Fire Watch (Fall 2009)

An Interview with the IAFF President VOLUME 5

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ISSUE 3 | Fall 2009

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 5

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ISSUE 3

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FA L L 2 0 0 9

IN THIS ISSUE 5 President’s Message

18

24

9 Secretary Treasurer’s Message 13 Vice President’s Message 15 Chaplain’s Corner 16 Letters to the Editor

36

34

18 Your Municipal Government Structure 22 Health & Safety Potpourri 2 4 H1N1 Virus 27 H1N1 and WSIB Benefits 28 The Negotiated Agreement

40

44

FIRE WATCH (ISSN 1715-5134) is published quarterly by the TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION 39 Commissioners Street, Toronto, ON Canada M5A 1A6 Tel: 416.466.1167 www.torontofirefighters.org E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org FIRE WATCH is published quarterly by Xentel DM Incorporated on behalf of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association Chief Editor Scott Marks

30 Interview with Harold A. Schaitberger 32 Camp Bucko 34 Member Profile on Mike Langevin 36 Firehall Showcase–Station 342 39 Frontline News Brief 40 Local 3888 Annual Picnic 42 Toronto Bid 2015 Police/Fire World Games 44 Toronto Fire Fighter Toy Drive

MANAGING Editors Frank Ramagnano & James Coones Tel.: 416.466.1167 Fax: 416.466.6632 E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org

46 How to Carve a Pumpkin

ASSISTANT EDITORS Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston, Seonaid Lennox, Janos Csepreghi, Doug Erwin, Damien Walsh ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Alyssa Petrillo & Marcel Ramagnano

50 Fit to Survive 52 Fire Fighter Survival & Rescue

Design and art direction Xentel DM Incorporated

53 Behind the Mask

FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Keith Hamilton

57 Never Shall We Forget

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No: 41203011 Printed in Canada Copyright © 2009 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association Advertising Debra Cheeseman, Project Manager Tel: 1-800-366-3113 Ext. 102 Fax: 1-866-764-2452 Email: publications@xentel.com

Merchant Card Acceptance

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher.

FIRE WATCH is an official communication tool of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association.

The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (TPFFA) does not assume responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by any contributor. Comments made by individuals may not reflect the official position of the TPFFA. Acceptance and publication of articles, advertisements, 3 products and services does not indicate endorsement of same by the TPFFA, and the TPFFA assumes no responsibility for their accuracy.

An Interview

with the IAF VOLUME 5

F President |

58 3888 Recent Happenings

ISSUE 3 | Fall 2009

60 Upcoming Events 62 Ad Index

On The Cover Learn how to carve a pumpkin like this on page 46 Publications Agreemen

t No: 41203011

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH

3

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

T

he quote by JFK was made in the context of the cold war and negotiations to avoid military confrontations, yet it is applicable to any set of negotiations. It is one that is especially apropos as we enter negotiations for our next contract.

Being prepared is the key to ensuring you are not negotiating from a position of weakness and fear. Preparation includes not only the documentation and arguments to back up your requests at the table, it also means being prepared for the proposals that the City is likely to bring to the table.

We are fortunate this year to have the knowledge of what the City put to the CUPE unions in their recent negotiations and of knowing what our comparable - The Toronto Police - were awarded for 2010. While the CUPE negotiations allow a window into the City’s wish list of proposals, they are not our comparable. The police arbitration is our yard stick and the indicator of what would be considered comparable to us.

None of these factors should allow us to take anything for granted; there will be difficult discussions at the bargaining table. Arbitrators are being brought under greater and greater pressure in the debate on what factors should influence an employers, “ability to pay.”

The second part of the quote above should not be ignored. In fact, it is arguably the most important part of the quote. We should never be afraid to negotiate. Negotiations are moments of opportunity. In my mind, the most important question to ask when faced with your employer’s bargaining proposal is, “why?” Why is it they are ask-

ing for this particular item? If you do not understand the rationale the other side is bringing to the table, you handicap yourself in your ability to negotiate. By understanding their motivation and rationale, you may be able to generate something that has greater value to your members. The key to not fearing negotiation lays in the ability to understand the other side. Negotiation allows that insight into their position and arguments.

“The single, most powerful tool for winning a negotiation is the ability to get up and walk away from the table without a deal.”

- Anonymous

As important as it is to be prepared and not be afraid to negotiate, it is equally important that the other side understand that you are not prepared to make a deal at any cost. Successful negotiation yields a deal that has benefits and is justifiable for both sides. Sometimes, based on circumstances beyond our control, be they monetary, political

[

Scott Marks

the road. In many cases, the negotiators for the other side may simply not have been given the flexibility to negotiate a fair deal. Business continues with those people following negotiations and understanding the pressures that they are under is key to long term success, even if it means walking away in the short term.

We are fortunate that we have the fallback of binding arbitration as a method to deal with such an outcome.

“The most difficult thing in any negotiation, almost, is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.”

- Howard Baker

Displaying the passion and conviction you hold for your ideals through emo-

Keeping the process in our hands maintains control of your working relationship. Simple arbitration has been replaced with mediation/arbitration.

or a lack of good will, a fair deal cannot be reached. It is important that we are prepared to walk away from the table if this happens. However, for each action, there is a consequence, so we must be prepared to deal with the outcome of that decision. That includes proper communications to the membership so that they understand why this position has been taken; justifiable positions to third parties to show that you acted in good faith at the table but a deal could not be reached; and finally, the ability to recognize what is within the power of those sitting across from you to maintain a working relationship down

]

tion is necessary. However, an argument for a proposal that relies on emotion and is not sustained by justifiable need or facts is one that must be critically reviewed. Many times, people are so accepting of the emotional argument that they assume it, on its own, will carry the day. A proposal with a strong emotional argument may have a strong basis in fact as well. To buttress the emotional argument with the justifiable facts to support it creates the strongest possible position. It is simply not enough to rely on the emotional argument. Nor is it sustainable in the long run.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH

5

WOULD YOU? YOU WOULDN’T ENTER A HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE WITHOUT YOUR SCBA ON...

WOULD YOU?

YOU WOULDN’T PERFORM AN AUTO EXTRICATION WITHOUT PROPER PPE AND EYE PROTECTION...

WOULD YOU? SO WHY WOULD YOU EVER GET INTO A MOVING FIRE APPARATUS WITHOUT FIRST PUTTING ON YOUR

SEATBELT?

LOCAL 3888 REMINDS ALL OF ITS MEMBERS TO ALWAYS BUCKLE UP!

ALWAYS! 6

President’s Message ... Continued from page 5

“If you can’t go around it, over it, or through it, you had better negotiate with it.”

- Ashleigh Brilliant

The previous years have proven that negotiated agreements are better than arbitrated awards. Keeping the process in our hands maintains control of your working relationship. Simple arbitration has been replaced with mediation/ arbitration. Arbitrators are giving direction and forcing the parties back to the table to resolve their issues. Arbitrators are not the almighty wizards that make all the right decisions. They are re-

quired to replicate what has been settled by negotiations. Decisions that arbitrators make have historically been held and maintained for the future.

Anytime you ask an arbitrator to make a decision on an item, you run the risk of that decision not being in your favour. When that happens, it can take decades to have the position on that item changed.

“The two keys to negotiating are superior information and learning to smile and say, “No, no, no, no, no” until your tongue bleeds.”

- Anonymous

This quote is self-explanatory. Sometimes, the only reasonable response to an unreasonable proposal and argument is NO! It is not the answer of choice, but it is one that we must be prepared and willing to say until our tongues bleed.

Scott Marks President, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, I.A.F.F. Local 3888

Toronto Firefighters War Veterans Association New Members Wanted!

The Toronto Firefighters War Veterans Association has a rich and colourful history dating back to the years just prior to World War II. Eight men, both Toronto Firefighters and World War I veterans, met at the Prisoner of War Club on Shuter and Mutual Streets in downtown Toronto in 1935. The intent of the organization was to provide a social outlet and promote the welfare of Toronto Firefighter ex-servicemen and their families. The Association is currently recruiting new fire fighter members, either veterans or nonveterans and hopefully among them, there will be some who would like to march with the Colour Guard, as they proudly show the Colours to an appreciative public.

We welcome active or retired fire fighters from the Toronto Fire Service. Reminder military service is NOT a requirement.

Contact Ken Magill for more information Telephone 905-847-6694 Email kmagill@cogeco.ca

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FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH

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SECRETARY TREASURER’S MESSAGE

I

hope that everyone had a good and safe summer; unfortunately, it was one of our wettest. The summer period has become an opportunity for our association to focus on the preparation needed for the upcoming year.

I once again chaired the committee that looked at developing our bargaining submissions for the upcoming negotiations with the city. The committee is made up of myself, Ian Hamilton, Damien Walsh and Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) District 1 VP and Toronto Fire Fighter, Ernie Thorne. We were given the task of reviewing and sorting through the numerous proposed bargaining changes submitted by the membership. The committee also had the task of looking at other contracts in order to investigate ideas and trends in bargaining. We were also responsible for anticipating City proposals and as such, research material that would aid the bargaining committee in their deliberations with the city.

The committee held several meetings and will continue to meet to assist the main bargaining committee in ensuring that a fair and just memorandum of agreement is reached. The committee used various means to gather information and evaluate submission ideas. We are fortunate to have many tools at our disposal to assist us with our research.

We have a very robust database with the OPFFA that allows us to review all Ontario Fire Fighters’ contracts as well as compare various articles amongst the different contracts. The OPFFA database also provides information on Police contracts and some material on EMS contracts within Ontario. We can also survey fellow OPFFA members within a very short time span on any issue.

We are further able to evaluate other fire fighter contracts not only in Canada but across North America. We are able to do this with the fire database on contracts that the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) maintains. We also evaluate trends and other public and private sector agreements using the Ministry of Labour Relations office data-

base. The development of the World Wide Web has been a tremendous aid in conducting research and being able to investigate material in a quick and easy manner.

The association uses experts in their field in aiding us with our bargaining research. We have used and will continue to use, labour lawyers, accountants, actuaries, benefit experts and anyone else that may be of assistance. Of equal value is interacting with our fellow union leaders. Just recently - August 29 thru September 2, the majority of the Local 3888 Executive Board attended the Biennial Canadian Policy Conference. We were

[

Frank Ramagnano

We also received the IAFF Canadian Trustee report and updates from each of the provincial presidents as to significant issues facing locals in their jurisdiction.

This was a great opportunity to interact with fire fighters from across Canada. I sat at a table with British Columbia fire fighters and we were able to interact on

]

We have used and will use, labour lawyers, accountants, actuaries, benefit experts and anyone else that may be of assistance.

able to hear from experts in their field on pandemic awareness, pension issues and current legal issues facing fire fighters.

many topics; of particular interest was our discussion on pension plans. It was through these discussions that an

All Settlements, Public and Private Sector followed by Industry For April 2009, Ontario April

Annual

Agreements

Employees

Average Annual Increase

All Settlements

47

46,536

2.7

2.5

2.7

3

Public Sector

32

39,134

2.8

2.5

3.1

3.1

Private Sector

15

7,402

2

2

2

2.9 2.7

Year-to-date 2009%

2008%

2007%

Industries Primary

1

390

3.4

3.4

4.1

Manufacturing

8

3,479

1.7

1.8

1.2

2.4

Construction

-

-

-

-

3.4

3.2

Trade and Finance

-

-

-

1.9

2.1

1.9

Transportation, Communications & Utilities

8

10,574

2.8

2.6

2.9

3.2

Public Administration

2

1,612

2.6

1.9

3.1

2.9

Education & Related Services

24

28,227

2.8

3.3

3.1

3.4

Health & Social Services

2

830

2.7

2.7

3

3

Other Services

2

1,424

2.1

2.2

2.6

3

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH

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OPTIONS VOLUME 3

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ISSUE 3 | FALL 2007

Captain John A. Chappelle

1954 - 2007 VOLUME 4

|

2008 ISSUE 1 | SPRING

FIRE HALL SHO

Publications Agreement

No: 41203011

WCASE: Fire Station

TFS Demographics Where do you fit in?

VOLUME 4

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315

ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2008

Would You Escape a Fire in An d thHom e?ard e Aw Your

Goes To...

Publications Agreement No: 41203011

Local 388 Station 116 Fire 8 hos FIREHALL SHOWCASE: ts annual Media Awards

Due to popular demand, we will be offering a subscription service to all those who do not currently receive a copy of Toronto Fire Watch or would like more than one copy of each issue.

The total cost of the subscription will be $20.00 per year to cover shipping and handling. You will receive, to the address specified on the card below, 4 issues of Toronto Fire Watch (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter).

You MUST fill out the accompanying card and return it, along with a cheque no later than January 31, 2010. We will only be accepting subscription requests once per year before our Spring issue is mailed out.

Publications Agreement

No: 41203011

Who Helps Chi ldre Who Set Fires?n A look at the TAPP -C Program

FIRE HALL SHO

WCASE: Fire Station

224

First Name

Last

Phone

Email

Street Number

Street

Apt. #

City

P.O.

Mail to: 39 Commissioners Street, M5A 1A6, Toronto Make Cheques payable to the T.P.F.F.A.

10

Secretary Treasurer’s Message ... Continued from page 9 MUNICIPALITY OTTAWA OAKVILLE KITCHENER BRAMPTON SARNIA LA SALLE NORTH BAY HALTON HILLS COBOURG MILTON ORANGEVILLE WEST NIPISSING BRADFORD INNISFIL TIMMINS RENFREW TORONTO

FF 2009 78,443 78,445 78,445 78,234 77,488 77,638 77,141 77,500 76,969 76,603 75,591 75,133 75,021 73,172 74,963 73,514 78,741

POL 2009 78,443 78,418 78,445 78,460

77,141 78,418 76,969 78,418

77,491 77,491 77,703 78,741

FF 2010 81,010 80,798 80,720 80,581 80,212 79,982 79,841 79,825 79,278 78,901 78,500 78,147 77,709 77,650 77,228 76,863

POL 2010 81,010 80,770

FF 2011

POL 2011

83,222 83,061

83,274

1. Is it morally sound?

2. Is it legally defensible?

3. Is it reasonably practicable?

81,010 82,398 79,841 80,770 79,278 80,770

83,274 81,268 81,521

83,274

80,513

81,132

80,029 80,029 79,451 81,249

Sorted by Fire Department Salaries 2010, highest to lowest of those who have settled

original bargaining thought I had come up with for our local was transformed into what I now believe is a better way of achieving the same goals.

It goes unsaid that the best advocates for fire fighters are fire fighters. We

fold test which I use to guide me on the issues:

know the issues, research the facts and know how to justify our demands. Dr. Taylor is chiefly responsible for many of the successes which professional fire fighters have enjoyed and his teachings still hold true today, including his three

Now that the membership has approved the various bargaining submissions, the focus changes to research and to developing the justification and arguments for the changes. The September meeting is one of the busiest due to the catching up from the summer suspension of our general meetings and this year it was made even busier due to bargaining submissions.

Frank Ramagnano Secretary - Treasurer, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 11

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE RECENT C.U.P.E. STRIKE AND FIRE FIGHTER SICK TIME GRATUITY

T

he strike by members of Locals 79 and 416 and the resulting negotiated agreement after more than five weeks on the picket line should be of concern for both the Local 3888 Bargaining Committee and our members, as we will soon prepare for talks with the City of Toronto in an effort to conclude a Collective Agreement beginning in 2010.

It is, of course, no secret that the loss of the ‘sick time gratuity’ for new hires could be seen as the ‘canary in the mine,’ so to speak, for the way that the City of Toronto Bargaining Committee may approach this issue with Toronto Fire Fighters. Although we hope this will not be the case, rest assured that we will be prepared. In the meantime, you should know that there has been no change in our contract with regard to the accumulation or payout of our sick time.

The payout for accumulated sick time for fire fighters has been part of our contract(s) for over 50 years and the city has argued that it represents an unfunded liability in the millions of dollars. This is only true because earlier municipal councils and now the City of Toronto have been negligent in properly funding this freely negotiated benefit. Now, after years of fiscal neglect, it is disingenuous, to say the least, to cry poverty and the lack of an ability to pay. The city has never effectively dealt with the real causes of their budgetary shortfall. Downloading by the previous Provincial Government and three years of tax freezes during Mayor Lastman’s tenure has had a negative effect.

City employees were not responsible for these inadequacies and should not now be asked to subsidize council’s inability to deal with them.

The grandfathering of sick time benefits would not affect current members but would enshrine a lesser benefit for future fire fighters. Our Local and the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association have consistently and effectively rejected the concept that one group of employees

in the bargaining unit should be covered with a lesser benefit than another group and, for the most part, have been successful in this endeavour. We take this position for a number of reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, it is simply not the ‘right thing to do.’ Secondly, over time it is inevitable that there will be a majority of members without the benefit and it then becomes very difficult to maintain.

Thirdly, the C.U.P.E. strike makes it clear that the eventual goal of the City is to do away with the sick time payout altogeth-

[

Ed Kennedy

gaining’ and will continue to resist it in the future. We will insist that our present and future members be treated fairly.

Finally, I want to touch on another disturbing aspect of the C.U.P.E. strike. The decision to negotiate through the media cannot help but have a chilling effect on future bargaining, as well as other relations with the management team and Council. A number of years ago, we entered what we considered a new way of interaction between the parties. It was to be a climate of ‘interest based negotia-

The grandfathering of sick time benefits would not affect current members but would enshrine a lesser benefit for future fire fighters.

er; if not with one stroke of the pen, then more slowly over a longer period of time.

Our sick time gratuity is a negotiated benefit. The City of Toronto is undoubtedly cognizant of its current and future value. In fact, there can be little doubt that this is why they want alterations to the sick pay clause in all of their employees’ collective agreements. They quite simply would rather not pay. During our first contract arbitration in front of Arbitrator Martin Teplitsky, they came with costings to show how expensive it would be to include our members who do not enjoy this benefit in our first post amalgamation Collective Agreement. No one was surprised to see that the perpetuity costs far exceeded the present day value. The total value must be recognized in any discussions on this benefit. We have not in the past ever embraced ‘concession bar-

]

tions’ and up until now, it has worked quite well. Local 3888 believes that it was improper and unfair to post a tentative offer on the Toronto web site that was rejected by Local 79 and 416 negotiators.

This end run severely undermines the bargaining process and the union representatives at the table. No bargaining committee would take a substandard deal back to their membership and I sincerely hope that these tactics do not find their way to our negotiating table.

Ed Kennedy Vice-President, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 13

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

Marriage

BY TODD RILEY, WEST command chaplain

I

t’s been said that, on average, if you are married, you are healthier, wealthier, happier, and that you will live longer than someone who is not married.

While statistics suggest this to be true, statistics won’t tell you how to make a marriage happy, make a marriage “work” or make a marriage last.

Some of you may have heard of or have seen the recent Hollywood movie called Fireproof, released in the theaters last year. Fireproof is the story of a successful, well-respected Georgia Fire Captain whose marriage does not enjoy the same success. He and his wife cannot seem to stop arguing unless they occupy different rooms. However, he is given advice from his father to take “The Love Dare”, a 30-day challenge based on advice from the Bible. As a result, the couple is able to resolve past conflicts and go on to a healthier relationship.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, the Bible has some great practical advice on how to enjoy a successful marriage.

Before getting into this lesson, you should also know that the Bible has lots of good things to say about the state of singleness. In 1 Corinthians 7:28, a book of the Bible, the Apostle Paul advocates singleness, wishing to spare his readers some of the many troubles that come to those who are married. If you are single, don’t rush into marriage. Conversely, if you are married, don’t take this plug for singleness as a reason to run for the exit.

The basis of a strong marriage is to understand that marriage is a sacred institution. The inventor of marriage is God; this makes the act of marriage a spiritual act. God, amongst some other reasons, made marriage for pleasure, procreation, lifelong companionship, and mutual support and help. God’s intent for marriage is that two individuals would come together and then carry on as one (united

in flesh, heart, goals, and spirit) until death parts them.

For a marriage to “work” and “last”, the Bible book of Ephesians 5:33, says, firstly to the husband; “However, each one of us must also love his wife as he loves himself,” and then to the wife; “and the wife must respect her husband.”

First, some questions: Why is a husband commanded to love his wife? Why is a wife commanded to respect her husband? The answer has to do with the fact that “love” is typically the language of women and “respect” is typically the language of men. Hence, the Bible addresses the issues where men and women may need to do some work - not where they are strong.

How then is a husband to love his wife? Emerson Eggerichs has written a book entitled, “Love and Respect.” In his book, he suggests that for a husband to love his wife, he must: 1. Spend lots of face-to-face time with her; 2. Take time to understand and listen to her feelings; 3. Work on resolving conflict and fighting fairly when disputes arise; 4. Take time to treasure her and make her feel special; 5. Heed what the Bible says love is; “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” I Corinthians 13:4-8.

In regard to a wife treating her hus-

Rev. Todd Riley

WEST COMMAND Rev. Todd Riley 416.236.8801 tsriley@primus.ca

band with respect, Eggerichs gives this advice: 1. Appreciate his desire to work and achieve - since men typically define themselves by what they do; 2. Acknowledge his desire to protect and provide. Men tend to believe that it is their responsibility to provide for the family; 3. Appreciate his desire to be strong and to lead; 4. Appreciate his desire to analyze and lead. Men tend to focus on facts rather than feelings; 5. Appreciate his desire for shoulderto-shoulder friendship. Men tend to like it when their wife just hangs out with them; 6. Appreciate his desire for sexual intimacy. Study after study shows that the average man thinks about sex a lot more than women. This is a fact of life that a wife should not ignore.

Love and respect are just two things that are needed for a healthy and lasting marriage. If you want to know more, begin to read and meditate upon the Bible, for it answers every significant question people have. You might also want to check out the movie “Fireproof” or the book “The Love Dare.”

As always, I am available to support you, don’t hesitate to contact me.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 15

rs e tt e L to the E d itor

Receipt of Toronto Fire Service T-Shirts

Your name and e-mail address were on three TShirts we received, and I wanted to thank you very much, on behalf of all the recipients. You probably think that we are in Afghanistan because that place is always in the news, but we are not.

There are 24 Canadian officers serving as UNMOs (UN Military Observers) in South Sudan.

We, along with UNMOs from many nations, are responsible for patrolling and keeping the peace here in Sudan. This war ended in 2005 after nearly 50 years, so there is a lot to do.

I am in Yambio, so if you are curious-get a map of the world, go to Africa, find Sudan, and then go to its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire is the old name), and you will find Yambio about 30 kms from the border. We are really spread out-the nearest Canadians are in Juba (250 miles away), and we get there by chopper only.

So once again, thank you, and keep up your good work in Toronto (I lived in the Beaches area for a few years in the early 90s-it is a beautiful city you are protecting).

Virginia Schonhoffer Capt

2nd T-shirt thank you My name is Sgt Edwin Nairne and I am writing you as I have received one of your Hero to Hero t-shirts. I am presently home on leave from Afghanistan and have finally found the time to sit down and write you guys, and say thank you for sending this and to let you know how much it means to us/me, that there are people here at home that are thinking of us as we are over there doing our jobs. It would not be enough to say that this is one of the very best gifts that I have received !!!! I know that it is heartfelt and given off the back of a real Hero. I have not yet put the shirt on my back....I am too afraid that if I wash it that all the names will be washed away. I will take a picture of me in it so I can send it off to you....I had planned to make a case to put it in, when I got back from my tour. Again send a huge thanks to all the people who signed and sent this shirt....it means the world to me !!!!

Here are some of the names that were on the shirt if you could send them my personal thanks: 16

Mark Condie, Juris Perkons, Chris Peter, Wayne Parsons, Stephen Morris, Dave Smith, Fabian Ennis, Dave Hamilton, Bill Humphries, Tim O`Connell, Ken Richardson, and the rest of the people at Stn 445, 412, 411 and the people on the TFS Combat Challenge Team. There were some people that signed only their first name and some that I could not read...not as young as I used to be.

It is for people like you that I do what I do and make me proud to be Canadian !!!!!!

Edwin Nairne

Thank you Risk Watch Thank you to all the Fire Prevention and Operations staff who made our “Risk Watch Safety Nights” in June, such a success!

This year was the third time that Toronto Fire

Services organized events to mark “Safety Awareness Week”. “Risk Watch Safety Nights” were held at: St. Charles Garnier, Norway, Heritage Park and Etienne Brule Public Schools. The focus was to reinforce the Risk Watch injury prevention lessons and help the community learn about predictable & preventable injuries so everyone could enjoy a safe and fun-filled summer.

Our partners from Toronto Emergency Medical Services, Police Service, Public Health, Transportation, Animal Services and HTOtoGO joined with our many outside agencies to set up interactive displays and outdoor events. Even though the weather didn’t cooperate each night, the feedback was fabulous and we’ve already had other schools get in touch asking if we can help them make safety a priority for their students and do something similar next year.

A big thank you to the Association for Inflatable Bouncing Fire Truck and the Popcorn Machine & supplies! The kids watching “Sparky’s ABC’s of Fire Safety” were thrilled to be enjoying popcorn – “Just like at the real movies!” The Mini

Firefighter Combat Challenge is always a big hit, and of course everyone was excited to see a “real” fire truck. So many parents told us meeting Fire Fighters and seeing the Trucks was the highlight for their children. The impact of your enthusiasm when visiting with the children at community events is invaluable – some of those kids will remember the night for years. Thank you to everyone who was there and gave it their all!

SAW3 Co-ordinating Committee Member D. Hynes

Local 416 thank you Toronto Civic Employees’ union Local 416 wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks for your generous donation during our difficult strike. This type of support shown during our work stoppage raised our spirits and has helped to sustain us through our stand against a powerful body. The outpouring of assistance from other unions and the various organizations was very uplifting. On behalf of the Executive Committee and the 6200 plus outside division members of Toronto Civic Employees’ Union, Local 416, I am extending our appreciation and warmest thanks.

In Solidarity, Mark Ferguson President Cupe Local 416

Local 79 thank you On behalf of CUPE Local 79, I am writing to thank all of our sisters and brothers in the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association for your generous donation to our strike fund. It was so valuable for our members to have the backing of other unions during our labour action against the City of Toronto. Municipal employers across Canada know that civic workers make our communities work by providing vital public services that we all rely upon. The attempts by the City of Toronto to demand unprecedented concessions, during this round of bargaining were clearly disrespectful and undermined the integrity of our collective agreements. CUPE Local 79 is please that this labour action is now resolved. Please convey our sincere thanks to all members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association for your much-valued and welcome support.

In Solidarity, Ann Dembinski, President Cupe Local 79

Scott Family Thanks 3888 We wanted to pass along a special “thank you” to all of the Toronto Fire Fighters who attended Craig Scott’s Funeral in August. As a family it was wonderful to see so many of his brothers come to honour his memory and share their stories with us. They made us both laugh and cry and helped to ease the sadness of his passing.

Sincerely, Irene Scott, Cheryl & Dave Dayman, Kerry & Sandra O’Hare and Families

FIRE WATCH accepts Letters to the Editor, articles, essays, and photographs from Local 3888 Members, active and retired.

We will also accept fire related submissions from outside authors or photographers.

Letters to the Editor may be forwarded to: Letter to the Editor FIRE WATCH 39 Commissioners Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A 1A6 Letters Policy You may email your letter to: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org FIRE WATCH welcomes letters to the editor to give you – Local 3888 members – an opportunity to express your views, concerns, ideas, or gripes.

We can’t print every letter and in some instances letters will have to be edited due to space limitations.

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We do not accept attachments. Please paste your letter into the body of your email and use the subject line “Letter to the Editor.”

]

articles Before sending a full article submission, we suggest that you forward an outline or suggestion for an article to the Editor.

FIRE WATCH is your magazine, and as such, we will accept articles on any subject related to Local 3888 and the fire community. Subjects could include but are not limited to: health issues, history, sporting events, equipment, training issues, personal essays, etc.

Article submissions/queries may be forwarded to: Articles FIRE WATCH 39 Commissioners Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A 1A6

[

]

You may email your submission/query to firewatch@torontofirefighters.org We do not accept attachments.

Forward your suggestion in the body of an email and use the subject line “Article submission or query”.

Photography Please contact the Editors before forwarding your photographic work for consideration.

FIRE WATCH does not offer payment for submissions.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 17

By Damien Walsh, Chair, Local 3888 Government Relations Committee

T

he recent labour disruption in the City by CUPE 416 and 79 rendered considerable media focus on City Council and the role of its various Standing Committees. It would be valuable for our members to have a basic understanding of the structure of City Council and its many sub-committees in order to be aware of how those of us who work for the City can be impacted by our municipal leadership.

Secondly, while understanding the structure, it is also important to be able to identify those members of Council whose roles have an effect on our profession. As employees of the city, it is evident that by being aware of what roles these elected representatives fulfill, we can address our issues through the most appropriate and expedient channels.

Through our political action, we have seen numerous examples of our impact on the electoral process and the influence we can have on our profession.

It would be beneficial for our members to be able to identify the Councillor representing the ward in which their place of work is located. You may be present at a community event, doing Alarmed for Life or attending an emergency scene and encounter your Councillor. Familiarity with your Councillor can assist your Association with building that relationship.

All of the information presented below is available on the City of Toronto website. You can find profiles and even photos of all members of Council. I can appreciate it not being the 18

most riveting read for our members but an elementary understanding and basic knowledge can go a long way in enhancing our relationship with those who can have an impact on our profession. Here is a brief explanation of how your City Council is structured and how it administrates the numerous functions necessary in the day-to-day operations of the City of Toronto.

Toronto City Council is the main governing and legislative body of the City of Toronto. Council is composed of the Mayor and 44 Councillors. The Mayor is the only member of Council who is elected by voters from across the city, much like our own Executive Board which sees our Principal Officers elected citywide and Executive Officers elected locally by Command.

The Mayor has one vote on Council and is a voting member, by right of his office, at all standing committees of Council.

Each councillor represents one of Toronto’s 44 municipal wards (a geographic area of the city). The term of office for the Mayor and Council is four years.

Councillors make decisions on behalf of their constituents on issues identified by the public, through research, as followup to existing programs, services or policies or as part of the everyday work of running a city and achieving council’s priorities.

Toronto City Council has direct responsibility for the City’s services. Council also indirectly oversees other major services

Photo credit: John Riddell

City of Toronto 101: Your Municipal Government Structure

(such as police, transit, public health, libraries, public housing) - Making recommendations on the capital and operating through the appointment of Council members to the boards of budgets. directors of the City Council’s agencies, boards, commissions - Reviewing other matters that may have a significant impact and corporations (ABCCs). on a future budget, upon request from the Executive Again, to draw comparison to our own executive board Committee. structure, Councillors are elected at large and then assigned to various committees of Council with their own inherent duties • Employee and Labour Relations: Mayor David Millerand responsibilities. Congratulations if you are still reading!

Chair, Janet Davis, Frank Di Giorgio, Doug Holyday, Cliff Jenkins, Pam McConnell, Frances Nunziata Executive Committee The Executive Committee monitors and makes recommendations on: • Council’s strategic policy and priorities in setting the agenda • Governance policy and structure • Financial planning and budgeting • Fiscal policy including revenue and tax policies • Intergovernmental and international relations • Council and its operations, and • Human resources and labour relations The Executive Committee’s members are the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, the Chairs of the standing committees, and four councillors appointed by Council who are not the Chair of either the Toronto Transit Commission or the Police Services Board. The Executive Committee chooses the Chair of the Budget Committee and the Chair of the Employee and Labour Relations Committee from amongst its members.

Current Executive Committee members are: • Mayor David Miller, Chair • Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, Vice-Chair • Shelley Carroll • Janet Davis • Glenn DeBaeremaeker • Paula Fletcher • Norm Kelly • Gloria Lindsay Luby • Giorgio Mammoliti • Pam McConnell • Joe Mihevc • Howard Moscoe • Kyle Rae

The responsibilities of the Employee and Labour Relations Committee include: - Reviewing corporate human-resource policy issues related to achieving and maintaining excellence in the public service in keeping with the City’s people strategy and its key goals.

These include leadership, a healthy and safe workplace, managing people, recruiting and retention, building a productive workforce, and a learning organization; - P roviding strategic policy direction and receiving routine updates on collective bargaining relating to the City; - Considering and making recommendations on reports on corporate human-resource policy matters affecting the City’s workforce including compensation, performance management, training and development, recruitment, retention, retirement issues, labour relations, human rights, equity goals, wellness, and health and safety; - P roviding strategic direction to staff in negotiating City collective agreements; - Considering updates on the progress of collective bargaining; - Reviewing matters related to the Employee and Labour Relations Committee’s terms of reference that the Executive Committee refers to it.

- T he Employee and Labour Relations Committee is not an alternative to established employee and union disputeresolution mechanisms.

The other Executive Committees of Council, which mainly report directly to the Executive Committee are: • Budget: Shelley Carroll- Chair, Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, A.A. Heaps, Joe Mihevc, Gord Perks, Kyle Rae The responsibilities of the Budget Committee include, but are not limited to: - Co-ordinating the preparation of the capital and operating estimates while the annual capital and operating budgets are being developed.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 19

Your Municipal Government... Continued from page 199

• A ffordable Housing- A.A. Heaps, Giorgio Mammoliti, Pam • Planning and Growth Management- Norm Kelly- Chair, McConnell, Howard Moscoe, Cesar Palacio, Adam Vaughan Frank DiGiorgio, John Filion, Peter Milczyn, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan Standing Policy Committees The seven Standing Committees are permanent committees of • Public Works and Infrastructure: Glenn De BaeremaekerToronto City Council. They provide a forum for public input Chair, Shelley Carroll, Adam Giambrone, Chin Lee, Cesar and discussion on issues within their areas of responsibility.

Palacio, Gord Perks The standing committees discuss budget, service and administrative issues, and make recommendations to Council Community Councils for debate and final decision. Members of the public can There are also four Community Councils, each representing a provide their input during committee meetings by speaking geographic area of the city. Their responsibilities generally for up to five minutes and receiving questions from Councillors. include making recommendations and decisions on local planning and development, as well as neighbourhood matters These committees and their current members are: including traffic plans and parking regulations. Each community council reports to City Council but they also have • Community Development and Recreation: Janet Davis- final decision-making power on certain items, such as sign and Chair, Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Cliff Jenkins, Joe fence by-law exemptions and appointments to local boards and Mihevc, John Parker Business Improvement Areas.

I would like to thank you if you have made it this far in • Economic Development: Kyle Rae-Chair, Brian Ashton, seeking an understanding of what is not exactly the most Sandra Bussin, Mark Grimes, Susan Hall, Case Ootes interesting subject but as stated earlier, I believe it important for our future progress in having our issues addressed and • Government Management: Gloria Lindsay Luby-Chair, needs met as they pertain to our municipal government. This Mike Del Grande, A.A Heaps, Doug Holyday, Pam McConnell, is just a brief outline and there is much more that I will explore Bill Saundercook in future submissions. As is often said, knowledge is power and we can only strengthen our position by understanding • Licensing and Standards: Howard Moscoe –Chair, Mike how municipal business is carried out and how we can Feldman, Rob Ford, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Anthony affectively have our issues addressed. I urge all of our members Perruzza, David Shiner to visit the Toronto.ca website, seek out information on your local Councillor and greet them warmly when you do encounter • Parks and Environment: Paula Fletcher- Chair, Raymond them on the street. It is principally through building Cho, Ron Moeser, Francis Nunziata, Karen Stintz, Michael relationships that we can achieve our goals and move our Walker Association forward.

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Name

Councillor

Name

Councillor

Etobicoke North

Susan Hall

Willowdale

John Filion

Etobicoke North

Rob Ford

Willowdale

David Shiner

Etobicoke Centre

Doug Holyday

Don Valley West

Cliff Jenkins

Etobicoke Centre

Gloria Lindsay Luby

Don Valley West

John Parker

Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Peter Milczyn

Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Kyle Rae

Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Mark Grimes

Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Pam McConnell

York West

Giorgio Mammoliti

Toronto Danforth

Case Ootes

York West

Anthony Perruzza

Toronto Danforth

Paula Fletcher

York Centre

Maria Augimeri

Beaches-East York

Janet Davis

York Centre

Mike Feldman

Beaches-East York

Sandra Bussin

York South-Weston

Frances Nunziata

Don Valley East

Shelley Carroll

York South-Weston

Frank DiGiorgio

Don Valley East

Denzil Minnan-Wong

Parkdale- High Park

Bill Saundercook

Scarborough South West

A.A. Heaps

Parkdale- High Park

Gord Perks

Scarborough South West

Brian Ashton

Eglinton-Lawrence

Howard Moscoe

Scarborough Centre

Michael Thompson

Eglinton-Lawrence

Karen Stintz

Scarborough Centre

Glenn De Baeremaeker

Davenport

Cesar Palacio

Scarborough-Agincourt

Mike Del Grande

Davenport

Adam Giambrone

Scarborough-Agincourt

Norm Kelly

Trinity-Spadina

Joe Pantalone

Scarborough-Rouge River

Chin Lee

Trinity-Spadina

Adam Vaughan

Scarborough-Rouge River

Raymond Cho

St Paul’s

Joe Mihevc

Scarborough East

Paul Ainslie

St Paul’s

Michael Walker

Scarborough East

Ron Moeser

TORONTO FIREPAC POLITICAL ACTION WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE US STRONGER

JOIN THE PAC!

www.torontofirepac.ca C ONTACT U S:

firepac@torontofirefighters.org OR (416) 466-1167 ext 356 FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 21

Health and Safety Potpourri

By Hugh Doherty, Chair, Local 3888 Health & Safety Committee

The following is a review of a number of issues that affect the membership:

Training We receive many calls concerning training and levels of training. Your Health and Safety Committee is in contact with many agencies to ensure we are addressing concerns with the latest information. Some organizations which we frequently converse with are the Ministry of Labour, IAFF Health and Safety Section, Section 21 Committee and the

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OPFFA Health and Safety Committee.

In addition, we attend the bi-annual IAFF Redmond Symposium.

Ventilation Saw Training A recent issue involved the implementation of the vent saws. We have had numerous meetings with the City on the best approach to training personnel and to get the saws on the apparatus in a timely manner. As we progressed through the implementation and the development of the program, various challenges arose.

A major concern was ensuring that the level of training was superior and the delivery of the training was hands-on.

Members from operations and the training division attended in-service with the LAFD in Los Angeles to develop the necessary skill set.

As the development of the train-the-trainer program took place, a concern was raised. The time required, as well as previously scheduled training, made getting this program completed in a timely fashion difficult. The Committee believes that all

training officers and STI’s must receive the necessary skill development and not just the minimum offered. The development and evolution of the roof ventilation operations is going to be accomplished with co-operation between operations and the training division.

The training of the STI’s is to begin early in 2010 and the development of roof operations is anticipated to begin in January. This training is to be conducted in a module form but modules are not dependant upon the completion of others.

H1N1 The committee has attended a number of seminars in which many opinions have been discussed. The City has developed a comprehensive plan to address the second wave of H1N1 expected this fall.

We urge all members to ensure that they follow the SOG and utilize all the protective equipment supplied for medical/emergency calls.

Hand washing is critical, as is the use of hand sanitizer. Please utilize them.

If an entrance point in your work location does not have a hand sanitizer dispenser installed, ensure that a work order is completed (FRED) to have one installed.

Bunker Suit - Request for Proposal The process is proceeding. A notice was sent out to the members regarding suggestions, likes and dislikes of our bunker suits. The committee is working with administration to enhance our protective clothing and we need your input. If you have any suggestions please forward them to hugh.doherty@sympatico.ca.

SORA- Fireboat Recently the William Lyon Mackenzie was removed from service for a major electrical overhaul. The SORA was placed into service. This has created many interesting challenges along with many Health and Safety concerns. The needs of the community, both on the mainland, the Islands and the water must be considered. However, we must also ensure that all Local 3888 members are transported safely to all emergency calls. We are of no use to the public if we sustain an injury enroute and must return to port.

A meeting was held and the City has

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agreed to promptly install a remote monitor for the bow. This prevents members from having to walk and remain on the bow of the vessel for extended periods. Further, the City has agreed to purchase halyards for members as they walk or are required to work on the decks. Also to be installed are secured points for members to secure themselves to the handrails to address concerns of individuals from falling overboard.

Staffing is an issue due to the limited size of the SORA. Enquires went out to other fire and water rescue services staff who have vessels similar in size.

The maximum comfort level for working on a vessel of this size, for extended periods, is between four and five individuals. Also, the issue of how many individuals can be transported was also discussed and researched. One thing that became evident very quickly is that many agencies had different policies and guidelines. TFS management is reviewing and working with the crews and the Association to develop consistent and practical guidelines for the safe operations of the SORA.

SCBA The current SCBA will require replacing and a committee is in the early stages of developing a protocol for their replacement. Please watch for updates as we progress through the review of current SCBA equipment on the market.

Station Repairs The four command and the Central Health and Safety committees spend a tremendous amount of time ensuring that our workplaces are kept in a good state of repair. It is critical that, where a defect is noticed in the station or other

work location, that a repair/work order(s) is completed immediately. Ensure you get a work order number from FRED when they are contacted. Note the information in the station log for all shifts. If the work is not completed, please contact the Association command representative and ensure that the information has also been forwarded to the Platoon or Division Chief.

Often, the Association becomes involved and it is discovered that no work order has been completed; this only delays the timely repair.

Where repairs are required and a station must be closed, a protocol has been developed. The Association is notified and attends meetings to ensure that all shifts are notified of the impending repairs. A contact list is developed so that in the event of any issues during the repairs or renovation, everyone is aware of who to contact.

We have made positive progress on the management of asbestos and mould issues. However, we need your assistance in ensuring these hazards are noted and reported in a timely manner.

The review of the five week inspection has increased the number of repairs but we believe proper care and general maintenance will increase the life span of our stations and offices.

On behalf of the Health and Safety Committee we thank you for the opportunity to represent you and look forward to offering you any assistance or guidance.

Hugh Doherty, Chair North Command, Ian Hamilton West Command, John Maclachlan South Command, Neil McKinnon East Command, Kevin Ashfield

TFS management is reviewing and working with the crews and the Association to develop consistent and practical guidelines for the safe operations of the SORA.

[

Further, we urge all members to review a website regarding coughing in your sleeve. The web site is www. coughsafe.com. Many experts believe that coughing in your sleeve will reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus. Please continue to monitor the Association website as we will update the information frequently.

We must also remember that the virus has a life expectancy of five to seven days. We may come in contact with the virus shopping, at the ball game or our kids’ school. To reduce the risk, frequent hand washing and cough control appear to be two critical components.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 23

Swine-Origin Influenza A About Influenza

Influenza (the “flu”) is a seasonal respiratory illness caused by flu viruses.

The viruses can cause mild to severe illness sometimes resulting in death. It is important to note that the flu is different from a common cold or seasonal allergies.

Generally, the onset of the flu is sudden and symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, chills, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, dry cough, severe exhaustion, muscle aches and stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The current influenza outbreak of swine flu is a result of an influenza virus species that infected pigs, then reassort (swap genes) and the new virus emerging.

Currently there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes, but the most recent influenza virus from pigs causing the outbreak have been H1N1 viruses. This new virus that has emerged is a mixture of swine, human and avian influenza viruses.

Tests for Influenza (Diagnosis)

The best sample is a nasal aspirate, but nasopharyngeal swabs are most frequently used. With the patient’s head tilted back, a Dacron swab (like a very long Q-tip) is inserted into a nostril until there’s resistance (1-2 inches) and then rotated several times.

The major advantages of the Rapid Flu Test are that it can be done in an outpatient setting and the results return within 30 minutes to two hours.

The major disadvantages are that true influenza cases will be missed up to 30 percent of the time (false negative result) and some without influenza will be misdiagnosed as having influenza (false positive result).

The gold standard for diagnosing influenza is a viral culture. The virus from the nasal secretion is grown and identified 24

in the laboratory. The advantage of a viral culture is that the specific viral strain and type can be identified. Such detailed information is critical in detecting influenza outbreaks (including surveillance for the pandemic strain) and for developing vaccines. The major disadvantages are that the results take about three to ten days and not all labs are equipped to perform a viral culture.

Transmission

The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is likely to be transmitted in the same manner as the seasonal flu spreads. The main transmission of flu viruses from person to person is through coughing or sneezing. Transmission can also occur by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching the mouth or nose.

Persons with swine flu should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possibly for up to seven days following illness onset.

Children, especially younger children, can potentially be contagious for a longer period.

People infected with the swine flu may be able to infect others on day one before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick. This means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick. Viruses and bacteria can live up to two hours or longer on surfaces such as cafeteria tables, doorknobs and desks.

Washing hands frequently will help reduce the chance of getting contamination from common surfaces.

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment Four antiviral medications are used for treatment and prevention of influenza – Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Relenza (zanamivir), Symmetrel (amantadine) and Flumadine (rimantadine). While antivirals taken at

the onset of the illness may decrease the severity and duration of the illness, there is no definitive treatment for influenza. If antiviral treatment is given within 48 hours, it may reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of illness.

Treatment of infected persons does not prevent further spread of infection, but it may reduce the viral shedding and thus the degree of contagion.

Prevention For the current outbreak and imminent pandemic, fire fighters must continue to practice preventive measures, such as respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette and annual flu vaccination. As with all biological hazards, universal precautions should be practiced.

Currently there is no vaccine available for this strain of the swine flu. However, there are actions people can take every day to help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses such as influenza. These steps can protect your health: • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

Throw the tissue in the trash.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds, especially after a cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

• If you get sick with influenza, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting others.

• Don disposable medical gloves, certified

(H1N1) Virus (Swine Flu) to NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations, prior to making any patient contact.

• Station wear should be washed at the station, not at home.

• When using an alcohol-based handrub, apply the product to the palm of one hand and rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands and fingers, until your hands are dry. Note the volume needed to reduce the number of bacteria on hands varies by product.

• Personnel should avoid wearing artificial nails and should keep natural nails less

than one quarter of an inch long, particularly if they come in contact with patients at high risk of acquiring infections.

• Do not rub eyes before or after using eyewear or after handling patients or equipment.

• Apply a disposable surgical mask (or disposable respirator without an exhalation valve if surgical mask is not available) to all persons suspected of having an infection (except for those receiving oxygen therapy through a facemask).

Where can I learn more?

International • World Health Organization (WHO) – www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_ influenza/updates/en/index.html • WHO Pandemic Preparedness www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/ pandemic/en/index.html • European Influenza Surveillance Scheme - www.eiss.org/index.cgi

Canada • Canada-www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/influenza/ pandemic_e.html United States • Official U.S. government website on Pandemic and Avian Influenzas www.pandemicflu.gov/ • Centers for Disease Control (CDC) www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 25

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BG bc -Ed Weinstein

5/14/07

4:31 PM

Page 1

EDWIN L. WEINSTEIN, PHD PRESIDENT

The Brondesbury Group 144 Front Street West, Suite 650 Toronto, Canada M5J 1G2 Tel: 416.585.2414 Fax: 416.979.9159 E-mail: edwin.weinstein@brondesbury.com

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D AVID MCI VER , PHD

Covering yourself for H1N1 and WSIB Benefits

By Paul Atkinson, Chair, OPFFA Occupational Disease Committee

A

s you are undoubtedly aware, the World Health Organization is preparing for the potential of a flu pandemic. How much of a reality this pandemic is and how much is media hype is unknown at this point. What we do know, is that as front line responders, we will be one of the first exposed groups if this H1N1 pandemic does break out. Despite the latest and most up-to-date personal protective equipment, it remains a possibility that the virus can make it past that protection and cause a person to become ill. The other scenario is for an unexpected exposure to occur such as a co-worker coming to work ill or becoming ill during the work day.

In the past, the likely result would be that after an exposure occurs, the member would book sick with the employer, not see a doctor, ride the flu out, return to work and then recall treating an ill patient. The next step is to try and reclaim the sick time back under WSIB but at this point, it is unlikely that this will occur due to the lack of reporting and medical treatment.

A quick search reveals a few facts about the H1N1 flu: the incubation period can be from one to four days and as high as seven days; if you become ill you will likely be sick for a week or longer; unlike SARS, there is no mandatory isolation in place after exposure at this point, so, there is the potential to go to a medical response, be exposed to H1N1 and become ill after finishing a shift. However, do you really want to utilize sick time and potentially become involved in an attendance management program at a later date as a result of the work exposure to the virus?

As is recommended, if you become ill with flu like symptoms, the health agencies are telling you to stay home in an effort to reduce the spread of the illness.

Another known fact about the H1N1 indicates that once you become ill, you can be infectious for seven or more days.

The key point of this article is to advise our members on how to seek WSIB benefits in the event that an H1N1 flu illness is related to a work exposure.

To confirm entitlement, the WSIB looks for: • A documented exposure at work • Is the exposure and illness development within accepted latency period?

• Were there other exposures that are more significant in that period?

• Is there a confirmed diagnosis of the illness?

It is recommended that if you respond to a medical call that likely involves H1N1, that a supervisor’s report of injury and a WSIB Form 6 are completed for everyone that attended the response even if all personal protective equipment is worn. Completing these forms do not require that you immediately go to the doctor or stay off work; it is exactly the same as completing the forms for a minor injury. By com-

pleting a supervisor’s report of injury and a WSIB Form 6 you have simply documented an occurrence.

Let us now presume that at some point between the next one and four to seven days, you become ill with flu like symptoms. When this occurs there is a high degree of probability that you will lose time from work. The previously completed paperwork now needs to be activated as soon as you become ill. Notify the employer by phone that you are claiming WSIB benefits for the exposure that occurred and that you are losing time from work as a result.

In order to obtain WSIB benefits, it is required that you be under the care of a medical health professional. This means that you must go to the doctor without a significant delay. As you are infectious for 24 hours, that would not be an unreasonable period of time to wait before going to the walk-in clinic or family doctor. Depending on the severity of the pandemic and your home location, a doctor’s visit may not occur for a week. It cannot be stressed strongly enough, that no medical treatment equals no WSIB approval. The main reason that you want to see a doctor, beyond any health concerns that you may have, is that for this particular strain of flu, there are tests that can be performed to confirm the H1N1 flu diagnosis. Once diagnosed, the WSIB will be in a position to determine entitlement on the claim.

Hopefully the pandemic does not occur but if it should, remember to document all exposures with the appropriate paperwork, seek medical attention during the illness and notify the employer that you are seeking WSIB benefits. These actions will increase the chances of the claim being successful.

Editor’s Note: Information is changing at a rapid pace as more is learned about the new H1N1 virus. However, at this time, for WSIB purposes, it continues to be advised that medical treatment is sought sooner rather than later.Stay current with information regarding H1N1 as it develops.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 27

The Negotiated Agreement

By Scott Eyers, Chair, Local 3888 Grievance Committee

“D

id you hear about the member who was disciplined the other day?”

“Well, sort of. The rumour was, he allegedly broke the rules and was punished.

Who knows what he received, something about minutes of settlement and ‘confidentiality’?”

In this article, we will try to provide a brief overview of the discipline process.

The primary role of the Grievance Committee is to monitor the department and protect our members when there is discipline or possible discipline and ensure the rights and privileges contained in our Collective Agreement (CA) are adhered to by all. Often, we deal with members when the stress and potential ramifications are very high. It is the right of Management to discipline employees and it is the sole right of the Association to represent our members and grieve the discipline if the situation warrants it. In all cases, we strive to ensure that a proper investigation is conducted by the Department. It is important to note that our Association spares no expense when it comes to providing this membership with the best legal advice. Issues are addressed, grievances are filed, and if all else fails, the final decision often rests in the hands of an independent Arbitrator.

With the current labour climate between the parties, collectively, the Association and TFS Management often work together in an attempt to resolve issues.

With the ability to avoid the risk of the ‘unknown’ and the stress of the time de28

lays inherent to the arbitration process, the negotiated settlement is often the best option available to the member. This is not the case in many workplaces where Management simply hands out the discipline and the member has no choice but to let due process run its course. In these workplaces, the employee is forced to endure months of uncertainty, and the union must incur significant expense, only to receive from the Arbitrator what both sides predict internally - from the onset. The Employee runs the risk of being out of work for an extended period of time and there are no guarantees that the Arbitrator will award back pay for that lost time.

To achieve the negotiated agreement, usually documented in written minutes of settlement, Administration, the Association and the member, in consultation with our legal counsel, must be satisfied with the resolve. The advice received from legal council is based on case law and arbitrated awards from across the country and our negotiated settlements reflect what is deemed fair and acceptable to our counsel and our member. Case law, whether from Fire Departments or elsewhere, help to form the labour climate of today. What may have been an accepted practice in the past may not be in the present. After full consultation with legal counsel, and the Grievance Committee, the member decides the course of action to be followed.

If the member chooses to challenge the penalty – we grieve. If the member decides the best course of action is to negotiate – we attempt to negotiate an accept-

able settlement – or grieve if a resolve acceptable to the member is not attained.

Although the Association has carriage of grievance issues, it is a long standing practice of this Association to allow the member to choose the path travelled.

Negotiated settlements all contain a “without prejudice and precedent” clause that precludes the settlement from being relied upon by the Association, the City or other members in other cases. These settlements also contain a “confidentiality clause” that prevents the parties from discussing the terms of the settlement. This is an area that invokes debate and confusion among the membership. The curiosity of other members to know the penalty received is common. “I need to know what he got, just in case,” is often the sentiment echoed. Herein lies the problem; if you do not know all the details, how can you draw an educated parallel to the penalty? Minutes of settlement are the end product of a process where issues are investigated and reviewed; however, there is no definitive vetting of the information through an independent body.

Therefore, to provide an adequate summary of events becomes difficult as there may be many variations of the incident and no formal legal proceeding where an independent Arbitrator has weighed all the evidence. The parties agree to a resolve and put the issue behind them. How could one possibly explain the details of the incident and the discipline imposed?

With a settlement, there may be many issues left unanswered and all sides com-

promise their position, each for their own reasons. Arbitrated awards are public documents, posted on our website and available to anyone in the world – with just a few clicks of the mouse on your computer and it is here that anyone can read all the details.

The confidentiality clause not only prevents the dissemination of the resolve, it also protects the member from outside requests for the details. Freedom of information requests are stymied as Management can simply state that the matter has been dealt with and they are precluded ‘by law’ from discussing the details. When the fire truck was stolen a few years ago, the demands for information were numerous. The confidentiality clause protected

the members involved from deeper scrutiny from the press. Yes, some details were leaked, this is inevitable, but the details for the most part remained protected.

The grievance process is there to ensure that the Association and the member are ultimately satisfied that any potential discipline is warranted and falls within the legal landscape of the day. Sometimes we agree to a resolve and sometimes we let the process run its course. In our local, the member is made aware of the potential ramifications, receives legal advice and makes the ultimate decision with respect to the future path taken on the issue at hand.

The arbitration process allows for full disclosure of the evidence and an impar-

tial ruling. Often, the awards are extensive in length. Minutes of settlement allow for a resolve to the issue, but confidentiality allows the details to remain “sealed” to some extent. We all know of someone, who claims to have heard something about ‘the incident’ and the settlement. However, it is important to note that your Association works in consultation with legal counsel and the affected member(s) to make informed decisions. If minutes of settlement are agreed to – much of the “story on the street” will be nothing more than unfounded speculation. Although open for discussion around firehouse kitchen tables across the City, don’t rely too much on those discussions.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 29

Interview with IAFF General President,

Harold A. Schaitberger

By Frank Ramagnano, Secretary-Treasurer, Local 3888 The number one way to keep everyone safe is to keep the rigs Q: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment as adequately staffed. Staffing is at the very heart of what our memGeneral President? bers do every single time they respond.

We also have to maintain the benefits of our members with a Without question the biggest accomplishment is this union’s reparticular focus on the retirement programs we have built over the sponse for our members and our affiliates after 9/11.

It was a catastrophic event of historic proportions, and no one decades, to ensure that our members, after providing many years could have prepared a game plan beforehand to help guide our of service to their communities, have an opportunity to enjoy a response at the Pentagon for our members in Washington, D.C., healthy and long retirement and have the financial means to enjoy and in the Washington suburbs, and particularly for our affiliates in their retirement.

New York and our 343 FDNY members killed in the line of duty, Q: Many people thought that with your vast experience that this union was able to respond at a very high level.

We set up operations in the city within 24 hours and we began you would enter public office. Was that ever close to becomto work with the locals. We laid out a game plan to respond to the ing a reality? needs of the families of our fallen. We set up the counseling operations that our members would need; a program we continue to Simple answer: No. I came on the fire department just after my 20th birthday, thinkthis day. And we raised and distributed $161 million to the famiing there was nothing else I would ever want to do. I understood lies of our fallen.

Responding to our affected members and their families follow- the importance of employees having a chance to have their issues ing that horrific incident was a monumental task that I believe this addressed, their lives improved and their interests represented by union took on with pride and we developed a game plan for re- this union.

I have never given any other thought to doing anything else once sponding in the future.

I began to follow the journey of the IAFF. So, as long as I have the Q: You have been involved in the IAFF for many years. Please privilege of serving this great union and representing the interests talk about the transition you experienced when you took of this great membership, I’ll do nothing else during my working career but be a part of the IAFF and serve the men and women of over as General President. the IAFF. Only a few years after I got on the job as a 20-year old fire fighter, I had the privilege of organizing my home local in 1970 in a very Q: What are some facts about you that the membership anti-union, right-to-work environment in the State of Virginia, and doesn’t already know? then went on to become the first president of that local, Fairfax County Local 2068. I then became president of the Virginia state A lot of members probably don’t realize that, like many of them, I association and handled both of those organizations for a number came from a very challenging background. I was the child of a of years before going on to serve our members as part of the IAFF’s single parent who was trying to raise a couple of boys and we were in a very difficult economic circumstance. staff in Washington, DC. I have a grand love of motorcycles and when I had more free At the IAFF I worked in a variety of capacities serving three presidents. I’ve had the opportunity to understand the require- time, I was an avid hunter. My work representing this union takes ments of leading from an elected perspective as well as under- a lot of my time and I’m very grateful to serve in this incredible standing the intricacies and operations internally from a senior position. When my time serving our members is done, I fully exstaff perspective as the Legislative Director and the union’s Chief pect to return to those hobbies that I truly enjoy. of Staff, among other jobs.

So moving to the general presidency for me was a natural transi- Q: Some Canadians think we would be better served by having our own national organization. How would you address tion for which I feel my experiences prepared me well. those sentiments?

Q: What do you see as the biggest hurdles off this union?

Our union’s founding convention in 1918 had fire fighter local It’s very hard to prioritize when we have so many challenges, but unions from the United States and Canada. The message that this union’s pioneers conveyed by joining the fire fighters of our two our number one priority is keeping our members safe.

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countries together over 90 years ago was that joining all fire fighters in North America together was the best way to leverage our power.

I have been committed to and feel very strongly that the value and importance of having two great countries in this union far outweighs any value of having separate national unions. Really it comes right down to the most basic fundamental principle of trade unionism – there is strength in numbers.

But going beyond that, if you take a look at the world today, you can’t help but recognize how small it’s become. How management and chief officers come together across national borders, forming international alliances to exchange ideas, tactics and knowledge.

We can’t ignore the fact that those exchanges and alliances will affect our members as the knowledge they exchange gets put into action at the local level, potentially affecting staffing, incident response and command, pay and benefits.

It leads me to believe that the IAFF being a single union comprised of two great countries is not only an advantage, but a necessity.

That’s what led us very recently to establish the International Fire Fighter Unions Alliance, which now includes 18 countries. We came together earlier this year in Vancouver to develop an organizational structure and form the foundation of what I believe will be a valuable tool in representing our members.

I think our members in both countries understand the strengths that we bring to each other while respecting the uniqueness of each country. That’s why our predecessors in this union developed clear ways to ensure that the voices of our Canadian members are heard, through the Canadian Policy Conference and other venues.

They truly give our Canadian affiliates a forum to make sure our policies, goals and mission reflects the needs of our Canadian affiliates and members.

Q: Do you have any parting thoughts?

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This union represents 85 per cent of the fire fighters in all of North America. No other union can claim that kind of market density, where all of the workers of a particular trade or profession are literally represented by a single union. And that unity of purpose, the bond that this job gives us, not just as you respond to calls and have each others backs as you face life threatening dangers, but also across the entire profession, has served to make this union one of the most powerful in the world.

But at the same time, it’s critical to remember that this isn’t a club we’re in. This isn’t some fraternity or sorority. This is a proud, strong trade union with 90 years of great history. And we must always remember why we exist - to get the job done for those on the frontlines every day, the men and women of this IAFF. We have built a proud trade union, a union that is responsible for so many aspects of the lives and livelihoods of our members.

It’s this union’s job to ensure that our members have a successful career, that their rights as employees are protected, that their financial futures are secure. We take care of our families in times of tragedy and loss. We work to ensure that our members are healthy, that they are taken care of and they can enjoy a long and healthy retirement. As long as our leaders and members remember why this union was built, and keep focused on that mission, we will continue to do what we’re supposed to do, to take care of our own.

Harold’s Biography

H

arold A. Schaitberger is General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, representing more than 295,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel in every state in the U.S. and in Canada.

President Schaitberger is the ninth president in the IAFF’s 90-year history, and was the first to have been elected by acclamation in 2000. He was re-elected to another four-year term in August 2008.

Under President Schaitberger’s leadership, the IAFF’s Political Action Committee, FIREPAC, has grown to more than $3.75 million and ranks among the top one percent of PACs in the nation. His commitment to ensuring that the IAFF supports candidates and lawmakers who are friendly to fire fighters and their issues, regardless of political party, has significantly enhanced the union’s power and influence at all levels of politics.

President Schaitberger also serves as a vice president of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The IAFF’s partnership with MDA has spanned more than 50 years, and with a renewed commitment to a comprehensive fundraising process under President Schaitberger’s leadership, the IAFF has raised its support for MDA every year he has been president, including a record-breaking $25 million contribution to Jerry’s Kids in 2007.

During Schaitberger’s tenure, the IAFF also raised and distributed more than $160 million for the families of the 343 fire fighters killed in the line of duty on September 11, 2001, and the IAFF raised and distributed more than $1.2 million to the fire fighters who suffered losses at the hands of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005, as well as provided significant food, clothing, water, shelter and medical and psychological assistance to its more than 8,000 members in the hurricane zones.

The IAFF Financial Corporation, an innovative for-profit corporation whose only shareholder is the International Association of Fire Fighters, was also created and launched under Schaitberger’s leadership. The IAFF-FC offers deferred compensation plans for fire fighter supplemental retirement assets, a quality mortgage and refinance program, online banking services and a full range of insurance protection, all with competitive pricing for IAFF members. After only five years in operation, the IAFF-FC deferred compensation program has $1.6 billion in 457 plan retirement assets. IAFF members have registered $330 million in loans with its home mortgage program, members and affiliates have deposited more than $20 million with the IAFF-FC Banking Center and more than 7,600 members have taken advantage of the auto and home insurance program.

Schaitberger also serves on the AFL-CIO Executive Committee, is a vice president of the AFL-CIO’s Executive Council and was a co-chair of Labor 2004, the AFL-CIO’s election steering committee. He is currently the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the IAFF Burn Foundation and a board member of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial and the National Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial.

Schaitberger began his career as a professional fire fighter in Fairfax County, Virginia, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was one of the leaders who originally organized what was then a 500-member department as an IAFF affiliate. In 1970 he was elected the first president of Fairfax County Local 2068. In 1973, Schaitberger was elected president of the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters.

Prior to his election as General President, Schaitberger served as a top advisor to three IAFF presidents. He came to the IAFF headquarters in 1976 to create, establish and head the union’s national political and legislative programs. He played a key role in the creation of the Public Safety Officers Benefit, the enactment of the FLSA overtime law and spearheaded the passing of the NFPA 1710 Standard which governs the deployment and staffing of professional departments – a breakthrough measure that will benefit every man, woman and child protected by professional fire fighters and paramedics. Schaitberger also worked for decades to protect fire fighter pensions and secured federal funds to create the IAFF Hazardous Materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Programs.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 31

CAMP BUCKO 32

By Adina Kaufman, Camp Bucko Volunteer and Toronto Fire Fighter

C

amp BUCKO (BUrn Camp for Kids in Ontario) is an amazing place, where kids who are burn survivors get to simply be kids.

For a week in August, the Kinark Outdoor Centre in Minden becomes home to a very special place where kids enjoy activities like canoeing, arts and crafts, archery, and fishing in an environment that lets them truly be themselves, without feeling different or alone.

According to the Camp BUCKO website (www.campbucko.ca), “Camp BUCKO provides an opportunity for children recovering from burn injuries to meet other children who share similar feelings and experiences in a camp environment.” However, those of us who have had the privilege to be part of the BUCKO experience know that it is SO much more.

For the past three years, I have been part of the BUCKO family. From the moment the kids step off the bus on Sunday, the family reunion has begun. With about 70 kids ages 7-17, and an equal number of volunteers, the arrival of the buses is a time for hugs, big smiles, kids running everywhere, and comments such as, “You haven’t changed at all since last year!” and “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed since last year!” There are about five new campers annually who are welcomed into the family, and within an incredibly short time, it is hard to imagine that they haven’t been a part of camp for years.

This year’s camp theme was “Superheroes”. For our special activity day, Local 3888’s Ken deJong planned activities for BUCKO’s campers as Rescue Fire Fighters – a special kind of superhero! We were joined by fire fighters from Minden, Bracebridge and the OFM, who came to camp with fire apparatus. Imagine little seven year-olds putting on full adult-sized bunker gear and racing to climb up on a fire truck; kids wearing PPE as they worked together to handle hazardous green slime; and teams of campers and volunteers competing in water-cannon style tug-of-war as each team tried to use its charged hose line to push a suspended target across to the other team’s side.

Camp is always about fun. However, burn camps are about more than just fun; they are about kids who are burn survivors getting temporary freedom from the everyday frustrations of being burned, a chance to share their stories and to bond with each other. Campers are able to build self-esteem and form friendships that help them cope with life beyond their burn injury.

Across North America, the IAFF and its affiliates are dedicated to supporting burn camps for kids. As well as local camps like BUCKO, there is the annual IAFF Burn Foundation International Camp that allows campers and volunteers to come together for a week of fun and learning in Washington DC. Each year, BUCKO is able to select one lucky camper and an equally lucky fire fighter volunteer chaperone to share in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One of the amazing things about Camp BUCKO is its dedicated team of volunteers. This is a place that exists only because of the generosity

of caring individuals. The heart and soul of camp is Director, Nancy Sinclair, a woman who leads by example and lives by the idea that “camp is for the kids”. Nancy couldn’t make her dream a reality without the fundraising efforts of so many - especially fire fighters (golf and ball hockey tournaments, boot drives, memorial donations, etc.). Without volunteers at camp in August, there would be no camp. This year, there were twelve Local 3888 volunteers at camp – ten active and two retired members.

The people who volunteer at camp seldom realize what an impact they will have. This year, a past volunteer, known simply as Beezer, came to visit. Now almost 80, he is an adult burn survivor who started volunteering at camp in his late 60s. Beezer created “Beezer’s Corner”, an activity where campers can hang out, doing low-key things like board games and beads. Though Beezer can no longer volunteer at camp, he still raises funds and Beezer’s Corner remains one of BUCKO’s popular activities. The older campers remember and love Beezer – his appearance at camp this year received a standing ovation.

The week at BUCKO starts and ends with an evening campfire. One part of the BUCKO campfire is very different from other camps, and that is the “talking stick”. A wooden stick, big enough to lean on for both physical and emotional support, is removed from its bag and the crowd becomes very quiet. Only the person who holds the talking stick is allowed to speak. Campers (and the occasional volunteer) come up to speak, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend or two for support.

Themes emerge in their words as they talk about what BUCKO means to them, how BUCKO has changed them, and the feelings of safety, support and acceptance that mean so much to them at BUCKO. It is a true honour and privilege to be able to share in such moments and to celebrate their personal and collective victories over the challenges that life has handed to them.

Each volunteer truly impacts the campers in his/her own way and the impressions made last a lifetime. A story shared at campfire was from Bob, who found camp through his wife Shirley, a burn survivor. There is something very powerful in the way Bob holds the talking stick, speaks to everyone about his childhood sweetheart Shirley (they just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary) and how important it is to know people for who they truly are on the inside. Everyone listens as he reminds each girl in the room that if a boy doesn’t see her inner beauty, he doesn’t deserve her.

After the closing campfire, the week comes to an end. Photos are taken, hugs are shared, many tears are shed (even tough fire fighter eyes have been known to moisten), promises are made to stay in touch throughout the year, and it is impossible to keep track of the number of campers wondering aloud why camp can’t last all year instead of only one week.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 33

By Tony Macdonald, Captain, 445 “A” Platoon

I

magineworking a full 24hour shift at your firehall and then heading home, tired but excited to see your wife and your eight year-old son once again. You walk in and begin your day with your family; everything is completely normal until suddenly, a blinding headache hits you and you fall beside your bed.

Your wife and son hear a loud thump from elsewhere in the house and come running in to find you clinging to the headboard with one arm, on your knees in excruciating and debilitating pain.

We all like to think that bad things will only happen to someone else; however, the very same scenario as detailed above was the scene that our fellow brother fire fighter, Mike Langevin was suddenly faced with one day in April of 2007.

Before continuing with Mike’s life-altering story however, let me tell you a little bit about him.

Mike started his fire fighting career with the former Etobicoke Fire Department as a keen ‘probationary fire fighter’ on November 3, 1986 at the young age of twenty-two.

He was always the consummate practical joker around the firehall and we knew of nobody else who could equal 34

him. There was never a day that went by without someone getting some sort of surprise. Mike was a master of being in the background for most of his practical jokes. A comment heard regularly was, “I know it must have been Mike but I can’t prove it.” One time, Fire Fighter Matt Drenters was making phone calls from work to guys at home, trying to find someone to work an exchange day for him. Mike was helping him by providing names and numbers as Matt made the calls. On one of the calls, Matt identified himself and asked for “Brian” and the woman who answered said that Brian was not at home. Matt said he would call back later and hung up. Soon after, it was revealed that Mike had given him the home number for Brian Mitchell, the Fire Chief of the Etobicoke Fire Department. Matt was that close to asking the Fire Chief to work an exchange day for him!

Mike was regularly stationed at Station 415 on “A” platoon at the time that his life was forever changed.

After finding Mike on the floor, clinging to the headboard, his wife Janet tried to help him get on the bed but Mike was unable to assist her efforts. She scratched his left hand and he gestured that he was unable to feel it. When she stated that she was going to call 9-1-1, Mike did not disagree – at which point she knew something was definitely terribly wrong.

Through the overwhelming pain and confusion that he was experiencing, Mike was somehow aware that the paramedics were going to have to carry him downstairs, so, being the type of thoughtful guy that he is, he decided that he would help them out by heading to the main floor himself and save them the aggravation. It turned out to be a bad move; after he crashed to the floor, his wife Janet saw him rolling on his left

arm. She tried scratching his arm but he could not feel it.

At the hospital, Janet was told that Mike had suffered an aneurysm in the right side of his brain. He was given a ten percent chance of surviving - and that chance dwindled each day that the bleeding in his brain was not successfully treated. After five days and two surgical procedures, Mike had beaten those odds as the doctors were able to stop the bleeding.

Mike was moved to Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga where, for the next six weeks, he worked diligently with the staff to begin the difficult rehabilitation process. During this time, when it looked as though Mike may not survive, Toronto Fire Services Management allowed fire apparatus to visit him on a regular basis. With on-duty as well as off-duty visitors, Mike had a constant flow of fire fighters visiting him. For this he is eternally grateful and remembers, “It definitely brightened my days.”

The support didn’t end there however.

West Division Commander (now Deputy Chief), Ron Jenkins, visited Mike and provided Janet with his home and mobile phone numbers to ensure that he could facilitate any help that he or the Toronto Fire Services could assist them with at any time. Local 3888 Executive Officers came to give their support as well and

Photo credit: Kevin Hardings

Member Profile on

MIKE LANGEVIN with a thoughtful touch, brought a gift bag for Mike’s son, Trent. This allowed Trent a short reprieve from worrying about his Dad. When he was moved to the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, they were told that in a month or two, Mike would be released; however, he would need to continue visiting the centre for out-patient rehabilitation, five days a week. Don Collette, a Captain from Mike’s crew, organized a constant source of fire fighters for the next couple of months that would drive Mike into therapy each morning, as well as provide a ride home each afternoon. Mike still cherishes this support and has fond memories of the camaraderie shared during these trips.

Association President Scott Marks and Executive Officer Scott Eyers visited and presented Mike with a new laptop computer in order to assist him with his rehabilitation as well as to help Mike communicate with the outside world. Mike recalls this act as a high point during a low time in his life.

Fire Fighters Rick Rouse and District Chief Don Wallace organized a hat sale, where the proceeds helped offset costs not covered by our health care plan.

At a recent retirement party, Paul Sukman organized a 50/50 draw where the proceeds helped to offset some of Mike’s therapy costs.

Mike’s Mother was married to a fire fighter and also has a brother who is a Brampton Fire Fighter. After seeing the amazing support and constant flow of visitors, she commented, “For years I have heard you guys describe fire fighters as a brotherhood. Yet, only now am I truly starting to understand what that really means.”

One day at the hospital, with Mike’s family in attendance, Fire Fighter Rick Rouse, Captain Don Wallace, and District Chief Lew Davis formally presented Mike with his twenty year pin. This presentation was remembered by Mike as another serious morale booster – at a time when it was much needed.

Much of this happened over two years ago now and Mike has come a long way in his rehabilitation since then. He now has some of the muscle function returned to his left arm but he does not have any fine motor control of this arm or hand yet.

Not all of the difficulties are physical though. He shared information with me that detailed some of the challenges faced by people with acquired brain injuries: the ability to multi-task is limited; reading other people’s facial motions is more difficult; lack of initiation; constantly needing to be remind-

ed of daily tasks, to name a few. Part of the rehabilitation process is learning some new coping mechanisms for these traits. The more that people are educated about these issues, the more understanding they become.

Mike was emotional when he told me that his wife has, “Gone way beyond any wedding vows in the support that she has given me.”

He says that, “Science and technology were miraculous at saving my life but great family and friends were more instrumental at giving me a reason to get better every day.”

He really misses the trucks and the guys.

Mike is still overwhelmed by the support he has received and although he knows he can never thank everyone who helped him, his appreciation clearly shows through as he speaks about all of his friends’ assistance.

Mike is currently working with a trainer twice a week and also does mental games and exercises with his son on the computer. Mike’s occupational therapist says that Mike is still making progress and could be returning to work for the TFS in some capacity; if only as a volunteer, to remain in the brotherhood that has helped him so very much.

We sure hope so. Mike’s curling, and golf buddies and all of his friends at Toronto Fire Services are eagerly waiting for that day.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 35

Station 342

By Acting Captain Jon Lasiuk

T

hose seeking a quick detour around the endless construction that has bedeviled St. Clair Avenue West often find themselves on the quiet residential street of Ascot Avenue.

Located in the community of Earlscourt, Ascot Avenue is home to many wellmaintained middle-class homes, and, unknown to many, one of Toronto’s smallest fire stations. .T he villages of Earlscourt and Davenport were annexed into the City of Toronto on January 10th, 1910. As with many outlying areas, Earlscourt lacked many civic services – including paved roads and a proper, professional fire service. Fire Chief John Thompson realized the need for a new fire station but City Council would not approve the ex36

penditure. As is often the case, it would take an extreme tragedy to finally make the construction of a new fire station in Earlscourt a reality. .Friday, January 12th, 1912 broke as an extremely cold winter morning. With temperatures at 6F, a home owner at 31 Bird Avenue (now Rosemount Avenue west of Dufferin Street) ignited a new coal-oil stove for the first time before going off to work as a carpenter. His wife was forced to leave five of their six children alone at home for a short bit as she part-timed during lunch at the local

school. At 11:40 A.M. the new stove malfunctioned, igniting the house.

Three of the children managed to escape on their own, but a 2 year-old girl and 7 month-old boy were trapped. .Two neighbourhood women tried to rescue the children as another pulled the nearest street box. Firefighters from Ford Street, Wychwood and Ossington Avenue started the long run to

Bird Avenue. Upon arrival, firefighters were met by a serious working fire spreading to the adjoining residences.

As hose wagon crews advanced lines, Firefighter William Everton of Ladder 14 (today’s Aerial 345) braved the flames to get to the two children. The efforts were to no avail, though, as both children were found dead – one still strapped into his highchair. Just three years on the job, Everton would go on to serve 45 years with the T.F.D. .Community uproar was immediate.

Demands for a new fire station in Earlscourt could no longer be ignored

by City Council and funds for a new station were approved just two months later. As it was assumed that the remainder of York Township would soon be annexed by the city, the Fire Chief was ordered to find a temporary location until a full-sized station could be built nearer to Rogers Road.

As if to reinforce the immediate need for a new fire station in the area, a second serious fire destroyed a home at 101 Earlscourt Avenue just six weeks later. Fire horses were reported up to their knees in mud as they pulled the wagons up the muddy side street. Luckily, no lives were lost in this instance.

The purchase of a lot at the SouthWest corner of Boon and Ascot Avenues was recommended by staff for $5,335.

Upon hearing rumors of the sale price though, Mr. J.J. Little quickly offered his empty lot at Earlscourt and Ascot Avenues to the city for $4,009. It was a done deal and construction commenced at 106 Ascot Avenue the following month.

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Station 342 ... Continued from page 37

.To save money, an architectural firm was not hired, with plans being instead drawn up in house by the city architect.

City workers were also used, instead of a contractor, to save money. As a “temporary” station, Fire Hall # 27 was built to smaller specifications than was usual at the time. Only a single apparatus bay was provided for. Today, the fire hall remains the last single-bay station in the City of Toronto. # 27 Hose opened for business in the last week of February, 1913. Even though the T.F.D. had begun to transition to motorized apparatus in 1911, it was decided not to purchase a new motor pumper for the hall. As a result, Ascot Avenue was the last Toronto fire hall to be built for horse-drawn apparatus. A spare two-horse hose wagon would be assigned to the hall, with five men on the rig.

While some fire halls can boast of accomplishing many “firsts” in their history, Fire Station # 27 can boast of many “lasts”. As well as having the last hall built for the horse-drawn era, Ascot Avenue was also assigned the last motor hose wagon which did not have a pump, namely, a 1930 Bickle that had been a hand-me-down from Montgomery Avenue. Toronto had purchased a small number of these rigs during the Depression to save on the cost of a pumper.

They quickly proved wholly inadequate to the needs of an urban fire department and were soon relegated to the city’s less-busier halls, including here and in the Beaches.

In 1956, Station 27 received what would be the last pumper purchased in Toronto’s huge fleet of 700-series American LaFrance apparatus. Those of us who grew up in Toronto in the 1960’s and 1970’s can remember at least one of these ubiquitous rigs in almost every hall in the city during that era. Ascot Avenue’s would be the last in service as well, lasting until 1981.

In 1998, Toronto Station 27 became a part of the new Toronto Fire Services.

The amalgamation that had been assumed by Fire Chief Thompson to be right around the corner in 1912 had finally come to pass 86 years later. Reassigned as Fire Station 342, the “temporary” station on Ascot Avenue quickly proved its worth in the new city. With 38

the dissolution of the old city limits just north of the hall, Pumper 342 was in the perfect position to provide quick response to the Caledonia area of the old City of York – something that had been envisioned more than eight decades earlier.

The new apparatus being purchased by the Toronto Fire Services soon proved to be too large for the old horse bay at Station 342. In order to accommodate the new modern pumper on order for the hall, T.F.S. enlarged the apparatus bay door and apparatus area while retaining the original architectural uniqueness of the hall.

The old Earlscourt area has metamorphosed into Corso Italia, the home of Toronto’s, “authentic Italian culture and tradition.” With the redevelopment of St. Clair Avenue, the area’s main commercial strip, Station 342’s running area will undoubtedly continue its evolution as one of the city’s most vibrant and lively communities.

Apparatus Assigned to Fire Station 342 Pumper 342 – 2008 Spartan/Smeal triplecombination foam pumper.

Shop # 24145.

IAFF FRONTLINE NEWS BRIEF This new section will appear on occasion in Fire Watch and provides our members with IAFF fire news from across North America.

Please visit the IAFF website at www.iaff.org for more news.

Economic Crisis News

The economy is affecting IAFF members throughout this union through staffing reductions, station closures, cost shifting and wage concessions as local governments lose revenue. To help IAFF members get a clearer understanding of the depth of the financial crisis, the effect it’s having at every level of the economy — including local and state budgets — the IAFF has prepared the following summaries of and links to “economic crisis” news articles related to cuts in state and local budgets, fire fighter staffing, health care benefits, compensation, pension plans and other areas as a result of the economic downturn. To find out more go to the IAFF Website

Orlando firefighters facing layoffs get temporary reprieve

Orlando Sentinel (08/28/09) Orlando will not lay off 46 fire fighters and mothball its fleet of ambulances — at least for now. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer struck a deal with union leaders to temporarily halt the cuts scheduled to take effect October 1. The 11th-hour agreement, which follows months of protests and posturing, calls on the city’s 470 fire fighters to give up a combined $685,000 in supplemental pay included in their labor contract. The city agreed to earmark an equal amount toward keeping the fire department operating at the current level. That won’t save enough to pay the 46 threatened fire fighters for a full year, but it will delay the pink slips for five months. The Dyer administration hopes the deal buys enough time to find out whether Orlando will receive a federal stimulus grant that could save the fire fighters’ jobs permanently.

Binghamton Police & Fire Cuts

FOX 40 News WICZ TV (08/28/09) Desperate financial times call for desperate measures in the city of Binghamton, according to a new report.

Commission members met with representatives from the police and fire department to try and reduce their budgets by 10 percent, the result of those discussions were released in the commission on personnel costs’

final report. Recommendations include looking at starting a 12-hour work schedule for police officers to reduce costs, as well as cutting 10 open positions within the fire department. The commission says the Binghamton professional fire fighters union also played an active role in the discussions. “One less engine showing up, it’s the same amount of responsibilities, same amount of tasks needed to be completed, but there’ll be less people to do those. It’s obviously gonna have an impact on response time,” said David Halloran, Binghamton Fire Fighters Union President.

Firefighters deal reached

Denver Daily News (08/28/09) A tentative agreement has been reached between the city and the firefighters’ union that would save Denver $3.2 million next year. Facing a budget shortfall of $120 million, city officials were forced to call the Denver Fire Fighters Union Local 858 back to the negotiating table to craft a contract that works with the city’s current fiscal woes. Over the next two years, fire fighters would forgo $7 million worth of salary and health benefits in order to keep firehouses open. Union members must still approve the agreement; a vote is expected September 1 and 2. Fire fighters would forgo $3.2 million in salary next year, and another $3.2 million in 2011. Another $600,000 would be saved through modified health care benefits. “Fire safety is very, very important to us, it was critical that we worked on this to keep firehouses open,” a tired Aaron S. Jonke, secretary-treasurer of Local 858, told the Denver Daily News. “We didn’t want a situation where public safety could have been endangered.” Mayor John Hickenlooper was fast to applaud the union for its understanding.

“Denver Fire Fighters Local 858 has once again stepped up and helped the city deal with the current fiscal crisis,” said the mayor. “We recognize the hardship this agreement may put on fire fighters and their families, and we are grateful for the public service fire fighters provide to our community.”

2009 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial The 2009 IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial Service will be held Saturday, September 19, 2009. Registration materials will be available

June 1, 2009, online.

The mission of the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial, which is located in the shadow of Pike’s Peak, is to honour the sacrifice made by IAFF members who serve as professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Since its creation in 1976 through June 2008, the names of 2,152 fallen IAFF members have been engraved into the wall of honour located behind the memorial.

The IAFF will ensure that the ceremony remains an uplifting one for the families, friends and loved ones, and that it celebrates the lives, heroism and accomplishments of our union’s bravest of the brave.

The IAFF has prepared a video presentation summarizing all the events and activities leading up to the Memorial Service. The video will be sent to all families and local union presidents in jurisdictions that experienced or reported a lineof-duty death during the past year (June 1, 2008 - June 1, 2009). It is also available to review online.

APPFFA Conference Youth Program July 28, 2009 – One of the strengths of the fire fighter labour movement is that labour leaders not only strive to take care of fire fighters, but their families as well. At the Atlantic Provinces Professional Fire Fighters Association (APPFFA) Conference in New Brunswick, Canada, Saint John, NB Local 771 developed and funded a youth program for children of fire fighters attending the Conference.

Local 771 fire fighter, Chris Green, who organized the program, says, “For past conferences, the youth program had been mostly a babysitting service. This year, we decided to run the program more like a summer camp. The feedback we have gotten has been excellent.”

As part of the program, the children were honoured to meet IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger before embarking on a variety of activities, including going to the zoo, visiting museums, whale watching and horseback riding. Each child received a backpack full of fun items, including a disposable camera to capture the week on film.

The APPFFA is comprised of professional fire fighters from Canada’s four Atlantic Provinces. •

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 39

Local 3888 Annual Picnic 2009

T

By Doug Erwin, Chair, Local 3888 ERSS Committee

he Annual Local 3888 Picnic was held at Wild Water Kingdom in Brampton on Thursday July 16th.

Close to 1,000 people attended this year’s event. This was a great turnout, considering that the location was changed from Toronto Island to Wild Water Kingdom as a result of the labour disruption that made the popular Island location unavailable for this year’s picnic. A special thank you to WWK event co-ordinator, Carole Malone and her staff who were of great assistance in the planning, organizing, and running of the picnic, especially on such short notice.

The weather cooperated as we had one of the warmest, sunniest days of the unseasonably cool, wet month of July.

Registration opened at 9 a.m. with a steady stream of people arriving throughout the morning. All of the children received their annual picnic tshirts after registration. Discounted 40

tickets for the Water Park were sold for $10.00 and food vouchers for Hamburger, Hot Dog, or Pizza combos were available for $5.00. Close to seven hundred people purchased the all-day passes for the park which was open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Many of our members, retirees, their families, and guests stayed and enjoyed the water slides, wave pools, etc., well into the evening.

Fire Prevention Public Education members brought along Sparky who greeted kids and adults alike as they arrived at the picnic site.

Box 12 was a popular area as Executive Officers, Stewards, and Volunteer helpers were kept busy handing out bottles of water/juice, popcorn, candy floss, and ice cream treats.

The races for the kids started at 1 p.m., led off by the ever popular 4 year old and under challenge, where every child received a prize at the end of the race. This race was followed by races for girls/boys from ages 5 to 15. First, Sec-

ond and Third place medals were awarded in each of these events.

Following these races, it was time for the adults and older teens to join in the fun. There was a Mother/Child and Father/Child wheel barrow race.

After these well contested events, we had a shoe kicking contest, Frisbee toss, potato sack race, and balloon toss. Prizes were handed out to the top three finishers in all events. First place prize was a dinner voucher, second place a gift card for Cineplex, and third place received a Tim Horton’s gift certificate.

The final event was the Tug-of-War. After a bit of coaxing we were able to round up enough participants to have a competition for both the women and men. Great entertainment ensued and the teams battled hard to the finish.

Winners and runner-ups received the much coveted Tug-of-War T-shirts for their efforts.

Upon completion of the event schedule, many headed for the Water Park

while others stayed at the Picnic area socializing with family and friends. For those who were unable to attend the picnic, discount tickets for Wild Water Kingdom were available for sale at the Union Office until August 21st.

A big thank-you to all those who helped make this year’s picnic such an enjoyable day and an invitation to all who did not, or could not attend this year, to make sure you plan to attend next year.

We look forward to seeing you and your family.

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2015 World Police and Fire Games – Toronto Bid

E H

very two years, athletes from around the world gather to participate in the World Police & Fire Games. The first World Games were held in 1985, in San Jose, California, attracting almost 5,000 competitors.

eld biennially, the games have been hosted by numerous countries throughout the world, attracting as many as 8,000 world class athletes from over 70 countries.

With participant levels continuing to increase over the years, the games have become the second largest gathering of athletes in the world – surpassed only by the summer Olympics.

42

It has been a desire of the City of Toronto for some time to host the World Police and Fire Games. After many years of research, a Toronto 2015 WPFG Bid Working Committee was established in 2007 and comprises representation from the City of Toronto - EDCT Major International Events, Ontario Provincial Government; Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Police

Amateur Athletic Association (TPAAA), Toronto Police Association, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and Tourism Toronto.

In January 2009, the World Police & Fire Games Federation announced the City of Toronto as a candidate for the 2015 World Police & Fire Games. This followed an inspection tour by Federation members in September 2008.

Representing the Toronto Fire Services on the bid committee were: TFS Executive Officer Debbie Higgins (Committee Co-chair) and Local 3888 Executive Officers Kevin Ashfield and Scott Eyers.

The board of the World Police & Fire Games Federation are drawn from active and retired members of the law enforcement and fire fighting communities. The mission of the organization is to create community interaction and awareness, educate children on the benefits of sport, and develop camaraderie between members of the emergency services from around the world.

In an effort to develop a better rapport with the local community, all host cities are required to create and implement a legacy program that will leave a lasting, positive impact upon the community they serve.

Our group presented our bid to the WPFG Federation at 1100 hours on July 30, 2009 and the winning city was announced prior to the opening ceremonies. Fire Chief Bill Stewart, Police Chief Bill Blair, Councilor Joe Pantalone (Deputy Mayor of the City of Toronto) and TPS Superintendent Kimberley

Greenwood presented on our behalf.

MPP Rick Bartaloucci (Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services) was scheduled to attend but had to cancel due to last minute family commitments. Although the committee was confident in our bid, the 2015 games were awarded to Fairfax, Virginia.

As part of our increasing efforts to foster improved relationships with our police partners, our Association, the Toronto Police Association and the Toronto Police Amateur Athletic Association (TPAAA) hosted an Athletes Social Night – an evening of food, drink and camaraderie for all our members on Wednesday August 5th at the Burnaby Fire Fighters Club. This was a good opportunity to meet fellow athletes, share experiences and renew old acquaintances.

The World Police & Fire Games are coming to New York City from August 26 through September 5, 2011. New York invites everyone to come to their city for for ten days of sports competition and specially planned events, which will respectfully coincide with the ten

year remembrance of September 11, 2001. It is expected that as many as 20,000 participants will come to New York.

Organizers have secured excellent rates for hotels in Manhattan – for more details, go to www.2011wpfg.org

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 43

Toronto Fire Fighter’s Toy Drive T

his is just a note to anyone that has been involved with the Toy Drive recently or over the years, or those who might want to start participating in this very worthwhile charitable event. The Toy Drive has proven to alert the public to just how much fire fighters, auxiliary personnel, retirees and the Department care, in ways that give back to the public that we all serve or have served in the past.

As you are all probably aware, warehouse space to facilitate the Drive has always been a big concern. Our very good friends at Morguard Investments have been there for us for a very long time - more than thirty five years that I have been involved in toy drives.

Even after saying that, until this present year, they have only given us space at various locations for just the Christmas season (usually two or three months) for which we were very grateful. However, after that period was over, we then had to move all of our accumulated toys and equipment, twice per year, to and from the old Westwood Theatre in Etobicoke. Anyone who has helped in these moves will attest to the fact that it was always a very mental and labour intensive ordeal that involved retired, off-duty and even onduty personnel, with the Department’s blessing. As well, we had help from Canadian Tire’s Transporation Division and a donation of a forklift from a United Rental in Stoney Creek.

Hopefully, this ordeal has been put to rest with Mor44

guard now giving us 8,550 sq. ft. at one of their locations - 2041 McCowan Road, Units B, C & D, for us to use as a permanent spot.

It is space that, for the last few years, has not been a good rental space for them and with the usual agreements signed, we can count on using it year round, according to the rental terms of $1.00 per month, which, as in the past they have yet to ask for.

The agreements signed, stipulate that they be allowed to show it to prospective clients and in the eventuality that a rental is found, they promise to supply us with equally sufficient space. While agreeing to those terms, I know that our friends at Morguard will do everything in their power to avoid having to move us. This has proven valuable to us in the past but we still respect the fact that they are running a business and it could eventually be too good a business decision to pass up. Even with those conditions, this is such a great event that myself and others that have volunteered their help through the years can hardly believe our good fortune.

All of this however does not come without some costs.

The space, when we acquired it, was pretty barren, with no plumbing and very little in the way of electrical supply. As you can see from some of the attached pictures, we have set about to rectify those needs.

We have had volunteers assisting us with the labour but costs for materials still have to be paid for. With some very much appreciated financial help from local 3888, the To-

ronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, a lot of materials will be taken care of. As for the rest of the costs, we will sadly have to tap into our dwindling finances of the chartity that we operate under.

For those of you that do not know, Operation Christmas Tree Inc. is a legal charity that was granted an Ontario charter on October 7th, 1963, under the guidance of three former Toronto Fire Fighters by the names of John Trotter, William Borthwick and Herbert Penfound (father of Captain Jeff Penfound - recently retired but still remaining President of The Charity).

After all of the renovations are complete, I expect to hang in my office, a newpaper article by the late Paul Rimstead who tells of the earlier formation of a group of Toronto Fire Fighters that included old-timers such as Les Birlie and Frank Nash. If any of you remember Paul Rimstead, you will appreciate how well and heartfelt he can relate a story. He does Toronto Fire Fighters proud in this article published in December1976.

Back to the present…As you can hopefully see in some of the pictures, there are one heck of a lot of boxed toys that, after we have finished or part-finished the renovations, we have to have sorted anew. They were originally sorted as we received them last year but after a couple of suggestions, we have decided that they should be sorted again with a view to dividing them into boxes/ skids with only a two year difference in age and sex groups. Previously, we sorted them into much larger age groups but now feel

that it will customize and make the filling of orders easier. To this end, we will welcome any and all volunteers to join us in the last full week of September and the first full week in October to accomplish this large endeavour. If you’re free at that time, please call or drop by to assist us. We will try to make it a pleasing affair with food and refreshments each day and will welcome all volunteers complete with their families if you would like to involve them in a charitable atmosphere. Of course, we still welcome any or all to assist us with the actual drive once we get it started around November 1st or thereabouts.

Hopefully, as in the past, all on-duty personnel will continue to be gracious to the public as they come to the stations to donate gifts and to assist the volunteers whenever they need assistance when picking up the toys.

Thanks to one and all for past, present and future help.

Sarge Doug Sargent, President Toronto Fire Fighter’s Toy Drive Tel; (416) 338 3339 Fax (416) 338 3337 Cell (416) 884 8598 sarge5@sympatico.ca

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 45

Carving a pumpkin is really pretty easy. With a few short, straight cuts with a knife, you can make triangular eyes, -a nose and a toothy mouth. The result is a face almost anyone can recognize, even if you just draw it on a piece of paper. It’s the face of a jack-o’-lantern.

B

ut carving a really memorable jack-o'-lantern can take a little more planning. Sometimes, you can do it with the same knives you'd use to carve a basic face. Other designs, though, require extra tools and extra time. This guide will give you a good idea of how to carve jack-o'-lanterns in a variety of sizes and styles using a range of techniques.

Whether you want to create snaggletooth grins or elaborate scenes, the first step in carving a good jack-o'-lantern is selecting a good pumpkin. The shape of the pumpkin should match the shape of the design you have in mind. Or, you can pick your pumpkin first and decide on a design that will suit it later. You can also try carving a white pumpkin, a butternut squash or a gourd in place of a traditional orange pumpkin.

Your pumpkin should sit on a flat surface without rolling over.

Its skin should be free from cuts or abrasions, and its stem should be about two inches (five centimeters) long. Before purchasing a pumpkin, tug the stem firmly and press the area around it with your finger. If the pumpkin is soft or if the stem pulls free, it has started to rot, and you should choose another one. Once you get your pumpkin home, use a damp cloth to remove any dirt from the surface, and pat the pumpkin dry.

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Pumpkin Carving Tools Whether you're carving a simple or complex jack-o'-lantern, your first step is to gather all of your materials. You can buy a pumpkin carving kit that contains everything you need, but you probably already have most of the necessary tools in your kitchen. For a basic jack-o'-lantern, you'll need: • A large boning knife • A small paring knife • A large spoon or ice cream scoop • A bowl • A dry-erase marker or grease pencil • Newspaper • An apron • A damp cloth or paper towel You can use a keyhole saw instead of a paring knife to cut out the details in your pumpkin. A keyhole saw is sharp and maneuverable and by using a sawing motion, you can cut with it quickly and accurately. You can buy keyhole saws at craft supply stores and hardware stores.

They're often included in pumpkin carving kits as well.

Pumpkin Carving Instructions:

Pumpkin Carving Instructions:

Cutting the Lid

Cleaning the Pumpkin

Before you start carving, cover your working surface with newspaper and put on your apron. Then:

1.

Use the pencil or marker to draw a circle around the pumpkin's stem. This will be the jack-o'-lantern's lid. The circle should be about two-thirds the diameter of the pumpkin. It's a good idea to include a small notch in the circle to help you align the lid correctly when you replace it. You can also use another shape for your lid, like a star or a hexagon. Some people prefer to cut a lid from the bottom rather than the top, since this can make it easier to replace and light candles.

2.

Cut along the line using the boning knife. Point the knife inward (toward the center of the pumpkin) at about a 45-degree angle. This will keep the lid from falling down into the pumpkin.

3. Remove the lid from the pumpkin and cut or scrape away

any pulp that is hanging from it.

4.

Remove the pulp from the pumpkin using a spoon or your hands. Place the pulp in the bowl if you plan to roast the pumpkin seeds later. Otherwise, throw the pulp away.

5.

Scrape the inside of the pumpkin clean with the spoon or ice cream scoop. The more of the pumpkin you scrape away, the more light will shine through the surface. Make sure you scrape the bottom until it is flat so your light source won't fall over inside the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Carving Instructions:

Carving Designs 6.

Sketch the jack-o'-lantern's face on the surface of the pumpkin. If you make a mistake, use a damp cloth to wipe it away -- marks from dry-erase markers or grease pencils should come off easily.

7. Use a paring knife to cut along each line. Use your finger to push the cut-out pieces out of the pumpkin.

Using these steps and a little creativity, you can make a unique pumpkin easily.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 47

You’re not wearing it just for Yourself.

YOUR SCBA THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

AGAINST TOXIC EXPOSURE.

When you wear your SCBA, you’re protecting yourself from exposure to toxic chemicals that can kill you. You’re also protecting the people who care about you from pain and suffering. Wear it for yourself. Wear it for the ones you love.

Originally developed by: Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters, The Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Municipal Health and Safety Association, Ontario Section 21 Committee, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). © 2006, WSIB – all rights reserved. Printed in Canada. #5066A (07/06). To order posters, contact WSIB: 1-800-663-6639, or WSIB Marketing: 1-800-387-0750 / 5540 (Outside Ontario / Canada).

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How to carve ... Continued from page 47

Here are some ideas for customizing your pumpkin: Instead of cutting a lid, cut off the entire top of your pumpkin in a zigzag line that resembles spiky hair.

•

Hold your knife at a slight inward angle as you cut out your design rather than cutting straight through the pumpkin. This will leave a thin rim of visible pumpkin flesh around each hole.

When you light your jack-o'-lantern, this will create an orange glow around your design. You can use different cutting angles to create patterns of light and shadow on your pumpkin's surface.

•

Use leftover pieces of pumpkin to make ears, eyes or a nose.

Attach these pieces using toothpicks.

•

Rather than cutting a face into your pumpkin, cut another design, like a cat, a bat or a message to trick-or-treaters.

Advanced Pumpkin Carving You can make a wide variety of jack-o'-lanterns using basic pumpkin-carving techniques and simple sketches. But if you aren't skilled in drawing or want a really elaborate jack-o'-lantern, you may want to try using a stencil.

You can find stencils online or purchase books that include a selection of stencils. It's a good idea to select your stencil before you buy your pumpkin -- you want to make sure your stencil will fit on the pumpkin you choose. Take your stencil with you when you go shopping.

When carving from a stencil, you'll need all the tools used for basic pumpkin carving. In addition, you'll need an artist's stylus, an ice pick or an awl. These are all long, narrow, pointed tools that can make small holes in the surface of the pumpkin. You'll use these holes to transfer the design from the stencil to the pumpkin.

Prepare your stencil before you start carving the pumpkin. Cut

the excess paper from the edge of the stencil, leaving enough room to tape the stencil to the pumpkin. Study your stencil carefully and figure out which parts of the pumpkin will be removed in the cutting process. You may want to cut out the corresponding parts of the stencil if you find the lines too confusing.

Once you're comfortable with your stencil, prepare your pumpkin. Clean the surface, cut out the lid, remove the pulp and crape the inside clean. Then, tape your stencil to the pumpkin.

Make sure it follows the pumpkin's curves as much as possible.

You may need to cut your stencil into smaller pieces that will match the contours of your pumpkin.

Once your stencil is securely in place, use your stylus to punch small holes into the skin of the pumpkin. Follow the lines of the stencil carefully, and make your holes fairly close together. Don't try to punch your stylus all the way through the pumpkin -- just make holes in the skin that you can use as a guide. Once you've made small holes along each line in the stencil, remove it and keep it nearby for your reference.

You may find it helpful to use a utility or craft knife to connect the dots before you start carving to create a guide for your knife.

Use a paring knife or a keyhole saw to connect the dots that you made with the stylus, referring to your printed stencil as needed.

Cut out large pieces first, and fill in the details later. If necessary, go back around your design and clean up the edges.

Preserving and Displaying Your Pumpkin After you finish your jack-o'-lantern, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to all of the cut surfaces and any area from which you've removed the skin. This will help preserve the jack-o'-lantern by keeping it from drying out. If your jack-o'-lantern starts to dry out, you can soak it facedown in cold water for a couple of hours to help it last a little longer. You can also extend the life of your pumpkin by refrigerating it during the day.

Many people use candles to light their pumpkins. Short, squat candles like tea lights or votive candles work well because they're less likely to tip over. If you'd prefer not to use candles, you can use glow sticks, electric holiday lights or battery-operated lights made specifically for jack-o'-lanterns.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 49

Fit to SURVIVE

The fire fighter’s guide to health and nutrition Fit to Survive is your source for a healthier life, brought to you by the IAFF’s Fire Service Joint Labour Management Wellness/ Fitness Initiative. You’ll find expert advice and practical information on staying fit and healthy, as well as recipes and nutrition tips to make your next firehouse meal wholesome and delicious. Articles reprinted in FireWatch have been taken from the IAFF’s Fit To Survive web site, which we encourage all members to visit regularly. It can be found at www.foodfit.com/iaff/.

Anxiety Disorders E

The Facts

veryone experiences anxiety from time to time as a result of a situation that we perceive as threatening, such as having to do an oral presentation, having a nearmiss with a car, or waiting for the results of a lab test. Some level of anxiety can even be helpful. Anxiety can help people deal with a threatening situation, study harder for an exam, and perform better in sports. Anxiety is not harmful and usually only lasts a short period of time.

But when anxiety becomes persistent and interferes with the ability to cope and disrupts daily life, the person may have an anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders. They include: • panic attack or panic disorder (sudden anxiety that occurs without warning) with or without agoraphobia (avoiding specific situations that trigger anxiety) • specific phobias (many types of intense fear reactions of specific objects or situations, such as fear of spiders, flying, or heights) • social anxiety or social phobia (fear of being embarrassed in social situations) • generalized anxiety disorder (general feeling of anxiety most of the time) • obsessive-compulsive disorder (unwanted thoughts or behaviours that are repetitive and unnecessary) • post-traumatic stress disorder (anxiety associated with and that occurs after a stressful life event) Anxiety disorders often occur together with other medical conditions, such as depression, eating disorders, or substance use problems.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of 50

all mental disorders. About 1 out of every 4 adults has an anxiety disorder sometime in their life and about 1 out of every 10 people currently have an anxiety disorder. They are more common in women and can affect children and adults.

Many people misunderstand these disorders and think they can get over them on their own (i.e., without treatment). This is usually not the case. Fortunately, there are many treatments available today to help.

Symptoms and Complications Many symptoms of anxiety are common to all types of anxiety disorders. Other symptoms are more specific to a certain type of anxiety disorder. Listed below are some of the most common symptoms associated with each type of anxiety disorder.

• Panic attack or panic disorder involves sudden anxiety that occurs without warning. Symptoms can includes chest pain, heart palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, feeling of unreality, trembling, dizziness, nausea, hot flashes or chills, a feeling of losing control, or a fear of dying. Panic attacks are extremely common - 10% to 20% of the population experience a panic attack at some point in their life. Some people start to avoid situations that might trigger a panic attack - this is called panic attack with agoraphobia. A panic attack usually lasts 10 minutes or less, but it can last longer. Panic disorder is much less common. Panic disorder refers to recurring feelings of terror and fear, which come on unpredictably without any clear trigger.

• Phobias involve a fear of something specific, such as an animal, storms, heights, or

flying. Symptoms can include sweating, muscle tension, and dizziness. People may also go to extremes to avoid the situation they fear.

• Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, involves excessive anxiety in social situations where people fear being embarrassed or made fun of. Situations that can trigger social anxiety include small group discussions, dating, going to a party, and playing sports. Common symptoms of social anxiety include blushing, sweating, and dry mouth. People with social phobia often avoid social situations that cause anxiety.

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with continual excessive anxiety and worry about a number of things (e.g., work, money, children, and health). There is no specific source of fear. Symptoms can include muscle tension, trembling, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, sleeping problems, and poor concentration.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves recurring thoughts that are unpleasant (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviours (compulsions). The thoughts may be connected to the repetitive behaviours. For

example, people who fear getting an infection may constantly wash their hands.

Thought at times, there’s no connection at all between the thoughts and the behaviours.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) disorder is associated with extreme anxiety that appears after a traumatic experience.

Symptoms usually start within 3 months of the traumatic event but may take years to start. PTSD can be associated with sleep problems, nightmares, irritability, and anger. Feelings of guilt and unworthiness are common with PTSD. Traumatic experiences that can trigger PTSD include wars, plane crashes, natural disasters (e.g., hurricane, earthquake), and violent crimes (e.g., rape, abuse).

Complications of anxiety disorders are mostly linked to feelings of inadequacy or depression, because people with these conditions know their behaviour is irrational and damaging to their lives. Depression is particularly common with anxiety disorders.

Making the Diagnosis A person who thinks he or she might have an anxiety disorder should see a doctor. A doctor may perform some tests to make sure that the anxiety does not have a physical cause and will ask questions about the anxiety to determine whether it is an anxiety disorder or may be related to a type of depression. It’s important for people to tell their doctor about how they are feeling and what they are concerned about, so the doctor can accurately diagnose the cause of their anxiety.

Treatment and Prevention Many psychological treatments can help with anxiety, but the most effective form of treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Medications are also effective, so many people use CBT along with medications to manage anxiety.

Many people with anxiety benefit from lifestyle modifications, including the following approaches: • reduce caffeine consumption • reduce alcohol consumption • reduce or stop smoking • practice relaxation techniques (e.g., proper breathing, yoga, meditation) • eat a healthy diet, sleep well, and exercise regularly • gain perspective by talking about your feelings with someone close or with a professional counsellor

Ted Reader is an award-winning chef and food entertainer, who's parlayed his passion for food into a culinary tour de force that includes more than a dozen cook books, shelves of food products, live culinary performances, TV and radio cooking shows and appearances as well as culinary demonstrations, a catering company and teaching. Ted has been working with Local 3888 on various charity projects and was kind enough to provide this recipe.

Beerlicious™ Thanksgiving BBQ Turkey The Turkey:

1 4 cups 2 bottles 2 cups

turkey (12-15 lb) water Sleeman Original Draught beer, flat kosher salt

• Rinse turkey under cold running water.

• Place the neck in the body cavity and place the turkey in a large bucket or pot.

• In a separate bowl, combine the water, beer and salt, stirring until salt is dissolved. Then pour over the turkey. (NOTE: Add more water if necessary to completely cover the turkey, adding 1 tbsp. of salt for every additional cup of water.)

Brine the turkey, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

• Remove the turkey from the brine, discarding brine, and remove the neck from the turkey; set neck aside. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

The Dish:

1 _ cups melted butter 1 bottle Sleeman Original Draught, flat (355 mL) 4-6 Tbsp Ted’s World Famous BBQ Bone Dust Seasoning 1 _ cups Ted’s World Famous Beerlicious™ BBQ Sauce

The Stuffing:

8 onion or garlic bagels, cubed 2 medium onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 10 slices thick sliced bacon, par fried and chopped 2 smoked sausages, chopped 1/2 cup Ted’s World Famous BBQ Beerlicious™ Sauce 2 celery sticks, chopped 2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage 1/2 cup melted butter

salt and pepper, to taste • In a large bowl, combine cubed bagels, onion, garlic, bacon, smoked sausages, Beerlicious™ Sauce, celery, sage and melted butter. Mix well until evenly incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Special Equipment:

1 large bucket, pot or container that will hold the turkey and fit in the refrigerator 1 Cajun Injector

Metal or wooden skewers

butcher twine

aluminum foil

• Stuff the turkey, packing the stuffing firmly but being careful not to overstuff and saving some stuffing for the neck. Secure with skewers.

• Press the drumsticks to the body and tie the legs together with butcher twine. Fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Pull excess skin over the stuffing and secure with skewers.

• In a small saucepot, slowly heat the melted butter and beer.

• Using a Cajun style injector, suck up the beer-butter mixture into the syringe and inject the turkey plunging the syringe into the breast meat. Repeat in until beer-butter mixture is used up and you have injected the turkey in a variety of places.

• Set up grill for indirect cooking at 425 degrees F. • Season the outside of the turkey with Bone Dust Seasoning.

• Place turkey on grill grate away from heat source. Grill-roast turkey for 30 minutes.

• Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Grill for 20 minutes per pound until fully cooked and an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat and the stuffing reads a minimum of 180 degrees F. • During the last 1 _ hours of cooking time baste the turkey liberally with Beerlicious™ Sauce.

• Remove turkey from grill, adjust foil tent, and rest for 20 minutes.

• Remove stuffing from turkey, transfer to bowl and set aside. Keeping Warm.

• Carve turkey and serve with stuffing. Serves 12

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 51

&

FIRE FIGHTER

SURVIVAL RESCUE &

Not another article about RIT

By Geoff Boisseau and John McGill, Toronto Fire Fighters

A friend of ours on the department once asked us if it was possible for us to write on any topic other than RIT. He was convinced that we might be one dimensional and that it would be a nice change if we could write about something different. So, after talking about this over a few beers at our favorite local watering hole (where we do some of our best work) we thought that maybe, just maybe, our friend was right (of course he had no opinion since we didn’t invite him out with us!). Perhaps fireground survival had run its course. Maybe the readers were tired of hearing about it. So we agreed; we would write this article about something else, anything else. Now the challenge was……just what the heck do we write about?

N

ow remember, we are the first to admit that we are not the most creative people, so, after quite a bit of time (and beer) we finally narrowed our possible topics down to those that we thought might be popular with the readership. Maybe we could answer members’ letters in an advice column?

Then, quickly we realized that we would pretty much have the same response for every letter – “suck it up”.

Maybe we could write about ten great gifts for the spouse? Again, our lack of creativity would result in basically ten great gift card suggestions from stores such as Home Depot, Princess Auto, Canadian Tire, and of course, the Beer Store. (well okay, maybe only four suggestions).

So sitting there, struggling with what to write about and not being able to come up with a suitable topic…the decision was unfortunately made for us.

On August 24, in Buffalo, New York, two Local 282 fire fighters were killed in the line of duty. According to the firehouse.com website, “Two fire fight-

[ 52

ers – one searching for a person reported to be trapped and the other responding to a mayday call – plunged through the collapsed first floor of a burning building …” One was doing an aggressive search and the other was a member of the Firefighter Assist Search Team (FAST – which is equivalent to our RIT in Toronto).

We needed to write that the tragic death of our two brothers in Buffalo has reinforced to us in Toronto the importance of fireground survival skills, and the need for back-to-basics training for all fire fighters. We cannot allow these perishable skills to simply fade with time because people were getting ‘bored’ or

‘tired’ of reading about this message in their magazine – it was unacceptable to us, and it should be to you as well. Is our department good or is it lucky?

It is a sad time for the fire service. Our thoughts are with all of our brothers and sisters in Local 282, their families, their spouses and their kids. However, it must be remembered that we also owe these men a debt of gratitude as well. It is because of them and the sacrifice that they have made, that future fire fighters may be saved. If we learn from their loss then we will ensure that they did not die in vain.

Now, take a moment after reading this article to look at your family, your friends, and everything you hold important in your lives and tell us if fire fighter survival and RIT is not important.

Message to our friend: We tried, we really did………now SUCK IT UP, and next time you want us to change our subject – the beer is on you!

Respectfully, John and Geoff

We needed to write that the tragic death of our two brothers in Buffalo has reinforced to us in Toronto the importance of fireground survival skills, and the need for back-to-basics training for all fire fighters.

]

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES PEER SUPPORT NEWSLETTER

FALL EDITION 2009

Workplace Bullying Safety Compliance Insider, printed with permission

What Are an Employer’s Duties?

Workplace Bullying …page 1

Message from the Editor …page 2

Bully, Victim or Both? …page 4

EAP/CIS Contact Team List …page 4

In Our Next Issue Bereavement In the Fire Service

As kids, we probably had encounters with the playground bully. You know, the kid who bossed everyone else around, picked on smaller kids, called people names and tried to make the girls cry. Now that we’ve grown up and left the playground behind, we might think that we’ve escaped the bully forever.

But we haven’t. Unfortunately, bullies aren’t just a playground phenomenon; they’re a workplace problem, too.

Bullying is becoming an increasingly serious problem in the workplace. Like his playground counterpart, the workplace bully relies mostly on verbal and psychological intimidation. Although bullying might appear harmless, it can poison a workplace. This conduct can also escalate to physical violence—either by the bullies themselves or by their victims as retaliation. In either case, the consequences can be disastrous. The OC Transpo case is a sad example. In 1999, an Ottawa transit worker fatally shot four co-workers before turning the gun on himself. The worker had been bullied and teased by his co-workers because he had a speech impediment and a facial tick.

Employers have a legal duty to keep bullying out of their workplaces. The primary burden of carrying out this responsibility falls on the safety coordinator. We’ll explain what kind of behaviour constitutes bullying; then we’ll show you how you can be liable for workplace bullying; finally, we’ll tell you what you have to do to protect your workers and avoid liability. And there’s Model Language here that you can adapt and add to your workplace violence prevention policy to cover bullying.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is an extreme form of harassment and also a form of non-physical violence, which can lead to physical violence. It’s intended to intimidate, offend, humiliate, degrade or demean. Sometimes it’s directed at one worker; at other times it’s not aimed at anyone in particular but is part of generally hostile behaviour that has a toxic effect on the workplace. The bully can be a supervisor or just another worker—and is just as likely to be a woman as a man. Bullying can include the following types of behaviour: • Persistently and excessively criticising and scrutinizing the victim’s work without justification; • Spreading malicious rumours; • Belittling the victim’s opinions; • Spying on or stalking the victim; • Tampering with the victim’s desk, workspace or belongings; • Excluding or ignoring the victim; • Undermining or sabotaging the victim’s work by, say, setting unreasonable deadlines or withholding key information; • Maliciously blocking the victim’s efforts to achieve promotions, raises and other forms of professional success; • Engaging in verbally abusive behaviour, such as yelling, making threats and name calling; and • Engaging in physically abusive or aggressive behaviour, such as pushing, hitting, spitting, finger continued on page 2

continued from page 1 pointing or aggressively invading the victim’s space.

Effects of Bullying

Message from the Editor…

I have received several calls and e-mails about our Toronto Fire Peer Support Team’s publication of The Mask. Well after a hiatus as a result of some team re-organization, The Mask is back again with our 2009 fall issue. You will recognize our familiar banner and will also find us in a new location. The decision to be part of FireWatch was made with consideration. We wanted to ensure our own identity would be kept and more importantly that we would continue to have a say in what we published for our readers - you, your family and your friends. Frank Ramagnano was very supportive of our requests, suggesting we would have the same identifiable banner and offered space in the same location of each issue of FireWatch, for recognition purposes. All in all, it was a win-win situation for both organizations. As we have been working diligently to improve our services to all TFS staff, our most valued human resource, this led us to pilot The Mask in FireWatch. Outside of our reorganization, and continuous education, we have welcomed a few newcomers as well as a returning member to our team, check out our contact list. You will also find this current issue of The Mask as well as previous issues on the intranet at http://insideto.toronto.ca/wes/fire/eapcis.

Information can also be found on the internet at http://www.toronto.ca/fire/eapcis/ index.htm.

This issue presents a subject many of us have been victim to in some manner, either personally, or perhaps from a distance, Bullying. While it’s a prevalent issue in schools, it is also common in the workplace. Read on to learn about the profile of a bully, effects of bullying in the workplace and our role in the face of bullying. I encourage you to share this article with your friends and family, especially your young and teenage children, and grandchildren, if you have any.

I have included our current EAP Team contact list and should a need arise for you to contact us or you simply want to provide comments to help us serve you better, please feel free to contact or write to me or any other member listed.

Be well.

Lynn Pezzelato

Which of the following are considered bullying?

• Invading someone’s space • Participating in the rumour mill • Yelling • Belittling

2

Victims of bullying may: • Blame themselves and develop low selfesteem; • Become less productive; • Suffer from stress-related illnesses, such as headaches, sleeping and eating disorders, depression, muscle pain and panic attacks; • Be at greater risk for alcoholism or suicide; • Suffer in their personal lives from the workplace stress; or • Be fired, miss out on promotions or quit their jobs.

Bullying affects employers, too. It can drive away valuable workers and create a poisoned environment that demoralizes other staff and decreases productivity. It can also lead to increased absenteeism and accidents, which mean increased costs for the employer. For example, the Australian state of Victoria estimates that in 20012002, companies lost over $57 million due to bullying.

What The Law Requires

Some employers don’t realize that there’s a legal responsibility to do something about bullying in the workplace. Employers who don’t address workplace bullying could be liable for the following: OHS violations. Only six provinces specifically address workplace violence, including bullying, in their statutes and regulations. AB, BC, NS, MB and SK cover workplace violence in their OHS laws. In April, an amendment to the OHS Act was proposed in the SK legislature that would broaden the definition of harassment to include repeated behaviour that’s intended to humiliate or intimidate a co-worker. Also in April, NS passed regulations that require employers in certain sectors to assess the risk of workplace violence and implement a plan to reduce those risks. QC covers “workplace psychological harassment” in its Labour Standards Act. And federal law addresses workplace violence in its OHS law, which applies to federally-regulated employers. (To see where your province or territory stands on this issue, see Lawscape here).

But even if a province or territory doesn’t specifically address workplace violence in its OHS laws, every province’s OHS statute has something called a “general duty clause” that requires employers to provide a reasonably safeworkplace and protect workers from foreseeable hazards that can cause serious injury or death. And that general duty will likely be interpreted by courts to require employers to protect their workers from bullying.

Example: A union filed a grievance against

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER - FALL EDITION 2009

an employer in ON. It argued that the employer had failed to provide a safe work environment when it allowed a foreman to bully a worker. The foreman had publicly humiliated the worker on a regular and continual basis. The arbitrator held both the foreman and the employer responsible for the way the worker was treated. It ordered the employer and foreman to pay the worker $25,000 and required the employer to take steps to ensure that the worker would have no further contact with the foreman [Toronto Transit Commission v. Amalgamated Transit Union].

Human rights violations. Provincial human rights codes protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion and other personal characteristics.Employers must refrain from engaging in discrimination themselves and ensure that their workers don’t engage in this kind of behaviour either. Bullying a worker could violate human rights law—but only if the bullying is based on a protected characteristic. For example, human rights codes bar discrimination on the basis of religion but not weight. So bullying a worker because he’s Muslim would be a human rights violation, while bullying a worker because he’s overweight wouldn’t be.

Constructive dismissal. According to the Canada Safety Council, a 2003 survey found that 82% of workers who have been the target of a bully felt they had no choice except to leave their jobs to escape the intolerable behaviour. If bullying becomes so bad that the victim feels compelled to quit, he could sue you for “constructive dismissal.” That is, the worker could argue that by allowing the bullying to go on, you essentially fired him.

Example: The owner of a company hired his uncle, who had problems with women in general and one female worker in particular. The uncle made bigoted comments and regularly used profanity; he shouted and demeaned the worker and he made threatening comments and gestures while leaning over and pointing in her face. At one point, he kicked open the worker’s office door. The worker quit because she “couldn’t take it any more.” She sued the company for constructive dismissal. The Ontario court ruled that the company had failed to provide the worker with a decent, civil and respectful workplace and so had violated its duties to her. Thus, the worker was entitled to treat the employment contract as terminated [Stamos v.

Annuity Research & Marketing Service Ltd.].

Intentional infliction of mental distress. Victims of bullying can also sue their employers for the intentional infliction of mental distress. To win such a case, the victim must show that: • The conduct at issue was “outrageous” and went beyond mere aggressiveness; • The bully deliberately tried to hurt thevictim; and • The victim visibly suffered as a result of the bullying.

Example: A supervisor in AB bullied a mentally frail female worker for over three years. He humiliated, insulted, manipulated and harassed her. His language and actions towards the worker grew progressively more violent. His actions made the worker fear physical harm and, in fact, on one occasion, he did physically hurt her. The worker had a mental breakdown and sued the employer for the intentional infliction of mental distress. The federal court held the employer responsible for thesupervisor’s actions and ordered it to pay the worker $35,000 in damages [Boothman v. Canada].

How to Avoid Liability

The provinces that specifically address workplace violence in their OHS laws set certain requirements for employers. So if your workplaceis in one of those provinces, complying with those requirements should enable you to avoid liability for workplace bullying. The requirements vary from province to province but follow a similar pattern. For example, Part 11 of Manitoba’s Workplace Health and Safety Regulation requires employers to: • Identify and assess the risk of violence in the workplace; • If a risk of violence has been identified, develop a violence prevention policy that contains certain required information, train workers on that policy and ensure that they comply with it; • Post the policy in the workplace; and • Inform workers of the risk of violence in the workplace, including information on the nature and extent of the risk and the risk of violence from people the worker may encounter in the course of his employment.

But even if your workplace is not in one of those provinces, it’s still a good idea to voluntarily comply with the workplace violence requirements contained in the OHS laws of the other provinces and territories. Why? Because courts may look at those requirements to assess whether your response to bullying in your workplace was reasonable. It’s also a good idea to do two other things: Make sure violence prevention policy covers bullying. All employers should have violence

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER - FALL EDITION 2009

prevention policies. But many violence prevention policies are so narrow that they only cover physical violence and not non-physical violence, such as bullying. So make sure that the definition of “violence” is broad enough to cover behaviour that would constitute bullying.

Definition of Workplace Violence for Violence Prevention Policy

Properly handle complaints of bullying. Handle complaints of bullying just like harassment and other complaints. That is, thoroughly investigate those complaints and, if appropriate, discipline the bully. If the bully’s behaviour fails to improve, don’t be afraid to fire him. The bully might sue you for wrongful dismissal. But you’re likely to win if you can show that his conduct was unacceptable and that you took appropriate disciplinary measures to get him to mend his ways.

Example: After workers at a mill complained about the plant manager’s bullying, the mill took disciplinary steps to address the situation. But the manager’s behaviour didn’t improve, so he was fired. The manager sued the mill for wrongful dismissal. The NB Court of Appeal ruled that the manager’s conduct was just cause for termination. It noted that the manager’s conduct was a “gross and gratuitous abuse of his power. He controlled the men under his supervision by screaming, swearing and threatening them, and he controlled the women by embarrassing and humiliating them. He confused bullying with leadership” [Hall v. Boise Alljoist Ltd.].

Conclusion

Don’t let another OC Transpo—or the more recent tragedy at Virginia Tech—happen on your watch. Address bullying in your workplace before it escalates from taunting and general aggression to actual physical violence. And if you need additional motivation, taking steps to guard against bullying is critical to protecting your company against liability. After all, according to one study, bullying is more pervasive in the workplace than discrimination. So take complaints of bullying as seriously as you take, say, complaints of sexual harassment. q

3

Bully, Victim or Both?

system a new method to cease bullying has been introduced, it is known as the restorative approach. In order to make amends, the aggressor (bully) and target (victim) confront one another face-to-face with the hopes that the safe and supportive approach would encourage the rebuilding of relationships which have been damaged. This approach to conflict has also been criticized. Much like in a defusing using what is known in the Critical Incident Stress field, as the Mitchell Model, a formal approach to surface emotions soon after a critical incident (within several hours) may actually harbor negative feelings and emotions, which may cause one to shut-down and suppress their emotions rather than the intent to surface them. Similarly, emotions could run high with the victim (and their family), if the bully does not undergo any punishment or consequence of the inappropriate behavior. One could see how a problem like this could escalate, for example, in the form of retaliation and demotivation.

The city’s harassment and human rights policy has noticeably emerged in TFS over the last several years. Outside of annual training and awareness, it’s been part of quarterly training and published with questions, to test our knowledge and familiarity of the policy, on FETN learning plans. The residual emotional effects of bullying have an enormous impact on victims’ self-esteem and well being. On the opposite end of the spectrum it can also elicit anger in the person being bullied and have a long term impact, leaving them with difficulties in relationships, control issues as well as coping methods. Bullying can be caused by a lack of control and power and is displayed with overbearing and unwarranted actions. While the residual emotional effects of bullying have an enormous impact on victims, it can also create a toxic workplace concealing negative emotions and productivity, if not dealt with. I challenge you, whether you have been/are a bully, a victim, a chief and even a bystander observing bullying, to take the lead and take action to resolve conflict, not only to prevent bullying but to attend to it in a constructive manner.

TAKE CHARGE, a safe workplace environment is our duty ! q

Let me take you back to your childhood for a few moments…do you recall ever being teased because you were tall, short, skinny, chubby, were you ever cornered in the school yard or did you ever have an unwelcome name placed on you? Firefighters are amazing at telling, even retelling stories – I am certain almost all of us can relate and can share a personal story, I certainly can.

Even if you’ve been isolated by others, those on your crew or in your station, you’ve been a victim of bullying or for the same reasons, perhaps even the bully. A bully can be male or female, a Captain or District Chief or a fellow employee, and experience the same suffering – isolation, degradation, humiliation etc.

Like a good story, in schools and workplaces alike, bullying runs rampant, like wildfire…pun intended.

By definition, bullying is the act of intentionally causing harm to others, through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. Very often a victim and bully are one and the same and if you have been either, and your situation was known, reported or observed in the workplace, chances are you were involved in some sort of disciplinary action, perhaps even suspension. Was it all worth it?

An outbreak of hostility does not have its place in the work environment (or anywhere for that matter). Being a member of a fire service, any emergency service for that matter, is certainly stressful – the job itself-all that goes with it, change, pressure, struggles and being a member of a large team. We all have our moments; however, we can also choose better ways to deal with stress, positive, beneficial methods including – exercise, meditation, and humour, to name a few. Being in the constant public eye, eyes of youth and even those on your crew – we stand to be a positive model for others to observe, with hopes that our admirable actions will be mirrored.

I recently read in my local newspaper that in the educational - Lynn Pezzelato

2009 CONTACT LIST NAME LOCATION TELEPHONE # Lynn Pezzelato, Manager-Liaison PD&T (North) 416-338-9109 Cary Stather, Manager-Operations East (Station 225/B) 416-338-9225 David Morley, Manager - T&D West (Station 425/C) 416-338-9425 John Drimmie East (Station 232/C) 416-338-9232 Heather Forbes West (Station 433/D) 416-338-9433 Samantha Hoffmann North (Station 121) 416-338-9188 Kevin Scragg South (Station 331/D) 416-338-9331 Gordon Thomson PD&T (North) 416-338-8796

Hugh Donnelly, Chaplain Co-ordinator EAST Command Todd Riley, Chaplain WEST Command 416-236-8801 (w) David King, Chaplain NORTH Command

Barry Parker, Chaplain SOUTH Command 416-961-8116 x224 (w) CIS/EAP PHONE Communications

E-MAIL ADDRESS lpezzela@toronto.ca cstather@toronto.ca dcm332@sympatico.ca johndrimmie@torontofirefighters.org hfforbes@hotmail.com shoffman@toronto.ca kscragg@mac.com gthomso@toronto.ca gordonthomson@rogers.com hughdonnelly@rogers.com tsriley@primus.ca rural.personnel@bayofquinteconference.ca sulkingcot@cogeco.ca bparker@stpaulsbloor.org

CELL # 647-409-3135 (cell) 647-409-2633 (cell) 416-723-8374 (cell) 905-903-2574 (cell) 416-436-7295 (cell) 416-901-8031 (cell) 416-262-6933 (cell) 416-450-8372 (cell) 416-318-9167 (cell) 416-723-8375 (cell) 416-271-7540 (cell)

416-338-9327 416-338-9001

Last Updated: August 21, 2009

4

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER - FALL EDITION 2009

Moses Thompson d. Wednesday, February 5, 1919 As a veteran member of the Toronto Fire Department, Captain Moses Thompson played an instrumental role in suppressing many fires throughout his career, most notably during the early response to The Great Toronto Fire of April 19, 1904.

As one of the first firefighters on scene, Thompson and his fellow crew members prevented the Yonge Street Customs House fire from spreading east, until a neighbouring building collapsed nearly taking the crew with it. Though Thompson’s helmet was flattened by the debris and his head severely injured, he went on to serve Toronto for many more years, eventually being promoted to Captain by 1910.

Nearly fifteen years after his close call, Thompson responded to what would be his final alarm, a small roof fire at 29 Brant St on the morning of February 5, 1919. Captain Thompson and firefighters from Pumper 2 climbed the ladder placed

by Aerial 2 crew members, to find only a minor shingle fire surrounding the chimney. With a small chemical extinguisher in hand due to the size of the fire, fire-

fighter Lawrence Dunn discharged the extinguisher, which violently exploded without warning. While firefighter Dunn suffered only injuries to his hand, Captain Thompson was blown off the two storey roof by the impact, dying instantly when he landed on a fence post below. The tragic and unusual instance led to the regular inspection of all fire extinguishers used by the department, with those older than fifteen years being taken out of service.

Captain Thompson of Beatrice St was 59 years old and just one week from completing his twenty-ninth year working for the Toronto Fire Department. He now rests at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Like his father, Thompson’s only son George was also a Captain on the Toronto Fire Department.

Researched by Matt Dunn

John Murdoch d. Saturday, June 10, 1922 It had been less than a month since the passing of Firefighter James Johnston when The Toronto Fire Department lost the second of two firefighters that year.

After the stormy evening of Friday, June 9, 1922, Lineman John Murdoch reported for duty the following morning. With Toronto’s fire alarm system in disorder, Murdoch and his partner H. Sutton were assigned to inspect the system and fix an open circuit.

What they thought would be a routine inspection quickly became disastrous. The pair reached the electrical box on Adelaide near Simcoe St. and Murdoch opened the box. Only five minutes after leaving headquarters, Murdoch inserted the key on the inside door of the box and was electrocuted as he stood on the wet ground left from the storm. Sutton instinctively grabbed Murdoch before rushing to a nearby car to locate a rug that he used to pull Murdoch away from the box. In his valiant effort, Sutton suffered burns on his hands and face, but it was too late.

John Murdoch was born in Scotland and came to Canada in 1906. He was 37 years old, ten of which were spent with The Toronto Fire Department, and he was a veteran of the First World War. Murdoch was survived by his wife and a young daughter, Annabelle.

Researched by Matt Dunn

Rest in Peace Brother CRAIG SCOTT Date of Birth was March 14, 1955 Date of Death was August 12, 2009

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 57

3888 recent HAPPENINGS

Local 3888 Executive Board meets with the new TFS recruit class.

Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton attends a Local 3888 Stewards meeting, along with IAFF representatives Jim Lee and Bruce Carpenter.

Toronto stop for the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride.

Picture was taken outside of Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto on Saturday June 20, 2009. Pictured is Jeff Rushton founder of the ride, ride participant D/C Jim Ritchie, Executive member Dave Holwell, Doug Armstrong, Dave Campbell and the crew of P332.

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The Toronto Fire Pipe & Drum Band traveled to the 2009 Calgary Stampede, they played in a massed band with Calgary Fire Pipes and Drums in the very long Calgary Stampede opening Parade, and placed third in the band competition portion.

Local 3888 members participate in the annual Labour Day Parade.

Shane Joachim STN. 146 (Jane and Wilson) in competition Dual Slalom at the World Police Fire Games held in Vancouver. Only undefeated team in the tournament Gold winning hockey team. Full medal standing and article on the actual competition will be in the Winter issue of Fire Watch.

Station 314’s dorm is transformed into a dining room to honour the Media Trivia Challenge winners. The winning team from the Globe and Mail attended as well as media from the Star and CBC, and corporate sponsors from Steam Whistle and Diamond Estates Winery.

Our 3888 volunteers at the Toronto Women’s 1/2 Marathon on May 31, 2009.

TPFFA members in the hundreds attend the funerals of fallen Buffalo Fire Fighters Lt. Charles McCarthy and Firefighter Jonathan Croom on Friday, August 28th.

FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 59

2009 UPCOMING EVENTS

60

LOCATION

Friday, October 2, 1300 Hrs

Memorial Plaque Dedication “Bob Leek”

TFS Headquarters

Sunday, October 4

Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial

Queens Park, Toronto

October 4 - 8

OPFFA “Dr. Eric G. Taylor” Fall Seminar

Niagara Falls, Ontario

October 4-11

Fire Prevention Week

Various locations, Toronto

Sunday, October 4

Fire Open House 1000 - 1600

TFS & EMS Training Centre, 895 Eastern Ave.

Monday, October 19

Stewards Meeting

Local 3888 Offices

Monday, October 19, 1000 Hrs

Memorial Plaque Dedication “Eric Sadler”

Station 324

Tuesday, October 21, 1000 Hrs

Memorial Plaque Dedication “James Bob Martin”

Station 443

October 27, Tuesday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

Wednesday, November 4, 800 Hrs

Take Our Kids To Work Day

Toronto Fire Service Head Quarters

Thursday, November 5, 1000 Hrs

Memorial Plaque Dedication “Raymond Brooks”

Station 235

November 18, Wednesday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

Thursday November, 26 , 1300 Hrs

Memorial Plaque Dedication “Ron Seymour”

Station 311

Saturday, November 28

Local 3888 Children’s X-mas Party

Variety Village

November 30 - Dec 3

OPFFA Legislative Conference

Toronto

Tuesday, December 1

Magic shows at 1900 Hrs

Toronto - Ryerson Theatre

Thursday, December 3

2 Magic shows at 1800 & 2000 Hrs

North York - Northview Heights School

Saturday, December 5

3 Magic shows at 1300, 1600 & 1900 Hrs.

Etobicoke - Michael Power/St. Joseph Sec. School

Sunday, December 6

3 Magic shows at 1200, 1500, 1800 Hrs.

Etobicoke - Michael Power/St. Joseph Sec. School

December 17 Thursday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

Thursday, Dec. 24 (1200 Hrs) To Jan 4, 2010

Union Office will be closed

39 Commissioners Street

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Please also find 4 wallet shift cards enclosed in the polybag in which Fire Watch was mailed FA L L 2 0 0 9 | F I R E WATCH 63

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