Fire Watch: Volume 13, Issue 4

HALL SHOWCASE ON STATION 422 VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 4

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

Publications Agreement No: 41203011

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 13

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ISSUE 4

IN THIS ISSUE 14

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FIRE WATCH (ISSN 1715-5134) is published quarterly by the TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION 14 Cosentino Drive, Toronto ON M1P 3A2 Tel: 416.466.1167 www.torontofirefighters.org E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org

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President’s Message

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Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

9

Vice President’s Message

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Chaplain’s Corner

12

Thank You TPFFA

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Roll The Heavy – Elevator Rescue

18

Dignity Memorial Toronto

19

Retired from the Toronto Fire Services

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Off-Duty and Media Awards 2019

28

Toronto’s High-Rise Units

30

Member Profile – Cameron Ruys

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Local 3888 HREI Committee Part 2

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Hall Showcase on Station 422

40 Know Your Body and keep it in the “Ready State” 42

TFS Communications

46 Rob Penny Slo-Pitch Tournament/TPFFA hosted their Annual Picnic at Canada’s Wonderland 47

Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association

CHIEF EDITOR Frank Ramagnano

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Behind the Mask – A Legacy to Remember

MANAGING EDITORS James Reed, Suzanne Boss Tel.: 416.466.1167 Fax: 416.466.6632 E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org

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What is Resilience?

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Never Shall We Forget

ASSISTANT EDITORS Bill Morris, James Kennedy, Mykhail Baehr, Jerami Haden, Matt Rayner

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Fit to Survive – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: Part 1

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3888 Recent Happenings

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Bryan Middleton FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Mykhail Baehr & TPFFA Media Team

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VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 4

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ADVERTISING Please contact Bill Monson at 416.466.9180 ext. 322 or e-mail monson@torontofirefighters.org

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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.

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Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN THINKING ABOUT RETIREMENT? The thought of preparing for retirement usually initiates some concern for one’s financial situation and future income. While you may have put a lot of thought and effort into preparing your financial portfolio, have you given much thought about preparing your psychological portfolio? A psychological portfolio is often missed and/ or overlooked by those who are close to retirement, which is unfortunate as this is a critical aspect of planning for a retiree’s future.

Occasionally, I have had members visit me at the Association for some guidance and discussion revolving around their retirement considerations.

In most cases, our members need clarification on vacation/lieu day payout, benefits, tax sheltering payouts and of course, how exactly the bridge pension benefit works.

To get a feel of where our members are on their retirement planning when they meet with me, I usually start with the general question of “Tell me, what are you going to do in retirement?”.

A common, but serious answer is “I’d like to relax, travel, golf and sleep in”.

The American Psychological Association’s Committee on Aging has initiated a “Life Plan for the Life Span 2012” (PDF, 3.4MB) project, which aims to inform people — no matter their age — about the new face of aging and retirement is a great source that I’d like to recommend. The campaign includes user-friendly tips to allow people to plan for a successful retirement. This project is something that could be of great use for so many of our members, as many of our members, and most people in general, do not devote the time required to assess what they would like to do by the time their retirement commences. As the Association President, I’m more than happy to discuss and/or direct our members close to retirement through avenues like the Fire Watch Magazine

so they are aware of things that do need attention to help make their retirement a smooth and successful transition!

What are you going to do in retirement that provides meaning?

The fact is, if you don’t know what you want your life to look like, how can you know what you need in retirement? It’s like building a house from the ground up without a blueprint. You need a plan, a vision and an expert to help guide you.

To be clear, suggesting that you have a plan for retirement is not suggesting that you must schedule out your day, week, month and year for your specific activities. It is suggesting that you know what you wish to build the next part of your life on.

For example, do you wish to be near family, or do you want to be near the ocean (or if it’s possible, both)? Are cultural opportunities important to you in retirement? What about medical facilities or shopping? How about being close to an airport to ease travel? What about opportunities for part-time work?

These are just some of the questions that are important to consider. It’s no simple challenge to project your needs and wants into the future. The process becomes less difficult if you start with the following: What do I care most about? Who do I care most about?

What gives my life meaning? What activities or endeavors might I want to explore that I don’t have time for now?

Start with these questions and give yourself time and space to consider them. While they are big questions, they go straight to your heart and core values; so, once you get to thinking about them, the answers will likely come.

Take notes, and as you begin to formulate some ideas, you might start to notice the financial implications of your ideas. For example, if living in Hawaii is your dream, then you need to know what it costs and what options are available to you.

Here are some other factors to throw in the mix: health and family history, where you live and whether a change in location is wanted or needed, suitability with the goals of other stakeholders.

Having purpose is the driving force in life. The studies are clear; without purpose, people do not flourish. You need a reason to get up in the morning!

Regardless of whether you are five, ten, or twenty years away from retirement, it’s never too early to begin thinking about the future and what it takes to not only get there, but to sustain a life with purpose and meaning.

For some, it means simplifying life.

For others, it gets more complicated.

But, with added factors such as the end to your earning years, health changes, and factors completely out of your control, a plan needs to be made.

Think of your journey to retirement as you would if you were building a house from the ground up. Consider what you want to accomplish when you want your goal completed; what tools you need, what factors could impact your success, and who you need around you to increase your ability to succeed.

I have updated our cost of retirement chart. It is only to provide you with a glimpse of what to expect financially from retirement. The chart is conservative in terms of the cost of retirement (we believe it would be less for most people). The reasons are, no tax deductions or programs such as income splitting were used, and the taxes were also based on a single person.

Frank Ramagnano, President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888 Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF

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had been a on the job for about 10 years when I found myself craving something more. At first, I considered applying to be an STI. At that time, James Coones was my Union Steward. He had just been elected to the Executive Board and suggested I consider taking on his role as a West Command Steward. It seemed like a great idea and in a stroke of luck, James became the C hair of the Stewards Committee and chose me to replace him!

Excited and a little nervous at the same time, I had no idea what these new responsibilities would lead to as I took on this new role in my career. I became far more active in the Association than I had ever expected and was finding myself really enjoying it! I had access to the President and the Executive Board on a regular basis; I was given opportunities to attend OPFFA Educational Seminars; received training in WSIB, Grievance, Health and Safety and more; I became part of the Government Relations Committee and at one point worked full-time assisting Fire Fighter friendly Provincial Election candidates.

In 2010, while driving home from a seminar with an Executive Board Member, I was asked if I intended to run in our upcoming election. I had not even considered myself as a potential candidate, but through our conversation I realized that all the training and experience I had gained from being a Steward had put me in a reasonable position to run. I figured I would throw my name in the election and hoped for the best, and if the odds weren’t in my favour, I was satisficed knowing that our members knew that I was capable and interested in becoming an Executive Board Member. Nevertheless, I was very fortunate to earn one of the three spots in West Command in that year’s election! This new position provided the opportunity for me to gain further experience and education within our Association; I took advantage at every turn, spending four years as Chair of the Stewards Committee.

During that time, I also served on the Charity, Entertainment, Audit, Government

Relations and Benefits Committees.

At the end of my second term I ran an admittedly lacklustre re-election campaign.

Unfortunately, our election was at the same time as the Toronto Municipal Election and my time had to be split between doing my Association job and working to keep it. I was unsuccessful. Upon reflection, I was left with a difficult decision. Would this be the end of my Association career or could I to educate and challenge myself and took persevere? I chose the latter. I applied and advantage of the Secretary and Treasurer was accepted to the Government Relations courses that were being offered at the 2018 Committee and I was chosen to sit on OPFFA Education Seminar last fall. In addithe Associations Organizational Review tion, James graciously offered his support Committee. The AORC produced a report and guidance, promising to do everything that is still used today to drive the direction in his power to make the transition into the of the Association. As a member from the Secretary-Treasurer position a smooth one, floor, I took the opportunity to move forward should I be successful. When election seaa significant constitutional change for our son came this past spring, I was fortunate members. There were consistent concerns enough to have James nominate me for the from our members regarding the difficulties position. My acclamation allowed for the unof attending meetings in Toronto in order precedented opportunity to spend the final to vote on issues of importance. I sat with a months of James’ term as his shadow. One group of like-minded members to formulate thing I quickly learned was how incredible the wording on our Online Voting language the Administrative staff is at our Association and that language was successfully added to office; they will do everything in their power to work with you and help you succeed. I’ve our constitution.

Feeling re-energized, in 2017 I ran for also been fortunate enough to have the supand was elected again as a West Command port of our President Frank Ramagnano and Representative. In this term, I was allo- VP Kevin McCarthy, as well as the outgoing cated crucial roles in Co-Chairing on both and incoming Executive Board throughout the Government Relations and Benefits the transition. So far, it’s been a whirlwind Committees with our VP Kevin McCarthy. of a transition but one that I am enjoying My term started January 1st, 2017, which and only becoming more confident in; I look was the very same day TFS changed benefit forward to meeting the demands of this chalcarriers from Manulife to Green Shield. This lenging position!

Over the course of the next few months, was a huge transition for our Association and its members; it has been a challenging pro- you will see a revamp of our TPFFA website. cess to say the least with grievances ongoing We will also be putting forward an updated today and members denied significant reim- Expense Policy for a membership vote. I am bursement. I have learned a great deal about excited to face the new challenges ahead what it takes to confidently and effectively and to see what the future holds. It has alfight the City on behalf of our membership. ways been an honour to be elected to serve When it became apparent that our previ- our membership. ous Secretary-Treasurer James Coones, was not going to seek re-election in the 2019 spring elections, he and I had numerous conversations revolving around my role within James Reed, Secretary-Treasurer the Association. Although I had doubted Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association some of my qualifications, I was still eager I.A.F.F. Local 3888 Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATION

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o say I was scared to death would have been an understatement. With just two years of service and only 22 years of life experience behind me, I had no idea what to expect.

As I sat outside the door of the Fire Chief’s office, my mind played back the series of events that lead me here. It started so innocently.

“Career planning”… at least that is what the Department called it. I was assigned to work in both Fire Prevention and Communications during the day portion of my Operations shift. Back then, we worked 12s, 14s and one 24. This was an opportunity for me to learn all aspects of the job. I was too naïve to understand at the time that this truly would open my eyes to how hard the other divisions worked and the importance of working together. We all had a role to play, but at the time, I just wanted to be on the trucks.

However, the more shifts I worked, the more I started to enjoy the challenge. There were the frantic phone calls in Communications of a person in need and never knowing the outcome of their fate. Something you could not understand unless you truly experienced it. I often played the scenarios over in my mind of what was occurring when the trucks arrived, only to be given the all clear to start the process all over again.

It was the interaction with the public that stood out most while I worked with Fire Prevention. I was used to the waving hands of happy children while I sat in the back of the big red trucks. This dynamic was different every time. In some cases, the people we were going to see didn’t like us at all. In their minds, we were just like the Police and a visit from us usually resulted in charges or at least a revisit to see that things were corrected.

It didn’t take long to bring my mind back to my present circumstances at the Fire Chief’s office and it was a relief when the Union President arrived. I was brought up in a strong labour family because my grandfather served for years with the CAW. I was always told if you ever have to meet with anyone outside your bargaining unit make sure the union is there. My mind started to race.

I had a feeling this was going to be far more than a slap on the wrist. My childhood dream was over.

To this day the series of events are etched in my mind. This is how it began…The Platoon Chief dropped a file on my desk and told me “inspect this building kid”. (They were allowed to talk that way back then). It was my chance to prove myself after weeks of going over the building codes, fire codes and doing shadow inspections, I was

flying solo. He flipped me the keys and handed me a radio. I couldn’t have been happier. I was going to do the most complete inspection they had ever seen.

Although I had arranged an appointment, the Building Superintendent was late, and I got a vibe he wasn’t looking forward to our inspection.

Starting on the top floor working our way down I began to make note of the various code violations. An exit light not functioning, a breach in the ceilings where there was water damage, unnecessary clutter in the hallways or around exits; nothing outrageous, but all infractions that would form my report.

Back at the office, I diligently filed my report highlighting the violations and provided corresponding code references. The Captain checked my work for content, confirming what required repair or corrective actions before the building would be released. The report was filed and passed up the chain of command to the Platoon Chief. I was shocked when I heard his gruff voice yell “McCarthy get in here and shut the door”.

I shut the door and he peered at me over his desk. “What is wrong with you?” “Are you looking to get fired?” “The building you inspected is owned by one of the highest ranking city officials.” Each grunt forced me to sink lower and lower in my chair. The room suddenly felt smaller. “Now change it and get out”!

I guess I could have changed it a little. It certainly would have made my life easier. But, I did what I knew was right and my report remained as originally written.

“You don’t appreciate someone until you need them”. Think of how many times after a fire call that someone has said that to you. That day, I needed the union and the union stood up for me; and I have tried to do the same for everyone since.

Unions are a necessity. We cannot allow ourselves to become apathetic about our role in the workplace.

Unity is Strength and Unions provide workers with a powerful, collective voice to communicate to management on your behalf. It is important to have someone who isn’t emotionally involved and knows your rights. It’s a lot like insurance.

In fact, many people view union dues as “job insurance premiums,” though that only tells half the story. Union dues are used not only to protect jobs, but to fund negotiations for better wages and working conditions, to pay for professional advice when needed, to organize more

workers and make the membership stronger, to train stewards and health and safety committee activists, and to work for better laws for workers and their families.

During negations, the City provided Local 3888 with and end of past practice which would dramatically change the level of protection to our members.

The City informed Local 3888 that it would not openly be inviting union representation to “fact gathering or interview meetings” dealing with Local 3888 members. We do not believe this is productive and we do not believe the City is doing this in the best interest of Local 3888 members.

TFS is advising our members that Association representation is not required for these interviews, as the member in question is not expected to be facing any disciplinary action. This is concerning to all members of our Association. These meetings are being presented to our members in the form of Witness Interviews, supposedly in connection with an incident or incidents involving other members of our Association. Even if you are told that they are not investigating you, our recommendation is that you are entitled to, and should have, Association Representation at any meeting with Management that could lead to, or possibly lead to, discipline.

This is of particular importance with regards to HR interviews, where our members might have witnessed an incident in the workplace, and their resulting actions (or inactions) may be called into question. We have had members disciplined who were just initially involved as witnesses, but who said something at a Witness Meeting that led to them being disciplined.

Sitting outside the door, I could hear the Fire Chief speaking to someone on the phone. My heart was pounding now, but the Union President leaned over and said “relax I got this.”…. and he did!

Kevin McCarthy, Vice President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888 Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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When the shift is over, we’ll still be on call.

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Please call 800-854-8080. Available 24 hours a day.

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

T

hought I might give you a glimpse into the life of this chaplain. What a ride it has been over the past three years of serving as a chaplain in the North Command.

I love every moment! I have met so many great people across the fire department, from COMMS to the halls, and from ceremonies to sporting events. I feel like I’ve been on a crash course learning about the behind the scenes of firefighting. Of all the things I’ve learned, one thing has surprised me more than all the others. It is the unfinished story.

From station to station I witnessed a reoccurring theme of interruptions—regardless of what day it was or platoon was on or station I was in, the alarm in a station is not a respecter of time or events. I watched meals cut short, conversations stopped midway, study moments disturbed, and even the sacred workouts halted. However, on the civilian side, victims of accidents or violence and everything in between, their stories are being disrupted by crisis and this is where the two stories intersect. As I reflected on this, I thought of a time I was interrupted and had to leave a movie to take an extended phone call. When I got back to my theatre seat the credits were rolling on the screen, I realized I had missed the end of the story. The question I was then left with is how did it end?

I recognize that everyone works their role with professionalism bringing to life the motto of the Toronto Fire Services. At COMMS, when a call is received, there has already been a narrative that has been unfolding prior to the call—people, buildings, vehicles can all be involved and the call taker quickly finds themselves gathering information of a story that is already halfway through. Teams are

dispatched and the story continues.

Trucks arrive on scene, the incident is soon stabilized, causalities sent to hospitals, and, at some point, the role of the fire department ends. But what happened to the driver that was extracted from the wreck, the VSA that was revived, the jumper that was saved? It’s all another unfinished story. Paul Harvey had a famous radio show that told half of a story and then after a commercial break he would say his now famous words, “Now for the rest of the story.” I’ve thought often about what potential scenario could be created to find and tell the rest of the story and close the book on a call. With the exception of those injured coming back to stations to say thanks, the advent of privacy laws and the multiple tiers of hospital care it is next to impossible for first responders to finish the story.

While I do concede that sometimes knowing if a victim survived can be good news to a crew, the reality is that it is also good news when everyone performs their role within the developing story like their role is the most important role. The 911 fire dispatcher, the first crews on scene, the support crews and blocker trucks, and the DC’s giving direction—everyone’s role helps in creating the possibility of the best-case scenario of keeping a victim’s story alive. Our role is showing up to the scene often at the crisis moment of someone’s life—when their life is in chaos and out of control—bringing stability and making sure a better story unfolds.

I read a book once by the author Donald Miller, called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Miller wrote that “Everyone writes a story, so go write a good story.” There will always be unfinished stories; however, I’m thankful that all the crews within Toronto Fire are working to write a good story

North Command Rev. Ted Leck 647-461-4047 tleck@rogers.com

even though they might never know the ending.

I was lucky enough to learn the ending of one particular story from my good friend Aaron, of his own experience with the Toronto Fire Services a number of years ago.

Outside his downtown office a serious car accident occurred and Aaron was one of a number of civilians that immediately responded to the casualties.

Two of them entered the wreck and held the victims’ heads while waiting for first responders. Aaron told me that, “When I heard the sirens of the fire truck, I felt like it’s going to be OK because the professionals are here.” Unfortunately, the victims both succumbed to their injuries, but even their families in the midst of their deepest grief spoke years later of the comfort they had knowing their family members were given the full support of the fire department. Stories disturbed by crisis happen all the time, but I’m thankful that these stories include a chapter about those from Toronto Fire responding with help despite the fact they might never know the ending.

Never underestimate your role in the story!

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Hello TPFFA, I want to express my sincere thanks to President Frank Ramagnano, the Executive Board and everyone else who was involved in the planning and organizing the Retirement celebration on May 9th, as it was an awesome event that made every retiree and family member proud to be part of the Toronto Fire family. On behalf of my wife and myself, thanks again to TPFFA 3888 for hosting this event; we will never forget this night.

Thanks again!

TPFFA

Sincerely, Terry Bugg

To everyone at TPFFA 3888: Dear Fire Fighters: Thank you so very much for supporting our amazing campers!! Camp BUCKO has had such success and it’s because of you, our BUCKO supporter that we are able to offer the BUCKO program to these young burn survivors.

Your generous donation raised from the “Come From Away” tickets has enabled us to offer an exciting camp program to our campers. Your support is so very much appreciated by us all!!

The recovery from a burn injury is both emotionally and physically painful and our goal is to continue to support our young burn survivors. Camp BUCKO provides our campers with an opportunity to come together in a supportive, fun-filled environment and learn there is more to who they are than just their scars. Our supportive environment is key to helping these children achieve greater confidence and self-esteem.

Warmest regards, Patrick Howlett President, Camp BUCKO

Dear TPFFA, Thank you for all that you have done for my family.

Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten, thank you so much.

Sincerely, Claudia 12

A mighty thank you for the wonderful Retirement send off last night! Tammy and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and felt the sincere sense of appreciation. It was more than we anticipated. It’s hard to think that I have reached the next chapter in my life, but I will forever be thankful for being part of this wonderful organization. Kudos to all that made our night a memorable one and the gifts of appreciation.

They will forever be cherished. Will always be proud of TFS and hope the next generation that follows carries on with the same opportunities and enthusiasm.

Reminding everyone to stay safe and a heart felt thanks once again for a grand evening.

Sincerely, Scott McLaren

We can’t thank you enough... …for all that you did for our family during this difficult time.

The TPFFA and the C&B Committee went above and beyond with the funeral arrangements. We don’t know what we would have done without your help. It is so greatly appreciated.

Thanks again, Diane

On behalf of the Camp Molly 2019 Team, I would like to personally thank you for having Fire Fighter Jenna Wulff and Dispatcher Angela Libby volunteer their time at our inaugural Camp Molly this past May. The Camp could not have been a success without your support and the help of volunteers. Fire Fighter Wulff and Dispatcher Libby did an absolutely amazing job and gave

the participants well-rounded knowledge of the fire service in their respective fields. Our vision at Camp Molly was to introduce young women to the possibility of pursuing a career in the fire service, and with the assistance of your fire department members I believe we achieved our goal.

Once again, the Camp Molly 2019 Team thanks you for your efforts and contribution to ensure Camp Molly was a success.

Yours truly, Monique Belair Deputy Fire Chief Oakville Fire Department

I’m writing to express our thanks to the TPFFA members,

Your support of our third and more successful Canadian Tire Brave T.O. last year at Morningside Park. All in support of Scarborough Health Network (SHN).

The event was a tremendous success with 1300 excited participants navigating the 3km and 5km obstacle course which was inspired by the training methods of our first responder partners Toronto Police, Toronto Fire and Toronto Paramedics. In addition, another 1000 plus community members came to cheer on their friends and family members in the challenging but family friendly fund raiser to support SHN. The event was also a huge financial success, raising in excess of $200,000 net from our team, corporate sponsors and participant fund raising efforts.

Thank you again to the TPFFA members for your continued support of SHN. Kind Regards, Guy Bonnell Vice President, Community Development Scarborough Health Network

Dear Fire Fighters,

Thank You Again, …for coming on board as Champion Sponsors for our Celebrating Progress event. The event was a great success and wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

We had 350 people attend, which is even more impressive considering we were competing with a historic city event (the Raptors win)!

We were very pleased to have the TPFFA speak at our Progress Leaders Dinner and to showcase our relationship with TPFFA to attendees.

Thank you again for your support for this event, and for longstanding support for our work. We look forward to continuing to work with TPFFA towards a more fair and progressive city.

Sincerely, Erica Woods Program and Operations Director Progress Toronto

Positive INSTAGRAM Energy via @Toronto_Firefighters

@melonmanmedia Very proud of this service and city for being so forward thinking since the early days. I’m wearing my epaulettes with pride! @nathan_p95 Now that’s what you call Public Service!

Good Job! @blrmltn7 So proud of our #torontofire! @mechristine Can’t thank you enough for what you do everyday and putting your life on the line for me, thank you! @aw_freedom God bless you and thank you for your service @steveymac56 Some great guys on the memorial wall.

Gary. Don. Rickie and Tom to name a few. And especially my Dad. Bruce McKenzie. Miss ya! It’s been a long time! @rita.snow.5 With respect and gratitude.

Congratulations as the Toronto Fire Prevention Golf Tournament raised a fantastic $20,000 for Camp BUCKO!!!

Your generous donation of $1000 has enabled us to offer an exciting camp program to our campers. You support is so very much appreciated by us all.

Please accept our thanks for your help in making Camp BUCKO a success!

Thank you, Patrick Howlett President, Camp BUCKO

@livebylettinggo Thank you for continued focus on recognition, acknowledgement, support and assistance for our partners, family and friends. @80sim I LOVE this! What an amazing initiative and an incredible way to model the kind of attitude and behaviour we want our kids to emulate. Thank you. @pieces.to.pathways Thank you!!!!!!! @progresstoronto ICYMI – We shared great photos from out 1-year anniversary party! 350 people came to celebrate, and tickets were free thanks to our event sponsors including @OSSTFtoronto @TPFFA and @cupelocal79 Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 13

BY KEN DE JONG, ACTING CAPTAIN, STATION 445-A

“Roll the Heavy” is a series of articles to inform members of the capabilities, equipment and limitations of the Heavy Rescue Squads. By sharing this information, we can better serve the citizens by fostering a professional, team approach. This will improve the chances of a successful outcome in the many complicated and technical emergencies that we respond to.

Introduction Elevator Rescue On most days, no one gives much thought to elevators. They are simply a convenient method of traveling among floors in a building without having to use the stairs. But when the elevator breaks down and people are trapped in it, the situation can become a Squad emergency. The elevator then ceases to be a helpful “people mover” and is now a piece of machinery that must be taken very seriously to avoid injury or even death to the occupants and rescuers.

Many crews wonder why they need to wait for the Squads to arrive. Why not have all crews trained and equipped for this attribute? The answer is that the installation and maintenance of elevators is specifically controlled by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority. This not-for-profit and self-funded organization is accountable to the Government of Ontario (through the TSSA Act) and controls the training provided to rescue organizations, such as the TFS. The dangers and required techniques are specifically designated, and the training of the Squads is done

by TSSA-approved providers. By limiting this to the Squads, it increases the risk control. While the first-in crews can perform immediate extrication in life-threatening situations, it is still governed by the TSSA through Spec Ops. The TFS sends the closest apparatus to assess the situation (including the need for immediate extrication) and to provide medical attention, if needed, after the Squad (or Elevator Mechanic) opens the elevator.

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The Challenge One of the biggest challenges happens before Squad is dispatched. It is the decision-making process of whether the entrapment is an emergency or not. This decision is made by the TFS call-takers and takes a number of factors into account. How long have the people been trapped? Has an elevator repair company been called, and is there a reasonable ETA? Are the occupants experiencing any medical issues that are critical or could become worse?

Because the elevator is classified as a machine, we must perform the preferred “Lock Out – Tag Out” procedures before attempting any extrication. This can be a challenge because the mainline disconnecting switch is typically located in a locked room, and if the superintendent is not on site, we must look for other ways to gain access. The second choice is to acquire keys from the Fire Safety Plan Box. Are they there? Are they current?

The third main challenge is gaining access to the elevator itself. The easiest method is when a drop key, lunar key, or barrel key mechanism is incorporated into the landing door. The most difficult scenario is when the elevator car is stuck between floors in a high foyer area, and the access must be by rappel from above and entry through the roof hatch. In between, there are many variations of latching mechanisms and backups. The Squad crews receive training in this area, but the best education is gained through running a lot of calls (and they do run a lot of calls!)

The Toys Any crew that has run an elevator call has seen the “elevator bag” the Squads bring with them. This bag primarily has keys that release the latching mechanism of the outer door to gain access to the car door. When this option has not been fitted on the door, a number of bent wire tools can possibly be used to release the latch. Other items include door stops, Lock Out / Tag Out tags, and sometimes a set of bolt cutters (for the Fire Safety Plan Box or locks on the roof hatch).

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Roll The Heavy...Continued from page 15

The Approach The protocol for an elevator entrapment follows a series of allowable methods of extricating the occupants based on risk analysis. If the occupants have no medical needs and are comfortable and simply inconvenienced, we do not want to risk their safety (or ours) by performing a high-risk opening method. On the other end of the spectrum, if the occupant is in the middle of a heart attack or lifethreatening medical episode, we will risk a lot more of ourselves to save that person. Related to this, is the understanding that the Elevator Mechanic has the higher authority due to their knowledge and abilities, and it is simply because we can arrive sooner that we are bestowed the training to ensure a safe rescue. Once the Elevator Mechanic is on scene, they are in charge of the extrication, and we offer assistance (and standby for medical assessment).

In some extreme circumstances, we may need to dig a little deeper into our rescue bag of tricks. When a car is stuck in a blindhoist way, and the city power is out, a rappel down the shaft may be required. This would be a capability the Squad crews have that the Elevator Mechanic does not. In severe flooding situations, there have been occupants trapped in basements where the water was rising to a dangerous level. Squad crews have knowledge and equipment for forcible entry and water rescue to solve this problem.

What Else to Know

Despite the fact that we all see elevators as reliable machines, they still have the potential for lifethreatening situations. The hoist way is a height hazard that has claimed the lives of civilians and Elevator Mechanics. The car door opens in a sheering action past the floor door opening, and victims have been sliced in half when proper procedures were not followed. There are high voltage hazards in the elevator control room and numerous pinch points as well as trip hazards in and around the elevator car. We must have a high level of respect and diligence when we approach the elevator entrapment calls. With this, effective communication, and a professional attitude, we can safely extricate the occupants and see them happily on their way.

Stay safe out there and see you on the pile.

Post Script: This is the final article of the “Roll the Heavy” series (I’ve run out of Squad attributes!)

Stay tuned for a new series that focuses on specific calls that have happened and how the crews met the challenges!

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Dignity Memorial Toronto

Pre-planning for your funeral or cemetery arrangements can be difficult to talk about, but it can also be a true gift to your family and bring you peace of mind to know you’ve taken care of an important responsibility. By making your arrangements in advance, you can plan a service or memorial that honors your wishes, those of your loved ones, and perfectly reflects your unique life.

With the help of a professional, it’s possible to plan – and pay for – your final arrangements in advance and in careful detail.

One of the most difficult things many families face is not being prepared for the loss of a loved one. In that case, family members are forced to create a plan while they grieve, which can make a highly emotional situation more stressful.

There are over a hundred questions that need to be answered before a funeral can take place, and many people don’t realize the endless possibilities when making final arrangements. From location to music, food and special mementos, the choices and details are completely up to you. A thoughtful, well-planned event can provide friends and family a meaningful and memorable opportunity to gather and celebrate all the things that make their loved one so special. Whether a traditional service or a different experience to celebrate one who marched to the beat of a different drum, every life can be celebrated exactly as requested.

It’s always good to begin with the basics when pre-planning. Visualize how you’d like to be remembered. If you have specific passions or hobbies, think about how you can highlight them in your service. For example, if gardening is something you love, consider an outdoor service resplendent with flowers— perhaps a beautiful floral trellis for guests to walk through. When a service has been planned in advance, highly personal details like custom seed packets for guest mementos are entirely possible.

When the theme and wishes have been decided upon, record and share them with your loved ones and the provider of your choice. One of the most compelling reasons to pre-plan is the possibility of alleviating the future stress of those you love having to guess about what you would have wanted.

This information is brought to you by Dignity Memorial Providers of Toronto. As proud members of the Dignity Memorial® network of more than 2,000 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, these funeral professionals are dedicated to helping families in the greater Toronto community and nationwide celebrate each life like no other.

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To help ease the discussion with your family, many providers offer a free Personal Planning Guide, a valuable planning tool where you can record and organize your final wishes. In it, you’ll find many questions that you and your family may not have considered that can help prompt an honest conversation about your options.

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Congratulation to those Local 3888 Members who recently Retired from the Toronto Fire Services!

Russell Aitchison David Albright Bruce Alexander Robert Allan Allan Andrews Ronald Andrews Steven Anta Roberta A. Arnold Mark P. Ashcroft Donna Bakewell Robert Balmer Christopher Bardecki Steven Belanger Franklin Ball Brian Black Michael Blacklaws David Bow Barry Breeze Werner Brodbeck Kirby Bryan Terrance Bugg David Camley Robert Carey Kenneth (Rick) Chalk Robert Clarke Stephen Coles Richard Connery Randy Cook Peter Cooper Richard Cooper Napoleon Cortez John Creed Robert Dandridge William DeBruyn Robert Delo Paul Demy Christina Denysek Steven Duffield Declan Dunn Bill Dutka Stephen Elliott Derrick Fisher

30 yrs 31 yrs 34 yrs 35 yrs 31 yrs 31 yrs 33 yrs 29 yrs 32 yrs 36 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 29 yrs 33 yrs 32 yrs 35 yrs 34 yrs 34 yrs 33 yrs 28 yrs 33 yrs 32 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 31 yrs 29 yrs 34 yrs 31 yrs 39 yrs 28 yrs 35 yrs 32 yrs 31 yrs 27 yrs 29 yrs 29 yrs 34 yrs 30 yrs 31 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs

Kenneth Fowler Robert Fraser Neil Gallagher Joby Garcia Brian Gemmell Andrew Gibb Karl Gibbs Joe Glivar Stephen Gray John Hanley Michael Harper Tim Harrod Brian Hasselfelt Alan Heinz Thomas Heron David Hodgson Mark Hutchinson Perry Jeisel Paul Jones Patrick Kerr Martin Kyle Larry LeLonde Todd Letwinka James MacDonald Daryl MacLennan Marlon Alonowich Hugh Mark Derek Markey John Marr Brian Marshall John S. Martin Scott McLaren Iain McTavish Cary Marengeur Jeffrey Miles Raymond Millar Henry Mommo Thomas Moore Joseph Morache Ron Morris Mike Marrow John Novakis

31 yrs 25 yrs 35 yrs 28 yrs 33 yrs 29 yrs 29 yrs 27 yrs 31 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 28 yrs 32 yrs 36 yrs 35 yrs 31 yrs 22 yrs 30 yrs 41 yrs 30 yrs 33 yrs 41 yrs 31 yrs 32 yrs 28 yrs 31 yrs 31 yrs 29 yrs 31 yrs 36 yrs 31 yrs 32 yrs 35 yrs 33 yrs 30 yrs 27 yrs 30 yrs 34 yrs 28 yrs 33 yrs 15 yrs 30 yrs

Randy Obie James Palubiski David Pineau Denis Piperidis John Prucha William Puckering Daniel Ramsay Charlene Rathgeb Michael Rathgeb Kenneth Richardson Paul Ritchie Mark Robinson Wendy Rome Bruce Russell Alcides Sabino Nunzio Salvatore Brian Sangster Michael Schmitt Peter Shewchuk Victor Simkus Richard Simpson Gord Snellings Grant Spear Bryan Stall Gregory Steffler Mark Stewart Alan Sutton Kevin Taunt David Taylor Jeffrey Therrien Darryl Thompson Arno Toms Craig Tutton Darryl Viscount Walter Vit Ivor Walker Ronald Walker Dean Weare Gus Weinhart Steven Welch Bruce White Matthew Whitehead Christopher Wilvert

38 yrs 31 yrs 35 yrs 27 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 33 yrs 31 yrs 31 yrs 38 yrs 30 yrs 34 yrs 22 yrs 34 yrs 30 yrs 32 yrs 38 yrs 31 yrs 31 yrs 34 yrs 30 yrs 35 yrs 39 yrs 28 yrs 33 yrs 35 yrs 24 yrs 29 yrs 34 yrs 40 yrs 33 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 30 yrs 33 yrs 35 yrs 30 yrs 32 yrs 36 yrs 35 yrs 38 yrs 29 yrs 31 yrs

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Media Awards Since 1949, the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (TPFFA) has sponsored an annual Media Awards to honour journalists who produce insightful, unusual and dramatic coverage of the work that Toronto Fire Fighters perform.

Firefighting is by its very nature dangerous and dramatic work. We are fortunate in Toronto that our local media professionals do an excellent job of covering and capturing our actions and the dangers that we face on a daily basis. Not only do local journalists capture the inherent drama of firefighting, many of them also distinguish themselves through extensive investigation and insightful analysis of the people and behind the TORONTO F IR E stories F IGHTERS C Hevents.

ARITIES PRESEN T S The positive public perception of fire fighters within our community is directly linked to the positive presentation of our profession in the media. The members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association are grateful for the media coverage of not only our professional actions but also of our volunteer work and charitable contributions to our community.

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Our annual TPFFA Media Awards allow us to honour journalists who distinguish themselves with reporting of the highest quality on events involving our members. Award categories have been developed to recognize those who excel in print, television, radio and online journalism, in a variety of distribution markets.

Off-Duty Awards

There is no doubt that the positive public perception enjoyed by fire fighters is directly @ t f f_c h a r it ies & f a ceb o o k /Toront o F iref ig h t ers c h a r it ies APRIL 26, 20 influenced by the individual actions of our members and supporters each and every FRIDAY day, on and off-duty.

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The members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association have established Off-Duty Awards to recognize the actions of individuals who have given of themselves to serve others @ tf fawards _c ha r it ierecognize s @tf f_ c h a rthat it ies range inf o @ t o r o nsudden t of i reh is tmoments o r y.com while off-duty. These efforts from of selfless bravery, to ongoing commitments of devoted volunteerism. Each of the Off-Duty Award recipients has made our community a better, safer place and has brought honour to our firefighting community. May they continue to serve as an inspiration to their fellow fire fighters and the community we serve.

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Media Awards

Best Print Article, Circulation > 100,000 Jake Edmiston, National Post. ‘‘Reese wasn’t alone’: The firefighters who tried to save Toronto Danforth shooting victim’s life.’

The night of July 22, 2018, was one that changed the lives of countless people, after a mass shooting incident took place in Toronto’s iconic Greektown, taking the lives of two people and wounding 13 others. Jake Edmiston’s article provides readers Lorem ipsum with sombre and unique perspectives from the crew of the first-responding apparatus that fateful evening, TFS Pumper 323.

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Best News Story, Web-Based Shallima Maharaj, Global News FOL LOWcloser T FFC O Nlook S O CIAL M E D IA! @t f f_c h ar i t i e s houses & f a c e b o o kin /ToScarborough.’ ront o F i re f i g h t e rs c h ar i t i e s ‘Fatal house fire prompts at suspected rooming

FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019 • TICKETS ON

Sadly, a fire in an illegal rooming house in Scarborough took the life of 18-year-old international student Helen Guo, also injuring three other young occupants. In her report, Shallima Maharaj speaks with neighbours, tenants, senior fire officials literally oth@ tf f _ c ha r i ties @tf f_c h a r it iand es i nf o@ t o r o n t chases of i re h i s t o r down y. c om ers for comment to get to the bottom of a serious issue concerning the safety of students and others living in illegal rooming houses.

TORONTOFIRE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLE Follow TFFC for UPDATES @tff_charities

Best ‘Live’ News Story, Web-based CityNews ‘Dramatic rescue at Scarborough Bluffs: Toronto Firefighters executed a demanding, high-angle rescue to reach two women stranded on the side of a cliff at the Scarborough Bluffs.’

Pam Seatle and her CityNews team of unsung contributors did a fantastic job highlighting the dangers inherent in rescuing those who venture out of bounds in the Scarborough Bluffs area of Toronto. Fire Chief, Matt Pegg speaks about the risks inherent to these unique geological structures, reminding any potential thrill-seekers to not attempt to climb the bluffs.

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Media Awards

Best News Story, Radio Matt Galloway, ‘Metro Morning’ CBC Radio In late March of 2018, Toronto Fire Services Chief and General Manager, Matthew Pegg, spoke with Matt Galloway, host of CBC’s Metro Morning show, to talk about a spate of fires that had occurred earlier that year. Also touching upon issues including the health and well-being of Toronto Firefighters and how their health and well-being is being supported and monitored.

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Best Photo, Social Media Steve Russell, Toronto Star ‘The morning commute along Queen Street East might be slower because of a fire at Queen Street East and Sumach. It was a three alarm fire. One firefighter was mildly injured when he fell down a staircase in a smoke filled building.’ – Steve Russell (Twitter. Apr. 26, 2018) FO L LOW T F F C O N S O C I A L ME DI A !

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Best Photo, Web-Based John Hanley, TFSPics.com John Hanley is no stranger to our media awards having won multiple awards over the years in multiple photographic categories. The photo that really stood out of the pack for us this year was taken on July 7, 2018, at a 3-alarm fire at 122 Peter Street, a fire that injured one firefighter slightly (treated on scene) and kept others busy for hours.

Two aerial ladders and an aerial tower in water operations, lots of ‘spaghetti’ with multiple hose lines in operation protecting exposures, all from a high perspective.

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Media Awards

Best Media Rep by a Toronto Firefighter A/Capt. Tamara Sylvan (Stn. 116) Four women discuss challenges they’ve faced in their work fields – a photographer, firefighter, carpenter and factory manager talk about their career paths, offer advice.

(Talia Ricci, CBC News, Mar 08, 2018)

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“Knowing that when a fire truck arrives on scene, no matter if it’s for a gas leak or a fire or a medical call, the minute they see the fire truck, everything feels better for the people that we’re going Lorem ipsum to help.”

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“As soon as I started studying and learning about it, I was hooked” – Tamara Sylvan

Best Photo by a Toronto Firefighter FF Mykhail Baehr (Stn. 232) Toronto Firefighter Mykhail Baehr is no stranger to our L LOW T F F C O N S O C I A L ME DI A ! @ t f f _c h a r i t i e s & f a c e b o o k /Toront o F i r e f i g h t e r s c h a r i t i e s photographic awardFOcategories.

In a collection of photos, he does a fantastic job capturing Toronto Firefighters in the process@tfoff_ cextinguishing h a r it i e s @ tf f _c h a r i t i e s a 3-alarm commercial fire at Yonge Street and Wellesley Street, which took place on Feb. 26, 2018.

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Best Fire Watch Article Capt. Marc Dunn Memorial Ride to Ottawa (Vol. 13 Issue #1) Marc Dunn, Toronto Firefighter and 3888 member, gives Fire Watch readers a first-person account of his participation in the inaugural Memorial Ride to Ottawa cycling fundraiser, organized by the Toronto Fire Celtic Society member group, where 12 riders cycled from Toronto to Ottawa covering 433kms over two days, raising funds and awareness for the Canadian Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.

Marc also touches on the annual Canadian Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Ottawa and the importance of firefighter health and fitness.

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Off-Duty Awards

Barry White Award Gary Wignall (ret. TFD) The Barry White Award is presented annually to a deserving volunteer from Support 7 or Box 12. These two support units attend every major incident, to provide support and supplies to firefighters on scene. It is staffed entirely by volunteers who respond 24/7 to lend a Lorem ipsum hand to our crews on-duty.

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Gary Wignall is a man who has long had a vocation for service. He joined the Toronto Fire Department in 1967 and started attending Fire Buff conventions, connecting with a network of many like-minded people that continues to grow throughout the USA and Canada.

In 1975, Gary along with about 12 other fire buffs, started the Metropolitan Toronto Multiple Alarm Association, as an opportunity to share their interest, as private citizens, in the fire service. Gary was the first President of the club, a position which he has held a FOL LOW T F F C O N S O C I A L ME D I A ! @ t f f_c h a r it ie s & f a c e b ook /To ront oF ire f ig h t e rs c h a r it ie s total of 3 times for multiple terms. The interests of the club and its members encompassed things like the history of fire apparatus, fire departments, and the challenges faced in keeping the citizens of f _ c h a r it i e s @ tf f_c h a r it ie s inf o@ t o r o n t of i re h is t or y. c om this metropolitan area safe. The club@ tfand its members soon started volunteering their time to provide canteen/rehab service to the Scarborough Fire Department.

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Following amalgamation in 1998, the club updated their name to Greater Toronto Multiple Alarm Association and was given the honour of providing canteen service in East Command, or anywhere as requested by TFS. Gary has remained a prominent member of GTMAA since then, with a membership that has grown to about 50, and he continues to take pride in its service to the firefighters who protect Toronto. In addition to providing volunteers for canteen services, Gary and other members of the club have helped to raise thousands of dollars for causes such as the Ross Tilly Burn Unit, the Bruce Beauchamp Foundation and Camp BUCKO to name a few.

Since Gary’s retirement from TFS in 2005, he has continued in his support of firefighters through various activities and events; fundraisers for the TFS Pipes and Drums, the Rob Penny Softball Tournament, and a variety of community events and parades, in addition to his continuing role within GTMAA, currently serving as an elected member of the Board of Directors.

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Off-Duty Awards

Box 12 Award FF Bernice Halsband (Stn. 232) Presented annually to a Local 3888 member who, on their own initiative and in a voluntary capacity, undertake an activity or series of activities that improve the lives of Local 3888 members. The award reflects the spirit of volunteerism demonstrated by members of Box 12.

This year’s award goes to Bernice Halsband, who, along with two of her colleagues, established a First Responders Program at the prestigious Canadian Burn Symposium, an annual gathering of burn specialists. The First Responders Program is intended to educate first responders about treatment of and recovery from burns, one of the most Lorem ipsum terrifying hazards of being a first responder.

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Roy Silver Award A/Capt. Blaine Patterson (Stn. 113) The Roy Silver Award is presented annually to a Local 3888 member who distinguishes themselves by performing CPR on a citizen while off duty.

Blaine Patterson was at the right place at the right time for a citizen who experienced cardiac arrest when he was out enjoying a performance at the Princess of Wales theatre back in April of 2018.

Blaine performed CPR on the individual for approximately FO L LOW T F F C O N S O C I A L ME D I A ! @ t f f_c h a r it ie s & f a c e b ook /Toront oF ire f ig h t e rs c h a r it ie s FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2019 • TICKETS ON 5 minutes and used the theatre’s defibrillator to shock the patient who had died during TORONTOFIR the performance, regaining a pulse through his skillful and quick actions. In the words of a IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PL TFS Platoon Chief commenting on the first-in apparatus Captain report, ‘Both the CapFollow TFFC for UPDATES @ tf f _ c hhis a r i t i elife s @ tf f_c h a r it ie s ofinf o@ t o r o n tPatterson.’ of i re h is t or y. c om tain…and crew are certain this man owes to the actions Blaine @tff_charities

Bernard (Ben) Bonser Award FF Dan Lacourciere (Stn. 434) & FF Glenn Kelly (Stn. 435) The Bernard ‘Ben’ Bonser Award is presented annually to the Local 3888 member who, while off-duty, distinguished his/her self by performing a rescue or being involved in saving the life of a citizen.

Glenn and Dan were carpooling together on their way into work in the early hours of August 17, 2018. While enroute, they witnessed a vehicle in front of them begin to swerve and diverge from the lane in which it was travelling, eventually colliding with a vehicle ahead of it. Glenn and Dan quickly sprang into action to assist those affected by pulling over and assessing the scene, eventually removing one trapped, semi-conscious individual from their vehicle before it became fully engulfed in flames.

In the words of the first-in attending apparatus Captain, ‘Because of the selflessness and bravery of these two men, no injuries were sustained by the vehicle occupant… it could have been much worse.’

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Toronto’s High-Rise Units

By Brent Brooks, Toronto Acting Captain 332-D

As of March 2019, Toronto has 2,682 high-rise buildings. It currently ranks 16th in the world with the most high-rise buildings completed, which is 3rd in North America and 1st in Canada. It would be 7th in the world if you include the number of high-rise buildings currently under construction.

High-rise buildings are becoming taller and their systems more complex.

Your standard fire truck is not capable of carrying all the equipment needed for residential and commercial high-rise buildings, which are now called mixed use. Having a staffed truck with high-rise-specific equipment is helping Toronto to deal with their vertical city.

The Toronto Fire Services needed to design a new fire truck that could solve the following high-rise issues: • Effects of Wind • Catastrophic Building System Failures • Reaction Time • Objects Falling from Height • Communications • Premises Security • Complexity of Internal Layout • Water Supplies • Failure of Electrical Systems • Physiological Demands and Physical Workload • Casualty Retrieval • Fire and Smoke Spread

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How does the High-Rise Unit operate?

Toronto’s first High-rise Unit went into service April 1st, 1988 at Station 1, which is now Station 332. The idea was to have all equipment presently on pumpers and aerials placed on the high-rise unit in modules that could be brought into the building and shuttled up in elevators or upstairs. Most of the equipment on the truck was accessed from the outside, but this became problematic because the truck placement had to be perfect. The driver could not park too close to the curb or too far away that it would block the TTC Street cars. The secondgeneration High-rise Unit was put into service in 2006.

The truck was built to off load equipment from the rear ramp, making truck placement easier and keeping traffic flowing as a result. The modules were made lighter and new equipment was added. Firefighters assigned to the truck were now also HazMat-trained.

After a considerable amount of discussion and research, the 3rd generation of High-Rise Units, called High-rise Response, went into service on September 7th, 2018. The benefit of this new generation of equipment is that it is primarily battery-operated, and the ventilation package is second-to-none. With 10 fans, smoke blockade curtains, and spiral ducting, ventilation is quicker and more effective than the past two High-rise Units. Stair climbers for equipment and moving injured firefighters effortlessly has been added, along with firefighting packages for houses, tunnels, subways, and large commercial buildings. The truck also carries new extinguishing methods such as vapor extinguishers and a portable compressed air foam system used for hydro vaults and catastrophic building failures for when crews are unable to use water at elevated heights. The new portable battery power system can power any corded 110-volt tools such as water pumps, fans and lights.

High-rise Response 332 now runs just under 5000 calls a year without being on the first response for medicals calls. With the success of this system, Toronto is adding a second Highrise Unit!

When dispatched to a fire, the High-rise Unit will park nearest to the entrance of operations, which is sometimes a loading dock.

The Captain of the High-rise Unit may ask for a logistics crew to assist him and his crew. They will then set up drop points with equipment. The modules and carts have kits and equipment designed for each drop point. The first drop point will be just outside the building. Two 30” PPV fans capable of producing 27,000 CFM each and control measures for falling debris will be staged. The second drop point is in the lobby. The forcible entry module, patient evacuation carts, communication module, lighting cart and lobby kit are staged. The final drop point will be the staging area which includes hose modules, communication modules, ventilation carts, smoke control measures, forcible entry tools, air bottles and special tools, such as the floor-below nozzle. Once the truck equipment has been staged the crew can now set up for special tactics such as building systems control, wind-driven fire, exterior cladding fires and large floor-plate scenarios.

Having the equipment staged right from the get-go helps the incident commander with reaction time. Dollies are available if additional equipment is called for from other vehicles. Drop points can change depending on the type of building or the complexity of the emergency.

Although the truck is named High-Rise, it has nozzles used for balloon frame construction, attics and basement fires. The lightweight subway and train cart can be used on both TTC and Metrolinx rail tracks because of its adjustable wheels. The truck has 4 one-hour air bottles to speed up reaction time in the subway. No need to wait for the Air Light.

The battery-operated tools can be used in a smoke-filled environment where conventional gas-powered tools would stall out. The advantage of having tools that don’t produce carbon monoxide is essential when working indoors and in confined spaces.

Equipment related to HazMat includes air monitors, intrinsically safe smoke ejectors with spiral ducting, and lights.

The new lights can be hung on drywall and ladders with ease.

Communications in High-rise buildings has always been an issue. Once the communication modules have been set up and activated, our elevator-control firefighter is no longer in the dark.

We have used them in buildings over 70 stories and 10.5 stories below grade with great success.

High-rise and standpipe-equipped buildings are going up faster and faster with our rapidly growing city. The new truck has caught up to the advancement of today’s buildings. Buildings of the future are called Hybrid High-rise as well as ground scrapers, high-rise on its side, ply rise (wood buildings), and vertical villages. We are now better equipped to deal with emergencies in these buildings.

The nozzle firefighter is now capable of setting pressures up on the fire floor with a gate and pressure gauge. They are no longer required to rely on the pump operator to set water pressures.

This is quicker, safer and makes trouble-shooting the building’s system easier.

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Member Profile on

C

ameron Ruys followed an unusual journey on his way to becoming a firefighter.

He was born in Oakville, Ontario, but only lived in Canada until he was 5 years old. His mother was born and raised in Northern Ireland. She immigrated to Canada in her early 20’s, where she met his dad, who had grown up in Oakville. Cameron says “My mum, being pretty persuasive, twisted my dad’s arm, getting him to move myself and my 7-year-old brother to Larne, Northern Ireland. We moved in the summer of 1995, just before Cameron’s 6th birthday. The plan was to move there for only 5 years or so and move back, but it didn’t work out as planned. My dad stayed in Northern Ireland until 2012 and my mum moved back to Canada in 2013. It wasn’t until 2015 that I decided the time was right for me to move back to Canada.”

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BY TONY MACDONALD, RETIRED TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN When his mom finally left for Canada in the fall of 2013, it was a very hard decision to stay in Northern Ireland. He has a brother and sister in Canada who never moved to Northern Ireland, since they were already adults by the time his parents decided to move. He also has nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins here, but otherwise his entire life was in Northern Ireland. “I had just graduated University and I was enjoying my life with a very close group of friends that I had built over the years. I just wasn’t ready to move my entire life at that time.”

Cameron had stayed in very close touch with his family in Canada over the years, particularly with his older brother, who is a firefighter in Hamilton. “He consistently told me how amazing his job was, how different each day was and how fulfilling it was to be a pillar in the community. He played a huge role in inspiring me to fulfil a lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter.

“Northern Ireland was a wonderful place to be brought up or, as they call it there, ‘reared up’. The differences between the GTA and Northern Ireland are quite vast. The most obvious one is the weather difference, where any day above 20*C was a day to get the BBQ out, and the beach towels ready.

Though, by the time the charcoal was lit and the first layer of sunscreen applied it was probably starting to drizzle with rain. There is much more multi-culturalism in Canada.

It’s a much safer place to express yourself, however you please. This expression is not only accepted but it is celebrated in Canada. Lots of the political and social issues in Northern Ireland are still evident from the ‘Troubles’ of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the country has progressed, there are still places where the pain and anger from the ‘Troubles’ has stayed and continues to hover over the country. Don’t get me wrong. Northern Ireland is a beautiful country with some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I am extremely proud and happy that I was ‘reared’ there. It’s just that, socially, there is still lots of work to do there to heal the wounds of the past.”

Cameron says that although the social side of Northern Ireland is fantastic, the economy does not offer the same advantages or opportunities as Canada. He really found that out after graduating from the University of Ulster with an Honours Degree in Business Studies, not being able to find a career that gave him the spark that he was looking for. He was lucky that the job he did have allowed workers up to 11 months of unpaid leave for a variety of different reasons. “I knew my plan was always to move back to Canada, but I was nervous about just uprooting and totally committing to a move. I had been to Canada 7 or 8 times for holidays in my life to visit family or for weddings, but that isn’t a true depiction of what real life is like. I decided my best course of action would be to take the career break opportunity from work and move to Canada for a 3 month period in the summer.”

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Cameron Ruys His summer was amazing! While he was in Canada he worked at Camp Tamarack, which is an overnight summer camp in Muskoka. “This was the second best job I’ve ever had.” He enjoyed it so much that he worked there for 4 summers from 2015 to 2018! Cameron made the decision that Canada was the place he wanted to live. He started to do research on the best ways to become a firefighter in Canada because he didn’t know all of the steps and hurdles that he needed to overcome. “I contacted many different colleges about their pre-service program, and I dropped into some fire stations in Toronto and also at my brother’s station in Hamilton for more direction. The information I got from the firefighters was fantastic. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to some firefighters who had been hired in the previous 2-3 years, so they had lots of information about the best steps to take.”

He had to fly back to Northern Ireland and start the process of moving to Canada. “Selling all of my belongings was difficult but saying goodbye to my lifelong friends and family was without a doubt the single hardest thing I have ever had to do! After 2 months of preparation, I flew to Canada in October of 2015 to start my new life here. When I moved, I worked as a labourer to save up enough money to apply to college to get my pre-service qualification.”

“From my research, I decided that Humber College was the best place for me to enrol and I was accepted in the fall of 2016. It was a fantastic experience! I made some friends there who I am still in touch with today. Two of them were hired by Toronto in the same recruit class as me, which made the whole recruit process even more special.

It’s also very cool to now be co-workers with a lot of my instructors from Humber, one of whom is at my station on a different shift, and two of which are in my district on my shift, so I work with them at some calls.”

Cameron was very driven during his time at Humber College, since he knew the sole reason for moving to Canada was to become a firefighter. He definitely had his blinders on, and everything that wasn’t fire service-related, was placed off to the side to be dealt with later. He was elected by his Humber peers to be a Platoon Leader and felt the weight of that responsibility. “I got very close with 6-10 fellow classmates who I could tell were really taking the college program seriously. They were doing everything they could to succeed, and some of those friendships I still have to this date.”

“I also really enjoyed learning from people who actually did the job. Listening to lecture after lecture can be tough, but I later realized that most of the information that I needed to know, came from those classroom experiences!

I’m so glad I paid attention during the lectures!

“I enjoy being able to use my hands on a daily basis and I am very much a hands-on learner. We spent a

lot of time outside wearing SCBA, deploying ladders, tying off equipment, or hitting hydrants and laying hose in an active environment. I learned so much at Humber in a short period of time.”

“I loved the togetherness of the program at Humber. It was two semesters in a large class of 39 students. We all worked together to achieve the same goal, of getting our qualifications for applying to fire departments.” Cameron graduated from Humber in 2017 with Honours.

“In July 2018, I was hired by Toronto Fire Service, which was the greatest achievement of my life to date and made all the sacrifice worthwhile.”

“Playing sports was a huge part of my life growing up. I played football, (called soccer in North America) my entire life and I played semi-professionally for 3 seasons in Northern Ireland. I also played rugby, cricket and basketball competitively. During my time playing sports I learned about teamwork, togetherness and patience. These are key qualities that have stayed with me all my life and still help me on a daily basis, particularly within Toronto Fire.”

“I found that the soccer facilities in Canada are second to none! The number of leagues and the level of play is still a little bit behind here, but there has been continuing improvement. Since TFC started playing professional soccer here, the popularity of soccer has definitely skyrocketed!”

“The most important thing that I have enjoyed both in Northern Ireland and Canada in the sports community is the ‘craic’ or ‘banter’. This is the good-natured ribbing of team-mates and opposing players alike and is one of the main reasons we keep playing as adults. Another reason is the camaraderie in the dressing room and on the field.”

“I honestly still pinch myself a couple of times a day, since fulfilling my dream of being a firefighter in Canada, especially Toronto. I think of all the things I told myself when I really committed to this journey in 2015, in the hopes that one day I would be living the dream. It’s amazing to say that I actually am living it every day, and it’s something that I will never take for granted”.

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How can the HREI Committee help me?

LOCAL 3888

We want our members to reach out to the trained, empathetic members of the HREI Committee long before workplace situations escalate. HREI Committee members are familiar with relevant Human Rights legislation and Collective Agreement clauses and have been provided with conflict resolution, mediation, and legal education training.

HREI Committee Part Two

What are HR Interviews?

Why should the HREI Committee be involved?

Much of the work done by HREI Committee members involves representing members at meetings with management during Human Resources interviews. HR interviews are conducted by TFS management to learn more about a situation of concern.

Management is required to advise the employee that they may request union representation during the HR interview. However, in the past, many of our members have chosen to opt out of this representation, believing that no representation is needed or having concerns that “getting the union involved will make it worse.” We strongly advise members that meeting with management without a member of your union executive is not a good idea, whether you are a complainant, a respondent, or simply a witness. Any HR interview could lead to discipline, even for a member who enters the process only as a witness. Remember, we’ve attended more of these meetings than you have – please allow yourself to benefit from our experience. We are there to assist you and will not do anything that is counter to your interest.

We will meet with you prior to any scheduled HR interviews with management and will be by your side during those interviews. We will help you to navigate what can often be a complex and lengthy process of multiple interviews. We will tell you what to expect and what is involved at each step of the process. We remain in contact with our members from initiation to completion, offering advice, support and guidance as needed during this difficult time.

Beyond HR Interviews, when can the HREI Committee help?

What is the HREI Committee?

As you may recall from our article in the last issue of Fire Watch, the L3888 Human Relations & Equity Initiatives (HREI) Committee focuses on ensuring the physical, emotional, social and psychological health and well-being of our members in the workplace through education, conflict mitigation and equity initiatives. Committee members are available to support you in many ways, including: accompanying you to meetings with management, educating you on your responsibilities and rights, helping refer you to supportive resources, or even simply offering

an ear to listen about a challenging workplace situation.

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While HR Interviews are the ‘bread and butter’ of our work, we want our members to reach out to us more often for assistance with conflict mitigation, before management is involved. It is vital that every L3888 member knows that they can approach the HREI Committee for assistance in addressing a challenging situation.

This committee acts as a resource for any member involved in or concerned about an uncomfortable or volatile situation.

When you contact us, we will guide you through the processes that are involved and/or available in your situation. In many cases, when members contact the HREI Committee before a situation escalates, there are avenues for informal resolution that avoid ever reaching the stage of a management initiated HR interview.

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What about my privacy?

All members of the HREI Committee are required to respect the privacy of our members and follow established guidelines to assure confidentiality. When involved in HR Interviews, TPFFA ensures that different representatives are assigned to the complainant and respondent in a situation; there is no discussion between those different representatives about the members they are representing.

In the event there is discipline applied as a result of the investigation, the HREI Committee representative will sit in alongside the Grievance Committee to ensure our member has continuity of representation and is represented fully and treated fairly in the circumstance. Any discipline that results is confidential – a complainant will be informed when an investigation is complete, but will not know what discipline, if any, was involved in the resolution.

What about education?

Education of our members is very important to this committee.

We want everyone to know their rights and responsibilities. When L3888 VP Kevin McCarthy identified the increasing number of inquiries he was receiving from members about maternity and parental leaves and benefits, he tasked the HREI Committee with developing a comprehensive Resource Guide where members could find consistent answers to all of their questions in one place. The TPFFA Parenting and Family Resource Guide was released in 2018 and has been received very positively. TPFFA has been approached by the OPFFA to use this guide as a model for other locals. The development of this guide made it clear to the Committee that similar guides can and should be created to serve as a resource to our members who are going through other life and work altering experiences and navigating such things as WSIB and retirement.

This was a long article what do I need to remember?

What do we want you to remember from this article? We are stronger together. And your HREI Committee members are here to serve you. If you find yourself facing an HR Interview for any reason, know that we want to help you throughout the process. No matter your workplace situation, allow us to help you proactively. If your problem is outside our scope, we will refer you appropriately and confidentially. You are not alone.

Reach out to your HREI Committee (HREI Committee Chair: Rod Johnston, johnston@torontofirefighters.org) • Rodney Johnston • Kevin McCarthy • Mike Russell • Janos Cspreghi • Adina Kaufman • Julie Petruzellis • Frank Jones

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STATION 422

BY BERNICE HALSBAND, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER, STATION 343-C

Toronto Fire Captain, John Blair at station 422-C remembers one of the numerous Peacock Hotel fires very clearly; This historic hotel finally burned enough for them to tear it down a few weeks ago, but the fire John is speaking of was the first ‘York’ fire, postamalgamation. They had gone in and put the fire out, but when they came out of the building the streets were lined with fire trucks. “It looked like the St. Mike’s boy’s choir lined up on the street”, he remembers.

For Blair, it was a positive shift even if York halls (much like their East York counterparts) tend to be forgotten in favour of the ‘big four’. Before amalgamation, fighting fires was a fairly isolated affair.

“It was amazing for experience, but we were getting beaten up”, Blair remembers. He also recalls growing up in the neighbourhood that was starkly divided: there were communities north of the tracks in the blue-collar neighbourhoods and the privileged who lived south of the tracks in million-dollar homes. Despite this social divide, the community spirit was and still is very much alive, which is clearly illustrated by the number of street parties 422 is requested to attend every year!

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OUR FALLEN BROTHER Another thing Blair remembers very clearly is the death of brother Pat Carey, a charismatic, very well-liked and respected Fire Fighter who fought his last fire at 3725 Dundas; a high-rise apartment building on Scarlett Rd. After fighting the fire, Pat returned downstairs to the main floor with the rest of his crew, and due to extreme heat and exhaustion he leaned against the side of a building to catch his breath for a few moments; it was then that his crew noticed him not looking very well. They convinced him to get checked out by paramedics once they were outside in the fresh air and he was immediately transported to hospital. Sadly, Pat suffered a massive heart attack on route and passed away that same day, April 30th 2001.

Weston Collegiate held the funeral reception for our fallen brother Pat Carey, as they needed a venue large enough to accommodate all of the family, friends and members of Toronto Fire and other IAFF Locals who attended the service; due to the massive turnout of support and respect for this fallen Fire Fighter, the funeral

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procession itself spanned several kilometres down the street.

Shortly after this unfortunate loss, one of the TFS protocol changes was that any fire fighter being transported to the hospital for a major or minor reason, now has to have someone go with them. They can not be alone.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE PEACOCK The Peacock hotel fire post-amalgamation might have been the perfect fire to usher in the new order of things and it remains to be seen if they will rebuild once the current structure is torn down.

According to torontohistory.net, the iconic inn situated in the heart of The Junction was built in 1820 on a bucolic 100-acre parcel of land belonging to James Farr, a relative and friend of Joseph Bloor. Far from the current incarnation that is sandwiched amid the urban spread of Toronto, it once boasted oaks and dwarf cherries, sassafras and wild strawberries, orange lilies and blue lupine that made a ‘welcome change from the cedar swamps to the south’ as reported by contemporary writer E.G. Guillet in his books Pioneer Inns and Taverns.

The Peacock hotel made history in 1837 when William Lyon Mackenzie and dozens of followers robbed a Western Stagecoach as well as any bystanders out front of the building. A few years later the hotel had its first complete destruction by fire in 1878 (the original was made completely of wood) followed by a rebuild in 1881. In 1889 an assessment counted 9 people, one dog and one horse living there at a value of $7,000.

THE JUNCTION GOES DRY The other establishments in the area did not start out as reputable. The Junction famously went dry in 1904 as a knee-jerk reaction to the ‘Carnival of Vice’ that embodied the area. Economic booms and busts, combined with a large number of blue-collar railroad workers, ensured the consumption of alcohol to the point of excess that was no longer welcome. The brawls, crime and violence that resulted spurred the ban on the sale of alcohol that would not end until 1998.

In fact, the Wedgewood restaurant that straddled the border between Toronto and West Toronto was dry in the front and sold liquor in the back! West Toronto, or York, resembled a jigsaw puzzle. If you walked on the west side of Jane St. you were in York, but if you crossed the street to the East side you were in Toronto.

The name ‘Junction’ comes from the crossing of First Nations trails and then of the CPR’s Quebec and Ontario lines. In an age where railroads determined the wealth

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of nations, as well as their potential to successfully wage war, the Junction prospered quickly. The Stockyards, not far from the convenience of expedient shipping as well as foundries, furniture builders and construction materials were all close at hand.

Like any city at the center of trade, this area now known as the Junction, had financial success quickly made as it was one of the richest towns in Lower Canada during the late 19th century. Baby Point and the area to the south of the station boast some beautiful Victorian and modern mansions, as well as some famous inhabitants. Most notably, Bob Rae of the Rae days, whose policies saw budget cuts that made a direct impact on pre-amalgamation Fire Departments. Scarborough rookies notoriously lost incremental increases to their pay that they never recovered, whereas York fire fighters gave up clothing bonuses so that their recruits could hang on to their regular pay.

THE RUN AREA A closer look at the hidden gem that is 422 reveals a varied and exciting run area. Perhaps not for the non-firefighter, but for those seeking a good mix of action; the fires, shootings, traffic accidents and Humber River offered a lot of opportunity to hone skills desirable in our trade. The Humber Valley to the west, old construction and rooming houses to the north and old construction of gentrified mansions to the south plus the decommissioning of Station 424 at Runnymede and Annette all ensure 422 didn’t get boring. Add to this the railway just north that transports hazardous, toxic and poisonous chemicals right through the heart of Toronto and the possibilities are endless. A derailment is something noone wants to think about, especially when you consider a lack of training in rail cars, hazardous materials and waterbased rescue with 422’s proximity to the Humber River.

422 was built in 1967 and, despite its current one-truck-hall status, it is deceptively big. Like its sister hall 341, it was built big in anticipation of urban growth. All the York halls were erected to accommodate 4 trucks, and the 1927 Aerial that graces the south bay at 422 is something to behold. When the station was first completed, they started with a Pump and an Aerial but the latter was decommissioned in 1985.

There’s an old picture of the original Jane St. fire hall in the kitchen of 422 from before it was knocked down to build an extension to Runnymede high school and the tennis courts that now grace the area where the hall once stood.

Nonetheless, it was a busy hall and the members of TFS did all that they could to help their communities by staying focused on what was important, no matter what the circumstance was. “One guy would get on an Aerial and drive it to the call or two guys and no captain would ride a squad to do the extrication while the Pump guys stabilized the wreck. It was a joke, but it was economics”. Blair remembers. “Also, any of

the York fires were always credited to Toronto or North York or Etobicoke”.

Smaller departments like York and East York had fewer resources and had to think on their feet when it came to fires that they would be alone at from start to finish.

Besides John Blair, a newly-elected West Command Association Executive, 422-B shift also has Acting Captain Greg Vosper who actually built his own airplane! Vosper can not only fly but he has put together an airplane with 14,000 rivets; a skilled electrician by trade no doubt.

SMOKEY THE DALMATIAN I’m always impressed and humbled by the adaptability of fire fighters. In the past thirty years alone, the span of one career, the changes are unbelievable. The diversity on this job from women, to minorities, to LGBT awareness and acceptance and now discussions about mental health.

Contrary to Blair, I’ve never heard the words ‘suck it up, kid!’ from any of my captains or colleagues. And soon after I arrived at 422 the conversation turns to a discussion on mental health. Blair, himself, keeps telling me to fill out exposure reports for mental exposure so that we have documentation to support us down the line. “You never know! If you, one day, encounter a trigger and there’s no documentation, you could be at a real disadvantage”. Wise words.

What does all this have to do with Smokey the deaf Dalmatian who suffered from gout? As soon as he was brought up, we realized how we’d love to have a dog at the firehall!

A therapy dog would be amazing. But why did Smokey have gout? It may have to do with the occasional roasts he poached from the guys, or unfortunate kittens he came upon! Deafness, as I learned that day, is inherent to purebred Dalmatians. “They get a bad rep for being unintelligent, but they’re just deaf”, Vosper informs me. It’s something I can definitely empathize with! Sometimes one of the fire fighters would have to physically move Smokey from the platform so the truck could leave on a call.

Those days are long gone now, along with isolated firefighting, pompier ladders and two-man Aerials. And despite nostalgic musings, amalgamation wasn’t all bad, it turns out!

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By Sean Waldie a Manual Osteopath and Movement Specialist at Fusion Personal Health Studio.

Know Your Body and Keep it in the

“Ready State”

I

n the fire service, keeping equipment in the “ready state” is a must.” Checking and rechecking gear to ensure that when it’s go-time, it’s able to meet the demands of the job.

Given the nature of the occupation, the demands of the job, should it be from physical training or from actual on duty work, can cause a variety of wear and tear related issues to the body that can compromise physical readiness for the job.

The University of the Fraser Valley and Lake Head University wrote a piece regarding Firefighter Injuries Relative to Fire Response Characteristics that analysed the National Fire Information Database by examining 2,025 professional fire fighters who sustained an injury.

Interestingly enough, the NFID confirmed: • The most frequent reported injury type was ‘injury to muscle, ligaments, joints’ (45%) and injury location was the ‘head, neck or spine’ (11%).

• 2,025 injured firefighters had an average of 14 years of service experience; the majority were middle aged (31-45 years) and older (≥46 years) males with a body mass index of 27.3 kg/m2.

• Over 80% of injuries reported were categorized as “minor” (injuries requiring less than 1 day off work and / or in hospital); less than 20% were categorized as “serious” (injuries requiring 16+ days off work and / or hospitalization for 3+ days) That being said, it isn’t so easy to know and/or acknowledge when we’ve sustained a more serious injury, but speaking from my professional experience as a Manual Osteopath and Rehabilitation Exercise Trainer, it’s often a culmination of a number of aches, pains and strains that are the breeding ground for more significant issues.

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When do people embrace E.L.D.O.A for its ability to diminish?

Individuals who experience, but not limited to, the following characteristics of pain usually embrace E.L.D.O.A: • pain that spikes during activities • pain or discomfort after specific positions (sitting or standing for long periods) • pain while they are at rest In addition to restoring optimal ranges of motions, E.L.D.O.A has another important goal: to re-condition connective tissue (fascia) to be elastic.

It is our connective tissue that creates the casing around muscles, giving them the room to move freely or not.

When you do your E.L.D.O.A exercise, you are creating space not just at the bone and joint but also at the muscle. It is this change in the structure of the muscle that helps to maintain the improved function of the target area.

Over the last several months our studio as extended a free trial of E.L.D.O.A to the members of the Toronto Fire Services. Upon feedback from these members our team has prepared an instructional manual of several positions that we feel are the best positions to begin your practice with.

You can receive this free document by simply emailing:

So how does one know they’ve got a ligament issue?

What to use to remedy wear and tear related injury?

If you find that you have a sharp or dull aching pain when your at rest but the pain dissipates after you exercise or when your body is active, there is a very high chance that you have an issue that is ligament related. Just because the pain is not present when your active, this doesn’t mean that it’s getting better or gone away. The physical activity has simply created a temporary support due to the muscles being engaged, therefore, when you return to the resting state an ache or sharp pain returns.

The E.L.D.O.A Method: E.L.D.O.A is a French acronym which translates to mean LOADS: Longitudinal Osteoarticular Decoaptation Stretching.

In non-technical terms, it means a series of decompression stretches.

Although many mundane pains such as radiating in the hips, or the intense stiffness in the back can, at times, be simply ignored, that can only go on for so long before one can seriously injure themselves. What is subtly occurring in the body is that your muscle has become trapped in a shortened position that, while somewhat functional, is painful and irritated. This means you start moving a little slower and awkwardly, maybe not enough to notice immediately but the body has begun a complex process of learning to live with less then optimal range of motion and flexibility.

There are hundreds of specific E.L.D.O.A(s) a person can learn for individual joints, specific muscles or groups of muscles. Many professional athletes and sports teams have started to incorporate the practice of E.L.D.O.A to help with recovery, performance and injury prevention.

The reason E.L.D.O.A is being utilized by other peak performers is because the exercises are precise at increasing space in the body, and it’s with millimeters that great miles are achieved.

If we have healthy ranges of movement our body can move without restriction, hesitation or complaint. When these millimeters of movement decrease, we begin to lose large degrees of movement and then pain and discomfort can show its signs.

sean@kempwaldie.com or Fusion Health Studio at marcemokumura@gmail.com

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ANATOMY OF A CALL

Call Taker:

Call Taker:

Toronto Fire, what is your emergency?

Margaret :

What is your address?

139 Gamble Avenue.

Margaret (elderly female):

Margaret :

There is a beeping noise.

I don’t know what it is.

What should I do?

I’m alone.

I’m afraid.

Can you help me?

Call Taker:

Do you see or smell any smoke?

Margaret :

I do not see very well and I don’t think I smell anything.

Margaret :

Maybe the basement.

Call Taker:

Okay Ma’am. The firefighters are on the way, everything will be ok. Can you safely make your way out front and wait for us there?

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Call Taker:

Where’s the alarm coming from?

Margaret :

I can do that.

Please hurry.

The Toronto Fire telecommunicator chooses FAR (Fire Alarm – Residential) incident type, accepts the call, and a dispatcher sends the response.

Call Taker:

We’re coming; you will hear the sirens very soon.

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The call taker enters the address and sees that the call was placed close to the address given, via the ANI/ALI (Automatic Number Identifier and Automatic Location Identifier)

TFS Communications

BY JERAMI HADEN, TORONTO COMMUNICATIONS FIRE FIGHTER

Margaret :

Thank you.

A hum of activity fills Toronto Fire Services Communications Centre as members take calls for service from the citizens of Canada’s largest city and its visitors. A few feet away from the call taker assisting Margaret is another call taker trying to locate a tourist not familiar with the area they’re in and needing help with a smoking vehicle. At another desk, that telecommunicator is receiving a request to assist the Ontario Provincial Police with a crash on the 401 eastbound collectors in Scarborough.

Often callers know what the emergency or perceived emergency is, but do not know where they are; other times they know where they are but don’t know what help they need. Like Margaret, for example, was home, but did not know what was happening. A loud alarm can cause quite the confusion in someone who is generally quite calm and collected. A Toronto Fire Telecommunicator must determine what the issue is and pick the correct event type to “accept” a call and send it to dispatch, through all the background noise and emotions. One thirty-nine Gamble Avenue could be a Carbon Monoxide/Natural Gas detector activation or a residential fire alarm, and because the call taker could not determine which, they sent the highest level of response, in this case a fire alarm response.

No matter how detailed or vague the information coming in is, Toronto Fire Telecommunicators are mandated to gather as much information as possible and accept the call, which sends it into CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch). Proudly, this is all done within 60 seconds of answering the call, as per NFPA standards.

Accepting a call is more involved than simply answering a phone. Toronto Firefighters respond to more than fire calls, but not every call is one that requires Toronto Firefighters or, more specifically, a fire truck. Accepting an event is an action performed by the Call Taker that creates an event number and sends the call through the CAD system to the dispatcher. There are 2 types of event accepting, via Inter-CAD and through a direct phone call. Soon there will be a third option of text messaging.

Through Inter-CAD, Toronto Fire Telecommunicators, receive calls for service directly from the Toronto Paramedic Communications Centre. These can be anything from a simple “fall alarm” to something more serious. The difference between a direct phone call and Inter-CAD dispatches is that Toronto Fire Telecommunicators have not had any contact with the patient, nor have they spoken to the Toronto Paramedic call-taker. In many cases, like most emergency calls for service, information is vague or nonexistent and still being gathered. Toronto Fire, as our dispatchers are known on the radio, will do their best to gather more information but are quite limited as the call information is being controlled by Toronto Paramedics.

During a direct phone call to Toronto Fire Services, the call taker has, at times, a very difficult job of obtaining the 2 key elements required to accept a call. These are the location (as accurate as possible) and the type of event. Our Telecommunicators will use a variety of techniques to acquire the caller’s location or the location of the emergency, typically using cross streets, landmarks, the ANI/ALI and GPS. Vo l u m e 1 3 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 43

Conventional Clear & Coloured Anodizing 2-Step Electrolytic Bright Acid Etch Caustic Finishes Chromate Conversion Coatings

Since 1989 ISO 9001:2008 Registered

TFC Communications...Continued from page 43

We also have the capability to enter the longitude and latitude to try pinpointing the caller on the Scarborough Bluffs, a ravine or park.

Once the location is established, determining the type of event is crucial to a proper response. Of course, if the caller is screaming fire into the phone, before you get the location, then the type of event has already been established. This is the case for many 9-1-1 calls received by Toronto Fire. People will instinctively tell you what the problem is before telling you where it is. There are some calls where the call taker will have to calm the caller to get the information required. This takes patience and an understanding that they’re not yelling or swearing at you, but trying to convey their perception of what is happening in the best way possible in their emotional state. Many will be very upset, scared, hard to hear or even speak another language, but the call taker needs to identify the problem. Some will even tell you the problem and hang up, leaving the call taker to rely on the ANI/ALI information and, if there is a call back number, hoping it is correct. Although screaming “Fire!” tells the Telecommunicator that there is a fire, it still has to be determined whether it is a structure fire, vehicle fire or something as simple as a smoking garbage can. In some cases, if there is an approximate address or area, the call taker will accept the call and the dispatcher will send the closest apparatus to the area, to check (Check Call). This not only ensures a quick response, but also allows the Telecommunicator time to track down the caller or specific incident location and guarantee a timely response to the incident that could quite possibly be a structure fire or other life-threatening emergency.

Some event types are not determined by Toronto Fire Call Takers, but by Toronto Paramedics Communications or Toronto Police Communications (Radio Room).

When the call is received by the dispatcher, that individual will assess the call and determine the appropriate response with the assistance of parameters programmed into the CAD. The dispatcher can also change the event type or the specific apparatus responding. These kinds of changes are not done without good reason. This is not to say that the call taker made a mistake, but that the nature of an event is consistently changing. An alarm call can quickly become a fire, a trouble breathing to a VSA, or a Hazardous Materials Level 1 to a CBRNE. During the course of an event, the dispatcher’s role is to assist the responding apparatus with any additional information or resources while, at the same time, recording the details of the call into the CAD system, also known as benchmarks. Recording the benchmarks of a call is important. Benchmarks help in determining the time to reach a certain area in a building, how

quickly agent was applied to a fire or when patient contact was made. These numbers are important to statistics, investigations and, most importantly, training. The opportunity to learn from each call is important regardless of how low or high-priority the call was. There is always a time to learn how to do better. Benchmarks help all involved at a fire scene, or any event, do better.

The dispatcher is recording this information, all while handling the call volume for one of the 4 commands, which could be on one or more of the 6 tactical channels Toronto’s firefighters use. A “dispatcher’s ear” is a term used to describe the ability to listen to one thing and hear another, while being able to maintain coordination on both. Each command has 2 dedicated dispatchers. The primary who runs the call, and a back-up who will assist as required. The primary dispatcher monitors the 6 tactical channels, while the back-up dispatcher will monitor the Operations channel and the locations of that command’s apparatus. In the case of a large event, such as a 5th alarm fire, the primary dispatcher will be dedicated to that call and the back-up will take over the other channels and calls. Juggling multiple calls on multiple channels can be difficult, and Toronto Fire’s Communications members work hard to maintain a high level of skill and service. Aside from recording benchmarks and answering radio transmissions, the dispatcher may be required to call another emergency service or resource to assist on the call. This is sometimes done while still recording benchmarks and answering the radio.

The first apparatus on scene at Margaret’s house gave a report of no signs, followed very soon after by a release of the balance of the response, known as a “One Truck Situation” as contact with Margaret was made and no sign of fire was present. Margaret’s basement smoke detector was in need of a new battery and, Toronto Firefighters assisted in changing the batteries and toured the home, checking for other malfunctioning detectors and fire hazards.

Multi-tasking, professionalism, customer service and a working knowledge of Standard Operating Guidelines and Procedures are only a few of the skills required by the Toronto Fire Services Communications Division every time the phone rings. Additionally, they must be able to engage with callers using active listening, empathy and intuition in order to calm agitated, excited or simply frightened callers down and collect necessary information.

The only guarantee is that no two calls are the same, not in circumstance, severity, or potential to escalate.

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The Annual Rob Penney Slow Pitch Tournament is a historic Toronto Fire event that honours Rob Penny, a respected and loved member of our department who unfortunately lost his battle with cancer in a time where job related Cancer’s were barely on the public radar. Thanks to his dear friend Retired District Chief Dave Pineau the Rob Penney tournament was created to keep his name alive for his family as well as to raise money for cancer research.

This year the tournament was a huge success! Special thank you to our two Charity Committee members who organized and ran the event seamlessly for our members, all while raising money for cancer; Thank you Toronto Fire Fighter Dina Imbrogno 426–A and Fire Fighter Rashid Rawdat 232-C. Lets also thank the rest of the TPFFA Charity Committee members along with all the volunteers who came out over the few days of the tournament, as their participation was greatly appreciated and definitely needed to Follow us! Volunteer with the help make things run as smoothly as they TPFFA Charity Committee! did! Thank you!

Toronto Firefighters Charities

Until next year ballplayers!

tff_charities

The TPFFA hosted their Annual Picnic at Canada’s Wonderland this past July and it was an absolute blast! For the last three years, we have transitioned from the Toronto Island to Canada’s Wonderland for our members picnic and yet again, this year did not disappoint – nor did the weather! What seemed to feel like the hottest day of the summer, the TPFFA Entertainment Committee and volunteers tried to stay cool while they welcomed all our members and their families to the Courtyard to enjoy a refreshing luncheon, hug some Peanut’s mascots, eat some popcorn, paint faces and mix and mingle!

Two of our lucky members were the winners of the Fast Lane Plus Passes draw; and we are confident that they took full advantage of the prizes and hopefully rode as many roller coasters as they could that day.

Congratulation to the families of Fire Fighter Catharine Smyth 443-C and Fire Fighter Dave Collett 241-B! Thank you Canada’s Wonderland for being so wonderful to work with and a special thank you to the TPFFA Entertainment Chair, Bill Morris, his committee, the Executive Board and the Summer Staff who volunteered their time to participate in the Picnic and make a fun filled family day run so smoothly for our members! We are already looking forward to next year!

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Greetings from the

Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association!

On Thursday the 16 of May 2019, we held our first General Membership Meeting as an Association and had just over 60 in attendance, which was excellent!

The meeting was a success as we updated everyone on some of our immediate challenges, such as our membership notification process, webpage creation and the dues issue.

We had 3 guest speakers: TPFFA Vice President Kevin McCarthy, who updated everyone on the current issues with benefits and Greenshield; Matt Harper who spoke about the Toronto Fire Historical Society; and Sam Kamin who spoke to us on the new Legislation with respect to Smoke and CO Detectors. All 3 gentleman were very informative, and their presentations were very much appreciated.

As both our active and retired members may have noticed, we are making huge efforts to preserve all our histories with the Historical Society and Scarborough’s Station 1 Museum.

These days, it seems that there are forces against the preservation of these unique items, particularly in the areas of development. Everyday we are losing historical buildings of all kinds with little to no thought of its historical significance.

Keeping all our histories in mind, I think it is important to look back at where our new organization has come from.

The Retired Toronto Fire Fighters Association owes its very own existence to those who started all of this and we would like to honour our Retiree Organizations to help teach and acknowledge an appreciation that is well deserved.

We will start with The Toronto Fire Department Pensioners Association. The TFDPA is still in the trenches representing those members who were hired before 1967. For those who are learning this for the first time, this was when OMERS became our Pension Provider. Keeping in mind however, the implementation of OMERS was quite a complicated endeavour; some of the dates and numbers here may not be 100% accurate, as the sources are sometimes in conflict but nonetheless, the following is an excerpt from the December 1986 L-113 Newsletter: “Forming a new Pensioners’ Association has been a lot of work for the organizing committee of our Toronto Fire Department Pensioners’ Association. Many, many hours have been spent to get this group off the ground, but it was worth it! Now, five months later, we have a strong membership of 450 paid up pensioners. This means that 90% of our retired Toronto fire fighters have felt the need for an association of this type. It’s truly a tremendous response from the “Grey Power Group”!

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In addition, we also have our Veterans’ Association to thank for their initial financial support of $500.00 for our RTFFA program. Thank you VETS! And we would be most remiss if we did not thank Local 3888 for its much-appreciated blessing of our new Association. Putting the use of Local 3888’s office equipment at our convenience and permitting us office space will always be appreciated.

I am sure you will all agree that the pensions and some benefits for our retirees and our passed members widows/ widowers have greatly improved since 1986. An increase of 4% came into effect on January 1, 1986, and a further 4% increase was effective July 1, 1986. This has now brought the minimum pension up to $7,200.00 per annum.

These changes are big improvements for an Association like ours, which is why we must ask if you are one of the 10% of our retirees who have not joined the TFD Pensioners’ Association, and if so, why not? A good, strong Association carries tremendous weight when requesting benefit changes; we feel that all pensioners should join, as all pensioners share in benefits received.

A representative of this Association attends all meetings of the Superannuation and Benefit Fund, to obtain up to the minute information and to look after the interests of all pensioners in similar ways the TPFFA Executives do for our active members!

If you are still an active member of the Toronto Fire Department who is reading this article and contemplating retirement, please note that you will be eligible to join us once you have passed your Medical Board. We will send you information regarding the Association along with an Application• form, and once you are a member you will receive your membership card and regular mailings to keep you posted on the latest information.

As the RTFFA moves forward and continues to evolve, you will start to see the RTFFA emerge into their own social media platforms and communications, which is exciting for us as we are now a membership of over 200 Toronto retirees!

We hope to utilize the Fire Watch magazine to educate and inform both active and retired members of our progress; our membership drive is continuous and thus, if you’re interested in becoming a member, we welcome you to contact us at active.retired@torontofirefighters.org . The $25.00 annual dues are payable on the 1st of May and can be paid at the first of our two General Membership Meetings (one in the spring and one in the fall).

Meetings will involve food and fellowship, what could be better! Come join us!

In Solidarity Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association

President Alan Thomas - Secretary/Treasurer Chuck West - Alan Hall - Paul Halls - Ron Coates - Al Falkner

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Letter from the Editor…

Lynn Sciberras

This edition of The Mask is being dedicated to Edmond Francis Lynch, better known to many as “Ed” or “Eddie”. Ed was one of the original pioneers and last founding member of what was formerly known as the Toronto Fire Fighters EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and now commonly known as The Toronto Fire Services Peer Support Team (TFS PST). For those of us who had the privilege of knowing Ed, he was friend, brother, mentor, educator and most importantly a man of integrity who wanted to help others who were struggling.

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES / TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS' ASSOCIATION L 3888

PEER SUPPORT / CIS RESPONSE TEAM CONTACT SHEET 416-338-9327

On-Call Team Lead TEAM MEMBER

235/D JOHN DRIMMIE CARY STATHER 244/A LYNN SCIBERRAS Training& Tech Ops LOUISE CHEN 143/A BRIAN MCALINDEN 242/C RODNEY JOHNSTON 226/B 315/D TONY MELLOZZI 345/D BERNIE LEUFKENS 322/B JOHN MALCOLMSON UNION CONTACTS

HUGH DOHERTY UNION OFFICE

CONTACT #

905-903-2574 289-314-8100 647-409-3135 416-919-8098 416-723-8376 647-223-2121 416-676-3105 905-449-3047 416-553-6046

332/A L3888

416-433-0446 416-466-1167

East West

416-450-8372 416-318-9167 416-271-7540 647-461-4047

24 hr Line EMAIL johndrimmie@gmail.com cstather@sympatico.ca lynn.sciberras@toronto.ca louise.deanne.chen@gmail.com bmcalinden@me.com johnston@torontofirefighters.org tony_rockclimb@hotmail.com tapemeasure92@hotmail.com johnmalcolmsonpeerteam@gmail.com doherty@torontofirefighters.org mail@torontofirefighters.org

CHAPLAINS

HUGHDONNELLY TODD RILEY BARRYPARKER TED LECK

South North

hughdonnelly@rogers.com tsriley@teksavvy.com bparker@stpaulsbloor.org tleck@rogers.com

October 2018

City EAP - 416-392-6633

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Communications - 416-338-9001

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER 2

A Legacy to Remember Feelings of hopelessness which could not be shaken off were prominent during Ed’s early firefighting career and led to his misuse of alcohol. During his struggles, he found himself not knowing who or where to turn during what were his darkest days with the fire department. Over several years he became aware that many others were also suffering from the aftermath of calls which became increasingly challenging and responsible for the inability to cope well.

It was after connecting with another member, who shared very similar experiences that the EAP Team was officially formed. The two met regularly to support and help one another out confidentially. They met and talked about incidents, the after effects and the carnage they experienced emotionally and mentally. Soon following they involved the department Chaplain and the Team grew from there.

I first met Ed when I joined Toronto Fire EAP in 1997, he had already been a Team member for more than a decade. He was a kind soul who took me under his wing after he learned about my interest in the Team after a colleague I worked with thought I would be a good fit. Ed was an inspiration, full of knowledge, job experience as well as real world traumatic experience, pretty much from the moment he was born. It was from these experiences that Ed easily connected with people and many connections he did have.

Ed lived in the Beach and would walk up and down Queen Street, pretty much on a daily basis where many met up with him and would chat about their challenges. Whether it was a few minutes or a few hours, Ed never turned anyone away because he knew struggle and most often lived their turmoil.

In 1987 (checked with Penny), Ed met up with a fellow brother, and the two of them found themselves with a very similar history and it was as a result of their personal life stories and struggles that they formed the Toronto Fire EAP. They wanted to help those like themselves, who had nowhere to turn too and so no one ever felt like they had to be alone like they were. It was the support they had for one another and for others that would have people calling them up, until they couldn’t call anymore. Well after Ed’s retirement in 1991, he continued to walk along Queen Street and to meet and help people and provide supportive counsel to anyone who asked for help. Ed was an alcoholic and sober for 35 years. After winning the sobriety battle, Ed went to McMaster’s University and received a certificate in Addictions Counselling. With his education, he continued to counsel anyone who asked, leading them towards better choices.

Ed injured his back at the 1981 fire of The Confederation Life Insurance building at the corner of Richmond and Yonge Streets.

After falling from the roof,

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER

Ed was never physically the same. Every time I spoke with him, he was going to see his doctor for treatment for one thing or another. Doctors were fascinated by his being able to survive the many conditions he endured, they called him a walking miracle. He had several operations and suffered through the years, as the pain always remained. He attended two courses in Mindfulness at St. Michael’s Hospital where he learned how to help control his pain through meditation.

Over the years, Ed succumbed to many physical ailments but would never let his guard down. Ed was always a fighter and a survivor, and remained as sharp as a whip until his passing.

This, I believe, is what kept him going until the time of his death. His body became too weak and he could no longer fight the constant and exhausting pain.

Ed could not attend regular Peer Support Team meetings due to ill health. He was very proud of the Team and members were very fortunate to receive the guidance and wisdom of this educated and experienced man. He would leave me with a question to think about each time we met and I often left with a book or two or some videos in hand to watch.

When the days came that alcohol was much more of a spoken rather than hidden subject, Ed was instrumental in providing and developing the Team on what our role was and how we could help people struggling with alcoholism. He advocated for education, to help us learn how the brain functions under the influence of alcohol and what people go through on this journey. He used to say there are two things about alcohol “it will take over you or make you stronger, and it’s each individual’s choice, which path they take”. It was also often reinforced by Ed that many people suffer and struggle with crisis and yet it only takes one to stand by one’s side and make a difference in their life. For Ed, it was his supportive wife, Jocelyne, who welcomed anyone Eddie knew and gave him time and space to meet with those who confided in him and needed his help. When people spoke, Ed listened. He built a trust with people and always kept their confidence. In a pinch he was only a phone call away and ready and willing to listen, no matter the issue(s). He offered support, guidance, provided next steps, a referral, shared a personal story or experience or engaged in a teachable moment.

For anyone who knew Ed and had the good fortune of connecting with him, please celebrate his life and all the years he gave to the TFS, the brother and sisterhood. Share the honour and goodness of the life he fought so hard to keep going and so willingly tried to help others bring back when they were often at their worst. I believe as a result of Ed’s own subtle ways, many brothers and sisters are alive today or have been able to survive life’s challenges.

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What is Resiliance?

BY STEVE DARLING, ADC, STATION 445-A

CERTIFICATE IN MANAGING PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH ISSUES AT WORK-UNIVERSITY OF FREDERICTON - R2MR INSTRUCTOR - TPFFA EDUCATION COMMITTEE

When someone mentions resilience, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is our ability to “bounce back” from a physical injury. There are two types of injuries that one might experience: a chronic injury such as that nagging golfers elbow from a period of overuse or the acute injury such like a shoulder separation from an on-ice collision during a game of pick-up hockey.

Generally, the large majority of firefighters tries to keep themselves physically fit by doing things like exercising regularly, eating right, drinking lots of water to name only a few. In addition, most of us will visit our physician annually for a physical check-up. This proactive approach to physical wellness certainly reduces our chances of getting an injury from our physically demanding job and typically helps make the recovery quicker and easier.

However, there are no guarantees that we won’t be injured during the course of our career. When that happens, most people think nothing of seeking additional support from a medical practitioner or physiotherapist to help nurse us back to health. The practitioner will ask a series of questions to understand the mechanism of injury and perform some physical tests to determine the extent of the damage. This will give that practitioner the information necessary to develop a plan for treatment and rehab. Once the plan is developed, we comply, faithfully going for physiotherapy and follow-up appointments, rest, stretch etc. We often tell our friends and family about whatever ails us and each person will invariably recount a similar experience.

That said, resilience also applies to our mental health. So why shouldn’t the same proactive approach be taken for our mental health as well? Our mental wellness should be as much a priority of our overall wellness as the physical aspect. Like a physical injury, a mental injury also comes in two forms: Acute and Chronic.

Either of these two left unchecked can have a detrimental impact.

These stressors come from four areas of our life...Organizational, Occupational, Operational and Personal. As hard as we try to keep them separate, we cannot. They all overlap and our ability to cope and “bounce back” determine how we manage the stressors.

So what exactly is stress and how does it impact resilience?

Stress is defined as “the wear and tear on the body caused by the need to adapt to changes in the environment.”

Resilience is defined as “The capacity of an individual to recover quickly, resist, and even thrive in the face of direct/indirect traumatic events and adverse situations and the ability to modulate and harness the stress response.”

When we perceive a stressful event, the stress response is triggered through the amygdala, the alarm centre in our brain. As a result, our arousal levels are elevated, adrenaline and cortisol are 50

released for the Fight, Flight or Freeze reaction. Hopefully by now, most of us have received the R2MR training and are familiar with this effect.

As firefighters, we need resilience as we have multiple stressful events each day. The combination of all the stress factors mentioned earlier makes it critical that we have the ability to “bounce back” in order to reach our optimum performance level again and again. We must have resilience to get our arousal level back down to the starting point. A chronically heightened arousal level will impair our ability to function normally in all aspects of our lives.

If we were to get into the habit of proactively going for an annual “check-up from the neck-up” with your mental health practitioner before we notice any problems, we may minimize or mitigate any long term mental health issues. It’s important to establish a baseline of your mental health so that we are better able to recognize early, any changes before they become more difficult to manage. Doing activities that help you manage stress levels such as exercise, meditation, good nutrition, sleep, etc, also help lower adrenaline and cortisol levels resulting from stressful events.

Developing a relationship with a health care professional is an important step in the proactive approach to mental wellness. “We don’t know what we don’t know”, but a trained mental health professional, like a physical health professional can ask the right questions, make an assessment and develop a plan to ensure you stay healthy.

Even if we do become proactive, there are no guarantees that we won’t have a mental health injury either. However, if we have developed a relationship with a professional and have the other coping mechanisms in place before we are injured, the chances of recovery are improved greatly.

If you are unable to find a mental health professional or don’t know where to start, contact one of our Peer Support members who have an extensive network of resources. They can source professionals in your area and help you get started with 100% confidentiality.

TFS has gone one step further by adding a dedicated mental health professional who is well versed in the stressors we face as firefighters. Chris Rodrigues-Toronto Fire Service EAP Counsellor-Psychological Associate with College of Psychologist is available to all TFS personnel.

Finally, watch out for your crewmates and don’t be afraid to ask, “Are you ok?” We are usually the first to recognize changes in behaviour as we live closely together for long periods of time. We need to take care of ourselves and not let the “stigma” traditionally associated with mental health be a barrier to getting the care you deserve.

You are not alone.

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The TPFFA and TFS presents

The 2019

Health& Wellness

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 Toronto Fire Academy 895 Eastern Avenue

Seminar

Check out the line up for this year’s event: Functional Movement:

Asia Nelson incorporates biomechanically sound movements into her yoga practice for post-injury recovery. She will lead an active session and participate in a round table discussion on the pros and cons of yoga for firefighters along with University of Toronto Professors David Frost and Tyson Beech.

Food and Nutrition:

Jennifer Sygo, nutritionist for the Toronto Maple Leafs, will demonstrate how easy it is to build a healthy meal that everyone in the Station will enjoy. Customizable power bowls will be introduced and served for lunch during the seminar.

Sleep and Rest:

AXS Wellness will be bringing insight into sleep related conditions that fire services are prone to. They focus on First Responder Sleep Recovery and provide techniques and strategies to improve the rest and recovery of first responders.

TORONTO FESSIONAL PRO

FIGHTERS FIRE

Save the date and keep an eye out for information to register for this exciting event!

LO C

AL 3 8 8 8

January 13th, 2019 – June 11th, 2019 Retired Stan Lorr Bob Hagg Victor Spinney James Neal Ronald Gilligan Don Bulger Peter Mizzoni Robert Blake Dave Latvanen Frank Beal Eddie Stadelman Al Booth

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15-Jan-19 16-Jan-19 22-Jan-19 22-Jan-19 26-Jan-19 30-Jan-19 13-Feb-19 19-Feb-19 23-Feb-19 1-Mar-19 8-Mar-19 8-Mar-19

Al Booth James Dennis Bill Cheetham Clifford Smith Joe Gibson Bryan Ford Kent Truman Frank Clark Gordon Crawford Alex Smith Neil Murphy Ronald Baskey

10-Mar-19 11-Mar-19 20-Mar-19 2-Apr-19 8-Apr-19 10-Apr-19 15-Apr-19 25-Apr-19 30-Apr-19 15-May-19 26-May-19 1-Jun-19

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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.

Walter Drake On October 7, 2001. Fire Fighter Walter Drake passed away from bladder cancer.

Walter was a proud, dedicated and loving husband and father. Born in Scotland, Walter served with the British Navy before coming to Canada.

Walter joined the Fire Department and was presented with the John Koci Fire Fighter of the Year award in 1988. Walters’s love for music was shared with everyone he met. There was not an instrument he could not get a tune from, but he would forever be dedicated to the bagpipes.

Walter loved challenges and was a master of many. His hobbies included woodworking and model shipbuilding. He loved sharing his wisdom with his family and friends.

Walter left us with an abundance of glorious memories, and songs in our hearts and he will be sadly missed.

Leo Dorgan

On May 27, 2009 Fire Fighter Leo Dorgan passed away from esophageal cancer.

Leo began his firefighting career August 12, 1968 in the East York Fire Department.

His fellow fire fighters recognized his sense of humor and willingness to help others.

On June 15, 1988 Leo was awarded an Exemplary Medal in Fire Fighting. His accomplishments in the training of numerous fire fighters showed his passion for firefighting was limitless. Leo served over 33 tears with the Toronto Fire Department.

His fairness, dependability and respect of others were qualities recognized by many.

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Fit to SURVIVE

The fire fighter’s guide to health and nutrition

I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD – PART 1 Why Firefighters Should Sleep More and Die Less

BY ALEX BOERSMA, ACTING CAPTAIN, 415-A

“Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory, makes you more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia.

It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?”

Mathew Walker, neuroscientist For firefighters, who suffer inordinately from heart disease, cancer, depression and musculoskeletal disorders, this “revolutionary treatment” would be life altering. Who wouldn’t be interested?

Of course, the treatment is neither new nor revolutionary.

In fact, as Walker argues in his book “Why We Sleep” it is simply a primitive behavior that goes back almost to the origins of life. It is sleep.

Sleep is a behavior that has been preserved across all species and probably over all time. This despite the fact that, from an evolutionary perspective, it appears to be an unequivocal waste of time. When we sleep, we are unable to procreate, to hunt and gather, to protect ourselves, or do any of the other things that contribute to passing our genes along to the next generation. And yet, we spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. So why bother doing it?

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It seems that many firefighters have decided not to bother answering this question. We are a culture which is notoriously sleep deprived. A 2016 study (Billings et al) indicated that 72% of full-time firefighters may suffer from poor sleep quality.

Another study (Barger et al 2015) found that 38% of full-time firefighters had a diagnosable sleeping disorder, and that more than 80% of these had never been tested or diagnosed.

It is no secret that shift work disrupts circadian rhythm, which is probably the main reason why so many firefighters have difficulty with sleep. But we aren’t doing ourselves any favours either. The tough “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” attitude espoused by many firefighters can unfortunately turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy. How many of us operate on the theory that 3-5 hours of interrupted sleep while at work is enough to allow us to function satisfactorily the next day? How many of us think nothing of the consequences of accumulating this kind of sleep debt over multiple shifts, weeks, months and years?

We do so at our own peril. Everything that kills firefighters or disrupts their quality of life is affected by sleep. Everything!

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Cardiovascular Disease According to Walker, sleeping fewer than 6 hours per night increases our risk of coronary artery calcification by 300% and our risk of heart attack or stroke by 200%. A single night of reduced sleep (about 3-4 hours) significantly stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing blood pressure and resting heart rate for most of the following day.

Glucose Tolerance and Diabetes In a 1999 study (Spiegel et al), subjects who were limited to 4 hours sleep for 6 nights in a row showed a 40% decrease in their ability to clear glucose from their blood.

By the end of the 6 days these subjects had glucose tolerance levels equivalent to type 2 diabetics. In another study (Mander et al 2001) people who routinely sleep about 6.5 hours seem to have a 40% reduction in insulin sensitivity.

Cognition, Memory and Dementia Even a slight reduction in sleep can have profound implications in how our brains work. According to Walker, after 10 days of just 6 to 7 hours of sleep (arguably what most firefighters would call a “good sleep”, the brain is as dysfunctional as it is after 24 hours of wakefulness, with as much as a 400% decrease in cognitive capacity. A single night of sleep deprivation results in a 40% decrease in new memory formation. Scariest of all, it seems that sleep deprivation and disruption may significantly interfere with clearance of amyloid proteins from the brain.

These are the same proteins which are implicated strongly in the development of Alzheimer’s and various forms of dementia.

Immunity and Cancer In 2015, Dr. Aric Prather proved that people who slept, on average, less than 6 hours per night were more than 4

times as likely to catch the flu as those who slept more than 7 hours per night. Dr. Michael Irwin, in his 2016 paper titled “Why Sleep is Important to Health” describes multiple ways in which sleep reduction affects immunity and makes us more susceptible to cancer. A single night of sleep reduction (4 hours) can decrease natural killer cells.

These are the immune cells which are supposed to get rid of cancer cells before they become a problem.

Irwin also describes several pathways by which reduced sleep can induce inflammatory responses which may make us more susceptible to cancers.

In 2012, the Potsdam Study found that sleeping less than 6.1 hours per night was associated with more than a 40% increase in risk of all cancers.

Depression and Anxiety According to the National Sleep Foundation, people with disturbed sleep patterns are 10 times as likely to suffer from depression and 17 times as likely to suffer from anxiety. Although the relationship between sleep and mental health is bidirectional, recent research indicates that improving sleep through cognitive behavioral therapy can improve both depression and anxiety.

What Can a Firefighter Do? Obviously, there is very little we can do about the fact that our job disrupts our circadian rhythm. However, there is much that can be done to mitigate the negative health affects of this disruption. In the next issue of Firewatch we will discuss a number of tools that we can use to help with sleep issues. If you are interested in this issue, please note that on our annual TFS Wellness Day (October 13) we will have a sleep expert presenting on this very subject. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Mathew Walker’s book “Why We Sleep”, or listen to him being interviewed by Peter Attia https://peterattiamd.com/matthewwalker1/ Sleep well. Your life may depend on it!

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3888 RECENT HAPPENINGS

The month of June was chosen for LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, many pride events are held during the month of June to recognize the impact LGBT people have had in the world.

In an effort to show our support and diversity, the TPFFA and TFS planned several initiatives to help with awareness in the communities that we serve.

We wrapped our HR332, had stickers for apparatus’ and sold Epaulettes to our members with all proceeds being donated to ‘Pieces to pathways’.

Thank you to the TPFFA Charity Committee for all their hard work with this initiative and for all those members who came out and celebrated with us at the PRIDE Parade! Looking forward to 2020!

Annual 2019 Cana dian Fallen Firefig hters Foundation Charity Golf Tourna ment at Markland Wood Gold Club this past May saw not only firefighte rs from Toronto bu surrounding areas t as well.

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mer students who were hired via the A special Thank You to our three sum nity! Michael Zee, Nicole Laarman and Service Canada Summer Job Opportu assisting the TPFFA over the summer Cole McCarthy were a huge help in with everyday tasks and duties months this year. They not only assisted D Plaque Dedications, our LODD within the office focusing on our LOD ters Charities Inc. Foundation and Honour Roll, the new Toronto Fire Figh ed a huge role in our events! They the Fire Watch magazine but also play ards rnament, TPFFA Executive and Stew helped at the Rob Penny Softball Tou rity Cha FA ’s Wonderland and the TPF meetings, the TPFFA Picnic at Canada Club. Their participation and Golf Golf Tournament at Royal Woodbine as it helped all our events run even organization was greatly appreciated and would like to thank Michael, Nicole smoother than expected! The TPFFA ly eful hop ks; ication over the last few wee Cole for all their hard work and ded ses! one of our New Recruit Clas we will see you soon – maybe even in

m and team The TFS Peer Support Tea IAFF two-day supporters attended an sociation training course at the As ther their fur lp he to e ntr Training-Ce alth awareness knowledge in mental he surrounds it. Our and the psychology that gram is always Employee Assistance Pro es, as it will only looking to better themselv in supporting our make them more helpful ed. members when it is need

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