning and drying will take place. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health listed risks of injury from high to very high when lifting the hose above the shoulder to drain it of excess water and for rolling the hoses on the ground. Extreme risk of injury was found in lifting the hose from chest height to above the shoulders during hose drainage. Firefighters reported a musculoskeletal disorder rate of 179 per 10,000 full-time workers. Cumulative trauma disorders can be described as wear and tear on joints and surrounding tissue because of overuse. Every joint in the body can potentially be affected, but the lower back and upper limbs are the areas that receive the most injuries. Plus, many first responders drive vehi-
cles shared with others. How many of you adjust the vehicle you are driving? Be honest now. Twisting to see, or even just to reach for that seat belt can cause injury to an already overtaxed shoulder and neck. Since we are talking about your duty vehicle here, how many of you step or jump out of the vehicle and pivot
on the same leg multiple times a shift?
As mentioned, many of you also work out diligently to build muscle to be fit and ready to carry out your duties. However, did you know that these tight muscles compress the joints and create friction when you move? This is true for most joints, but mostly shoulders, hips and
F.R.Y. — First Responders’ Yoga Canada was founded by Sasy Cacace and Julia Long, experienced yoga instructors with Yoga Alliance who have been practitioners for over 15 years. They are CanFitPro fitness trainers and authors.
even the spine. How many of you consciously create space in a joint before you move it? I am going to guess, not too many.
Now, we have only mentioned some possible physical injuries at this point. We all know the impact of calls gone wrong, second-guessing your actions after the fact, or fatigue and exhaustion due to shift-related interruptions to your circadian rhythm (the natural internal process that regulates your sleep cycle). These are just a few mental health challenges that firefighters must juggle.
Here is the pertinent fact as to why first responder selfcare is so important. When you have a thought, the human body naturally creates a reaction. Hormones can boost or reinforce that feeling. The thoughts you have affect the chemistry of your body. Before long, your body can create a pattern of feeling in this way. When you are stressing your body due to an injury or being mentally stressed, your body releases cortisol. High levels of cortisol over a period of time can cause high blood pressure, disrupt sleep (even more than shift work), negatively impact mood, create fatigue, and even cause weight gain. This is not the person you want to be as a firefighter, right?
Many of you also work out diligently to build muscle to be fit and ready to carry out your duties.
So, what can you do? First, you can add functional movement into your workouts for injury prevention. Our daily patterns of movement fall into limited gestures that do not move the body through all planes of motion, decreasing adaptability and flexibility over time. Some simple movements can be done anywhere and anytime to ensure you bend, extend, twist, hinge, pivot, rotate, reach, and fold. Second, you can learn breathwork to calm your mind and nervous system. Breathwork can be done literally anywhere and anytime. Third, you can pause for a few moments, for example with meditations, allowing your system to reset. Meditations can also be done anywhere and anytime. They do not need to be long to gain the benefits. Fourth, you can introduce positive affirmations to help change your thought patterns. Simple thoughts, such as being grateful for even the little things, can be very powerful. Again, you can do this anywhere and anytime. Where you focus your energy, you empower.
So, please, pause and take some time for your own selfcare. You are important. Thank you for your service.
Back to basics
By Mark van der Feyst
Firefighter survival
We’re at the point in our look at firefighter survival where we’re going to focus on emergency escape techniques. These are the tactics that any firefighter can employ to rescue themselves from a dire situation. Some of these options may be unorthodox in practice, but they have proven to save the lives of several firefighters.
Donald Abbott’s Project Mayday statistics reported that firefighter survival techniques accounted for 35.5 per cent of mayday rescues for the volunteer fire service and 32.7 per cent for the career side. This means that the firefighter has an exceptionally good chance of saving themselves and being successful. As mentioned previously, these techniques are meant to be a last-ditch effort and not become a standard operational practice. Prevention is the key to firefighter survival by being situationally aware.
To be proficient with these last-ditch techniques, training must be conducted on a regular basis while incorporating consistency. The technique, along with the equipment used, must be practiced together. This will help build muscle memory and develop skill mastery for survival.
The options that are available for use will be following a hose line out, breaching a wall, locating a door to a safe area, or performing an emergency window exit. The two quick options are finding a hose line to follow it out and locating a door to a safe area. Project Mayday reported that following a hose line accounted for 21 per cent of self-rescues in a mayday situation.
The hose line will lead the firefighter in one of two directions – to the fire or the pump. The direction taken will be dictated by reading the hose couplings. There are many sayings that are used to help remember which way to go, such as “smooth, bump, bump, to the pump.” You can choose the one that works best for you. The one I use is called “run away from the woman,” which involves feeling the hose couplings, locating the female coupling, and going in the opposite direction because the female
Mark van der Feyst has been in the fire service since 1999 and is currently a firefighter with the FGFD. He is an international instructor teaching in Canada, the United States, FDIC and India.
coupling takes you to the fire. The word ‘female’ begins with the letter ‘F’, and so does the word ‘fire.’
Once the hose line and couplings have been located, read them and follow that line out. Do not lose contact with the hose line. Always maintain a firm grip on the hose with your hand. Losing the hose line will be detrimental in your efforts of self-rescue. Some hose manufacturers are adding directional arrows on the couplings to help assist with self-rescue. As you will see in photo 1,
the arrows are on the coupling, pointing to the way out. This will require using a flashlight to illuminate the arrows so that they can be seen.
We usually equate following a hose line out to a residential building, but it also applies to any high-rise situation. The difference here will be following it out to a safe area and not to the pump. As shown in photo 2, the safe area will be where the standpipe hook-up will be, which should be one floor below the fire floor.
The other quick option is to locate a door to a safe area. The safe area may be another room, or it could be a door that will lead outside of the structure. The safe area will provide access to a window, which can be used to perform an emergency window escape technique to get out of the structure. To locate the safe area, locating the door handle is going to be the key factor.
As shown in photo 3, door handles are located about three feet up from the floor, roughly the same height as most windowsills. When trying to locate the door handle, be sure to sweep high and low on the wall. This will ensure that you locate the door handle as opposed to patting the wall and missing the door handle entirely. Do not be a wall patter; be a wall sweeper. Once the door has been located, be sure to check the door to make sure it’s not hot. We don’t want to enter another untenable room.
For the wall breach option, you can refer back to the October 2020 issue, where we looked in great detail on how to perform the wall breach. This will also provide access to a safe area that will buy more time for the firefighter. The goal here is to get to another room, locate a window, and then get out.
The techniques discussed above do not require special equipment. A hose, nozzle, hand tools, and a door are all that are needed. These drills can be practiced very easily in a station or a training facility at any time. The key will be consistency with the training and the method chosen to perform the survival option.
Some hose manufacturers are adding directional arrows on the couplings to help assist with self-rescue.
The safe area will be where the standpipe hook-up will be, which should be one floor below the fire floor.
Door handles are located about three feet up from the floor, roughly the same height as most windowsills.
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Handbook 2021 Item # 101HB21
Fast-track the process of getting current with the new NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, and improve your ability to understand and implement it with the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code Handbook. This text delivers fundamental criteria for offering appropriate levels of protection in new and existing occupancies. For the first time includes Historical Notes highlighting fire events that have influenced changes to the Code through its history.
Large Volume Water Delivery Item # 1593705619
Large Volume Water Delivery keeps an open mind about old and new concepts in hose evolutions and fire stream productions. Large diameter hose is not the only fix; it needs to be blended with the latest innovations in moving water. Written by Paul Shapiro, a specialist in the research, development and training of large flow water delivery systems and fire stream management
Managing Risk in the Volunteer Fire Department: Concepts, Methods, and Practices Item # 1593704889
Risk management is one of the most important but frequently ignored fireground management skills. The volunteer fire service is particularly vulnerable because of a lack of understanding and training in a risk management system, why we need it, how it works, and how to use it. Risks need to be measured against the capabilities of the responding firefighters.
Extrication tips
By Chad Roberts
The evolution of steel
Through the early ages of auto extrication and up until present day, we as rescuers and those before us have always faced new challenges in the automotive industry. We had the hand tools, then came the come-along and chains. Vehicles got tougher and stronger, so we answered with air chisels and reciprocating saws. Then the age of hydraulic tools arrived, first-hand powered then soon succeeded by the power-driven models. From that day forward, our tools have always been up to most of the vehicle challenges thrown at us.
But, something new has started to make rescuers shake their heads time and time again in modern day vehicle extrication: steel. It’s been in our cars since day one and is going nowhere but up.
To the automotive industry, steel is one of the fastest evolving materials in large part to more recent advances that turn simple steel into a lightweight giant. How did this all happen? Why is it happening and how does it affect us? I’m going to try and sum it all up briefly in the best way I can that will give the general rescuer more understanding of this rapidly evolving material.
First off, let’s address the what, how and why of high-strength steels. High-strength steels are unique lightweight materials that are made up of many different chemical compositions and structures. While there are many varying ranges and types of high-strength steels, they are all generally created by precisely heating and cooling different compounds to ultimately achieve different levels of strength and ductility. Common types of high-strength steels include dual phase, complex phase, transformation-induced plasticity, hot formed, and twinning-induced plasticity. Although different in terms of their microstructure, all of these materials produce one of the greatest challenges in our vehicles today.
Let’s talk about the “why” with highstrength steels. At first glance, one may
Chad Roberts is a firefighter in Oakville, Ont. He is a member of the Oakville extrication team and competes and trains across North America. Contact Chad at chadroberts12@gmail.com.
easily be guided strictly to patient safety. While this does hold true, there are many different reasons for the introduction and continuous evolution of these steels. The first reason is money. Like every company, the automotive manufacturers want to
turn continuous profit. To stay competitive, they need to stay reasonably priced. While some manufacturing has leaned towards aluminum body structures to improve weight and fuel efficiency, aluminum is, on average, 60 to 80 per cent
The difference of high strength steel reinforcement in a 2017 Tesla versus an early 2000s Dodge Caravan.
High strength steel reinforcement in areas like the lower A pillar make dash relief cuts difficult and lengthy.
more expensive in overall vehicle design cost to the manufacturer. High-strength steels offer a lightweight option that not only contributes to better fuel economy than conventional steels, but are relatively the same cost as the preceding softer steels (less fuel consumption equals less carbon footprint).
While this does hold true, there are many different reasons for the introduction and continuous evolution of these steels. The first reason in money. Like every company, the automotive manufacturers want to turn continuous profit. To stay competitive, they need to stay reasonably priced.
Next is ductility, the material’s ability to be shaped. While many different softer steels were introduced to increase ductility to better support more exotic vehicle stamping, they suffered in their lack of strength, which hurt patient safety and therefore damaged ratings and sales. Then, there are hybrid high-strength steels, which are constantly being manipulated to offer great ductility qualities while still supporting the strength qualities for greater patient safety.
With all these different names and types of steels, how do we tell them all apart? High-strength steels can be classified in various ways, to keep things simple, we will classify by strength. The classification of advanced high-strength steels are for materials that yield tensile strength qualities greater than 550 megapascals. Once strength levels reach over 780 MPa, these are now considered ultra-high-strength steels. Finally, we have gigapascal steel, which brings in tensile numbers over 1000 MPa. Just when you thought it was done, you would be wrong, as a third generation of high-strength steels is being produced that will achieve minimum tensile strengths of 1200 MPa.
Why are all of these different levels so important? As easy as it would be to just pick the strongest material, each material boasts different ductility and elongation properties that may be required for different areas of the vehicle, depending on the purpose. To be more specific, dual phase and transformation-induced plasticity steels are more suitable for crash zones as they yield superior energy absorption. Other compositions like martensitic and boron-based hardened steels are very highstrength, which can be very beneficial and often found in passenger compartment areas.
Now that all of the difficult and confusing stuff is out of the way, let’s quickly address some of the issues this will cause us as first responders. First off is the sheer magnitude of strength that is now being combined with better elongation and stamping properties. While we’ve all been accustomed to high-strength rods and tubes being placed in pillars and support structures, we must now be ready to start seeing it everywhere. However, these steels won’t be obvious going forward. They will make up door panels, seat belt components, and even protect our high-voltage
batteries. What can we do? Prepare, equip, and educate ourselves. By researching new vehicle structures, we will better understand where these high-strength steels are now being placed. As for equipment, we as rescuers need to push for modern hydraulic rescue tools to address these new steel compositions. Even the finest reciprocating saws with excellent blades will have a tough time against most of these materials. Finally, we need to prepare ourselves for the new reaction that we are seeing consistently with high-strength steels. Cutting steel of the past with first-generation tools was functional, whereas these second and third-generation hybrids are fracturing and breaking with violent reactions that can frighten a patient or rescuer if not prepared. If a chunk or material that is being cut is not supported on both sides, this piece of high-strength steel can become a violent projectile.
As much as this may seem complicated or daunting, as rescuers we must overcome the stark realization that our vehicles are forever changing, now more than ever at a torrent pace. With the continued evolution of high-strength steels, these challenges and difficulties might not be so easy to see right in front of our eyes and leave us thinking, “What was that?”
Dispatches
By Jennifer Grigg
Jennifer Grigg has been a dispatcher, volunteer firefighter, inspector and instructor in her three decades in the fire service. She is also a certified body language coach and speaker. Contact Jennifer at jennygrigg312@gmail.com or jennifergriggcoaching.com.
Observations from the field
In my current role as fire instructor, I’m never at a loss for opportunities to practice and hone my perception skills when it comes to body language and nonverbal communication.
I’ve been studying the fascinating connection between thoughts, emotions and behaviour, and how it plays out in our everyday interactions for four years and there’s no end to my curiosity. As an introvert, people watching comes naturally, but I’ve also always wondered what makes people tick. What’s going on underneath the surface?
Through body language, I learned that there were things I could control in situations that made me feel powerless, how to project and promote the feeling of confidence, why body language matters in every interaction you have and how it influences those around you.
One of the simplest explanations I’ve come across that speaks to the power of your body language is from Shelly Hagan, author of “The Everything Body Language Book”: “You move your body as you speak, often without thinking about it, and those gestures often define the meaning behind the spoken message.”
Let me give you some recent examples of nonverbal cues that I’ve seen and we’ll dissect the underlying meaning.
• Cue 1: Aggressive leg movement while writing a test
• Cue 2: Hand to neck and suprasternal notch
• Cue 3: Hand up while discussing opposing views
There are a few points to keep in mind before we assess the meaning of these cues. One, I’ll ask you to practice the cue before going any further because you’ll get a better understanding of what someone is feeling when you demonstrate the behaviour yourself. It’s one thing to think about what it might mean; it’s another thing entirely to feel it.
It’s also important to always consider context. For Cue 1, it’s easy to expect some
jitters when writing tests and some nonverbal cues will be more pronounced than others. Ask yourself if the cues you’re seeing fit the situation, understanding that there may be more at play than you realize.
If someone normally lifts one eyebrow when they’re talking about the weather or other items of casual conversation, then seeing an eyebrow raise in other conversations doesn’t mean there’s something else going on.
Establish a baseline that gives you an awareness of what people do when they’re not feeling discomfort. What are the individual’s normal tics, mannerisms and traits? If someone normally lifts one eyebrow when they’re talking about the weather or other items of casual conversation, then seeing an eyebrow raise in other conversations doesn’t mean there’s something else going on.
Now, let’s look at each cue and what underlying meaning could be attributed to it.
Cue 1: Imagine yourself sitting down and writing a test. Jiggle your foot quickly. What feeling comes up for you? Nerves? Anxiety? Stress?
Consider context. A gentle jiggle of the foot may be considered “normal” or rubbing the chin with your thumb and finger as you think though a question. Anything aggressive or fast paced is likely a sign of heightened anxiety. In this particular case, I was aware that the firefighter has ADHD and this likely was a factor. It was interesting that he jiggled his foot aggressively while reading the question and stopped as soon as he had the answer. Turns out it helped him to process the information and dispel the added energy he’s experiencing.
Cue 2: Picture yourself having a conversation and you find yourself touching/
covering/rubbing your neck and/or suprasternal notch (the little indent in your collar bone at the base of your throat). What do you think you’d be experiencing? Stress, discomfort, dread? The context would depend on the conversation. Chances are it’s not small talk about the weather or sports if you see this behaviour (unless someone just lost a big bet on the losing team). It’s likely a discussion about something uncomfortable. I saw this gesture demonstrated by an individual a few times in a meeting with colleagues. Suffice it to say, there was a lot going on at the time and much that was unknown. The individual would have had reason to feel discomfort at the time, perhaps because he didn’t like what he had to tell us, or couldn’t give us answers to the questions we were asking.
Cue 3: Picture talking to someone with a different view than yours. Put your hand up in the air. Which way is your palm facing? If it’s facing them, what’s the feeling? Stop/wait a minute/hold up/not listening? If your palm is facing up, how different does that feel? More open, considerate, contemplative? How about if you place your palm face down in the air, what do you feel? Determined? Aggressive? Making a final point? Consider the context. In this case it was a hearty discussion among colleagues. All conversations were respectful and ended amicably. Oddly enough, both people put their hands up in the air at about shoulder level while saying non-confrontational things like “I’m just saying” and “no offence,” but the palms were facing the person they were talking to. They were very much tied to their own perspective and not likely to take the other point of view.
Learning how to read body language helps you navigate any interaction in a whole new way because it allows you to see intentions and helps you to harness the power of your own.
See examples of any of the above? Let me know! Let’s keep the conversation going.
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