Fire Watch: Volume 11, Issue 1 by Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association

HALL SHOWCASE ON STATION 345 VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 1

Publications Agreement No: 41203011

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 11

ISSUE 1

IN THIS ISSUE 5 President’s Message 7 Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

45 40

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

Vice President’s Message

Volunteering with Children Burn Survivors

Letters to the Editor

On Scene with Larry Thorne

Next of Kin Notification

Fire & Ice

Fire Fighter Survival & Rescue

Hazmat 101: DIY Suicide

Standing Strong in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

An Amazing Day for an Amazing Family

Member Profile on Matt Drenters

Never Shall We Forget

Hall Showcase on Station 345

Behind the Mask

A Great Way to Spend Halloween

Fit to Survive

3888 Recent Happenings

ASSISTANT EDITORS Mykhail Baehr, Brent Cossitt, Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston, Matt Rayner DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Bryan Middleton

HA LL SH OW CA SE ON STATIO N 34 5 VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 1

On The Cover

ADVERTISING Please contact Bill Monson at 416-466-9180 ext. 322 or e-mail monson@torontofirefighters.org

The crew of Station 114-D gets creative, as they lay on the tarmac in the shape of the pink ribbon, in support of breast cancer awareness and funding for breast cancer research.

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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, products and services does not indicate endorsement of same by the TPFFA, and the TPFFA assumes no responsibility for their accuracy.

Publications Agreem

ent No: 41203011

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

his is my first Fire Watch article as President of our great union. I want to start it off by thanking you, the members, for the trust and tremendous responsibility that you have given me. I pledge that I will do my utmost to be worthy of the confidence that you have shown in me. We have implemented some new initiatives in the way that we communicate and we understand that, as individuals, we like to receive information in different ways. So, items may be communicated in different ways but the message is still the same. I point this out, as themes in this article may be items that you are already aware of. We have assigned the various Executive Board Officers to their Committee Chair positions. In regard to the four new Executive Officers, we have established a mentoring program to help them succeed. I would like to thank the membership for their interest in applying for committees. We had great participation, which made our decision very difficult, but should also make for great successes with our various committees. Union Notice #15-014, detailing all of the selections, was issued and we have updated our website to reflect these new committees. The committees have begun to meet and will establish goals and objectives to move forward. I have had one-on-one meetings with the Toronto Fire Services senior management team. These were open discussions and were more focused on how we interact, as opposed to issue-based topics. Issues were raised and I stated that I was willing to work on solutions but that it needed to be a two-way street. I expressed my concern that we are in negotiations and that we have issues that need solutions as well. As reported, I am happy that agreements were reached on the ATM/Modified Duty Position and Fire Investigators. We are currently working on resolving other issues. I have personally met with 37 Councillors, in order to introduce myself as the new President. I am arranging meetings with the remaining seven and have been working with the Mayor’s staff on scheduling a meeting with him as well.

To date, the Councillors have been very appreciative of the meetings, and the discussions have centered on our relationship and getting ideas from them on how we can better work together. We are working on plans for a FireOps 101 event and we will also be holding an ‘Education Lobby’ blitz with all Councillors. The proposed 2015 City Budget was approved by City Council and we monitored its progress throughout the process. The 2015 Master Fire Plan was delivered to the CDR Committee. I provided a deputation at the meeting and have posted it under my President’s Blog. We will be monitoring the issue and using items from the plan to further educate Councillors on deficiencies to the service we provide. My goal is to freely negotiate an agreement. However, I am not going to do that at the expense of a fair agreement. It is for that reason that I have asked Jeff Nester to be our Advocate once again and we are involving him with our internal meetings. Our past President, Ed Kennedy, has also been involved with our Committee’s internal meetings. I will also bring others in for those internal meetings, as well as to the bargaining table, if I feel it is in our best interest. The police have freely negotiated their Collective Agreement. We are working with experts in the field of arbitration to determine if there are ramifications for us. We are also gathering the history, as to the police/fire relations, in regard to clauses that they have altered. I will keep the membership informed as we move forward and rest assured, I will be fully prepared to explain any decision we make, regardless of the course of action we choose. We are all very upset with what has transpired over the uniform clothing issue. We met with the city in regard to this issue on several occasions. The issue was moved to our Bargaining Committee and we are pleased that the membership endorsed our plan of action on the matter. We will keep the membership updated as we move forward with the agreement. Communication with the membership is key and I have made some additional efforts in this area. I have been able to visit several work locations and I will

Frank Ramagnano

continue to do this when possible. We have video recorded two of these visits and have posted them on their own page under the “President’s Updates” menu tab. We also have a President’s Blog tab and the Twitter tab. In addition to our main Twitter account of @TPFFA, the Principle Officers have also set up Twitter accounts of @TPFFAPres, @TPFFAst and @TPFFAvp, in order to communicate on issues of interest from their points of view. In closing, I would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and help as I transition into this new position. The staff and former Executive Board Officers have been great in helping me move forward. The new Executive Board Officers are all very eager and have jumped in with both feet to what is certainly a steep learning curve. Returning Executive Board Officers have offered any help that I may need and have been very accommodating with their experience and advice. Lastly, thank you, the membership, for your words of encouragement and patience, as you allow us to move forward; it is greatly appreciated. 2015 Toronto Fire Budget • No proposed service reductions • $7.6M increase over 2014 - some one-time funding for the PanAm Games (3 PanAm positions, CAD/radio upgrade projects 2 project positions) • 25 additional Fire Prevention staff to be hired in Q4 of 2015 • Additional $500K in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to fleet replacement budget line • Additional funding for new SCBA, radios, other equipment • New Downsview and Woodbine Stations on schedule for 2016-17 completion

Frank Ramagnano President, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, I.A.F.F. Local 3888 Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH

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Gather your friends, family and co-workers, and join us for a fun day of golf in support of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation hosted by Fire Services Credit Union! All net proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation in support of the great work the Foundation undertakes on behalf of the families of fire fighters who give their lives in the performance of their duties. Markland Wood Golf Club, Toronto, Ontario Great Gifts & Prizes, Silent Auction and a Hole in One Contest to Win a 2015 Vehicle Special Memorial Tribute to Fallen Fire Fighters Prior to the Tournament Registration Includes BBQ Lunch & Gourmet Buffet Dinner $175.00 per person

SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE From Zero to One Hundred in the Blink of an Election

“It feels as though I have been woken from a peaceful slumber on a sunny day and thrown head first into a Category 5 hurricane!”

his is the most accurate metaphor that I can use when describing to others, the transition that has occurred for me since taking over the position of SecretaryTreasurer on January 1, 2015. I knew when I decided to run that the position was going to be challenging, demanding and require a great amount of time and commitment, in order to fulfill the role to my high level of self-expectation. There is so much to learn and a tremendous amount of responsibility that accompanies it. In my short tenure thus far, I can say that I have garnered an even higher level of respect and gratitude for all past, present, and yes, even future Executive Board Officers, as a result. Despite the steep learning curve for myself, as well as four other new members of our Executive Board, we have jumped in with both feet, so to speak, and have already made what I feel is substantial progress with some key initiatives. The first major change, and one of the more progressive steps that we have taken as a Board so far, is to alter our committee structure and start engaging our members and utilizing the many talents and skills that they possess. We received over 140 applications from members to sit on various committees and now all but four of our Standing Committees have members from the floor, who bring with them, a wide array of experience and knowledge, which will ultimately increase the overall productivity and success of our Association. The Bargaining Committee continues to meet with the City and is working hard to find a means to reach agreements on various proposals. Through our negotiations thus far, we have been able to sign and release three new MOAs, including one that will finally allow us to move forward on the issue of uniform clothing and address the quality, delivery and standardization of the clothing being issued. Through phase one of this agreement, we were able

to halt the distribution of the current 2015 clothing. The joint Clothing Committee can now begin the process of developing specifications for the new clothing and will be able to verify the new clothing for compliance to these specifications. In phase two, the Clothing Committee will work toward transitioning to NFPA 1975 compliant clothing across all divisions. Thanks are owed to Geoff Boisseau and Mike Russell, who have put considerable time and effort into representing us on this important committee. The new Membership Communications Committee has been formed and consists of five members from the floor: Mykhail Baehr, Brent Cossitt, Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston and Matt Rayner. We have set a schedule for the publication of five issues of Fire Watch in 2015, including a special 10th Anniversary issue, scheduled to arrive at members’ homes in October. The committee will also be brainstorming new methods and initiatives for communicating with our membership, as well as the maintenance of the current Association website and the new Association website that is now in development. Speaking of the new website, I am pleased to have three very motivated and skilled members from the floor on the Website Development Ad-hoc Committee: Brent Cossitt, Ken De Jong and Scott McCann. They are hard at work on the daunting task of building a brand new website. The design is underway and we have successfully tested the importing of membership and discussion forum data from the current website, which means that we should be able to preserve all current login information and discussion forum threads as well. The new website will have a modern, responsive design and be fully accessible from all mobile devices. Please appreciate that it is an extremely large undertaking, even for a committee of four and that it will need to be tested for a period of time in a closed environment before being launched to the membership. I don’t have a

James Coones

timeframe for release at this point but I can assure you that when it is released, it will be worth the wait. We are going for quality and stability over a quick release. One last initiative that I have taken on in my new capacity and would like to address is that of Association clothing and products for sale. I have had meetings with different individuals and companies, with the vision of improving not only our own quality and selection of clothing and products that we offer for sale to members and the public, but also how we make them available to them. I am pleased to announce that I have reached a tentative deal that will see us renew our product line, our branding and our selection, and that all of these products will be available for purchase from our new website in the form of an online store. The store will allow members to order and pay for products online and have them shipped directly to their homes or address of choice. We will also stock limited quantities of certain products at the Association office on Commissioners Street, but the main focus will become the online store. I would like to take this opportunity in closing to thank the membership for their support and confidence in electing me as the Secretary-Treasurer, as well as for their patience, indulgence and understanding, as I continue to learn, become exposed to the many responsibilities and grow into this demanding role.

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

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE STRONG LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CHANGE

our new Local 3888 Executive Board hit the ground running on January 1st, as the new term began. There is an incredible amount of work to be done to ensure our members continue to be served by their elected leadership and it begins right now! Elections are an important part of a healthy democratic society and equally important to our Association. I am honoured to once again serve as Vice President of our great Association. It was an invigorating campaign and I would like to recognize all of those candidates who ran for a position in our Local. You provided valuable input and discussion regarding the future of our Association and all of our members. I am grateful for the passionate discussions that I had in so many fire stations from east to west and from north to south. They were always passionate, intelligent and respectful. This was the first election in the history of Local 3888, which had candidates seeking election at every position in our Local. That created ample opportunity for discussion of every aspect of our Association. The results speak for themselves; we have seen some significant change in many positions, while retaining knowledge and experience in many others. The membership has directed that we move forward with a new leadership team, while retaining the strength of experience in crucial areas. It is important to recognize those members of the Executive Board who will not be returning. Their commitment and dedication to serving this membership is significant. I am grateful to Ed Kennedy, Hugh Doherty, Neil McKinnon, Bill McKee and James Reed for their service to our membership. Their dedicated service to this membership is immeasurable and I am grateful to have served, and learned much from each of them. And now, we have our new Executive Board in place, as we welcome those newly elected representatives: James

Coones, Gerlando Peritore, Mike Russell, Dan Vieira and Ken Webb. While we have a great deal of work to do and I look forward to working closely with our new Board members, its clear that this membership demands strong, effective leadership from its Executive Board. One of the primary roles of the Vice President’s office, as chair of the Executive Board, is to ensure a cohesive team that is working productively toward serving this membership and you have my commitment to ensure that continues. Our new committee structure is now in place and we have engaged more members than ever before in our history, each with a vast array of talents and skills. I look forward to working with everyone who has stepped up to move our Association forward. As we discussed throughout the campaign at many station visits, we have many challenges ahead of us, including ongoing negotiations for a renewed Collective Agreement. This round of negotiations will be difficult but I am confident that we have a bargaining team with considerable knowledge and dedication to achieve our objectives, building on the solid foundation of our current Collective Agreement. This year’s city budget contains no further proposed reductions to Toronto’s fire service. We await the delivery of the new Master Fire Plan, which will outline the future of Toronto’s fire service. We will see further growth in Fire Prevention and Public Education, as directed by the recent Fire Underwriters Survey. We hope to work in a co-operative spirit with management, as we oversee the many changes, which will impact our present and future members. We will soon have a Fire Prevention/Public Education Division, which is larger than most entire municipal fire services across our province. This will likely bring some unique challenges and we will ensure that each of our members, regardless of division,

Damien Walsh

continues to receive appropriate representation from this Executive Board. There are a number of other initiatives that we continue to work on, hopefully in co-operation with the city and the Toronto Fire Services management team. We will witness many equipment upgrades with the introduction of new apparatus, SCBA, radios, mobile data terminals and other equipment, with the purpose of making our job safer and providing better service to the people of Toronto. Your Association will be involved in every aspect to ensure proper training and procedures are provided with any new initiative introduced to our members. A recent FCC/Union Notice outlined the beginning of a joint initiative to move toward a globally recognized accreditation process. You will begin to hear a lot about the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and the “accreditation” process, which Toronto Fire Services has entered into with the co-operation and full involvement of Local 3888. This important initiative, which will take roughly three years to complete, will address and impact every aspect of our profession. When this initiative was proposed, we sought out the expertise and guidance of the IAFF to ensure that entering into this partnership with Toronto Fire Services would be a positive step forward and will first and foremost, take every consideration of the service we provide. The Steering Committee for this project will consist of Executive Officer Geoff Boisseau and myself for the Association, Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH

Vice-President’s message...Continued from page 9

along with Deputy Chief Darrell Reid and Division Chief Craig Dart for TFS. I am pleased that our initial discussions on CFAI have been very positive. This program is supported by the IAFF with key representatives sitting on the Board of Directors. It has received positive reviews from the IAFF affiliates who have already received accreditation or are further down the path to completion than we are at this time. It will require significant time and resources, dedicated to achieving accreditation but I am confident the end result willbring positive changes to every aspect of Toronto’s fire service, while setting achievable standards, which must be maintained for the future of our profession. I look forward to helping bring about the many changes that lie ahead for us and ensuring a much brighter future for our membership with a strong leadership team in place for Local 3888. Stay safe and stay ready.

Damien Walsh, Vice President, Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

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Volunteering with

Children Burn Survivors

BY LARRY SCHULTZ, STATION 312-D

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BEING A PART OF CAMP BUCKO PLEASE VISIT, WWW.CAMPBUCKO.CA, THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW VOLUNTEERS.

his past year, I had an incredible opportunity to attend the IAFF Burn Foundation’s Annual National Children’s Burn Camp. The Burn Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1982, and is affiliated with the IAFF. The IAFF Burn Foundation is now the largest non-government source for burn research grants and the sponsor of the annual IAFF National Children’s Burn Camp, held each fall in Washington, D.C. Each year, Children’s Burn Camps from across North America select one lucky camper and a volunteer to attend a weeklong camp located in the Washington D.C. area. This year’s camper, Kyle Mossop and I were representing Camp BUCKO. Our Burn Camp is located in Ontario and takes place in late August each year in the Muskoka region. We were very grateful to have been chosen and only wished that we could have brought all our fellow campers and volunteers along with us. The trip involved a visit to all of the sites that one would associate with being truly American. The White House, Capital Building, Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian’s and the list goes on. It is all done in a very efficient, compact schedule with a great deal of walking! The group was hosted many times throughout the week by local fire fighter unions, with great

meals and incredible outings, such as the Baltimore Orioles baseball game. The hospitality and charity of these groups had me speechless at times. It touched many of the campers the same way, with comments such as, “They did all of this for us?!” Volunteering with children burn survivors has proven to be a humbling and rewarding experience that is hard to put into words. It can mean many things to many people, but there is always one consistent factor: when people volunteer, the kids win! I have yet to meet a camper, past or present, who attended BUCKO and has not said the experience had a positive impact on their lives. I have also noticed that fire fighters have proven to be an excellent fit as volunteers at these camps. In many cases, our knowledge, understanding and values in our profession provide a positive impact with campers. This trip made Kyle and myself happy to know that BUCKO is one of many great camps across the USA and Canada where burn survivors may grow, share, and build friendships that may last for a lifetime. I would like to thank the IAFF Burn Foundation, Camp BUCKO, and members of the Local 3888 Executive for their ongoing support and dedication to children burn survivors from across Ontario and North America. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 11

ventions and we formed good friendships along the way. I truly appreciated the strong showing and the Honour Guard at his service. Your kindness has helped us cope and warmed our hearts. Sincerely, Marg, Mark and Lee Ann Olesen

WOMEN’S HABITAT DONATION GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY The Luso Canadian Charitable Society (LCCS), located at 2295 St. Clair Avenue West, provides support services to adults with developmental and physical disabilities. On Saturday December13, 2014, members were in the basement, waiting to head upstairs for their Christmas dinner, when the elevator broke down. Numerous calls to the elevator company yielded no results, stating they could not attend on site to make the necessary repairs until the following Monday, leaving those in wheelchairs or otherwise unable to climb the stairs, stranded in the basement. Executive Director, Marilene Santos, had no choice but to contact Emergency Services. It has been reported to me that the firefighters who attended the call at LCCS on December 13th went above and beyond by carrying all those in the basement who otherwise would not have been able to make it up the stairs to the main floor. Not only did the firefighters of Platoon C carry members of LCCS up the stairs, they did so with smiles on their faces. While the firefighters of Platoon C may think that the actions they took to help people to the main floor was just part of their duty, their actions touched the hearts of all those who witnessed them and should be commended. Please accept, and convey, my sincerest thanks to these firefighters. Sincerely, Councillor Frances Nunziata Ward 11, York South-Weston

PASSING OF CHRIS OLESEN I write this note with heartfelt thanks for the beautiful floral tribute of red carnations, mums and snapdragons sent to us upon the death of my husband, Chris Olesen. Chris was a proud fire fighter for 28 years and we have fond memories of the many good times we had at the many social events – his work with the union took us to a few con-

Thank you for supporting Women’s Habitat with your generous donation of $1,390.00 from the proceeds of your annual gala. The funds raised will go towards providing the items and services we are not funded for special trips for women and children and other necessities of life such as TTC tokens that our clients are often unable to afford for themselves. Our outreach and counselling services provide much-needed support to women and their children in the underserviced community of South Etobicoke. Our mission is to provide safe refuge, counselling, support and advocacy for women and their children who are fleeing violence. Women’s Habitat has been

helping women and children flee abuse for over thirty-five years. Every year, hundreds of women and their children come to Women’s Habitat for emergency shelter, food, clothing, support, advocacy, safety planning and r eferrals to other community resources. We could not do any of this vital and essential work without your help. Your support will help us with our ultimate goal: to end violence against women and children. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff, volunteers and most importantly, on behalf of the women and children that we serve, thank-you very much With warmest regards, Silvia Samsa Executive Director

FIRE FIGHTER TOY DRIVE DONATION FOR HOLIDAY HAMPER PROGRAM On behalf of the Neighbourhood Centre, we would like to thank the Toronto Firefighters for the generous in-kind donation of toys for the children in the Holiday Hamper program. We were deeply moved by your gesture of community support. The toys that were donated helped to bring joy to almost 100 families living with poverty in the East York/Taylor-Massey community. As a result of community outpouring, we surpassed our goal and provided bountiful holiday hampers with boxes of food and gifts to 86 families (167 children; 300 people in total) and another 14 families (22 children) received gifts at our holiday party. We were also able to provide extra toys, food and kids’ clothing to families in crisis. For over 40 years, the Neighbourhood Centre’s Holiday Hamper Program has delivered crucial support to families in the Taylor-Massey, Crescent Town and Secord communities during the

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holidays. Two of the neighbourhoods we serve are ranked in the top 11 (of 140) in terms of need by the City of Toronto. We customize each hamper to bring delight to every family member. Families are recommended to us by partner agencies with a focus on serving those with the greatest need this year. As one father said, “I am so grateful to live in this country because back home there would not be this kind of service for me and my family. I have received so much help here that could not be possible back home. I have never heard “no” here. Any time I ask for something for my family I can get it here. I am so grateful for Canada” In 2013, the Neighbourhood Centre helped over 3,238 community members - children, youth, parents and seniors - to achieve their goals. We are confident that in the years to come, the organization will serve many more community members in new and exciting ways. As a donor, we will keep you up to date about that work. Thank you again for your generous support as it goes a long way to help newcomer and low-income individuals and families. You have truly made a difference in this community. Future donations may be made at http:// neighbourhoodcentre.org. Claire Barcik, B.A., LL.B., M.P.S. Executive Director Helena Frank Family Support Coordinator

PASSING OF RETIRED MISSISSAUGA FIRE FIGHTER We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your show of support with the sudden passing of retired Mississauga Fire Fighter, Neil Jessop. Neil is the Brother of District Chief John Jessop (Car 42-B) and Uncle to Fire Fighter Doug McNeilage (445-D). He was a Mississauga Fire Fighter for 31 years and retired in 2006. Thank you to the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association for the beautiful flower arrangement. It is quite a moment of pride when you walk through the assembly of fire fighters that are formed up at the end of the funeral service. Our many thanks to the Brothers and Sisters for the respect, honour and regard shown for our family. Sincerely, The Jessop Family

STATION VISIT Many thanks for your hospitality yesterday! It was a pleasure to have been invited to a splendid lunch with such splendid company! The opportunity to visit the station, a unique focus of community involvement and interaction, was one that was deeply inspiring and has left a sterling and stirring legacy of positive memories! The station’s involvement with the community around it is a positive model for the entire city and should serve as an example for universal emulation! What you have achieved there is truly remarkable and merits the highest praise! The reality of such a noteworthy station is far above and beyond the often inaccurate and misleading visions of fire station life seen in Hollywood films and TV series – with the notable exception of Denis Leary’s Rescue Me! The advantage of the Leary series is that while it presents a convincing picture of some aspects of station life, the real thing is always better simply for being real and unscripted! All of you are exceptional, outstanding individuals in your commitment to the most worthy of all causes, the protection of the lives and property of all the people of your

city! In a sense you are our visible, incarnate guardian angels watching out for us, looking after us, coming to our rescue in time of need! There is no more noble calling than this, and it is one which you fulfill to the highest and greatest possible degree! It is always tempting to draw comparisons with the heroes of history and legend, such as the Knights of the Round Table. The difference of course is that they are characters in fiction! You are REAL! Reality trumps fiction and fantasy at every level! My respect and admiration for all of you continues to grow with each station and with each platoon visit! I have never encountered individuals who are higher in my esteem than all of you! In terms of the virtues and blessings of true friendship, hospitality, courtesy, generosity, kindness, dedication, devotion, courage, determination, sensibility, with, humour and intelligence you are without peer! Your praises deserve to be expressed solely in superlatives! Bless you all and may this year 2015 be a happy and productive one for all of you! Thanks you again for your most generous, most gracious, most splendid hospitality! In deepest gratitude, K. Corey Keeble

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ONTHE

SCENE

WITH LARRY THORNE

A second alarm at 43 Bethune Boulevard on Thursday, December 4th. East Command “B” Neighbourhood: Scarborough Village Area: Station 223

A delayed alarm did not help matters as this fire extended from the basement of this 2-storey brick house, lighting up the first floor. Two people escaped the blaze and were treated for smoke inhalation. East end crews prevented the fire from getting much further using four lines but the loss hit $250,000. Careless use of an appliance was blamed.

A third alarm at 116 Avenue Road on Thursday, December 25th. South Command “C” Neighbourhood: The Annex Area: Station 312

This fire started in a large row house that had been converted to house two well-known restaurants, Sotto Sotto and Sputini. It was spotted in the rear of the 19th century, 2.5-storey building and was already burning fitfully on the lower floors when, within minutes, it breached the roof. Flames towered 30’ over the row of three dwellings and, having also extended to the house to the north, forced crews to vacate. Aerials 312 and 315 were put to work from the front and Aerial 345 from the side street to the south, then Tower 331 added its firepower, also from Avenue Road. Some fifteen hand lines were also used; interior crews kept the blaze out of the south exposure for over an hour but were then forced out when the roof became unstable. The fire had extended across that area and into a 3-storey extension built behind that structure. Heavy smoke blanketed the area as the stubborn outbreak continued to burn for almost three hours. It took two days to finally catch all the hot spots. Damage is around $2 million, and the OFM was called in to establish as cause.

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A second alarm at 85 Heale Avenue on Saturday, December 6th. East Command “B” Neighbourhood: Cliffside Area: Station 223

With both floors of this newly built dwelling in flames when south Scarborough companies arrived, all they could do to set up big lines and protect exposures - a pair of 2-storey houses. Both sustained damage before the blaze was knocked down using a ladder pipe and at least eight streams. The fire building was gutted and the loss hit $1 million. The cause is under investigation.

A fatal third alarm at 28 Camwood Crescent on Thursday, January 1st. North Command “D” Neighbourhood: Graydon Hall Area: Station 123

By the time a neighbour spotted this deep-seated fire in a single-storey side-spilt, much of the interior was involved. The intense blaze originated in the basement and broke through the roof soon after TFS crews arrived. An interior attack and searches were stymied by the spongy floor, and a defensive posture was adopted. Six lines and a ladder pipe were deployed and exposures protected by the roof and first floor collapsed with the interior destroyed. Overhaul took much of the very cold day; the following morning heavy equipment was brought in and demolition started. Two hours in, the body of the 68-year-old man who lived there was found. Damage is $400,000; the cause was still under investigation by the OFM.

A fourth alarm at 82-84 Edith Drive on Wednesday, December 31st. North Command “B” Neighbourhood: North Toronto Area: Station 134

New Year’s Eve is always busy but this one was particularly onerous for crews in the city center, as flames spread from a chimney into the roofs over both houses in this 2-storey semi in North Toronto. The stubborn blaze was aided by high winds and cold temps and extended to the upper floors in both dwellings, leaving $1 million in damage. Aerial 135 used their ladder pipe from Edith Drive, and Aerial 131 set up behind in a parking lot and lines were used from adjacent roofs. It took two hours to knock down the flames and well into the next day for overhaul. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 15

NEXT OF KIN NOTIFICATION – An idea in the Making BY KEN DE JONG, ACTING CAPTAIN, STATION 445-A

In 2012, I attended a World Burn Conference in Rhode Island and the keynote speaker was Lionel Crowther, a Winnipeg Fire Fighter who spoke about the events of his injuries at a fatal fire in 2007. His wife, Joanna, also spoke and gave her account of the notification, hospital events and aftercare. It struck me very deeply and prompted me to ask how my family would be notified if I were to be injured?

CURRENT STATUS OF THE TFS The Toronto Fire Services has two SOGs that refer to notifications. The first is G-LINE (Line of Duty Death), which directs the Fire Chief or his designate to notify the family of the deceased or critically injured member. The Fire Chief may work with the TFS Chaplain on this task. Where practicable and desired, the management representative may appoint a specific individual or a small group of individuals to assist family members with transportation and/or other duties, as assigned. The second SOG is S-CRIT (Critical Injuries to Toronto Fire Services Personnel or the Public). It states that in the event an employee is being transported to a medical facility with an injury, a District Chief shall attend the hospital as soon as possible. Whenever possible, the injured employee shall be consulted by the District Chief and her/his wishes as to the family notification (who and when) should be respected. The SOG also directs Communications to contact the on-duty Platoon Chief or Divisional Commander, JHSC Labour and Management representatives, the on-call Safety Designate Officer, Ontario Fire Marshal (in case of death) and the Fire Chief.

REVIEWING THE NEXT OF KIN NOTIFICATION So, as you can see, TFS policies are in place. The most important unanswered question about contacting the Next of Kin is, how do we contact the Next of Kin? The ability to give the TFS our contact information does exist. We can download a form and send it to the personnel department. It’s an “old school” approach where we would each have a personnel file, which would have contact numbers. That’s a good foundation to start with but there are a few questions that arise: Are they current? Is it okay to leave a message? Would the news of a fire fighter injury be too emotional to share over the phone? Can the TFS caller do much to support the Next of Kin properly? I know for my situation, the current method probably isn’t suitable or detailed enough. My contact person on that form would be my wife – but she isn’t home and won’t answer her personal phone during work hours. At night, she tends to screen unknown calls and may not pick up. What I really would like is to have someone listed who is easily accessible, can handle the bad news, knows my life, knows how to text or track down my wife in person, knows that I have kids that have to be attended to, knows my dog has to be let out, etc. How do I put that on one form? We have the ability with today’s technology to get a hold of people fast – we need to customize the notification system to speed up the process. The reason for speed is obvious. However, there is another concern - the media. While they are not our enemy – they are not always our friends either. In the event of an injury, you can be sure that the media will try to get as much information, as fast as they can. Lionel’s wife, Joanna, was already shielded because a family member brought her to the hospital. His mom wasn’t as lucky. The media landed at her doorstep, asking how it felt to have her son fight for his life? What if they knocked on my door and the kids answered? If this is how you get the initial notification - it can do irreparable harm to your family. During my original discussions with Lionel, the concept of an “envelope” system was mentioned. The idea was that you, the fire fighter, would provide the specific contact information and an action plan on a form, which is sealed and stored in your fire station. The information is like a “living will,” which is specific to what you want done in case you are injured or unconscious. It is accessible for the fire fighter to update and accessible for those to break open in case of emergency. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 16

THE NOK (NEXT OF KIN) NOTIFICATION SYSTEM Combining this concept with the policies already in place at the TFS, I have developed a Next of Kin Notification System that is simple and gets the right people and actions in motion, in case you are injured.

Pre-emergency Preparation

NOK Protocol

Benefits of the NOK System

• The fire fighter chooses a person in their life who will be an advocate for them in case they are incapacitated due to injury on the job. This person will be the Primary Contact Person (partner, best friend, neighbour, family member, another fire fighter (preferably on another shift).

•A t the request of the injured fire fighter (conscious) or the Incident Commander (fire fighter unconscious), the NOK Protocol will be activated.

• It meshes with the current SOGs and fills the gaps that would possibly cause the notifications to not happen in a timely manner.

•C ommunications will determine the closest District Chief (not assigned to a call) and direct him/her to travel to the fire fighter’s permanently assigned Fire Station.

• You can update the NOK Form any time you show up for work.

• This person should know their life situations, be calm in emotional situations and know what has to immediately be put into place for them (e.g. contact extended family, provide ride for family, babysit children, manage pets, household, etc.) • The fire fighter fills out a NOK Form. If the Primary Contact Person knows the action plan, the fire fighter provides his/her contact information (phone numbers, emails, work locations, etc.) on the NOK Form. If the fire fighter wishes to add elements of the action plan on the NOK Form, there is space to do so. • The fire fighter completes the NOK Form and seals it in a NOK Envelope. • All NOK Envelopes (all 4 shifts) will be placed in a NOK Box at the Fire Station, where the fire fighter is permanently assigned. The NOK Box will be located in the same location in every Fire Station (e.g. Duty Officer’s desk drawer)

•T he District Chief will locate and open the NOK Box, select the NOK Envelope of the injured fire fighter and open it. •T he District Chief will contact the person indicated on the form as the Primary Contact Person and inform them of the situation (basic details of the event, known Injuries, hospital where the fire fighter is being brought, and the fact that the District Chief will meet them there). • The District Chief will also contact the following people or confirm that Communications is notifying them: Fire Chief, Platoon Chief and/or Divisional Commander, TPFFA and TFS Health and Safety Representative, on-call Safety Designate Officer, TFS Chaplain, on-call Critical Incident Stress Representative, Public Information Officer, any others deemed necessary). • The District Chief will then travel to the Hospital to act as the TFS Representative

• You can discuss the action plan with a trusted friend, relative or co-worker and simply list their contact information – they will do the rest. • You can make the information on the form as detailed or as simple as you wish (for privacy reasons). • The TFS is assigning a District Chief as per the SOGs. You have now given them a contact number of someone that is prepared to hear the news and get the proper actions in motion. • If the District Chief cannot get a hold of the Primary Contact Person, they can leave messages and still request Communications to use the on-file information to attempt to make Next of Kin contact. • District Chiefs all have cell phones, so they can perform these actions while enroute to the hospital and remain as the continuous contact for the TFS and Primary Contact Person.

YOUR FEEDBACK Your Association feels strongly that member initiatives and feedback are the foundation for success. By working together, we only make things better. As many of you know, I did some programming work for Camp BUCKO. We would design games and activities for the upcoming camp and share the details with the counselors prior to the camp. I would regularly get “mind-blown” when someone would add an element that elevated the activity to a new level. So here is your chance… Would you use the NOK system? Are there holes in the design? Have you been a part of another organization that does something similar? Something better? I encourage you to email NOK@torontofirefighters.org and offer your suggestions and feedback. We all try to work safely. We have a solid Mayday and RIT protocol to help us in case we get into a bad situation. If it does happen that we get injured, our minds will go directly to our loved ones. They need to be contacted as soon as possible and we really need to tighten up the way we notify our next of kin. Hopefully, with your help, we can implement a simple and effective system to put the right actions in motion. Stay safe everyone! Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 17

BY ROSS HAMMILL, L288, SOFFCA PRESIDENT

he Southern Ontario Fire Fighters Curling Association celebrated our 50th Championship Bonspiel in 2010 and as we now begin our 55th year we hope you might join us. The result of British Columbia firefighter Aubrey Neff, who in 1958 set out to create a national firefighter’s curli ng competition, second only to Canada’s curling Brier. Our purpose is to promote good fellowship amongst firefighters through the medium of curling. Our members gather early each year at our provincial bonspiel, the Southern, which draws curlers of all skill levels, from club curlers to novice beginners and even past world champions who are or were members of the Ontario Fire Service. The Southern boundaries spread from Ottawa to Windsor and north to Wawa. Our numbers over the years have been declining steadily as demographics of local curling clubs and fire departments change. We are aware that many Ontario firefighters have never heard of our association and national competition. Formed in 1960, we first competed in Regina at a five province Dominion Championship. The Championship grew over the years until, finally, in 1983 Newfoundland competed for the first time making Aubrey’s quest complete as a truly national

2007 Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Champions

Toronto Fire Paul Mogavero, Barry Acton, Frank McCourt, Neil Harrison

firefighters championship was hosted in Brampton. In 1999 the Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association, partnered with Muscular Dystrophy Canada, to bring better awareness to our causes and to help raise funds for both associations. To date, our National and Provincial Associations have helped to raise thousands for MD research in Canada, with over $130,000 donated in 2014. Further to our association, a group of Etobicoke firefighters formed a curling house league in 1962 which today hosts fifteen teams weekly at the Brampton Curling Club. These curlers are active and retired members from Toronto, Brampton, Vaughan, Mississauga and Hamilton. Several bonspiels are also contested annually including the Brass Helmet in Brampton which celebrated its 50th year in 2014 and the Mississauga Firefighters Skins game for MD curled in Milton. The Southern bonspiel allows for great competition and fun where each team finds their level of enjoyment. Based on a double knockout format, teams drop into a bonspiel of similarly skilled curlers as they are eliminated from the championship sides. The competitive teams curl on towards the nationals while many of the fun teams enjoy their level

of curling and camaraderie. Many of the friendships built on one weekend of curling have lasted long after the last rock, some until their last alarm. This past November, we hosted the 55th Southern at the Simcoe Curling Club. Team Lowe representing Ottawa will compete in Valleyfield Quebec in March at the 56th Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Championship. Their progress can be followed by selecting the link from the Canadianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web page, www.CFFCA.ca. Over our history, the Canadian Fire Fighters Muscular Dystrophy Hydrant Trophy has returned to Southern Ontario on twelve occasions, the last being 2007. In 2017, Southern Ontario will host the 58th Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Championship. The location has yet to be finalized but will most likely be hosted in the Greater Toronto area. Inclosing, we hope that you will consider joining our association or Southern Bonspiel by contacting us through our web page, www.SOFFCA.com, try curling by joining the house league or sign up for a bonspiel in your region. There is always room for more teams or join as an individual. Until then, stay safe and good curling!

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FIRE FIGHTER

SURVIVAL RESCUE &

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY

DELIBERATE TRAINING “ ” BY GEOFF BOISSEAU AND JOHN MCGILL, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS

Competence becomes the primary basis for trust.

This is a quote from Colonel Tom Kolditz, who is an internationally recognized expert on crisis leadership and leadership in extreme contexts. Have you ever said to yourself, “We do not get enough training” or ”Our training is not realistic”? Have you ever asked yourself why you feel this way? Why is ‘realistic’ training important to us? In the fire service, fire fighters are trained in many things, but sometimes only ONCE. Formal skills maintenance is sometimes overlooked. Is it because we believe that once a skill is introduced it is understood and retained? Nothing could be further from the truth. In order to become proficient and effective, a skill MUST be practiced, 20

practiced and practiced again. Practice, when it comes to practical skills, is not simply reading or having a discussion around the kitchen table. It must be quality, effective, specific, deliberate, HANDS-ON practice. Central to this argument is the idea of ‘Deliberate Practice.’ Professor K. Anders Ericsson, at Florida State University, conducted a study entitled ‘The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance’ In his study, Ericsson proposed a new theoretical framework for understanding why some people are so good at what they do. Ericsson found that the popular theory that some people simply have an innate talent for something was unsatisfactory. In his study, Ericsson noticed that no matter who the top-level performer was, or what explanation of their performance

was being given; it always took them many years to become excellent. So, if a person achieves elite status only after many years of toil, simply assigning the principal role in that success to their ‘innate’ gifts or talents doesn’t really explain anything. Ericsson concluded, “Many characteristics once believed to reflect innate talent are actually the result of many years of intense practice.” Therefore, the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific skill. How can it be then, that the vast majority of people we work with, play sports with, even play video games with, get better for a while and then level off, having apparently reached the limit of their abilities? Even with years of further work or practice, they

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have not gotten any better. Yet, on the other hand, we have all seen that the people who have achieved the most are the ones who have worked the hardest. How can both be true? Ericsson and his colleagues advance the concept that the current definition of ‘practice’ is vague. The simple idea that ‘practice makes perfect’ isn’t valid. What is valid is the idea of ‘specific practice’. The difference between the two meanings is critically important. Simply practicing a skill or behaviour will not allow you to reach that elite level IF the practice itself isn’t structured properly. For example, you can go to the driving range and ‘practice’ hitting golf balls. If you do this often enough, you may ‘feel’ that you have had some improvement, but without an understanding of the mechanics of a proper swing, or how to address the endless flaws that you potentially have in your swing, you will never really improve. However, if you go to the driving range repeatedly with someone who does have the knowledge to improve your swing, and you spend the time working on focusing and improving on each of the many flaws, then you will find improvement. Identifying where you need improvement, seeking out individuals who have the knowledge to help you in these areas, and developing a plan to address them, will result in concrete outcomes. This is ‘deliberate practice’ and it takes a significant amount of hard work and time. Therefore, the idea of doing a skill or course once, getting the

checkmark and moving on with no follow up or skills maintenance does not work if you want to go that next level! So why is this concept of ‘deliberate practice’ important to fire fighters? It has been shown that the psychological and physiological reactions of our bodies under the stress of firefighting are similar to soldiers in combat. In his book ‘On Combat’, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, describes some of the physical consequences of being in combat. As a result of our body switching to survival mode, we experience a cascading set of psychological and physiological responses. Grossman describes ‘condition levels or levels of arousal’ based upon heart rate. It is important to understand that these heart rates apply only to hormonal, survival stress or fear induced heart rate increases that result from sympathetic nervous system arousal. Exercise induced increases in heart rate will not have the same effect. Basically, these conditions illustrate the progressive effects of hormonal or “fear induced” heart rate increase upon an individual, and although the specific heart rate at which an individual encounters a particular symptom may vary, the experience is universal. For example: at 115 beats per minute (bpm), individuals start to lose their fine motor skills; at 140 bpm, they start to lose their complex motor skills; and over 175 bpm, they may suffer from an irrational fight or flee reaction, freezing, submissive behaviour, and voiding of bladder and bowels. In addition, cognitive processing deteriorates, vasoconstriction, loss

of peripheral vision (tunnel vision) loss of depth perception, loss of near vision, and a loss of hearing can also occur. No matter what the physiological reason is, the results are the same in everyone. The ability to ‘think clearly’ and perform our basic tasks will become compromised. Therefore, we have to constantly attempt to overcome these limitations. According to Grossman, the one tool that does this is training. Drill, drill, drill on a specific action until that action becomes almost hardwired in. It becomes a reflex. Through intense, high repetition training, we can turn the skills that we need to perform, into ‘muscle memory’. These skills must be rehearsed until we can perform these intricate tasks flawlessly, without conscious thought. In the firefighting profession, we do not have the luxury of being able to ‘get by’. Train like it is going to save your life - because it just might. There are numerous training methods available to us. Hands on, theoretical, and computer based. The opportunity for self-directed, practical training is available but often we don’t take advantage of it at the company level. We need to work on our skills proactively. Excuses will not help you when you find yourself in a jackpot on the fire ground. Simply put, YOU are responsible for your own fire ground survival, no one else - period. Your family demands it… To quote former Army Chief of Staff, Gordon Sullivan, “Hope is not a method. Maydays are a rendezvous with destiny; your time will come. Think ahead. Be ready.” Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 21

BY KIRK FUDGE, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER, 433-A

urrent emergency service personnel, or anyone studying to become a member of a response agency since roughly 2007, can likely recall the iconic image of two fire fighters approaching a white Volkswagen Beetle behind a strip plaza in Pasadena, California. What made this moment memorable, were the warnings posted on the inside of the vehicle windows. “Do not enter, Hazmat Team is required”, was affixed to the windshield. On both the passenger and driver side windows, the following was inscribed; “deadly gas inside, do not open”, and “call police”. This scenario represented the first North American instance of what we now term, “detergent suicide” or “Japanese suicide”, after a similar trend first identified in that country. While no longer a new method of taking one’s life, it is shocking to discover that emergency responders still fall victim, while attending such incidents. In this installment, we will visit the most popular DIY methods of producing high quality H2S (hydrogen sulfide gas) - as found on numerous websites. We’ll also highlight the techniques employed for cyanide poisoning, and the use of “exit bags”. On May 10, 2009, Haz 145 responded to the first H2S suicide in Canada. Inside the home, a female occupant had decided to take her life by producing hydrogen sulfide. The victim had visited one of the infamous web sites; downloaded the warning signs for responders, and then posted them outside the bathroom she used as her laboratory. The websites promote sign posting, and sealing off the room you decide to occupy whilst creating a toxic environment. They also suggest using a vehicle rather than a dwelling, as this reduces the risk of injuring other occupants. In one such case in Japan in April of 2008, a young female created hydrogen sulfide in her apartment. The noxious gas subsequently contaminated the entire building, requiring the evacuation of roughly 90 occupants. Once the Haz team made entry

into the bathroom, they made note of their findings; six bottles of lime sulfur, four bottles of fungicide, and a bucket containing toilet bowl cleaner. During the early stages of this trend, these ingredients are what the websites called for. Currently, some recipes require as little as 125ml of the good stuff - bonide lime sulfur spray, and 125ml of muriatic acid (toilet bowl cleaner), which are both readily available. The most common gas produced by mixing such chemicals is hydrogen sulfide, which by itself can cause unpleasant symptoms. In cases where people have not followed the recipe correctly, or erred in ratios or composition (too much acid), hydrogen cyanide has resulted, leading to an even more unpleasant death. Side effects include seizures, gasping breaths, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, lockjaw, convulsions and hallucinations, chest tightness and respiratory arrest. Let’s look at the physical properties of hydrogen sulfide as per the NIOSH pocket guidebook (page 170): • IDLH (Immediate Danger Life & Health) 100ppm (parts per million) • Molecular Weight of 34.1 Heavier than air • LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) 4.0% • UEL (Upper Explosive Limit) 44.0%

H2S is a colourless gas with a strong odour like rotten eggs. Our sense of smell becomes rapidly fatigued, and therefore cannot be relied upon to warn of the continuous presence of hydrogen sulfide. The latest recipes call for the sulfur containing ingredient to be dispensed into a 5 gallon plastic bucket, and the acid to be contained in a 1 gallon bucket. Once the individual decides to carry out his/her mission, the acid is simply poured into the larger bucket, and then they inhale deep breaths of the resultant gases and/or vapours. With an IDLH of 100ppm, and in a small area - it will not take many breaths before you meet your maker, as described by Lord Geoffrey Darkmace, an individual who has an abundance of recipes, suggestions, and posts on this topic. Once the ingredients react, a crust will form on top of the chemicals, sealing in any unconsumed product or gasses.

Herein lies a significant danger for first responders: if the reaction vessel is disturbed, causing the crust to break, you will produce as much (or potentially more) poisonous gas as during the initial reaction. If you are not wearing your SCBA you will become a victim! Having attended these incidents in real life, and from participating in simulations, I can attest to both the effectiveness of this suicide method, and the instance of inadvertently releasing more gas during operations. You must remember - no matter which recipe the individual is following, they have tried to end their life by making toxic gas. Your bunker suit may not protect you from the toxicity of the gasses being formed.

If you are using an air monitor within a short period of time from the reaction, you may poison or over range the H2S sensor. The MSA carbon monoxide detectors are not adequate for this situation. Although H2S is flammable, and has a larger flammable window than either propane or natural gas; numerous studies have been performed, and to date we have not been able to create enough gas to meet the LEL% required for flammability. Although the Internet can be an extremely useful resource, it also plays host to varying degrees of social negligence. One website instructs individuals contemplating this release, to purchase the products at a large, well known hardware chain. Upon leaving the store, they suggest barricading yourself inside one of their exterior

display sheds â&#x20AC;&#x201C;using it as a makeshift laboratory. This exact recipe was duplicated in Durham Region in the latter part of 2014, where several police officers fell victim to off-gassing produced by the chemical reaction. The World Health Organization suggests there are over 800,000 people who choose to take their own lives every year. If you type â&#x20AC;&#x153;methods of suicideâ&#x20AC;?, into your search engine, exit bags seem to be as popular as detergent suicide, with one added benefit: you can readily purchase complete kits. Those of you with children have likely purchased a party kit from Costco or Wal-Mart, which included a helium tank, and a party pack of balloons. The issue of greatest concern to responders is the possibility of walking into an oxygen deficient atmosphere or an extremely flammable environment without knowing it. TFS has responded to numerous incidents where individuals have used commercial sized gas cylinders hooked up to a bag of choice. Air monitoring of such environments would require more than the MSA CO monitor. If your vehicle is equipped with a 5 Gas, there are a couple of possibilities the monitor may indicate. If the gas present is inert, you will see a drop in the oxygen sensor readings. It is extremely important to note that a drop from 20.9% to 20.8% is letting you know that there is 5000ppm of something in your environment causing the change in readings (Rule of fifths, 1 part oxygen, 4 parts nitrogen). If the gas is flammable, there is a good chance that your LEL sensor will read it. Remember; if in doubt use the resources available to you. Heavy Haz teams are equipped and trained to deal with these specific risks. Stay tuned for my next article on how to make Meth on a budget and getting the most oil out of your leafy greens.

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uring the month of October, Toronto Fire Fighters rallied together once again for the 4th year by proudly supporting the “Care Enough to Wear Pink” t-shirt campaign. This year’s theme was “Standing Strong” in the fight against breast cancer. To date, the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has raised $61,800.00 of our $100,000 pledge. Our donation is to be used to purchase specialized surgical equipment for the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre within the Odette Cancer Program, located at Sunnybrook Health Centre. A special thank you to our members and Executive Officers who spent a day in October in the Odette Centre selling this year’s pink t-shirts to the staff, patients and the public. Each year, the Association has made it more interesting for the membership by awarding a weekly prize during the month of October, to the best group photo. Again this year, various crews and work locations got creative in the photo challenge, wearing their pink t-shirts. We received photos that ranged from spectacular views of the Toronto skyline in the background, to crews proudly standing beside their fire apparatus, to a group shot of the ladies in communications and even our cover photo, where the crew lay on the ground in the shape of the pink campaign ribbon outside of Station 114. Congratulations to everyone who supported this important fundraiser.

Let’s make the 2015 campaign the best yet. Get creative and send in your suggestions and artwork for the 2015 “Care Enough to Wear Pink” campaign to mail@torontofirefighters.org.

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The Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre Reprinted from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Media Release on April 4, 2013

Sunnybrook is marking the opening of its new Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre, which provides tailored care to thousands of patients. The Centre is the largest in the country and features expanded areas for specialized clinics, integrated breast imaging research and clinical trials. “At Sunnybrook, we continue to make strides in our vision to invent the future of patient care,” said Dr. Barry McLellan, Sunnybrook’s President and CEO. “This new facility, as a key part of our Odette Cancer Program, represents a national centre of excellence that makes the most of the expertise and leading practices of our teams. It provides women with the best in breast cancer care. We deeply appreciate the generosity of our funding partners and donors who helped bring this Centre to life.” Housed on the sixth floor of M-Wing, the advanced 28,000-squarefoot facility offers patients specialized clinics and unique programs, including: • Marion C. Soloway Breast Rapid Diagnostic Unit: provides rapid assessment and next-day diagnosis for individuals with an abnormality on a mammogram, breast ultrasound or a clinical finding that is highly suspicious of breast cancer. • Preventive/Genetics/High Risk Clinic: offers screening and genetic counseling for individuals at high risk including individuals with hereditary breast cancer. • Locally Advanced and Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer program: focuses on tailoring innovative local and systemic treatment options for patients, using best clinical practice and novel research opportunities. • Immediate Breast Reconstruction program: offers eligible patients undergoing a mastectomy or complex lumpectomy the option to be assessed for same-time cancer and reconstructive surgeries. • PYNK: Breast Cancer Program for Young Women: is Canada’s only comprehensive program meeting the needs of young women with breast cancer. The Centre also provides direct access to breast imaging and diagnostic services for patients and for women participating in the Ontario Breast Screening and Ontario High Risk Screening programs. “Women with breast cancer are not all the same. It affects women from their 20s to later in life. Each woman has different needs across the spectrum of breast care,” said Dr. Eileen Rakovitch, Director of the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre and Head of the Odette Cancer Program’s Breast Cancer Care Team. “Our work in the Centre is focused on continuing to improve breast imaging for the earlier detection of breast cancer, and to identify and bring innovations in research to also improve treatment, while responding to individual need as we provide rapid diagnosis, supportive care, research and breast clinical trials access, as well as education.”Named in honour of Louise Temerty, the Centre was able to open sooner thanks to a pivotal $10-million gift from Louise and Jim Temerty, Chairman and Founder of Northland Power Inc. The couple are long-time philanthropists and supporters of Sunnybrook, and Mrs. Temerty has dedicated her efforts to the breast cancer cause for decades. All told, Sunnybrook donors contributed $27 million toward construction of the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Centre. “Breast cancer patients have traditionally been put through a long waiting period for results. That wait can wear a person down — but not anymore,” said Mrs. Temerty. “The Centre’s Breast Rapid Diagnostic Unit diagnoses women quickly so they can get started on treatment early. This Centre is going to save lives, and Louise and I are proud to play a role in its creation” said Mr. Temerty. “Without the support of our donor community, we simply could not have built this leadingedge Centre. Investment by Sunnybrook donors is helping save lives,” said Dr. Jon Dellandrea, President and CEO of Sunnybrook Foundation. “Donor investment has allowed us to accelerate this opening, providing care to our patients across the region faster.” Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 25

ops Kamlo ith h t i w n w ave bee ontact and I h ve been in c t at Sick , k c o l r n ill Ha er. I ha reatme na me is W ll-time memb ronto for a t set in motio a n y m , u , s Sisters ars, 17 as a f ecently in To our member rs and y e r Brothe cue for 20 y y son was ith many of get. the age s r m 010 at is past 2 r e Fire Re oisseau, as eoff, along w will never fo b G B Decem nts. Th Geoff ’s Hospital. mother-in-law toma in s and treatme s found that s a l b n o e r d a e Childr son, wife an ith Neu o, it w surgeri d to go nosed w ds of chemo, unds of chem Mitch neede which g a i d day my s ), oun re ro reatments. h wa (MIBG many r ter mo n Mitc t Our so e underwent relapsed. Af o traditional e of radiation t s h H of ten. (2014), Mitc t responding for a high do treatment. laine o l e y n-law E y the n a r h i t t a i s r t p a e e s w h g o t Janu r o ren’s H e could s cance ether b , and m Mitch’ to Sick Child nada where h fe Gina h was put tog i w y n a m c to Toro ly place in C Mitch, ls, whi n , 2014, t Niagara Fal Local 3888. h t day. 7 1 r is the o g their tobe ay a tion, n c i a d i b O c i g r o y n c i s a s s z e a A nd e part book d On Mo ated to an am ire Fighters’ feel lik n Face o F e y l r l d i t a e t e n m r s a o e f po w ssi ing my t Gina o Profe or mak es. tter tha f Toront e l u o e y h t i of right is memor ry one To the nk eve em very fond a h t o t like ng th I would , and for givi s r of you oops ally, , Kaml 3 1 9 Fratern l a Loc arlock, Will H

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A Day Never to Be F

orgotten

Geoff Boisseau of the Tor onto Professional Fire Fig hters’ station, where we Association set in motion met the guys from their dep a series of incredible events artment and that their Chief. They pre we will remember for as lon sented us with the tickets to g as we live. I know that the Niagara Ge off Falls Park. Then Mi worked extremely hard to tch, Mom and I rode in the ensure our day was amazi fire truck, ng - right down to the Fal and it was. Others I must ls! We got a personal tou thank before beginning, and r from the this Police Chief through is by no means a comple the Falls, along with Matt te list, are: Fire Fighter Be and Bernice rnice and the Parks Co Halsband and Fire Fighter mmissioner. We saw under Matthew MacCormick, for the Fal being the Chief took us ls, and such amazing tour guides right down to board the Ho ; District Chief Neil Brown rn Blower boat from ride at the bottom the Yorkville Hall 312 and of the falls. Boy did we get all of 31 District, who turned wet! out to see us off; Niagara Falls We had a nice pizza lun Fire Chief and Department ch, wh ich wa s glu ten free for for the me, and then we amazing ride to Niagara Fal began heading north to Nia ls in a fire truck; the Niagar gar a on the a Falls Lake. We stoppe Park Police Chief for tourin d at a butterfly conservat g us around Niagara Falls; and ory, as this was the included in our tick Niagara Falls Park Comm ets. I have never seen so ma issioner, for donating park ny beautiful tickets butterflies! We con to us; as well as the mayor tinued north, stopping for of Niagara Falls, who welco photos of the med area’s beautiful fall us to the town with open colours. They showed us arms and wanted to meet the wineries in us, but the area - some of time did not permit. I know On tario’s premier wine growe there are more who made rs. Then we this headed back to our happen behind the scenes hotel. so I thank them too. We were met at the door of All the while, Matt and Be our hotel by more fire figh rnice were cracking jokes ters made us feel comple and and fire trucks than I cou tely at home, and truly a ld count. They presented part of the us with Brother/Sisterho a gift basket full of Toronto od. Even when they we Fire Fighter shirts, mugs, re leaving, they pens, insisted we let the hats, water bottles and eve m know if there was anythi n cool pewter fire helme ng more that t key they could do. chains. Someone had also thoughtfully put together a huge gift basket, full of celiac-fri Mitch said he would nev endly food for me, as well er forget this, and I know as a bag Mom and I wo that of snacks for the trip. Ge n’t either. I am so grateful off had thought of Mitch for thi s exp as eri we enc ll e and got him a video gam and for the incredible peo e to play when he is in iso ple who made it happen. Be lati ing on a and bed-ridden. part of the fire fighter fam ily is something that I am so very grateful for. Our family tha We met Bernice and Matt nks you from the bottom - our tour guides - who too of our k us in the fire department van hearts! . We headed to a Niagara Fal ls fire Gina Harlock and family

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Member Profile on

BY TONY MACDONALD, RETIRED TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN

att Drenters joined the Etobicoke Fire Department in April of 1992. After two years, he showed the mechanical aptitude to be moved onto a Squad. The Squad at Station 413 was running approximately 3,000 calls per year at that time. What makes the Squad so unique is its technical rescue abilities. Technical rescues do not occur as frequently as other types of incidents. A large training commitment is involved to learn and then stay current on the various rescue requirements. After amalgamation, the four Squads in West Command were reduced to one. This lone Squad was stationed centrally at 445 and Matt was transferred there as well. Unfortunately, the new fire department management of the day had changed the types of calls that a Squad responded to. So Matt’s truck was running less than 2,000 calls per year and was almost never first in to any working fires. This proved frustrating for Matt and he was faced with a dilemma. Should he transfer off the Squad to be on a truck that ran more fires, like many of the other avid Squad crewmembers had already done? Or should he stay on the Squad to run the interesting technical rescue calls that the Squads occasionally run? Matt decided to stay and has been on Squad 445 on A shift ever since. He has never wavered in the belief that a Squad should be sent immediately to all fire calls, due to the specialized equipment and training the Squad crews can bring to a scene. For example, in West Command, the Squad

would arrive at an underground car fire and immediately be ordered to don one hour SCBA, attach one end of their 700 foot rope line reel to an anchor point, and enter the underground parking lot with their thermal imaging camera. With that equipment, while other crews were hitting a hydrant and laying attack lines, they could go underground and find the car fire. They would then radio Command that the firefighting crew could follow the rope directly to the fire instead of being blind in the smoke, trying to find it the way we used to. While the other crews were entering and fighting the fire, the Squad crew would search through the smoke to determine if any victims had succumbed to these conditions. Other trucks currently don’t carry this equipment, so cannot utilize these techniques. As a teenager growing up in Brampton, Matt got his first part-time job in a grocery store when he was 15. After graduating high school he continued to work full-time in the grocery business and was promoted to night shift manager. Many years later, at Station 445, the crew learned that their Platoon Chief had previously worked at the same grocery store where Matt had been a manager. Of course, since fire fighters have their own brand of humour, an announcement was soon heard over the Station PA system where the Platoon Chief’s name was called, followed by “Clean up in aisle 5!” This Platoon Chief had a great sense of humour, which allowed this practical joke to be even funnier.

Matt is an active guy who has played hockey since he was five years old. He has spent his spare time caving, rock climbing, and scuba diving. He was the first N.A.U.I. diver to be certified as a Master Diver, and he received the Canadian N.A.U.I. Certification number of M0001. In 1981, Matt met a girl whose father was an experienced technical scuba diver. Reginald P. Barrett introduced him to the intricacies required to scuba dive at extreme depths. This experience led to a friendship that lasted until Reg’s death in 1989. While diving on a shipwreck named the “Gunilda,” in Lake Superior, Reg did not return to the surface from the scheduled dive profile and was presumed deceased. The authorities attempted to recover Reg’s body for several days, without success. Matt and the third diver in the group returned to the dive site and recovered Reg’s body from the wreck. They were not going to leave their friend behind!

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Matt Drenters

Reg was a friend, father figure, and mentor to Matt. His loss was profound, and a changing point in Matt’s life. It was a catalyst that directed him toward wanting to help people in distress and to serve the community. Matt was looking for a new career, and signed up with the Canadian Navy. Matt also met Toronto Fire Fighter, Ray Mattison, who convinced Matt to try to become a fire fighter, just like Ray’s son Dave did. While he was still on the waiting list for the Navy, Matt met a beautiful girl named Michele at a store party. Matt and Michele have been happily married for 28 years now. Matt was also successful at joining the fire department before reaching the top of the Navy’s waiting list. That was our gain and the Navy’s loss. At this time, Matt was also working with Bolton Ambulance. He served as a volunteer Paramedic for ten years, before they changed to full-time paramedics. This medical

experience has been a valuable asset and has been useful throughout his years on the trucks. Matt has been able to give succinct patient reports to the Paramedics coming on scene, which has surprised and impressed them, because he was using the terminology they were used to hearing amongst themselves. Matt was also a member of Code 4 Rescue, which meant for thirteen years, he was at every Molson Indy race in Toronto. His rescue truck would respond to crashes on the racecourse. His team would extricate and give initial medical treatment to the drivers, as well as track workers and occasionally, injured onlookers. Matt’s caving background came to be useful when he and another experienced caver introduced a group of fire fighters to caving in 1999. Every year since then, this group has continued to travel to the southern United States for a week of caving. In 2000, some of these same cavers initiated a second trip each year to West Virginia. There is an 876-foot high bridge there named the New River Gorge Bridge. When built in October 1977, at 3030 feet long, it was the longest single-arch bridge in the world. Today, it is still the fourth longest. Once a year in October, the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic so that the State of West Virginia can throw a large party to celebrate the Bridge’s birthday. Depending on the weather, they will get anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 attendees who come to enjoy the festivities. It is the only place in North America

where people can legally base jump from the bridge, then parachute to the ground. Matt’s team is one of 22 rappel teams that rappel from the bridge to the riverbed below. Matt has been the Master Rigger every year, setting up the rope to the anchor system and making sure that the team members enjoy a safe experience. With Matt’s rope and climbing experience, it was only natural that he was one of the first rope STI’s for Toronto Fire, and has been helping train Squad crews ever since. He was one of the first STI’s to rappel down the inside of the CN Tower, as the STI’s were sorting out the systems that Squads would use to rescue workers who became trapped there. Matt also became a RIT and FF Survival STI when the program was introduced. Matt found this position to be very fulfilling, allowing him to meet many fire fighters from across the city and teach them extremely important skills to save themselves, the public, and other fire fighters. When asked about memorable incidents, Matt had trouble keeping it to just three calls: On Thursday August 10th, 2001, at the foot of Highway 427, construction crews were pouring concrete to create an overpass to Browns Line. They had poured 525 tonnes of concrete when the entire set of molds broke away and fell seven metres to the ground below. One worker fell with the bridge and was trapped in the jigsaw mess of steel beams, jagged rebar, and hot wet concrete.

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Member Profile...Continued from page 29

The temperature during this rescue was 36.6 degrees and there were no clouds in the sky. For the entire rescue, normal means of access were unavailable, due to all of the debris that was balanced high above the site where the worker was laying. Each time a light breeze puffed, massive steel beams would begin to swing and sway, and could collapse at any time. Command at the scene contacted Pearson Airport to keep helicopters from approaching too closely, and thereby not disturbing the scene with the wind generated by their rotors. Matt and Dave Dunt were the two rescuers chosen to rappel from an aerial platform to remove the injured worker and another worker who had moved in to assist his buddy. With the assistance of many fire fighters from the newly amalgamated city, the two workers were successfully packaged and lifted from the scene. Each worker was lifted with a rescuer attached to them to attend

to their injuries and safety. Matt and Dave received the Ontario Medal of Bravery for this daring rescue. Another time, Matt was the confined space rescue entrant in a shopping mall where the confined space was under the mall. Confined spaces have enough dangers to deal with at the best of times. This incident was made even more dangerous by the fact that there were banks of electrical equipment down in the confined space and there was also a fire burning down there. This meant that Matt was working around this electrical equipment blind. Also, all of the Squad crews assisting Matt from above, inside of the mall, were in dense smoke and had to continually change air bottles while staying at their positions, keeping Matt safe. He was able to extinguish the fire and get back out safely. This incident led to TFS Squads receiving communication gear, where the rescuers talk with their Rescue Sector Officer through a wire inside one of their ropes, rather than using a normal radio. Radios rarely work in these situations and did not work at this incident. At another rescue scene, a transport truck travelling northbound on Highway 427, had gone over the side of a bridge, crossing over railway tracks. The tractor came to rest with the windshield on the track bed below. The trailer was still attached and was pressing down vertically on the tractor with the tail end of the trailer leaning against the bridge, from which the truck had just fallen. The driver was found halfway through the windshield, trapped by the roof, which had pinched around his body. All rescue equipment at this scene had to be lowered from above with rescue ropes. The truck and trailer lifts were accomplished by employing airbags and utilizing two 45-ton tow trucks. Each time the truck and trailer were raised an inch or two, Matt was inside dealing with the driver. Matt was able to use hydraulic spreaders from these close quarters inside the cab, to spread the roof away from the driver enough to remove him.

Ten years ago, Matt began road-racing bicycles. He loved the challenge and as a side benefit, it assisted him in staying in good physical condition. His inspiration came from his father, who had been a bike racer, village champion, and was training for the Tour de France when WWII came along to push those dreams aside. Matt has participated in three World Police Fire Games. He went to Quebec, Vancouver, and in New York, he medalled twice with Silver and Bronze medals. He is now training for the Games in Fairfax Virginia, which will be held this year. Matt has joined the new Velodrome in Milton, which was built this year for the upcoming Pan Am Games. This gives him yet another way to enjoy racing bikes. On the family front, Matt and Michele are most proud of their two terrific sons, Zachary, aged 20 and Benjamin who is 15. Michele and Matt have enjoyed going camping on family vacations every year at Killbear Provincial Park. Their most memorable trip was a two-week RV trip to British Columbia. Matt says that it improved upon the wonderful bond that they already enjoy. Matt truly loves being a fire fighter, as he feels it is a very rewarding profession. His oldest son Zach shares this view and has aspirations of joining his father as a fire fighter. Matt is looking forward to many more years of working alongside his fellow fire fighters. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 30

Edwin (Ted) Morette April 23, 1966 It was late in the evening when Bob Karman was working at the fifth floor office of Art Design and Service Ltd. at Yonge and Davenport. The smell of smoke drifted into the west end of the building and was accompanied by a crackling sound he could only presume was fire. He quickly rushed to the stairwell and as he reached the fourth floor he could barely see, as it was full of smoke. He soon realized that the sound that had alerted him was not the fire itself, but rather the windows being shattered out of the building from the pressure inside. Unaware of whether anyone else was inside he shouted repeatedly as he ran down the stairs. Fortunately, for caretaker Adam Sittig, he heard the screams and safely evacuated as well. It did not take long for the fire to grow and spread throughout the fourth and fifth floors, fuelled largely by paint and other art materials. Fire fighters first arrived from the Yorkville and Grosvenor stations and later from across the city as the call escalated to a third alarm blaze. After setting up several ladders around the building the crewmembers from the Yorkville Station were broken up to work on various tasks. Fire Fighter Ted Morette was sent into the building with other fire fighters to try and contain the flames. As he worked on the fifth floor his low air warning alarm went off so he proceeded to exit the building down the stairwell to change his cylinder. It was not until sometime later that fire fighter Ralph Smith found Morette collapsed in the basement with his mask off. Smith and other fire fighters quickly removed fire fighter Morette from the building and were exhausted by the time they managed to get him out. Ted Morette was rushed to Toronto General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. As the fire raged on several other firefighters were either injured or overcome by smoke and sent to the hospital. Roughly 3,000 spectators watched in awe as the building endured more than $100,000 in damage and injured fire fighters were taken away from the scene after trying to salvage what they could. It was later determined that, due to the heavy volume of smoke and heat in the stairwell, fire fighter Morette had likely become disoriented and passed the first floor exit before collapsing in the basement. The cause of death of the 28 year old was ruled asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Ted Morette had been on the Toronto Fire Department for just two years but was an experienced scuba diver who was very familiar with the use of breathing apparatus. He was unmarried and lived in Toronto with fellow crewmember Michael Bailey, also from Station 10. He was taken to his final place of rest, Glendale Memorial Gardens, on Pumper 10 from Yorkville.

Leo Mulleray January 26, 1960 The dangers of fire, smoke and many other hazards were all too familiar to Leo Mulleray when he responded to a train fire at the Danforth railway yard on January 26, 1960. With over forty years on the Toronto Fire Department he had the experience and knowledge to identify the risks to his crew and make sure everyone made it back to the fire hall safely. The railway fire was ordinary in the sense that the crew successfully extinguished the blaze and all returned to Station 22 on Main Street. Shortly after arriving at the station however, the 62-year-old Mulleray collapsed suddenly and died in the place he had spent so many years serving the citizens of Toronto. He lived most of his life in Toronto and attended St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School and lived on Midland Avenue. He was also a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Holy Name Society. Funeral services were held at St. Theresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church on Kingston Road and interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. Fire Fighter Mulleray was survived by his wife Clare and daughter Leone.

Norman Penfound January 24, 1966 On an early winter morning at Station 14, Fire Fighter Norman Penfound was shoveling snow outside of the station before a call came in for a house fire on Davenport Road. With the family of four already evacuated, fire fighters quickly advanced a hose line toward the darkness of the smoke-filled home. After reaching the source of the smoke and fire, Penfound was sent to check on the water supply with the pump operator. As he walked back towards the truck through the haze, his lungs quickly filled with noxious smoke. He made his way out of the house before collapsing on the front lawn. Fire Fighter Penfound was immediately rushed to Toronto Western Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy later revealed heart failure as the cause of death. The fire, attributed to faulty wiring, had caused only five hundred dollars in damage to the home but the smoke exposure had claimed the life of yet another Toronto Fire Fighter. Norman Penfound had been a fire fighter for ten years and was thirty-four years old. A funeral service was held at Ingram Funeral Home and interment at Resthaven Memorial Gardens.

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. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 31

STATION 345 “OLD SCHOOL” - noun Slang [Oh-ld Sku-l] ‘A positive appellation referring to when things weren’t flashy or empty of substance, were done by hard work, didn’t pander to the lowest common denominator, and required real skill. Labour-saving devices, shortcuts that reduce quality and quitting before the task is done are not characteristics of “old school’

BY BERNICE HALSBAND, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER, STATION 332-C

ining the hallways of Station345 are photographs from the early days of the Toronto Fire Department. In those days, when horses pulled Pump 14 and 19 (both predecessors to the apparatus at 345), fire stations had haylofts and firefighting was an everyday occurrence. The ‘old school’ reigned. Work, it seems, was harder; as were the men that did it. Equipment was not as yielding and firefighting techniques harked back to days of bucket brigades and hose pulled along unpaved streets, piled on rigs with huge wheels. It’s hard to imagine those times without thinking of guys sitting around the kitchen table after dinner, with a cigar or cigarette stub hanging out of the corners of their mouths, as they raucously recall the day’s events, holding cards or throwing down dominoes with the brio of sailors and...well...old school firemen. Of course, the fire fighters that rookies like myself admire today, are no less commendable. In fact, one of the great compliments for a fire fighter, be it a senior man or Captain, is to be called ‘Old School’.

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The Hall at Dufferin and Dupont The current incarnation of Station 345 was built in 1963, and was the first station built in Toronto that didn’t incorporate haylofts. There’s a closet in the south wing of the station that has logbooks from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Leafing through them is like stepping back into the rich history of this city. Only fatalities and arson charges are underlined in red. They are all hand written and the most striking entries are also the most concise: “ Monday, January 24, 1966: 12:42 a.m. 2103 Davenport Road – D.C. Brown […] Firefighter overcome at scene taken to hospital pronounced D.O.A. Norman Penfound, 34 yrs. 284 Rhodes Ave.” Imagine this Captain, with pen in hand, conveying the loss of an 11-year veteran and a brother. Simple. No utterance of grief, with no room for emotion in the logbooks; just the jarring facts. Its simplicity underlines the tragedy. Norman Penfound’s plaque hangs in the entrance of the station. Next to his are two others: Robert Gaston (†18.12.1967) and Wesley Salter (†7.6.1949). Wesley Salter’s Plaque tells us that his crew attested that ‘[…] it had always been his wish that he should die on duty’. The B Shift A lot of the guys at this station have spent most of their career here. Educated by the ‘old school’, those first few years were the days when Chief Shanahan was the head of the department and names like McDonald, McCabe, and Moore were more than just a memory. These names come up when the current cadre of Captains and Acting Captains talk about the days gone: The respect and deference to Captains and Chiefs; washing trucks every time they returned to the station; street drills; polishing bells and whistles and poles; cleaning and polishing equipment, etc. Often when I walk into a firehall to tell guys I’m writing a profile on their station, they don’t really know how to answer my questions. It’s not that they are particularly shy or trying to be difficult, it’s just that they don’t do well with being put on the spot. However, when you just stand around the truck or are sitting at the dinner table, the best stories get told.

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Station 345...Continued from page 33

Crews see the people they call on, crisscrossing the neighbourhood on a daily basis. There are no happy endings to some stories and watching the tragedies play out day after day, gives emergency workers a taste of underbelly most people don’t even suspect exists. For Mike Fongaro, it seems that his entire life has revolved around this neighbourhood and he knows its history well. Despite having the bearing of a grease monkey with hands that have a different cut, bruise or burn on them every week, he is bright, well educated and well spoken. The former high school teacher remembers too many fires to list here, but they all spring to his mind when you drive by them in the truck. He lives not too far and also grew up here. “It’s hard to think of this area without thinking of Christie Pits,” he tells me after dinner. 345’s Run Area and Surroundings Station 345 is embedded into an area with a rich and tumultuous history; an area that represented the underbelly of Toronto and at the same time provided employment and industry that made it the world-class city it is today. Christie Pits At the turn of the 19th century, the aptly named Christie Pits was a sandpit. It was named after Christie Street, which in turn was named for William Mellis Christie, or the ‘cookie guy,’ as we know him today. Originally known as Willowvale Park, its three baseball diamonds hosted games every week with teams that were rostered from the community. Not immune to the Zeitgeist of the time, it became the scene of a violent clash between the Jewish players and the Anglo-Canadian Pit Club, a.k.a., The Swastika Club. These days, the area has redeemed itself into a diverse community. Home to a large number of Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, and mostly Korean immigrants, it is hard to imagine race riots now. Unchanged however, is its working class history, which, with an average household income of just under $30,000, comes in well below average. Dovercourt Park Dovercourt Park was founded as the village of Dovercourt in the 1870’s and amalgamated into the City of Toronto in 1912. Its beginnings, as a shantytown for railroad workers and poor immigrants from England, are etched deep into the land. Bloor Street features low rises with retail commercial, rental housing or apartments. In poor repair and known for pigeon infestations, they make up the oldest of the buildings in the district. North of Bloor Street is characterized largely by single-family dwellings, some converted into apartments that pose their own fire safety issues. With up to eight separate units built into places that can’t support them, the density in this area can be staggering. Side streets increase in zoned density as they approach Bloor Street. Low and medium-rise apartments occupy the majority of these zones. The north between Dupont and Davenport has undergone a post-industrial change. Though some manufacturing plants are managing to hold on, most have been converted to storage facilities 34

or condominia. CN operates a rail line through the middle of the district and some single-family, low-income row houses have been added in the last decade. The real player of industry is the GE Hitachi plant that has been processing Uranium into fuel pellets for the CANDU reactor for over 50 years. Crews have participated in plant information sessions and spill scenarios with the HazMat crew from station 332. A CLOSE CALL HALL The stories start to pile up with close calls, guys going to hospitals, getting injured, getting better, coming back for more. These guys respond to grizzly subway calls from Ossington Station, which is right up the street from CAMH and also rumored to be the most popular stations for ‘jumpers’. “We always get a bunch before Christmas,” Mike says in a matter of fact voice, as he describes a few for me. “In this line of work, like it or not, you collect snapshots of events over time. That’s just a fact. These snapshots file into the other snapshots that make up your life and everyone’s gallery ends up looking a little different.” But of course, humor reigns supreme and shots are given and guys get ribbed whether they invite it or not. Mike picks a grey hair off Colin’s fatigue shirt at dinner and Colin asks if he’s losing his hair. Mike remarks at the greyness and Colin retorts, “I’m not going bald am I? That’s my greatest fear!” as he stares at Mike’s baldhead, who feigns being offended as Colin grins. Everyone gets a turn. The D Shift It is a statistical impossibility for a firehall with this many fires to have absolutely no injuries or close calls. Jordan Muszynski of the D Shift found this out on the morning of April 9, 2014. The call came in first thing in the morning and Acting Captain Dave Mergalis rolled into the parking lot that morning not knowing he was going to be in charge. “Captain McGregor is very rarely ever off and he always comes in super early. So, if he’s not there really early, I know I’m in charge… cause he’s also never late.” No one had eaten breakfast when the call came in. Jordan and Angelo were excited for the confirmed fire they were about to face. They made entry and quickly found themselves in a hot room. While working to clear a kitchen of boxes upon boxes, in case they needed to make a quick escape, the floor collapsed suddenly in a V-Shape beneath them, while Aerial crews advanced to the seat of the fire in the basement. “RIT training set in immediately. There was no hesitation or question in my mind as to what needed to be done.” Captain Mergalis remembers holding himself onto the ledge with one arm and handling the radio with the other. “We did a lot in that fire prior to the collapse. Making entry, spraying water, clearing the way and ventilating.” Muszynski says, “We were hauling boxes filled with tiles, old newspapers, clothing, boots, books, dishes, cat cages and so much more. We found out later that it was the kitchen. You couldn’t tell Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 34

what it was because the smoke and the boxes were covering everything.” There was shelving that suddenly moved and tipped to the center of the room, but not even the shelves could fall completely because there was too much stuff. This is when things got even hotter. The floor, without warning collapsed between them while they were doing hydraulic ventilation. While Captain Mergalis managed to hang on to the first floor, Jordan remembers sliding down with Angelo Alberga from 343. Trying to describe the strange sensation of sinking she says, “I was just about to say something to my Captain, like something felt weird. We were suddenly down all together. I remember thinking to myself, this isn’t an amazing situation!” Almost literally jumping from the proverbial frying pan into the fire, Murphy’s Law set in and their low air alarms went off almost immediately after falling. Keeping their cool, the crew had to stay aware of their situation. They were surrounded completely by fire and used their hose for protection, while Mergalis called the Mayday. They had literally fallen into the fire. “Fire was all around us. ALL around us. Everywhere. Beneath us, beside us above us, just everywhere. I think we fell on the hot water tank or laundry or something because it didn’t feel all the way down. Pumper 315 was able to come from the front of the house and created a fog stream around us. I remember feeling water. Thankfully, 315 was able to protect us. Our Captain was trying to grab us and pull us out and help us get out from his position at the door, but even he was sinking lower during the Mayday.” She realized her boot was stuck but managed to pull her foot out. Barefoot and freed she scrambled toward her Captain, who was still hanging on. This is where Dave Mergalis got a new nickname: “The Human Ladder”. Jordan remembers Angelo Alberga reassuring her after he was able to get out by crawling over his Captain. “He was awesome. Right in the moment he said ‘I got you Jordan, I got you.’” She had difficulties getting out, as things were sliding down and around her. “I couldn’t find a purchase point with my feet. I couldn’t get a grip. They were able to reach down from the doorframe. This was the one point where I thought I may not make it out of the fire because no matter how hard they tried to get me out I wasn’t getting anywhere.

I’m hanging and I’m alone and I’m holding their hand and I don’t know why I can’t get out. I thought about my daughter who was six months old at the time. I’m sure this gave me a burst of adrenaline. I found something; I think it was a cat cage. My toes gripped around the grid of the cage and I was able to get six more inches and they were able to pull me up, over the door frame and out.” Ten seconds later, her face piece sucked in. Not a pleasant experience at the best of times during training. “I was lying on my back and I remember seeing a plane go by,” she says as she shakes her head, somehow smiling in disbelief at her memory. As she tells the story of her close call, she laughs a lot and jokes a lot about the call; including the seemingly trivial things she remembers. It’s amazing when you listen to fire fighters tell the stories of their close calls that they manage to joke about it at all, but in its own way, it is very typical of the culture. I’m now sitting in an upstairs Captain’s room with Captain McGregor and Lockland and they are telling stories, ribbing each other, making me laugh deep belly laughs and reinforcing my belief that at the end of the day, we have the best job anyone could ask for. Both have had a few close calls of their own - Captain McGregor getting stuck on the third floor of a house fire, which he describes as ‘being stuck in a furnace’. He escaped through a ladder that was erected to the window and bailed out. Lockland describes an incident in which he entered an adjacent house to the one on fire with Jimmy Green, now the DC on A Shift at Adelaide Station. His description of a kitchen that started with a light haze and suddenly filled with fire the way water fills a bathtub is startling. “I saw it fill the room and crawl up my bunker suit and I knew I needed to get out of there before it got to my neck. I had lost contact with Jimmy, he had gone out the back somewhere and I didn’t know where he was.” DC Green tells me his side of the story one morning at shift change, around the Adelaide kitchen table. He had gone to check out the back of the house when suddenly the place exploded. “Stick with Jimmy if you wanna live,” Lockland says laughing. “He just seems to know where to walk to avoid the dangerous spots.” As Lockland got himself to the front door, the explosion threw him onto his back and knocked all the windows out of the main floor. He ran back inside just as Jimmy did and the two managed to reconnect in the kitchen. It’s always great to interview crews like the ones at 345. They have created a bond over decades of fighting fires together and seeing and experiencing tragedies and comedies. Station 345 is still one of the best halls in the city to catch fires, much like 426, and one can see similarities between the way crews interact and create their own families. As the area slowly gentrifies, the changes will be interesting to witness, but for now, things carry on in the neighbourhood, much as they have for decades. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 35

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Letter from the Editor…

ust looking at the image below makes me chuckle. I remember as a kid playing broken telephone and laughed, as any kid would, when the third person tried to relay the message that was transmitted. Not only did each person try to make a good story better, but it also took only two attempts for the correct message to be lost.. At times, it seems like the topic of communication is drilled into us; however, I believe it is because of its value and importance. The day that we lose sight of verbal and non-verbal communication is the day that we have silenced ourselves forever. In several ways, this is already happening today, through the use of electronic devices and social media. I was in a restaurant a short time ago and saw a family of four having dinner - well, not really – I believe it got cold before they were able to eat! During their time there, each of them was on an electronic device (iPod, iPad, Blackberry). There was little, if any, conversation. I have also heard on several occasions about the loss of penmanship and correct spelling among youth. While in the electronic age there’s always spell check, to some, a dictionary in the form of a book is foreign! Whether it be on the fireground, through the IMS or with family and friends, listening and speaking are essential to ensuring that the message is sent and received accurately. Could you imagine not hearing a Mayday call or responding to a fire on one floor when it was actually on another? What about being unable to take direction from the IC?

When it comes to listening, I practice Stephen Covey’s 5th “Habit of Highly Effective People,” of seeking to understand before being understood. And while something may not be important or relevant to me, it may be to someone else and I try to find value in what is said and somehow make a connection. Research shows that listening is more challenging that talking. Most people have something to say or a story to relay; however, not everyone listens and really hears what others say when they speak – there is a difference. Listening to others empowers them and causes them to rely on you when they need a person to talk to. I invite you to practice the art of listening…and speak up, would you! Read on... Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 37

What Was That You Said? No one will dispute the fact that effective communication is essential to fireground operations. It allows us to coordinate fireground tasks such as fire attack, search and rescue, ventilation, to name a few. Without effective communication, situations on the fireground can go from bad to worse, leading to increased fire loss and damage. A similar correlation can be drawn with communication in our personal relationships. Our personal and family lives are equally as busy as that of the fireground. Time seems to be a barrier to many personal objectives, including communication. In the emergency services, we have an added strain of working shifts, which can be a huge obstacle to overcome. One of the biggest hurdles is that of time scheduling. We are often off-duty when other family members and loved ones are working and vice versa. Even when we happen to be off at the same time, the demands of life can sometimes be so hectic that there is little time to reconnect with each other and just talk. Often, we find ourselves co-habitating with our family and not really living with them, leading to feelings of separation and disconnection. Effective communication can help to reduce these feelings. Often in our busy lives, our communication patterns are task oriented and not bond building. Although these types of conversations are needed to accomplish the daily running of the household, they often don’t allow us to feel close to one another. There is a solution to this dilemma. We have to schedule communication time. It doesn’t have to be a cumbersome and unreasonable amount of time; fifteen to twenty

minutes each day will do. Choose a quiet place, or one that is free from distractions such as TV and other media. Communicating in person is best, as it allows us to communicate both verbally and non-verbally (using body language). If this is not possible, ensure that you reconnect in person as soon as possible. Don’t use text messages for this exercise, as it is often difficult to interpret tone, connotation, meaning or intent, and these things are frequently misunderstood. Unplug during this time, as there is no greater barrier to communication than the feeling that texts or emails are more important than the person sitting in front of you. Listen attentively to what the other person has to say, without interruption, but allow for both people to have their turn. In order to ensure you understand what was said, try paraphrasing. Consider beginning by saying, “If I understand correctly,” or “What I am hearing is,” followed by paraphrasing what was said/what you heard. Most importantly, enjoy the time and each other. Effective communication is crucial to healthy relationships, whether it’s between friends, family members, partners or co-workers. It allows us to voice concerns, present problems, explain feelings and accomplish tasks. Remember to take the time out of your busy lives, devoid of distractions, and invest some time to communicate and reconnect.

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BY KAREN BORNE, FIRE PREVENTION OFFICER, STATION 442 id you go to a Halloween party this past year? I attended the most amazing Halloween party! Our party was not a house party, or some night club downtown; ours was at the Franklin Horner Community Centre. A Seniors Centre, seriously, for a Halloween party? You have never met seniors like these. Throw all your stereotypical thoughts of slow moving, inactive seniors out the window, and meet these young at heart, more mature, active adults. The Franklin Horner Community Centre Halloween Dinner started three years ago with an idea from since retired Fire Prevention District Chief, Glenn Misiurski. Having volunteered with him on a separate occasion, he approached myself, and said “I have an idea, come to a meeting with me.” I would find myself sitting down with Laura Latham, Executive Director of the community centre, and chef extraordinaire, Karen Hogan. After discussing everything involved, what we would need, and how all the expenses would be covered, Glenn turned to me and said, “We can do this, right?” If it involves asking Fire Prevention for help, the answer is always yes. So, three years later, we have grown

to purchasing, preparing and serving dinner for approximately 140 seniors and volunteers for Halloween. Planning starts in August with setting the date - we chose Saturday, November 1st, this past year. Then you need to start recruiting the help. Numerous email blasts went out to West Command Fire Prevention, with a list of what we needed in terms of food, volunteers, set up help, clean up, etc. As our party has grown since the beginning (due to the shear popularity from the attendees!), I realized that we needed more help. With the help of Association Shop Steward, James Silverthorn, we drafted a letter requesting some financial support from the Association. They responded with a generous donation toward our evening. However, don’t let me forget to tell you about how awesome the West Command Fire Prevention volunteers were. They provided monetary donations, gift cards, carrots, potatoes, vegetables, salad stuffs, cheese and crackers; the list goes on… Behind the scenes is where all the action happens before the dinner. Ordering the roasts, figuring out desserts and getting all the perishable food just prior to the event. There are Seniors’ calendars to track down, trick or treat bags to make (the

more chocolate the better), decorations and sweet talking the crew at Station 434 to drop by – oh, and of course, a costume! Having the day off before is always good, to begin doing deliveries to the community centre and picking up last-minute items. The morning of the event is very similar. The many volunteers needed start arriving at the Centre at 10:00am. Rob and Glenn are peeling potatoes and carrots (over 100 lbs together), while the ladies make coffee and breakfast sandwiches and enjoy the conversation. The awesome BBQers carefully put the roasts on the spit and prepare to stay in the courtyard to BBQ. Decorating is next. You can’t have a Halloween party without dressing up the room. There are linens to layout, as well as tables to set and decorate. Karen Hogan is a sight to behold, running around in the background doing so many things; I could not name them all. As the day progresses, more volunteers arrive; dressed as Indiana Jones, a Hawaiian girl, a scarecrow, Morticia, and Gandalf. Time to suit-up, as Bingo starts at 3:00pm - but in seniors’ language, that means arrive anytime after 2:00pm. As you are still getting the event ready to go, everyone wants to socialize and catch up from the year before. My son Colin,

Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 40

who is dressed as an escaped prisoner (his choice), is politely asked if he is the prize for winning Bingo. Not your average seniors! Let’s get the party started! Bingo starts up and I must say, this Olympian sport is taken very seriously. We enlist a regular Bingo caller from the Centre, although we may be fire fighters, we have learned there is a right way and a wrong way to call Bingo - it can be scary. Crackers and cheese, as well as drinks start getting served. The main part of the meal is almost ready now, so the plates come out and the servers are ready - let the Caesar salad begin! Bring on the dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls and gravy. Dinner is like a fast paced restaurant at rush hour; with a portion being done buffet style some being served and of course, table clearing and dish duty. The crew from Station 434 has arrived, looking a little confused and not quite sure why they are here, until I pass them a plate and tell them to grab some food and sit down for dinner. I am sure the driver in the parking lot was wondering what was up, when dressed as a ladybug, I delivered him dinner. Some of the ladies wanted to know if the fire fighters were from the

calendar…and not the senior’s calendar! We were lucky enough this year to have homemade carrot cupcakes and ice cream. With persuasion from a co-worker, who insisted that I did not need to make the cupcakes again, we enlisted someone else. As was the rest of the meal, they were delicious! Now the fun starts! With dinner over, we start awarding prizes for the fantastic costumes that have been created. Judging the costumes this year was harder than most. After much discussion it was finally decided! The Queen of England, Julius Caesar, A king, a wizard and the Mardi Gras voodoo priest and priestess. The seniors that attend come with the most elaborate, well thought out costumes. They must start the planning very far in advance. There are a few minutes to sit and enjoy a coffee and some great conversation with our new friends before we start the clean up. There is a lot of preparation that goes into this day. It is a long day but it is a great day! I wouldn’t spend my Halloween any other way. This day would not have been possible without the generous help, support and volunteering of the following people:

Ken MacMillan, Wendy Rome (A/DC), Sam Colavita, Melissa Ciccocelli, Justin Darke, Tammy Heleno, Justin Mullin, Carmine Vaccaro, Catherine Bester, Rob Bowerman, Chuck Campbell, Deborah Foreman, Rob Arnold, Anabela Santos-Manraj, Sean O’Connell, Jim Silverthorne, Greg Shultz, The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and anyone else I happened to forget. Laura Latham, Executive Director, Franklin Horner Community Centre Karen Hogan, BBQ: Big Russ Stephenson, Daddy-o Latham, Jeff Ankenmann, Lou Boulet, Henry Lorenz; Bingo Caller: Heather (aka June) Robertshaw; Cupcakes: Meshale (aka Beer) Schwartz; Kitchen: Marilyn Latham, Elthea Harris, Judy Lorenz, Jane Bramwell, Meshale (Beer), Heather Robertshaw.

As our dinner is growing in size, don’t be surprised if you see an email from me asking for help in the early fall. Fire Prevention can do anything, as we have already shown. And I have learned from other events I have attended this year that bridging the gap with our fellow fire fighters can only make everyone’s events bigger and better! We were thinking of a group costume of superheroes for 2015...hmmm, Black Widow, Bat Girl...

Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 41

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Fit toSURVIVE

The fire fighter’s guide to health and nutrition

‘Bran’ new day muffins Serves: 12 (1 muffin per serving)

Ingredients: • 1 ½ cup wheat bran • 1 ½ cup buttermilk (no buttermilk? Just combine 1 ½ cup skim or 1% milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice!) • 1 cup whole wheat flour • ¼ cup wheat germ • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt – optional • 1 cup raisins • 1-2 Tbsp honey (to personal taste) • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 Tbsp grated orange zest (the zest of about half a medium orange) • ¼ cup boiling water • 1/3 cup canola oil (or try a canola-olive oil blend) • 1 egg

Directions:

How to prevent repetitive strain injuries Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Click. Click. Click…. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Repetitive strain injuries aren’t just from heavy lifting. Something that seems light — like typing or clicking a mouse — can also cause problems if you do it over and over for a long time. Repetitive strains are injuries to the soft tissues of the body including muscles, tendons, and nerves and are caused by repetitive movements or overuse of the same body parts. Repetitive strain injuries are cumulative in nature; the load of tasks adds up over time, especially if they are done improperly and without proper rest. Here are some tips to prevent these types of injuries:

Plan and pace your tasks Doing the same motion over and over for a long time will tire and weaken your soft tissues. Weakened muscles and tendons become more prone to injury. So, switch up your tasks and positions regularly — this will

allow you to use different muscles (and give the other muscles a break.) Remember: a change is as good as a rest. If you are at a desk or machine all day and varying tasks is not possible, take regular breaks from prolonged repetitive tasks.

Maintain good neutral postures Neutral postures put your muscles and joints at an optimal length and position. These positions need the least effort on your muscles and they place the least amount of stress on your joints and surrounding structures. This means your muscles won’t get tired quite as fast. What is good posture? Try it now: Stand or sit tall by pulling your chin in, drawing shoulders back, and maintaining the lumbar (low back) curvature by drawing your tummy in. For your arms, keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid shoulder hiking. Keep arms relaxed by your sides with elbows at right angles and wrists straight. This neutral arm posture is ideal when performing keyboard activities at the computer.

Of course, some tasks may require you to come out of neutral posture, but keep trying to return to neutral when you can. To keep neutral posture and reduce reaching, place frequently accessed objects within reach and always get as close to your work as possible.

Physiotherapy and exercise Throughout the day, pause what you are doing at work and do some stretches on muscles that are constantly at work. You also may find it helpful to see a physiotherapist for advice on posture, proper body mechanics, and treatment if you have a repetitive strain injury. Thanks for reading – now take a break, stand up and stretch! Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 43

Re-printed with the permission of Sunnybrook Foundation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre” line somewhere

1. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk in a large bowl; set aside to let stand while preparing other ingredients (or about 10 minutes). 2. Combine raisins, honey, and boiling water in a bowl; set aside. 3. Preheat oven to 375°F (190° C). Lightly oil muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. 4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

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3888 RECENT HAPPENINGS

Thirty-nine of our newest Toronto Fire Fighters started their recruit training at the Fire Academy on January 5, 2015.

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d join Toronto Police an Toronto Fire Fighters , 14 20 , November 26 Toronto Paramedics on ow their support sh to at the Fire Academy, dation. for the Movember Foun

Toronto Fire Fighters pose outside of the East York Civic Center on November 11, 2014, as they participate in the Remembrance Day Parade. Vo l u m e 1 1 | I s s u e 1 | F I R E WAT CH 45

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