Fire Watch: Volume 15, Issue 2

DEMOGRAPHICS ISSUE VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

Publications Agreement No: 41203011

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

A detailed look at interesting statistics across the job

18

25

Toronto Fire Services Staff Complement By Rank 2018 (Council Approved) with in year adjustment

DIVISION

FIREFIGHTERS

Fire Prevention and Public Education

163

Communications

60

Information and Communication Systems

DISTRICT CHIEFS

MANAGEMENT/ EXCLUDING STAFF/ LOCAL 79

TOTAL

51

9

12

235

CAPTAINS

9

4

4

77

10

4

2

2

18

Software/data analysis

4

1

1

2

8

Administrative Services

7

1

1

46.3

55.3

37

Admin Services Mechanical Maintenance

7

2

4

50

Training and Technical Operations

29

4

3

36

Emergency Planning

4

1

1

6

60

23

2,693

1

2

7

7

7

106.3

3,192.3

2,104

Operations** Policy, Project and Public Information

505

1

4

Senior Management Staff*

2,385

615

1

85

• Add 1 crew for Stn B (17 FF Ops 4 Captains = 21) • Add TCHC Taskforce (6 FP, 1 FP Captain, 2 Investigators, 1 Data Analyst = 10) • Delete 1 Info & Comm Captain (temp capital) • Delete 1 Mgr of Quality Assurance (Training) • Net: 29 New • Add Quality Assurance Inspection Audit (6 FF, 1 Captain, 1 Engineer, 2 Support Assistant B=11) - 2018 In year adjustment

40

48

34

2018 BUDGET CHANGES

|

ISSUE 2

IN THIS ISSUE

DEMOGRAPHICS

DISTRICT CHIEF/ SENIOR FIRE BOAT CAPTAIN

VOLUME 15

Note: Based on approved positions as reflected in the

2018 Operating Budget and Organizational Chart.

FIRE WATCH (ISSN 1715-5134) is published by the 15 | Issue 2 | FIRE ASSOCIATION WATCH TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIREVolume FIGHTERS’ 14 Cosentino Drive, Toronto ON M1P 3A2 Tel: 416.466.1167 www.torontofirefighters.org E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org 16

CHIEF EDITOR Frank Ramagnano

5

President’s Message

9

Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

11

Vice President’s Message

13

Chaplain’s Corner

14

Hazmat IQ - Natural Gas Emergencies

18

TFS Demographics - A detailed look at interesting statistics across the job

25

How to get Fully Involved! Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Counsellor

28

Member Profile – Patrick Howlett

31

Behind the Mask – Peer Support

34

Nature Therapy

37

Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association

38

WSIB’s Community Mental Health Program

40

Phoenix Recovery Group

42

Historical Society - Smoke on the Water

45

Firehall Cookbook

46

Never Shall We Forget

48

Fit to Survive – Body and Mind

MANAGING EDITORS James Reed, Ken De Jong Tel.: 416.466.1167 Fax: 416.466.6632 E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org ASSISTANT EDITORS William Morris, James Kennedy, Mykhail Baehr, James Coones DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Bryan Middleton FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Mykhail Baehr & TPFFA Media Team CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL Agreement No: 41203011 PRINTED IN CANADA Copyright © 2021 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association ADVERTISING Please contact Bill Monson at 416.466.9180 ext. 322 or e-mail monson@torontofirefighters.org Merchant Card Acceptance

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

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

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

On The Cover Firefighters are human beings and can suffer mental wellness challenges in their off-duty and on-duty lives.

R2MR training presents colours to represent your mental status on the Mental Health Continuum.

Hopefully, this edition will help the members keep their status in the “green”.

DEM OG RA PH ICS

ISS UE

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2

THE OFFICIAL

PUBLICATION OF THE

TORONTO PROFESSIO NAL FIRE FIGH TERS’ ASSO CIATION

Publications Agreeme

nt No: 41203011

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I

t’s been quite the journey to this point and, as I have said many times, it’s been an incredible honour, and a humbling duty, to serve as your President, and I am thankful for the opportunity. This is my last article in Fire Watch, and how fitting, as it was part of my election campaign in 2002 that the idea of Fire Watch was created. I am so proud of the magazine over the years and the various recognitions it has received.

I would like to thank the Principal Officers that I have had the pleasure to work with as president. They were always there for me, and I was so fortunate to work with them: Damien Walsh, James Coones, Kevin McCarthy and James Reed. I would like to thank all of the great leaders and staff I have had the opportunity to serve with in my 28 years of union work. Only by working together have we been able to build this strong and professional organization. I will always be grateful to my wife, Sharon, for her encouragement, and to my children for their understanding, having shared their father with this demanding role.

I tell our newest members that their goal after a career should be to look back and be able to say that they left it better than they found it. “Leave it better than you found it” is a long-term, productive mindset. It’s a plan for the future. It’s the complete opposite of short-term, destructive consumerism, which only cares about immediate wants and needs.

There’s a Greek proverb that suggests, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” This is a perfect example of the “leave it better than you found it” mindset. As you go about your career, ask yourself, “Am I adding value or am I only taking value away from it?” The answer will help you determine if you’re actually leaving it better than you found it. Of course, it’s idealistic to expect to add value to everything, but the point is we should try our best, considering what

is both practical and within our power.

I hope I have done that, but it is for you to judge.

It has been the honour and privilege of my life to serve the members of this wonderful and strong union. I thank you all for your support and understanding.

Bargaining: - Oversaw the 2015 – 2018 arbitration award and ensured that the severe concessions the city was looking for were not achieved. Wages higher than police and no removal of our sick time gratuity. Increases to rank differential and several improvements to benefits.

The city appealed the ruling, and we successfully had the city remove their application for judicial review regarding the Hayes arbitration award.

- Oversaw the 2019 - 2023 contract negotiations. Passed with the highest margin in our history of any ratification vote we have had to date (98%).

Was the first contract to be agreed to before the previous one had expired.

- Moved from on-shift training instructor model to off-shift only, compensated at overtime rate. Increased the opportunities from 50 to 200, while also, for the first-time, including contractual language protecting and establishing the amount of training instructors.

- Promotional review and supported MOA for both the Operations and Fire Prevention Divisions for a new promotional process.

- 24-HR Modified Duty Role in Operations.

- Created a new Fire Investigators Division agreement, including new working conditions.

- Created a new, separate, Technology/ Analytics Division.

- Outside of bargaining, removed mandatory blackout periods in vacation selection and moved to a credit system that increased the average vacation week from 45 hours to 48 hours.

- Outside of bargaining, created an Operations Lead Recruit Assessors compensation of 5% for seven months,

for the added responsibilities.

- Outside of bargaining, reduced the hours in Fire Prevention, Public Education, Investigators and Training division from 42 hours a week to 40 hours a week, with no reduction in salary.

- Created overtime for District Chiefs, once all the qualified lists were exhausted.

Member Communications: - Committed to a formal program of visiting, at minimum, 52 work locations per year.

- Recording work location visits and posting them on our website.

- Established a mobile-accessible website.

- Presenting a Twitter feed for all Principal Officers.

- Increased the number of Town Hall meetings we conduct.

- Struck and chaired an Organizational Review Committee and implemented most recommendations.

- Helped to establish online voting on many issues, with the largest being the promotional process.

- Developed an online union substitution process.

- Established the President’s Blog page.

- Agreed with a member to establish a President’s podcast.

- Established a Local 3888 media team.

- Supported a mechanism to allow members to pay for events and items online.

- Supported Command Breakfasts to meet with members.

- Worked with the Toronto Fire Services to conduct joint Town Halls that the Association leads and has control over the questions that are asked. This has allowed us to set the tone and subject matter.

Continued on page 7 Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED...

Government Relations: - Met with each councilor and the mayor on a minimum annual basis. Met with most on a more frequent basis.

- Met with city hall senior management team on annual basis.

- Leadership role within City of Toronto Union Group: City of Toronto United Way Co-Chair representative for four years. Held several meetings with GTA unions and others to discuss OMERS changes.

- Conducted two Fire Ops, including a high-rise scenario at City Hall.

- Oversaw seven Operation and Capital budgets with no cuts to personnel.

Increases were made to many divisions, including Operations, with the specific hiring tied to the opening of new stations.

- Hired an actuarial firm (Eckler) to develop a staffing model for Toronto Fire. This brought information to the elected leaders to illustrate how the staffing requirements need to change.

This was well received, and many Locals have inquired as to the feasibility of them entering a similar project.

MISC: - Over the past three elections, oversaw substantial change to executive officer team and helped to transition by having a mentoring program. Also established more co-chairs.

- Opened up to have members from the floor sit on various committees.

Currently, we have over 100 members not only serving, but also gaining experience to be the future union leaders.

- Expanded representation for Health and Safety - Solved a long-standing dispute regarding the Fire Prevention hours of work, which saw us reduce the work week from 42 hours to 40 hours, with no reduction in salary. Oversaw the plan to split the division into two separate divisions with an increase in staffing to both divisions.

- Was able to get an agreement to move to NFPA certified fatigue clothing.

- Established our own charity foundation to help progress our community involvement.

- Oversaw new records in fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy, the charity that was originally started by Toronto Firefighters.

- Record fundraising and grew the involvement for our Pink and Movember campaigns.

- Established a new initiative with Capes for Kids.

- Established a new Electronic Documents and Records Management System (EDRMS) for our operations and moved to electronic filing for all our records.

- Expanded our LODD plaques to include all LODDs, and not just those after amalgamation.

- Have attended every memorial as President.

- Oversaw the selling of the union office for the highest offer tabled.

- Oversaw the transition to a temporary office with no disruption to services provided for the membership.

- Completed the buying and renovating of the new office building without needing to raise dues or apply a special assessment to the membership.

- Maintained 20% of operational budget in a reserve fund and growing it to current level of 55%.

- Developed an internal personal policy manual.

- Transition to a high performing staff team.

- Revamped the format of our Fire Fighter Gala.

- Have taken a leadership role with both the IAFF and OPFFA. Asked to nominate the IAFF president and had our resolutions at both organizations supported. Placed members on committees for both parental bodies.

- Secured funds for various campaigns from both the OPFFA and the IAFF. - Created three new committees – New Members, Retired Active, Education.

- Supported new courses offered to

members and their families from our office.

- Hosted an open house at the new office and secured substantial donation of professional furniture and electronics.

- Hosted the 2017 Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Convention in a professional manner that saw all the expenses for the event covered through sponsorship alone.

- Lobbied for improvements to TFS media presence.

- Supported a PTSD prevention plan.

- Secured approval for our Canada 150 truck wrap project.

- Successfully lobbied for the addition of Naloxone drug to frontline crews.

- Celebrated our twentieth anniversary as an amalgamated Local in 2018.

- Supported a partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada to provide additional resources to assist our members, should they ever need them.

- Supported overtime through callbacks for special events, for the first time.

- Worked with other Locals to ensure the OPFFA per capita was well thought out and appropriate. This stopped the trend of increases above inflation in dues.

- Asked to speak to various union groups including the Police Association of Ontario AGM to discuss our bargaining experience. Met with senior Canadian fire union leaders to discuss trends and issues.

- Spoke at the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) regarding Toronto Fire Service application. Was asked the most questions of the group and was told that my answers were key in the TFS getting the application approved.

- Formed experience groups in response to the worldwide protests that were held for a more inclusive society.

Frank Ramagnano, President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH

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SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE

A

s I sit to write this, we are starting to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.

I recently received my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. My extended family all have had their first shot. I have not seen my parents in person in well over a year, which I hope changes by the time you read this. The lack of social interaction is something I never expected to be a significant problem for me. I consider myself an introvert, and I am often happy to deal with people by email or text. The work that I do for the Association is not particularly public and is mainly behind the scenes. Our office doors were closed early in 2020. We had a few in-person meetings in the late summer and fall before closing again. We have only used the office for activities that cannot be done virtually, such as signing cheques. I speak with Frank and Kevin daily, but far less with the rest of the Board. I hold telephone staff meetings weekly. Our Executive Board and General Member’s Meetings have moved almost exclusively online. I have missed the personal interactions with the board members and general members that would regularly come through the office.

On a personal note, I had both children away at school this year. I am also an assistant coach with the Etobicoke Dolphins, which I took on when my daughter stopped playing. The girls played one game before COVID shut the season down. We held a few small group practices before the provincial government stopped that as well.

Admittedly, all of this has taken a toll.

I have struggled to stay focused on the things I need to do. I find myself becoming short with people, perhaps losing a little empathy along the way.

I cannot tell you how sick of online meetings I have become. The interaction is not the same at all—no ability to read the room. The side conversa-

tions and humour are entirely gone, as only one person can speak at a time.

The online conventions and seminars don’t allow any networking at all—no opportunities to learn from others or provide input on how we do things in Toronto. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to getting back together.

The TPFFA Annual Picnic and Golf Tournament should go off in a typical format (or at least close). We are anticipating a Children’s Christmas Party that will be the same as usual.

We hope to be back in the office for our Executive Board and General Member’s Meetings; I hope to run into many of you at one or more of these events.

We had two new additions to the Executive Board during COVID. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for Justin and Geoff to start their union careers this way. I am hopeful that we will be back meeting in person soon after the results of our general election come out. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with a new board.

I hope we can say that we had an excellent voter turnout. Electing two new principal officers is bound to have a significant impact. By the time you read this, we will have met already and started discussions on the future of our great association.

We have some significant issues to deal with over the next two years.

I anticipate the City of Toronto to be in a difficult financial position moving forward, meaning a tough fire service budget fight. Our Government Relations Committee will be working hard to ensure that all city councillors understand the needs of the fire service. Hiring will need to keep up with our needs at the same time. I anticipate the success of our upcoming recruit class of 96 firefighters. The changes that we have made to our Training Division and ATIs should ensure this. By the end of the term, we

will need to begin our preparations for bargaining. You will have the opportunity to put forward proposals to provide direction to the Bargaining Committee.

Finances: The IAFF Convention action from January of this year raised the per capita rates. The rates have moved from $14.84 to $15.20. The result to our Local is an increase of approximately $13,000 per year. The most significant growth came from a resolution that allows automatic increases to per capita based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase. Nearly 100% of the IAFF budget is subject to inflation. This increase accounted for the majority of the per capita increase. The logic was that inflationary costs cannot be avoided and should be in the budget.

The OPFFA Convention was held virtually on June 7th, 2021.

The Convention action resulted in a reduction of the per capita rate from $12.04 to $11.81. A significant decrease of $0.38 from the building line due to the sale of the OPFFA office space. Locally, on July 1st, the first-class rate will increase by 0.97% to $105,506. All salaries based on a first-class rate will increase accordingly.

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

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I

t has been a difficult year with this global pandemic and, as front-line workers, there has been no time to take a break.

Nobody wants to be unhealthy, but if the situation arises, we have an insurance plan every member should know about.

So, what is LTD? The long-term disability (LTD) benefit is an insurance policy. There is no reason for someone not to apply for LTD, providing they are off work, on disability or modified duties for more than six months uninterrupted. That would include anyone already in the process or approved for WSIB. If a member does not apply within a year, Manulife will consider the claim closed.

To qualify for LTD, a member must be under the age of 65. If the member is between the age of 60-65, they could not qualify if they had accumulated 25 years or more of pensionable TFS service at age 60. An employee who reaches 25 years of pensionable TFS service AFTER age 60 will not be affected by this provision.

Most LTD plans range from 50% to 80% of an employee’s annual salary. The City of Toronto’s LTD plan with Local 3888 pays seventy-five percent (75%) of an employee’s basic salary, including any benefit paid under any pension plan, insurance plan and/or Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. The monthly amount of LTD is based on gross earnings, not net; so, a member’s take-home pay on LTD (short-term) is similar to a member not on disability. When approved for LTD, payments are paid monthly through the insurance provider instead of bi-weekly by the City of Toronto. A common myth suggests that people on LTD from ten years ago make the same wages as members’ income today. I wish this were true, but it is not. Unfortunately, our plan does not allow for the cost-of-living indexing.

How is the annual rate of pay for LTD benefits determined?

LTD benefits are determined by the date of the disability.

Date of Disability: The date of disability is identified by the last day worked before the six months, uninterrupted qualifying period.

When a member gets approved for LTD, there are no increases from that date. In other words, if someone went off on disability ten years ago, they would be receiving 75% of the current salary they were making at the time. A first-class firefighter made $80,000 ten years ago. If they are still off on LTD today, that would be their date of disability amount. Unless the member returns to work, there is no way to increase their pension, salary and other increments while on LTD. Is the member on LTD still able to use their benefits?

The City of Toronto provides employees who are in receipt of long-term disability plan benefits benefit coverage under the Extended Health Care, Group Life Insurance and Dental Plans. Under this plan, the City shall pay one hundred percent (100%) of the premiums.

What is a qualifying period?

Qualifying Period: To qualify for LTD, it takes six months of uninterrupted time. During the six (6) month qualifying period, the employee is subject to participating in the Modified Work Program Policy, which will not interrupt the qualifying period to qualify for LTD. Generally, a member will receive a package in the mail after three months. If they do not receive a package, please contact the Association. When calculating the long-term disability benefit referred to in clause 16.06(a), above, the employee’s basic salary shall take into account changes in salary, if any, that occurred

during the “qualifying period” if the employee was a participant in the Modified Work Program at the time that the salary change(s) took effect. A member who has applied for the long-term disability benefit, but who has exhausted their sick pay credits before the conclusion of the six (6) month qualifying period, may use any vacation entitlement or lieu time owing as sick credits. In that case, the vacation or lieu time will be treated as sick pay credits, and the provisions of this Article and Article 14 of the Collective Agreement will apply.

What are the different parts of the LTD package?

The LTD package has three sections: • Employer’s Statement: The employer confirms the date of disability and timelines and delivers information directly to Manulife. The member never receives this package.

• The Physician’s Statement: The member’s family doctor or specialist should fill out the physician’s statement. It is important to note that when someone applies for LTD, it isn’t like WSIB. The medical treatment provided should be holistic, taking into account all ailments. For example, a member may have a mental health issue, but is off due to a shoulder replacement. The member should report all their pertinent medical history on the forms.

• The Member’s Statement: The member provides information regarding the claim, history, and a personal perspective of the symptoms and conditions.

Continued on page 12 Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 11

VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTINUED...

This portion of the process looks pretty • Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) Assignment of Benefits daunting. However, the member’s stateForm: LTD payments are directly ment supports the information provided offset by all other income sources, inby the physician’s statement. It is importcluding any WSIB benefits or pension ant to include all treating healthcare propayments. Should a member be denied viders. I tell members not to downplay WSIB benefits and subsequently aptheir conditions. No one wants to be proved later through an appeal, they unhealthy; sometimes we are, and that is will have to repay Manulife Financial why this exists. any LTD payments received for this period. In addition, if you were receiving What other forms are included in the WSIB advances/top-up from the City of LTD package?

Toronto for a denied WSIB claim, they • Notice of Competition Form: The will be required to pay any advances/ City of Toronto is required to provide top-up back to the City of Toronto from promotional competition notification your LTD payments. This form is rein the workplace. If a member on LTD quired to be completed and submitted. wishes to receive a copy of the notice for competition in which they may be • CPP Wavier: Information about the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disabileligible to participate, they should comity benefit is available online at www. plete this form. servicecanada.gc.ca or via phone at • Consent to Releasing Information 1-800-277-9914. If a member’s claim Form: This form provides memis approved, their LTD benefit will be bers with the opportunity to share subject to the statutory deductions of their personal medical information Income Tax, CPP and EI. If the memwith Employee Health for the City of bers are approved for CPP disability Toronto. All medical information probenefits, the CPP contributions are vided to Manulife is protected and canwaived and will not be deducted from not be shared with the City of Toronto your monthly LTD benefit. unless this form is signed. There is no reason to fill out this form, and it • Information about the OMERS Disability Benefits: An OMERs doesn’t affect qualification. Where this Disability Waiver of Contribution form is relevant is during the return-toBenefit allows a member to continue work phase. If a member has questions, to accrue credited service towards their they should contact the Association. pension without paying contributions • Use of Available Credits Elections (no member cost), as if they are still Form: When a member receives LTD, working. If approved for the disability the member may receive Long Term waiver, the OMERS Plan covers the Disability payments from the carrier member’s contributions and the emand cease participating in the Modified ployer’s contributions during your disWork Program or utilize sick credits ability. before receiving Long Term Disability payments. If the member chooses to use sick credits, they will be required to What do Own Occupation and Any provide a return-to-work form. Once a Occupation mean?

After the six months qualification permember is receiving LTD-paid benefits from the provider, that requirement will iod for the LTD is completed, the clock starts ticking regardless of being approved no longer exist.

12

for LTD or not. Qualifications for coverage will be based on the following: Own Occupation: Normal occupation: the regular occupation, job or work (apart from any temporary assignment) member was performing at the time he/ she became totally disabled by the condition which prevented them from working and led to a claim being made under this plan. The own occupation period is only for two years.

Any Occupation: any other occupations, jobs or work: (a) for which they are, or become, qualified by his/her education or training or experience, considered collectively or separately; and (b) for which the current monthly earnings are 75% or more of the current monthly earnings for the employee’s normal occupation. In any occupation phase, there are no time limits.

What if I am denied for LTD? Expedited Process for Appeals: There are times where members submit claims for LTD, and the claim is denied. Often this is because there wasn’t enough medical information provided, all the paperwork wasn’t completed fully or because of timeline issues. Our Collective Agreement has specific language that outlines a process to deal with appeals.

Please contact the Association for support if a claim is denied.

Long-term disability can be confusing and may be a benefit that most of us will never use in our careers. But, if the time comes where it is an option, there is no reason not to apply. LTD is your insurance policy.

Kevin McCarthy, Vice President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

“Mental Well-Being” “How are firefighters and cops similar to each other? Both groups aspire to be firefighters!”

A

popular phrase is ‘laughter is the best medicine!’

“Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.” – helpguide.org Learning from different mentors and experiences, a major key in mental well-being is avoiding burnout. You don’t need to wait until you are running on empty to refill your gas tank. It is usually harder to recover your strength after you are burnt out.

The reality is that there is no perfect answer when creating a plan for a healthy mental well-being. That is because everyone is different and unique in their own way. Understanding that your DNA is one of a kind, should make you feel special. Being one of a kind, amongst billions of others, is a great reminder that you are full of worth and purpose. Also, being one of a kind, makes it virtually impossible to have a singular answer that serves everyone’s mental well-being equally.

The great news is that there are some common tools for people to use to help develop a healthy mental well-being.

This three-step reminder is a tool everyone can use to help develop and maintain a healthy mental well-being.

Reminder #1:

Hard Work

“If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up.

Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan My basketball coach asked after every big game, “Did you leave it all on the floor?” My coach encouraged and expected us to give our best effort, despite the game’s outcome.

Even being the best, Michael Jordan went through roadblocks, obstacles and failure. As MJ achieved success through hard work, he also wanted to see his teammates succeed. He pushed them to be the best they can be. He also never asked them to do anything that he wasn’t willing to do himself. This is a similar principle that Jesus shared with the apostles. Jesus encouraged them to continue to work hard and in their hard work, help those in need. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

There is great reward in working hard.

Reminder# 2:

Accessibility

“Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” – King Solomon There are multiple resources to help your mental well-being that are accessible to you. As firefighters, you are constantly giving and looking out for other people. That constant giving can be very draining, emotionally and physically. Knowing that there are resources and tools available to you is great, but I encourage you to use them!

Some of those resources are the GS benefits, EAP, Peer Support, the many wellness seminars made available, and, I have to say, last but not least, the chaplains! The opportunity for us to be able to give back and serve those who literally put their life on the line for others (that’s you!) is a great honour and privilege for us.

Reminder #3:

Team

There’s no “I” in team but there is in win.” – Michael Jordan A goal I have working in the inner city is creating a safe place for kids & youth. We focus on peer-to-peer mentorship (kids helping kids) and it has been amazing to see friendships develop and the sense of team that is built.

Having a healthy support system

North Command Chaplain Dan Chandran 647-242-9897 danieljchandran@gmail.com

makes a great difference in mental-well being. Mentors and friends that you can confide in and learn from, creates confidence, and assures that you aren’t alone. There was a time where I tried to go through life on my own.

I didn’t want help from anyone and only looked out for myself. Things fell apart very quickly, and I was in a dark place, drinking life away. It came to a point where I eventually confided in my support system and they graciously took me back. I started to make my faith in Christ my priority and that is when things started to turn around for me. I went from being angry and selfish, to kind and caring.

I ran into a high school friend nearly a decade after my ‘dark days’ and he was amazed to see the change in my life. My faith and my support system help me every day. I encourage you to find a support system that fits you, because in my experience, walking through life alone is very difficult.

Don’t forget that your DNA is one of a kind and that you are filled with worth and purpose. Remember ‘H.A.T.’ when taking care of your mental well-being.

Hard Work Accessibility Team P.S. You can put this H.A.T. on every day.

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Hazmat IQ

Natural Gas Emergencies Flammable Gas Detection

W

BY STUART WEST, TORONTO FIRE ACTING CAPTAIN, STATION 113B

ith such a large proportion of our Hazmat calls involving natural gas leaks, I thought it prudent to devote an article to natural gas emergencies, with a few side notes regarding flammable gas detection. Now that spring is here, we are back into that time of year for backyard burns and exterior renovation projects, which quite often result in an accidental rupture of a gas line.

Residential gas leaks are usually caused by homeowners digging too close to their service line, or contractors who either did not bother to get the required line locates done or were careless and struck the line regardless. Typically, these are routine calls. Even so, we must remain vigilant and assume that the gas will ignite at any moment. A few years ago, I did witness just such an event. The leaking gas did ignite and created an extremely dangerous situation that was caused by the attending gas company being a little too careless. At this

particular call, some utility work being done in the area had caused an underground leak. The gas company began using a hydrovac truck to dig pilot holes, searching for the source of the leak. Although the truck was grounded, the hot exhaust got too close to the leaking gas and it exploded in a wall of flames, approximately twenty feet in the air. Thankfully, the pumper crew on scene was ready and reacted quickly, with the only injuries being some superficial facial burns to one of the gas company workers.

This call served as an excellent learning experience and underscored the point quite effectively, that if it can happen, it will happen.

I would like to take this opportunity to discuss our roles and responsibilities at natural gas calls and provide some insight that may give first arriving crews a better understanding with respect to natural gas and flammable gas detection in general.

What is Natural Gas? In much the same way that air is a mixture of many gases, so too is natural gas (NG). The main component of which is methane. Most NG contains anywhere from 85% to 95% methane, along with other trace gases such as propane, butane, carbon dioxide, among others. Many times, the term “natural gas” and “methane” are used interchangeably since methane comprises such a significant portion of NG mixtures. As a result, the chemical and physical properties of methane and NG are remarkably similar.

NG is a non-toxic, colourless, odorless, noncorrosive and flammable/explosive gas. NG has a narrow flammable/explosive range of approximately 4%-15% in air. One of the most unique aspects of NG/methane is that it is

14

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 14

significantly lighter than air. Since it is a fossil fuel, incomplete combustion involving NG produces carbon monoxide and aldehydes.

NG is usually odourised at the “city gate” with ethyl mercaptan, or another sulphur-based compound to give it that distinctive, “rotten egg” odour. Mercaptan has an exceptionally low odour threshold of 0.002 ppm providing a significant safety factor, in terms of an early warning of any potential leaks. However, this cannot be relied upon as a detection method as high levels of mercaptan can cause, “olfactory fatigue” to set in.

Olfactory fatigue is a phenomenon whereby our ability to detect a certain odor becomes desensitized from exposure to high levels of the gas in question.

In much the same way that tragedies have brought about safety improvements in other industries, the NG industry has been no exception. One of the more significant tragedies that occurred involving NG was the New London School explosion in 1937, in Texas.

The resulting explosion killed approximately 300 people, most of whom were children. At the time in Texas, oil companies were providing free natural gas to the school for heating purposes. Unfortunately, this free gas was not odorized, providing no advance warning of an ongoing leak, unbeknownst to school officials. In the preceding days and weeks leading up to the event, many of the school children complained of headaches and flu like symptoms. The leaking gas needed only a source of ignition and it found it from an errant spark in the woodshop that ultimately triggered the explosion.

Shortly after this event, the odorization of NG became more commonplace due to this and other unfortunate events.

As mentioned previously, NG is significantly lighter than air. This presents fire crews with unique challenges in terms of detection and mitigation. When crews are

presented with an outdoor leak, the fact that natural gas is lighter than air can be a benefit. Most times, this enables the gas to simply float away and dissipate naturally.

However, there are occasions when the gas can still find its way indoors, through open windows or foundation cracks, etc. NG will always follow the path of least resistance and can migrate great distances underground if soil conditions are favorable. Once inside a structure, the lightness of NG becomes a hindrance. NG will rise until it hits an intervening plane, such as a ceiling and then will start to bank down and accumulate within a space. These areas that NG may occupy can be difficult to reach with detection equipment and difficult to ventilate.

It is important that crews follow the SOG’s regarding NG response and ensure that a wind direction is obtained from Toronto Fire while enroute to the call. This will ensure that an upwind approach is relied upon. Crews must avoid the temptation to pull up in the immediate vicinity of

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 15

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Hazmat IQ...Continued from page 15

the address in question. The most common oversight that I see is that in our anxiousness to get to the scene and respond to the incident, we sometimes put ourselves in harm’s way (including Heavy Haz crews). Having to walk the extra 50 to 100 feet also gives us time to ensure we have everything we require, and confirm our meters are zeroed and responding appropriately. The first-in crew must then deploy and charge a 65mm hoseline once personnel are brought forward.

Flammable Gas Detection I would like to take the opportunity to address some questions that I have been asked over the years, by both firefighters and chiefs alike, regarding issues with our detection capabilities at NG calls specifically.

I have had some DC’s joke about how often our Haz crews report back with, “no meter response” at some of our gas calls. In other words, we are reporting back to command with zero readings. This is a fair question.

The type of detection equipment our Heavy Haz crews and Haz support trucks utilize is geared toward what we are trying to accomplish on scene. As a fire service, we are trying to prevent harm to people and, to a lesser extent, property. Because of our public safety considerations, our flammable gas sensors (Catalytic Bead and Infrared) are purposed for sensing whether the atmosphere is flammable/explosive or not. For our

flammable gas sensors to register a reading, there needs to be a significant amount of gas in an enclosed space.

Given the fact that most of our gas calls involve outdoor leaks, unless you were in close proximity to the source of the leak or a gust of wind blew gas in the direction of the sensor, then you would not register a reading. There simply is no reason to get close to the leaking gas with the sensor, as this serves only to use up the sensor, when the source has already been identified. Our purpose at these calls is to evacuate the immediate area, ensure all sources of ignition have been eliminated and to conduct air monitoring, concentrating on the houses closest to the source, to ensure that gas has not entered the homes. At the vast majority of these calls, this does not occur. But it can happen and certainly has occurred on some occasions. There are other types of sensing technology that are better suited for leak detection; although, this is beyond the scope of our current discussion. Haz crews in TFS currently have no form of leak detection in terms of gas meters. Without a meter purposed for leak detection, locating a gas leak inside a residence is exceedingly difficult, due to the low gas pressures. The gas pressures for residences are approximately 7 inches of water column, which is roughly equal to ¼ psi. We leave the leak sourcing to Enbridge. The meters employed by Enbridge utilize different sensing technology, because they have a different role than us. I have heard some wondering if our meters are not effective meters due to this and my response is that they serve a different purpose. The flammable gas sensors we have are excellent when used for our purposes, which is to identify flammable/hazardous atmospheres.

They are, however, not leak detectors.

Due to the routine nature of most of our NG calls, it is imperative that we combat the potential for complacency to set in. Natural gas is extremely dangerous and has the potential to explode, violently, especially when it has accumulated in an enclosed space.

I encourage all crews to review the appropriate SOG’s and training notes, with respect to natural gas response.

Stay back, be prepared and stay safe!

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DEMOGRAPHICS A detailed look at interesting statistics across the job

Toronto Fire Services Staff Complement By Rank 2018 (Council Approved) with in year adjustment

DIVISION Fire Prevention and Public Education

FIREFIGHTERS

CAPTAINS

DISTRICT CHIEF/ SENIOR FIRE BOAT CAPTAIN

DISTRICT CHIEFS

MANAGEMENT/ EXCLUDING STAFF/ LOCAL 79

TOTAL

163

51

9

12

235

Communications

60

9

4

4

77

Information and Communication Systems

10

4

2

2

18

Software/data analysis

4

1

1

2

8

Administrative Services

7

1

1

46.3

55.3

37

7

2

4

50

Training and Technical Operations

29

4

3

36

Emergency Planning

4

1

1

6

60

23

2,693

1

2

7

7

7

106.3

3,192.3

Admin Services Mechanical Maintenance

Operations**

2,104

Policy, Project and Public Information

505

1

4

Senior Management Staff*

2,385

615

1

85

2018 BUDGET CHANGES

• Add 1 crew for Stn B (17 FF Ops 4 Captains = 21) • Add TCHC Taskforce (6 FP, 1 FP Captain, 2 Investigators, 1 Data Analyst = 10) • Delete 1 Info & Comm Captain (temp capital) • Delete 1 Mgr of Quality Assurance (Training) • Net: 29 New • Add Quality Assurance Inspection Audit (6 FF, 1 Captain, 1 Engineer, 2 Support Assistant B=11) - 2018 In year adjustment

18

Note: Based on approved positions as reflected in the 2018 Operating Budget and Organizational Chart.

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 18

1 2 7 15 6 12 9 9 2 5 5 1

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Average Age Average Years of Service Average Age when starting Average age when retiring Average sevice when retiring

46.0 17.5 30.7 56.3 30.5

46.3 17.6 30.6 56.8 31.6

46.6 17.9 28.3 56.9 29.3

46.9 18.1 31.4 58.6 32.0

46.7 17.7 30.1 57.7 30

46.2 17.9 30.3 57.9 30.8

45.9 17.9 30.5 59 30.8

45.6 17.5 29.8 58.6 30.6

46 16.9 29.4 56.5 30.5

45.6 16.4 30 57.7 32.1

45.6 16.3 29.6 58.8 30.5

45.9 17.0 27.9 57.4 30.9

Captain Average Age Captain Avg Years of Service DC Average Age DC Avg Years of Service

53.3 28.3 57.4 33.7

53.9 28.6 57.6 33.8

53.9 28.5 56.8 33.2

54.4 28.9 57.1 33.1

54.7 29.1 56.9 32.6

53.6 28.8 55.8 32.4

54.2 28.2 55.8 31.2

53.6 28.5 56.3 32.1

54.8 28.7 56.1 32.3

55.4 30.4 56.6 33.8

55.9 29.5 59 34.6

56.1 29.8 58.6 34.7

Operations

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973

39 100 149 97 87 157 89 160 93 40 89 97 79 49 50 52 40 63 158 84 93 105 0 135 68 133 67 69 68 126 190 181 129 111 67 99 83 71 35 52 52 24 27 9 5 3 0 1

Left TFS

25 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

# of Members

1 1 2 2 8 6 5 9 10 7 4 3 1

Start Date

# of District Chief per each Service Year

51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 69

District Chief Years of Service

60 42 50 31 56 121 78 54 37 13 28 10 7 5 1 3

# of District Chiefs each age

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 41

Age of District Chiefs

5 5 15 19 25 31 38 52 64 60 60 55 52 40 22 29 16 6 3 1

# of Captains per each Service Year

47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Captain Years of Service

130 155 91 49 152 133 30 123 37 70 70 98 61 34 39 36 48 80 91 97 75 18 120 51 93 64 75 38 74 148 104 68 63 21 44 28 18 3 11 6 4

# of Captains each age

0-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Age of Captains

# of Members each Service Year

# of Members each age 0 2 6 5 15 36 32 40 52 73 57 77 70 63 74 72 73 66 59 52 53 52 62 40 61 80 94 93 84 81 97 90 96 97 111 107 106 94 99 66 48 49 28 17 6 1 2

Years of Service 3888 Members

Age of 3888 Members 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 69

104 117 107 100 91 78 120 116 70 120 84 113 87 60 49 60 50 91 65 98 124 70 65

* This chart is produced from data on record January 1, 2021 in Operations Division. 513 members can retire without a penalty as of this date. 511 are over 50 years old with at least 30 years service and 448 are 50 with an 85 factor.

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 19

Pumper Rescue Squad Senior staff Specialty Water tanker

Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page 19

Fleet Purchasing Fleet Purchasing Status Quantity

Multiple

Multiple

Budget year

2019/20/21

2021/22/23

New truck(s)

Pumper/ Rescues

105' quint Aerials

Builder Chassis/Body

Spartan/ Dependable

Spartan/Smeal

2021

105' quint Aerial

2020

135' (41 meter) Bronto

EmergencyOne/Bronto

2021

116' Bronto

Spartan/Bronto/ Fort Garry

1

Developm ent Funds

230' (70 meter) Bronto

Mack/Bronto/ 1200 Degrees

2

2021

Air/Light Trucks

Freightliner/ Dependable

Squad

Spartan/ Dependable

1

1

1

1

2020

Spartan/Smeal

P314 R325 S313 C7 TRS235 WT211

5,523 4,226 2,187 19 13 13

Summary by Unit Type Summary by Unit Type

Status

Count of Unit Type

Unit Type

Status The first group of eleven units are currently in production with five delivered as of May 10, 2021. A further six trucks are on order and a further group of units will be ordered as Capital funds are approved.

A multi-year purchase request has been created to buy these aerial trucks direct from the manufacturer to reduce lead time. The request goes for council approval end of Q2 / early Q3 2021.

A demonstrator model has been purchased from the Smeal Aerial Dealer to provide some immediate relief to the aerial shortage.

This unit has been ordered, but not scheduled for delivery until early 2022.

A demonstrator model has been purchased from Fort Garry Fire Trucks to provide some immediate relief to the Bronto shortage.

The chassis and boom unit has been delivered to the Dealer in Quebec. The body has been designed and is in production.

Delivery is expected midsummer 2021.

The chassis have been ordered and the bodies designed. Delivery is expected late 2021 or early 2022.

The truck has been awarded and is in production. Delivery is expected the end of 2021 or early 2022.

Sum of 2020 Responses

Aerial

30

46,358

Air Light

4

792

Chief Car

19

32,248

Command Vehicle

2

452

Fire Investigator

5

77

HAZ

4

2,855

High Rise

2

3,752

Pumper

54

121,589

Rescue

28

56,262

Senior Staff

7

74

Speciality

4

23

Squad

5

7,869

Water Tanker

1

13

NA

15

228

TOTALS

181

272,868

Busiest Unit by Unit Type

Busiest Unit by Unit Type Unit Type

Aerial Air Light Chief Car Fire Investigator Command Vehicle HAZ High Rise Pumper Rescue Squad Senior staff Specialty Water tanker

20

U n i t ID

A325 LA 333 C33 FI8 CMD10 HZ332 HR332 P314 R325 S313 C7 TRS235 WT211

Summary by Unit Type Count of

Sum of 2020 Responses

2,904 264 4,768 34 245 1,472 2,777 5,523 4,226 2,187 19 13 13

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Unit Response Summary

Station

Unit Type

Unit ID

2020 Unit Response

313 SQUAD 314 PUMPER 315 AERIAL 315 PUMPER 321 AERIAL 321 RESCUE 322 AERIAL 322 PUMPER 323 CHIEF CAR 323 PUMPER 324 AERIAL 324 PUMPER 325 AERIAL PUMPER TFS325 Station Unit Type 325 RESCUE FireRESCUE Investigator 4330 326 331 Fire AERIAL Investigator 4330 331 PUMPER 4330 N/A 331 SQUAD 4330 N/A 332 CHIEF CAR 332 COMMAND 4330 N/AVEHICLE 332 HAZ 4330 N/A 332 HAZ 332 HIGH RISE 4330 N/A 332 PUMPER 4330 N/A 333 AERIAL 4330 Senior Staff 333 AIR LIGHT 333 PUMPER 332 HAZ 334 FIRE BOAT 4330 Senior Staff 334 PUMPER 335 PUMPER 211 Water Tanker 341 AERIAL 234 SPECIALTY 341 RESCUE 4330 Senior Staff 342 PUMPER 343 PUMPER 4330 Senior Staff 344 PUMPER 4330 Senior Staff 345 AERIAL Fire Investigator 345 CHIEF CAR 4330 345 FireRESCUE Investigator 4330 411 AERIAL 4330 N/A 411 RESCUE 412 RESCUE 4330 N/A 413 RESCUE 4330 Senior Staff 415 AERIAL 4330 Senior Staff 415 CHIEF CAR 415 PUMPER 4330 Senior Staff 421 AERIAL 4330 Senior Staff 421 AIR LIGHT 421 RESCUE 235 SPECIALTY 422 PUMPER 4330 SPECIALTY 423 AERIAL 145 HAZ 423 CHIEF CAR 423 RESCUE 4330 N/A 425 RESCUE 4330 SPECIALTY 426 AERIAL FirePUMPER Investigator 426 4330 426 FireRESCUE Investigator 4330 431 PUMPER 4330 N/A 432 AERIAL 432 PUMPER 4330 N/A 433 AERIAL Fire Investigator 4330 433 PUMPER 4330 N/A 434 RESCUE 435 CHIEF CAR 4330 N/A 435 RESCUE Fire AERIAL Investigator 4330 441 441 FireRESCUE Investigator 4330 442 PUMPER 4330 N/A 443 PUMPER 4330 N/A 444 RESCUE 445 CHIEF CAR 4330 N/A 445 PUMPER 4330 N/A 445 SQUAD CHIEF CAR 4330 CHIEF CAR CHIEF CAR 4330 N/A CHIEF CAR 4330 N/A CHIEF CAR FIRE INVESTIGATOR 4330 N/A FIRE INVESTIGATOR 4330 CAR FIRECHIEF INVESTIGATOR 4330 CAR FIRECHIEF INVESTIGATOR FIRECHIEF INVESTIGATOR 4330 CAR N/A 111 AirN/A Light 231 AirN/A Light N/A Command Vehicle 332 N/A 334 SPECIALTY N/A N/AVehicle Command 114 N/A 335 PUMPER N/A 421 AirN/A Light 333 AirN/A Light N/A 212 CHIEF N/ACAR N/A 321 AERIAL N/A 324 AERIAL SENIOR STAFF SENIOR STAFF 411 AERIAL SENIOR STAFF 345 AERIAL SENIOR STAFF 341 AERIAL SENIOR STAFF SENIOR STAFF 421 AERIAL SENIOR STAFF SPECIALTY SPECIALTY

Unit Response Summary TFS Station 4330 111 111 4330 112 4330 113 113 4330 114 4330 114 4330 114 114 4330 115 4330 116 4330 116 121 332 122 4330 123 125 211 131 234 131 4330 132 132 4330 133 4330 133 134 4330 135 4330 135 4330 141 142 4330 142 4330 142 4330 143 143 4330 145 4330 145 145 235 146 4330 211 145 211 212 4330 212 4330 213 214 4330 215 4330 221 4330 222 222 4330 223 4330 224 225 4330 225 4330 226 4330 226 227 4330 231 4330 231 4330 231 231 4330 232 4330 232 233 4330 234 4330 234 4330 235 235 4330 241 4330 242 242 4330 243 4330 244 111 244 245 231 311 332 312 334 312 312 114 313 335 313 314 421 315 333 315 212 321 321 321 322 324 322 323 411 323 345 324 341 324 325 421 325 325 326 331 331 331 332 332 332 332

Unit Type Fire Investigator AIR LIGHT FirePUMPER Investigator

RESCUE N/A AERIAL PUMPER N/A AERIAL N/A CHIEF CAR N/A HIGH RISE PUMPER N/A RESCUE N/A COMMAND VEHICLE Senior Staff PUMPER PUMPER HAZ RESCUE Senior Staff PUMPER PUMPER Water Tanker AERIAL SPECIALTY PUMPER Senior Staff CHIEF CAR PUMPER Senior Staff AERIAL Senior Staff RESCUE FireRESCUE Investigator Fire AERIAL Investigator PUMPER N/A PUMPER AERIAL N/A CHIEF CAR Senior Staff PUMPER Senior Staff PUMPER SQUAD Senior Staff HAZ Senior HAZStaff PUMPER SPECIALTY PUMPER SPECIALTY PUMPER HAZ WATER TANKER CHIEF CAR N/A PUMPER SPECIALTY AERIAL FireRESCUE Investigator Fire AERIAL Investigator PUMPER N/A AERIAL PUMPER N/A PUMPER Fire Investigator RESCUE CHIEF CAR N/A RESCUE N/A AERIAL FirePUMPER Investigator FirePUMPER Investigator AERIAL N/A AIR LIGHT N/A CHIEF CAR RESCUE N/A PUMPER N/A SQUAD PUMPER CHIEF CAR PUMPER N/A SPECIALTY N/A RESCUE SPECIALTY N/A RESCUE CHIEF CAR CHIEF CAR PUMPER CHIEF CAR RESCUE CHIEF CAR AERIAL Air Light PUMPER PUMPER Air Light PUMPER Command Vehicle AERIAL SPECIALTY CHIEF CAR PUMPER Command Vehicle PUMPER PUMPER SQUAD PUMPER Air Light AERIAL Air Light PUMPER CHIEF CAR AERIAL RESCUE AERIAL AERIAL AERIAL PUMPER CHIEF CAR AERIAL PUMPER AERIAL AERIAL AERIAL PUMPER AERIAL AERIAL PUMPER RESCUE RESCUE AERIAL PUMPER SQUAD CHIEF CAR COMMAND VEHICLE HAZ HAZ

Unit ID

FI2 LA111 P111 FI6 R112 ALPHA1 A113 P113 CHARLIE1 T114 DELTA1 C11 DELTA2 HR114 P114 MR2 R115 ZMPS1 CMD10 C4 P116 P121 HS332 R122 C6 P123 P125 WT211 A131 DE234 P131 C2 C13 P132 C9 A133 CFI1 R133 R134 FI7 A135 FI10 P135 FI14 P141 A142 FI15 C14 C3 P142 C7 P143 S143 C8 HS145 C1 HZ145 P145 TRS235 P146 SUP7 P211 HS145 WT211 C21 FI16 P212 BOX12 A213 R214 FI9 A215 FI5 P221 FP306 A222 P222 MPV341 P223 FI4 R224 C22 FI12 R225 REHAB01 A226 FI8 P226 P227 FI3 A231 FI13 LA231 FP301 C23 R231 FI11 P232 FP302 S232 P233 C10 P234 FP305 DE234 FP304 R235 TRS235 FP303 R241 C20 C24 P242 C30 R243 C40 A244 LA111 P244 P245 LA231 P311 CMD30 A312 FB334 C31 P312 CMD10 P313 P335 S313 P314 LA421 A315 LA333 P315 C21 A321 R321 A321 A322 A324 P322 C32 A411 P323 A345 A324 A341 P324 A325 A421 P325 R325 R326 A331 P331 S331 C33 CMD30 HS332 HZ332

Unit Response 1 116 1671 1 2548 1 1519 1114 1 1593 1 2434 1 975 2579 1 2111 1 245 2 1777 1821 4 1576 4 1481 1543 4 374 5 1736 6 2658 2864 8 1496 9 1793 2733 10 1979 11 1211 11 2343 2290 11 1848 11 1602 13 2353 1389 13 19 14 1360 2606 15 2575 15 1047 16 13 737 17 1664 18 2058 1392 22 1142 23 3036 23 1940 1164 23 2447 26 2445 1837 28 2407 28 1405 30 1722 1624 34 2010 34 154 40 1991 1894 43 2280 67 1577 1780 84 2674 87 6 92 2126 13 100 1399 104 1429 1675 107 2022 119 2113 158 1054 2107 171 2463 187 2491 188 3902 4170 195 4561 236 2187 5523 284 1673 297 3398 866 1014 1198 886 1309 930 1771 2256 1000 2160 1050 892 1054 2620 2904 1073 2751 4226 1653 1895 3359 1471 4768 207 4 1472

S313 P314 A315 P315 A321 R321 A322 P322 C32 P323 A324 P324 A325 P325 Unit ID R325 FI2 R326 A331 FI6 P331 ALPHA1 S331 CHARLIE1 C33 CMD30 DELTA1 HS332 DELTA2 HZ332 HR332 MR2 P332 ZMPS1 T333 C4 LA333 P333 HS332 FB334 C6 P334 P335 WT211 A341 DE234 R341 C2 P342 P343 C9 P344 CFI1 A345 C34 FI7 R345 FI10 A411 FI14 R411 R412 FI15 R413 C3 A415 C7 C41 P415 C8 A421 C1 LA421 R421 TRS235 P422 SUP7 A423 HS145 C42 R423 FI16 R425 BOX12 A426 P426 FI9 R426 FI5 P431 FP306 PL432 P432 MPV341 A433 FI4 P433 FI12 R434 C43 REHAB01 R435 FI8 A441 R441 FI3 P442 FI13 P443 FP301 R444 C44 FI11 P445 FP302 S445 C10 C10 C40 FP305 C20 FP304 C30 FI3 FP303 FI4 C20 FI5 C30 FI7 FI8 C40 ALPHA1 LA111 ALPHA2 BRAVO1 LA231 FI21 CMD30 C50 FB334 DELTA1 FI20 CMD10 FI19 P335 MPV341 FI17 LA421 FI15 LA333 FI13 C21 REHAB01 FI11 A321 FI16 A324 C1 C6 A411 C3 A345 C9 A341 C8 C2 A421 C7 BOX12 SUP7

2187 5523 1673 3398 1014 1198 1309 1771 2256 2160 892 2620 2904 2751 Unit Response 4226 1 1653 1895 1 3359 1 1471 1 4768 207 1 4 1 1472 2777 1 4580 1 2018 2 264 3424 4 276 4 2639 258 4 1144 5 1804 6 1816 2127 8 2495 9 1168 1957 10 1950 11 1014 11 1617 1234 11 2555 11 1376 13 1624 1839 13 1268 14 258 2123 15 1771 15 1182 16 1860 2058 17 1713 18 1187 1754 22 2981 23 2007 23 1284 1045 23 1623 26 1804 28 1398 1025 28 1812 30 997 1928 34 2948 34 2538 40 1566 1459 43 2218 67 1245 105 84 110 87 119 92 129 1 100 10 104 16 107 16 34 119 1 158 1 1 171 1 187 2 188 3 4 195 8 236 16 24 284 28 297 30 866 32 34 886 43 930 6 7 1000 8 1050 10 1054 11 13 1073 19 2 2 272868

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 21

Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page 21

Operational Performance (the lastPerformances five years) Operational

Operational Events

(The Last 5 Years) 2016 th

All Emergency Incidents

90 Call Percentile Processing Time % of Standard 1:04min Achieved th

Turnout Time 1:20min

90 Percentile % of Standard Achieved th

First-In Response

Travel Time 4:00min

00:49

2017 00:48

00:50

2019 00:47

2020

95%

96%

95%

02:08

02:20

02:31

02:16

02:16

50%

90 Percentile

05:02

% of Standard Achieved

75%

50%

05:02

76%

46%

05:07

51%

05:18

50%

05:25

76%

72%

70%

07:17

07:17

07:25

82%

81%

325 Total Response 114 Time 313

10:24min

90 9,881 Percentile

10:28

10:29

10:39

10:50

10:44

7,581

% of 6,748 Standard Achieved

90%

90%

88%

87%

2017

2018

2019

2020

2020% of Total Incidents

Carbon Monoxide

3,814

3,238

3,164

2,898

2,822

CBRN & Hazardous Materials*

1,429

1,608

1,578

1,535

1,571

1.2%

Fires

32,879

34,095

36,496

35,334

32,402

26.0%

Medical Emergencies

57,574

61,511

68,258

71,336

67,786

54.4%

Non-Emergency

1,089

957

1,047

1,348

1,074

0.8%

Other Emergency Incidents**

7,361

7,766

9,546

8,070

6,587

5.3%

Technical Rescue

3,655

3,572

4,196

3,814

2,641

2.1%

Vehicle Incident

9,070

9,341

9,431

10,094

9,663

7.7%

Total Incidents

116,871

122,088

133,716

134,429

124,546

Total Emergency Incidents

115,879

121,131

132,669

133,081

123, 472

% Change Total Emergency Incidents

0.9%

4.6%

9.5%

0.3%

-7.2%

2.3%

79%

10,563

th

2016

5 Years

00:48

96%

th

Effective Firefighting Force Response

2018

95%

90 07:03Stations 07:03 Top 5 Busiest Total Percentile Response Time Station % ofSum of 2020 Standard 83% 83% 6:24min 332 13,808 Achieved

312

The Operational Events (the last five Last years)

88%

*Hazardous materials incidents are accidental in nature; CBRNE incidents are intentional in nature. ** Other emergency incidents include Police Assist, Public Hazard, Lake Rescue, Wires Down, Natural Gas Leak, and Vehicle Spill Clean Up. Source:

Unit Call Report Response (ex: 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31)

Unit Call Report Response (ex: 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31) 2020

22

Top 5 Busiest Stations Top 5 Busiest Stations

Carbon monoxide

3,280

CBRN and hazardous materials

2,992

Emergency Fire

159,177

Station

Sum of 2020

Medical

69,167

332

13,808

Non-Emergency

1,191

312

10,563

Other Emergency Events

13,182

325

9,881

Technical Rescue

7,710

114

7,581

Vehicle Incident

16,169

313

6,748

Total unit responses

272,868

Total unit Emergency Responses

271, 677

Emergency Events by Command

Unit Call Report Response (ex: 2020-01-01 to 2

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 22 Carbon monoxide 3,280

2020

Operational Unit Responses

Operational Unit Response (the last five years) (The Last 5 Years) 2016

2017

2018

2019

2020% of Total Incidents

2020

Carbon Monoxide

4,457

3,809

3,721

3,440

3,280

CBRNE & Hazardous Materials

3,085

3,633

3,425

3,180

2,992 1.1% Top 5 Busiest Stations

Fires

163,453

170,274

182,322

Medical

59,014

62,678

69,354

179,535 332

159,177 13,808 58.3%

NonEmergency

1,198

1,063

1,116

1,606 325

1,1919,881

Other Emergency Incidents

14,808

15,168

16,936

16,989

Technical Rescue

8,894

8,888

10,357

9,764

Vehicle Incident

17,455

18,348

18,457

19,743

Total unit responses

272,364

283,861

305,688

307,105 272,868 CBRN and hazardous materials

% Change Total Emergency Incidents

-1.7%

282,798

4.3%

Command Response

North South East West Other Total

313

Sum of 2020

69,167 10,563 25.3% 0.4%

7,581 6,748

13,182

4.8%

Unit Call Report Response (ex: 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31) 7,710 2.8% 16,169

5.9%

Carbon monoxide

271,166

Command

72,848312 114

Total Emergency unit responses

Command

Station

1.2%

2020 Response 2020 Response

60,332 98,995 56,384 56,311 846 272,868

304,572

7.7%

2020 3,280 2,992

Emergency Fire

159,177

Medical

69,167

Non-Emergency

1,191

Other Emergency Events

13,182

Technical Rescue

7,710

305,499

271,677

0.3% Vehicle-11.1% Incident

16,169

Total unit responses

272,868

Total unit Emergency Responses

271, 677

Emergency Emergency EventsEvents

by Command

By Command Command

2020

North

26,593

East

28,870

South

40,001

West

28,006

Total

123,470

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 23

Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page 23

Age of Current Fleet 2021 disposition as of May 09, 2021

Year of Manufacture

TFS Unit No.

Disposition No.

Make

Model

AERIALS

Year of Manufacture

TFS Unit No.

Disposition No.

Make

Model

TFS Unit No.

Disposition No.

Make

Model

2010

25040

P322

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25062

R321

E-One

E-One

2005

27027

T333

E-One

E-One

2010

25041

P331

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25063

R345

E-One

E-One

2006

27030

A131

Spartan

Smeal

2010

25042

P314

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25064

R122

E-One

E-One

2007

27032

A113

Spartan

Smeal

2010

25043

P323

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25065

R241

E-One

E-One

2007

27033

A244

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25056

P332

Spartan

ERV

2016

25072

R413

Spartan

ERV

2007

27034

A411

Spartan

Smeal

2014

25058

P433

E-One

E-One

2007

27035

A213

Spartan

Smeal

2014

25060

P445

E-One

E-One

2007

27036

PL432

Spartan

Smeal

2014

25061

P315

E-One

E-One

2009

28015

S313

Spartan

Seagrave

2006

27037

T114

E-One

E-One

2017

25066

P227

Spartan

ERV

2012

28016

S331

Spartan

Dependable

2009

27038

A341

Spartan

Smeal

2016

25067

P121

Spartan

ERV

2013

28017

S143

Spartan

Dependable

2012

27039

A322

Spartan

Smeal

2016

25068

P132

Spartan

ERV

2016

28018

S445

Spartan

Dependable

2012

27040

A142

Spartan

Smeal

2016

25069

P114

Spartan

ERV

2016

28019

S232

Spartan

Dependable

2012

27041

A415

Spartan

Smeal

2016

25070

P233

Spartan

ERV

2012

27042

A441

Spartan

Smeal

2016

25071

P311

Spartan

ERV

2012

27043

A133

Spartan

Smeal

2017

25073

P142

Spartan

ERV

PK Vans

A433

30017

Freightliner

27044

1998

DECON 234

2012

Spartan

Smeal

2017

25074

P146

Spartan

ERV

Freightliner

Dependable

26034

A315

30031

WT211

2015

2005

E-One

E-One

2017

25075

P221

Spartan

ERV

Spartan

Seagrave

26035

A331

30032

HAZ332

2015

2005

E-One

E-One

2016

25076

P313

Spartan

ERV

Freightliner

PK Vans

27045

A135

30034

COM10

2015

2008

Spartan

Smeal

2017

25077

P344

Spartan

ERV

DEL Unicel

A421

30035

Ford LCF

27046

2009

HMS332

2015

Spartan

Smeal

2017

25078

P442

Spartan

ERV

Spartan

Dependable

27047

A324

30036

HAZ145

2015

2010

Spartan

Smeal

2017

25079

P145

Spartan

ERV

Freightliner

Dependable

27048

A345

30038

A/L 421

2015

2010

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25083

P222

Spartan

ERV

Dependable

A312

30039

Freightliner

26036

2010

A/L 231

2017

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25084

P226

Spartan

ERV

Freightliner

EVI

26037

A426

30044

COM30

2017

2012

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25082

P135

Spartan

ERV

Ford F550

CET

26038

L226

30061

MPV341

2017

2015

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25085

P343

Spartan

ERV

Ford F550

CET

26039

A325

30062

P552

2017

2015

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25080

P111

Spartan

ERV

Freightliner

Dependable

27049

A215

30065

TR235

2018

2015

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25081

P232

Spartan

ERV

Dependable

A231

30066

Freightliner

27050

2015

A/L 333

2018

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25082

P135

Spartan

ERV

27051

A423

Freightliner

Dependable

Spartan

Smeal

2018

25085

P343

30067

A/L 111

2018

2015

Spartan

ERV

2018

25080

P111

Freightlinter

PK Vans

Spartan

ERV

30070

Rehab

TBD

2015

2018

25081

P232

ERV

30073

HR332

Spartan

2018

Spartan

Dependable

2018

30072

HR 114

Spartan

Dependable

2019

30076

HMS145

Isuzu

NRR DEL Unicel

2021

30080

FT121

Freightliner

E-One

2013

30082

COM10

International

Harves 4300

2020

30084

Box 12

Freightliner

PK Bodies

30084

Support 7

Freightliner

PK Bodies

A125 PUMPERS 1997

24076

P335B

E-One

E-One

RESCUES

2006

24118

P335

Ford

Dependable

2009

25026

R411

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24134

P422

Spartan

Seagrave

2009

25027

R341

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24136

P431

Spartan

Seagrave

2009

25028

R224

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24138

P234

Spartan

Seagrave

2009

25029

R235

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24139

P244

Spartan

Seagrave

2009

25030

R133

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24140

P116

Spartan

Seagrave

2009

25031

R115

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24141

P143

Spartan

Smeal

2009

25032

R112

Spartan

Smeal

2007

24142

P125

Spartan

Smeal

2010

25036

R426

Spartan

Crimson

2007

24143

P242

Spartan

Smeal

2010

25039

R423

Spartan

Crimson

2007

24144

P113

Spartan

Smeal

2010

25044

R225

Spartan

Crimson

2007

24145

P342

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25045

R444

Spartan

ERV

2007

24147

P223

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25046

R434

Spartan

ERV

2007

24148

P245

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25047

R441

Spartan

ERV

2007

24149

P334

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25048

R243

Spartan

ERV

2007

24150

P212

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25049

R134

Spartan

ERV

2007

24151

P415

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25050

R325

Spartan

ERV

2007

24152

P324

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25051

R214

Spartan

ERV

2007

24153

P432

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25052

R213

Spartan

ERV

2007

24155

P426

Spartan

Smeal

2013

25053

R435

Spartan

ERV

2010

25034

P333

Spartan

Crimson

2013

25054

R431

Spartan

ERV

2010

25035

P312

Spartan

Crimson

2013

25055

R421

Spartan

ERV

2010

25037

P325

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25057

R412

E-One

2010

24

Year of Manufacture

25038

P141

Spartan

Crimson

2014

25059

R425

E-One

SQUADS

SUPPORT

2020

TRAINING (PDT) 2005

24119

TRP2

Spartan

Seagrave

2005

24120

TRP1

Spartan

Seagrave

2004

24113

TRP3

Spartan

Smeal

2016

24156

TRP4

Spartan

ERV

2016

24157

TRP5

Spartan

ERV

2007

24154

TRP6

Spartan

Smeal

Seagrave

MECHANICAL & FIRE BOAT 1964

10111

WL Mackenzie

1982

10110

Wlm Thornton

2003

20285

MRU20

GMC C8500

2005

20299

MRU40

Freightliner

2011

30037

MRU10

E-One

2021

30081

MRU30

Freightliner

Dependable

E-One

2021

30083

MRU40

Freightliner

Dependable

Dependable Dependable

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 24

How to Get FULLY INVOLVED! Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Counsellor

BY KEN DE JONG, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 445-A

KEN: What is your background in this field?

CHRIS: I am a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. My area of practice includes adults and couples. I have been in practice for 22 years and have worked with Toronto Fire Services since 2003.

KEN: Structurally, how is your role related to the Peer Support Group?

CHRIS: I work with the Peer Support Team to provide training, consultation and assistance with referral to appropriate resources and community-based clinicians. The Peer Support Team has many dedicated members who are very passionate about assisting members of the service. The Peer Support Team members have a wealth of knowledge and experience in supporting the psychological wellness of TFS staff. Several members of the team have been providing peer support for more than 20 years. The team is fortunate to have members who are certified by the I.A.F.F. to provide training in behavioral health, and who are approved by the Department of National Defence to provide training in the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR).

INTRODUCTION

This series usually presents a Q&A article on a Toronto Fire related organization that offers a way to get more involved in the firefighting community. With the “Mental Wellness” theme, we have made a small departure from that approach and invited Chris Rodrigues, Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Counsellor to participate, in order to get more information on what he does and how it helps.

I hope you enjoy the article and can benefit from its content.

KEN: What is your job at the Toronto Fire Services?

CHRIS: My job with Toronto Fire Services has three aspects: (i) I provide consultation on policy development regarding mental health concerns; (ii) I provide consultation, training and education to the Fire Services Peer Support Team; and (iii) I provide short-term counselling to members of the Fire Service.

KEN: What would you say is special about how firefighters are exposed to, and deal with, mental health challenges?

CHRIS: I would say that the incidents that firefighters are exposed to can be quite traumatic. Firefighters deal with very tragic circumstances. Some incidents are very gruesome. In Operations, firefighters go into dangerous and risky situations (collapsing structures, flashovers, chemical exposures) to suppress fires and rescue members of the public. In Fire Investigations, firefighters may be repeatedly exposed to traumatic images.

These exposures can lead to a range of issues including depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and post-traumatic stress. One of the protective factors in the fire service is the fact that you are family.

You have each other to turn to and to process things, especially over “kitchen table talk”. There is enormous mutual support and a reliance on each other that is a big part of promoting resilience. I believe the service as a whole is working towards reducing stigma and supporting people to seek out the supports they need through proactive strategies like the mandatory training in R2MR modules and the behavioural health initiatives. I know that the Peer Support Team has been working very hard and diligently to encourage members to access help early on, before they run into more significant problems.

Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 25

How to get fully involved... Continued from page 25

KEN: How do most members reach out to you?

CHRIS: A lot of members initiate contact with me directly by phone or email. Some members reach out to me through referrals from the union, the Peer Support Team, management staff, and fellow members.

KEN: What is usually the first step in the process once someone has made contact with you about a problem they are having?

CHRIS: The first step is to set up a meeting to discuss what is going on for the member, what their concerns and needs are, and what some of the options available to them are. We will set up a time to meet over the phone, or over encrypted video, and talk about what the person has been dealing with. Based on this information, I am often able to provide them with some short-term counselling. If it is an issue that requires longer-term or specialized treatment, I will provide them with referrals and ongoing support until they find a community-based provider that they feel comfortable working with.

KEN: When we hear that the road to recovery is “hard” (but worth it), what are some of the “hard” things that one goes through in the healing process?

CHRIS: One of the hardest things about healing is facing the things that make us most anxious. One of the first rules of counselling is to “avoid avoiding,” which is easier said than done. Counselling and therapy often involve looking at, and sometimes re-experiencing those things we find painful, so that we can sort through them and take the emotional pain away from them. But this initially may require opening up old wounds. In addition, psychological treatment involves putting yourself in a vulnerable situation, which many of us find difficult. It includes sharing our inner concerns, fears, and sorrows with someone we don’t know very well (this can also be advantageous). Vulnerability is not something most firefighters find easy to show, or to sit with, but I believe it is often an important part of the healing process.

KEN: Where do the initial sessions usually occur? An office?

A coffee shop? Someone’s home?

CHRIS: COVID has changed the service delivery model.

Presently, initial sessions are done over the telephone or through encrypted videoconferencing. In non-COVID times, I have professional office space where I can meet people faceto-face. Interestingly, a lot of members seem to appreciate the flexibility offered through phone and video options and I expect to be offering more of it post-COVID. KEN: We have certain benefits coverages. Do you start the process and then apply to the benefits, or apply to the benefits and then seek out the help?

CHRIS: Psychological services/Psychotherapy services are eligible for reimbursement through members’ Green Shield benefits. Members of local 3888 are entitled to $3500 per person, per calendar year. These services can be provided by:

26

Psychologists/Psychological Associates (C.Psych. or C. Psych.

Assoc.), Masters of Social Work (M.S.W.) and Registered Psychotherapists (R.P.). I recommend that members contact Green Shield before setting appointments to confirm that the provider is covered before starting treatment.

KEN: What are some of the more subtle signs we should look for in ourselves? Things like nightmares and flashbacks would be obvious. What have people shared that are less obvious to encourage you to reach out for help?

CHRIS: Everyone’s psychological health has been impacted

by COVID. Many of us are finding it difficult to cope with lockdown, disruption to our normal activities, routines, and outlets like sports, home schedule, and remote learning for kids. In addition, many of the usual coping strategies are unavailable. If you find yourself struggling, it is worthwhile to seek out some professional consultation.

Subtle things to look for include: increased levels of stress and anxiety, lower mood, less energy, difficulty concentrating, and lost interest in the things that you once enjoyed. Many people may not realize that loss of interest can be a symptom of depression.

KEN: If I were concerned about privacy (from my co-workers and even family members) about contacting you for help, describe how I can “test the waters” to see if I am comfortable with the process before I go any further.

CHRIS: As a member of the College of Psychologists, I’m required to uphold the highest standards of professional practice including maintaining client confidentiality. I cannot and will not disclose any information about clients without their prior consent, except in situations where I’m required by the law (e.g. where there is a mandatory reporting obligation to contact a Children’s Aid Society regarding a child who may be at risk of harm or neglect) or in situations where someone poses a serious risk of physical harm to themselves or another person.

Members can reach out to me and I can provide them with community resources if they have concerns regarding privacy.

My role is to assist members in accessing the assistance they need and to facilitate that in the way they feel most comfortable.

KEN: Without breaking any privacy rules, can you share a “success story” with us?

CHRIS: I would say that some of my success stories are supporting members to receive the treatment they need by demystifying the process, providing them with some understanding of what they’re going through and what they can expect from the process, as well as supporting them while they transition to a community-based provider.

I think one of my success stories was working with an individual who was going through a “contentious” separation.

Divorce is one of the most significant life stressors we can experience as what was, what is, and what was supposed to be, are all changed. There are many “costs” to separation, both emotional and financial. Many find the adjustment to having less time with their children quite painful. I often work with clients to help them to support their children through the separation. We often explore their relational history and how that may have influenced their choices. Ultimately, we work towards creating new directions in their life, their relationships with their children, and with new intimate partners.

KEN: Any final thoughts?

CHRIS: I would like to emphasize that reaching out sooner

than later regarding personal concerns helps us to address things faster and leads to better outcomes. In addition, I want members to know that there is help and assistance available for the concerns that they struggle with. Members have choices regarding who they connect with, both within, and outside the organization, to facilitate their psychological wellness.

I also suggest that people create a relationship with a mental health provider before they enter the orange or red zone. It can be really difficult when you’re in those zones to find help and start the treatment process. You can think about it like a periodic health check up with your physician. By developing a relationship with a treatment provider, the clinician is better able to develop a sense of who you are, what your “baseline” is, assess how you are doing currently, how to help you to get back on track, and even become more resilient to stressors in the future.

CONTACT INFORMATION All TFS staff are welcome to contact me anytime.

Please feel free to leave me a confidential message at: Tel: 416.338.9557 Email: chris.rodrigues@toronto.ca

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Member Profile on

BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN (RETIRED)

P

atrick Howlett graduated from Malvern Collegiate in 1983. It was not a surprise that he was awarded the Senior Athlete of the year, since he was involved in so many sports for his school. He also played the trumpet for the Senior Marching and Dance Band. They played many important gigs, such as the Grey Cup Half-Time Show, Grey Cup Parade, Santa Claus Parade, and a College Bowl Half-Time Show.

He graduated from Centennial College, with a Recreation Leadership Certificate.

Throughout his high school and college years, he worked for Parks and Recreation at Adam Beck Community Centre and Balmy Beach Community School. He was then hired full-time after college.

Patrick started with the Toronto Fire Department on February 6th, 1989. He was trained at Yorkville and then, as was the practice back then, he was moved around from station to station. He worked on A343, A312, then worked at Regent Park on the Aerial, Pumper and the Rescue.

After getting picked up as an Acting Captain, he worked on A135, A322, R325, A324, then P334. When promoted to Captain in 2014, he started on A322, then went to Haz332, HR332, & P334. In 2019, as an Acting District Chief he worked on P212, and is currently on P332 as the Captain and also ADC, and APC. That’s a lot of different trucks! We mention this for the younger firefighters, who now see most firefighters stay at one station for many years. Back in the day, most fire departments moved their staff around constantly. At a glance, you can see that Patrick has spent time on Aerials, Pumpers, Rescues, Haz-Mat, High Rise, and Chief Cars. It is possible that a District Chief with the experience of working on that many trucks, might have a greater knowledge of the capabilities of each truck than a District Chief who only worked on one or two types of truck. It looks like the only type of truck that Patrick hasn’t worked on is a Squad.

In 2005, Patrick saw a request for volunteers for Camp BUCKO on the Association Website. Camp BUCKO is the Burn Camp for Kids in Ontario. He was interested, and subsequently met with Camp Director Nancy Sinclair. Patrick says, “She was a burn survivor, and the most spirited and incredible lady you could imagine.” He was welcomed into the BUCKO family, and has been with them ever since.

He started out as a Cabin Counsellor for seven years. He was on the Board Of Directors for ten years, and has served as the President for the last six years.

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Patrick Howlett

(and Camp BUCKO)

Patrick says “Both the Association and TFS Management have been very supportive of Camp BUCKO with donations, equipment, vehicles, etc. TFS members have been represented well at BUCKO as counsellors, camp specialists, as well as Board members. Pat Hayter serves as Vice-President and his energy and fundraising has helped BUCKO immensely.

TFS Management and the Association collaborated to enable our membership to volunteer themselves as ‘subs without payback’ for the members who volunteer their time at camp.

The camp runs for seven days and six nights at Cedar Ridge Camp in McArthurs Mills, Ontario, 25 minutes north of Bancroft. Volunteers come from varied backgrounds, including retirees, nurses, teachers, paramedics, dairy farmers, Ontario Fire Marshall personnel, IT professionals, police officers, and firefighters.

Each year, Camp BUCKO has approximately 60 to 70 burn survivors between the ages of 7 and 17, from Ontario, who escape to a beautiful camp and enjoy horseback riding, canoeing, high ropes courses, arts and crafts, kayaking, swimming, stand up paddle boarding, tubing, fishing, zorb balls on the lake, and many more exciting activities. “Our camp provides these courageous burn survivors the opportunity to just be a kid and enjoy the company of other burn survivors, without the fear of being made fun of, or having their scars judged by others. Parents always comment on what a change Camp BUCKO has made in their child’s life and how they always come home with newfound confidence and inspiration.”

Camp BUCKO is a registered charity and is offered completely free of charge, including the transportation of all of the campers, thanks to the generosity of sponsors throughout the year.

Some of the sponsors of funds or equipment, who are associated with TFS are the Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association, the Toronto Firefighter’s Celtic Society, the Jimmy Lou Charity Hockey Tournament (in honour of the memory of Jim and Mary Louise Hayter), TFS recruit classes, Toronto Fire Prevention golf tournament, Toronto Firefighter’s Toy Drive, district hockey challenges, as well as individual donations from our membership. “Camp BUCKO would literally not be able to offer our program to our campers without the support of ALL of our sponsors”.

Camp BUCKO also provides an opportunity for families to spend a weekend in September with other families of burn survivors to offer support, activities and advice to families for when they go through challenging times.

Once again, there is no cost to families, due to the generous support of sponsors.

“One of the many highlights of camp week is a lunch that is provided and cooked

by Celebrity Chef Ted Reader. Ted has donated all of the food and his culinary skills for this lunch that is much appreciated and talked about by our campers for many years. It is always a showstopper”.

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Member Profile...Continued from page 29

Another program offered to the campers is a camper exchange with Camp OO-U-La in Georgia where two of our campers, along with two volunteer chaperones, have the opportunity to spend a week at their burn camp and experience different programs, meet new friends and for most of them, take their first trip on an airplane. Camp OO-U-La in turn, brings two campers and chaperones up to Camp BUCKO in August.

Camp BUCKO sponsors one family, usually new to the burn community, to go to the World Burn Congress each year, to meet burn survivors and their families from around the world.

Each year, this Congress is rotated between the cities of Grand Rapids, Anaheim and Providence RI. The Congress gives the families the ability to meet other families who are going through similar situations and affords them the ability to continue along their road to recovery from devastating injuries. The Congress has guest speakers, support groups, social outings, workshops and many activities that help support the burn community.

“We also send one camper and one chaperone each year to the IAFF Burn Camp in Washington DC that is run by and funded by the IAFF. This is yet again, another opportunity for us to provide our campers with a week filled with fun, different perspective on their injuries, and the chance to meet new friends for life”.

Camp BUCKO has an on-site social worker who our campers and volunteers can talk to if they need someone to listen and advise with anything. They also have two nurses who volunteer for the week who look after anything from scrapes, bumps and bruises, to changing burn dressings and even giving some TLC to the odd camper who may be feeling a little homesick.

“Our camp is staffed by volunteers who donate a weekend of their time for orientation in June and a week of their time for camp in August. We are so very fortunate to have so many people who are willing to volunteer time away from their own families and friends in the summer to provide such great leadership and mentorship to our amazing campers.

Camp BUCKO, as a registered charity, is required to have a Board of Directors, which facilitates everything to do with the running of camp. These are also volunteer positions and require many hours of work each year. Camp BUCKO has six directors that work as a team and genuinely have a passion for Camp BUCKO. Current TFS members serving on the Board are Patrick Howlett and Pat Hayter.

“We have one incredible Camp Administrator who has been with BUCKO for 19 years. Wendy Miller works her magic year 30

after year and makes it seem effortless. The continuing success of Camp BUCKO is in the hands of many, but none more than Wendy. For those of you who have had the good fortune to meet her, you are probably nodding your head while reading this.”

We have faced the same challenges through this pandemic that the rest of the world has and, like everybody else, we hope this ends soon. Last year we had to cancel camp, since we will never do anything to jeopardize the health and safety of our campers, their families, or our volunteers. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we can somehow offer a safe camp this year to celebrate our 25th Camp!!!! A huge milestone for a charity and camp!”

“I feel very fortunate to be able to serve alongside the incredible team of TFS firefighters, prevention officers, mechanical division members, management team, administrators and ALL support personnel who have allowed me to pursue the job I have always considered the best job in the world. TFS was the team that introduced me to Camp BUCKO, where I have met the most courageous and brave group of kids, and some of the most selfless, giving and fun volunteers. I want to say THANK YOU to all of you. Stay safe and all the best to you and your families”.

Please visit our website at, www.campbucko.ca to check out some great videos, information on our camp, how to volunteer or donate or pass it along to someone you know who may be a burn survivor and is looking for support.

Patrick is the proud uncle of three boys (triplets), Matthew, Samuel and Benjamin (God Father to Benjamin) as well as one niece, Kaitlyn. Proud to also be the God Father of Tianna-Raye (daughter of his dear friends Linda and Frank).

We know that many firefighters are deeply involved in volunteering for their community, and Patrick is a great example of this trait. Some of his other volunteer activities include Variety Village, Ted Reeve Skating and Hockey School. He was the Assistant Coach of the Toronto Marlboro triple A Bantam and Midgets for four years. While he was the Head Coach at Malvern for 7 years, he coached Chris Weir (332), Mike Cairns (226), and Paul Van Der Groef (226) who are all TFS firefighters! Someone who coached with him at Malvern was Paul Versace, who is now a Platoon Chief in East Command (D Platoon).

Patrick was also the Sports Director at Big Doe Boys Camp and was a counsellor at Camp Oochigeas, which is a camp for kids with cancer, run by Sick Kids Hospital.

Congratulations for giving back to so many Patrick! Volunteers like you make us all proud.

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Letter from the Editor…

Lynn Sciberras

I

don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I try to provide the answers I do have and get back to the person one way or another. Sometimes, this means some research is required, which requires going through reference and resource material, or it might require contacting another member of the Peer Support Team. At the end of it all, there is always a solution, and however it happens, members can rest assured that their Peer Support Team is well prepared, professional and will act confidentially and in the best interest of the member.

“Do you have the name of someone I can speak with, I am having an issue with…,” is one of, if not, the most received question. I know that I can definitely make a referral to a professional. Often members prefer to have an appointment with someone close to where they live, so the Peer Support Team is well prepared with a plethora of vetted professional referrals who have experience with members of the fire service.

Not only is it important for the Peer Support Team to be professional, it’s also important for a Mental Health Professional (MHP) to behave in this manner. There’s added value when a MHP has some familiarity with fire culture or with a diverse population and the diversity of issues that can surface for firefighters during a 24-hour shift, including sleep disturbance.

Issues surrounding COVID are also very prevalent today, either for the member themselves, or for a family member. Always remember that those family members you designate as dependents through Green Shield

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER

also have the same mental health benefits. This leads to another common question received, “Do my benefits cover these referrals and how much do I have?” This answer, and the answers to some other common and relevant questions, are outlined in Adina Kaufman’s article on the page following, so I will not detail them here.

You might also be wondering, “Who’s good that you can recommend?” or “How do I select a mental health professional?” Some are new to the search for a mental health professional, others are known to have a regular check up from the neck up with someone they trust and can speak with openly and confidentially.

No matter your question(s), your situation, it’s never too late to seek out help, and help is just a phone call away.

So, when you decide the time is right for you, and you want to make that move for mental health assistance, give a call. We’ll be sure to get you started in the right direction so you can be on the road to better mental health for always.

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2 | FIRE WATCH

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Why You Need a Mental Health Professional (MHP) and How to Find the Right One For You

Why do I need a Mental Health Professional?

Do you know a good mechanic? How about a plumber?

We all know that when problems arise, like a car that won’t start or a pipe that bursts, it’s much easier to handle them when we already know an expert we can trust. The same is true for our health. That’s why most of us have a family doctor - someone who can proactively assess our health with annual physical exams, diagnostic tests to establish baselines, expert insight into our bodies and any changes within them, so that we can be treated effectively. It’s just as important to have a mental health professional – someone who can help us identify when we are facing mental health challenges and support us in addressing and managing or resolving them.

When is the right time to find a Mental Health Professional?

It makes sense for most people to understand that if they are struggling with significant life events or overwhelming feelings, that it is wise to reach out to a mental health professional. But ask yourself, how challenging might it be to seek out a clinician when you’re already in crisis?

Ideally, you should have someone with whom you have already established a professional therapeutic relationship, before you find yourself struggling. Not only does that let you seek out the relationship when you’re in a ‘good place’, but it also lets your MHP get to know you over a period of time, so that they can help you identify if/when things change for you. None of us ever knows when things will change for us; life surprises us with sudden changes, and traumatic experiences are rarely ones we can see coming.

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I don’t have PTSi , why do I need therapy?

Unfortunately, many first responders do suffer from post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI); fortunately, these types of injuries do generally respond well to treatment.

But they are not the only types of mental health challenges faced by fire service professionals. In fact, fire service professionals are just as likely, if not more so, to suffer from the same mental health challenges as the rest of the population. In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction problem. By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have, or have had, a mental illness. The nature of the work of firefighters, including repeated exposure to painful and provocative experiences and erratic sleep schedules, can pose significant risk to firefighters’ mental health. MHPs can help us manage anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI), substance dependency and other mental health issues. And, MHPs can also help each of us in our day-to-day lives by helping us understand our thoughts, moods, and behaviors, and suggest and reinforce strategies that help us manage them.

Mental health in a pandemic We have been living through a worldwide pandemic for over a year now, which has exacerbated many existing personal and societal challenges. The impacts on our home and work lives are far reaching, and no one is immune, including our family. Many of our loved ones, including partners, children and parents, are suffering through a loss of freedom, ongoing social isolation, frustration, uncertainty, anger and fear. As is stated by Wellness Together Canada, “As a country, we are facing challenges at a scale we’ve never seen before, from social isolation and financial insecurity to substance use concerns and racial inequality.” (https://wellnesstogether.ca)

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2 | FIRE WATCH

What are my options for accessing mental health supports?

Toronto Fire Services staff are able to access significant mental health supports in a number of different ways: 1) City of Toronto Employee Assistance Program: The

City of Toronto Employee Assistance Program provides confidential, short term counselling (5 sessions), as well as an information and referral service for all City employees. Referrals through the City EAP can include contact for a 1-hour free legal consultation. Experienced professional counsellors are ready to help you with a wide range of issues 24/7/365, at no cost, by calling 416.392.6633.

2) Toronto Fire Services Employee Assistance Program: In May 2019, Christopher Rodrigues, M.C., C.Psych.,

joined Toronto Fire Services as our Employee Assistance Counsellor. He works with TFS half-time. While he does offer some individual counseling, his role is not intended to act as the personal counselor to all TFS employees but rather to offer no cost confidential short term counselling, information/consultation and referrals. He also acts as an ongoing significant resource and support person to the members of the Toronto Fire Peer Support Team. Chris can be reached at 416.338.9557.

3) Toronto Fire Peer Support/Critical Incident Response Team: You can reach the Peer Support Team

24/7/365 at 416-338-9327. The members of the Peer Support Team are all affiliated with TFS, as either active or retired employees. You can contact the main phone number or reach out to any individual member directly. Contact information is on the TFS homepage as well as on the L3888 website (“Off the Job” link) where additional member background can also be found. All contact with the Peer Support Team (PST) is CONFIDENTIAL and will not be discussed with anyone, including TFS management, TPFFA executive, L3888 members, or even other PST members.

The Team is also always available in a Critical Incident Response capacity to support crews and/or members. Captains have the discretion to remove their crew/apparatus from service after dealing with certain call types or situations. To access the Team for a Critical Incident Response, officers can reach out through Communications or call 416-338-9327(for more information about Critical Incident Response see SOG G-CRIS).

4) Private Psychologist, MSW (Masters of Social Work), Psychotherapist: The L3888 Collective Agreement,

clause 16.02, assures each member, and each family member under their coverage (i.e. spouse and eligible dependent children), the services of a Registered Psychologist, person holding the degree of Master of Social Work (MSW), or Registered Psychotherapist to a maximum of $3,500.00 per person per benefit year.

Some MHPs will be able to bill Green Shield directly, while others may require that you pay them and then submit your claim to Green Shield for reimbursement. If you have any concerns about whether an individual’s fees would be reimbursed, you can call Green Shield to inquire prior to booking your first appointment.

5) Psychiatrist: As with all Ontario residents, OHIP coverage is available for treatment by a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in mental health. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems. They can prescribe medication and some use psychotherapy to support recovery. To access this care, you require a referral from your physician.

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER

How do I choose the ‘right’ Mental Health Professional?

It is important that we work with a MHP who is a good fit for us personally. People often find that the first MHP they try is not the right one for them, and it is often recommended to talk to 2 or 3 and pick the one with whom you feel the best connection. This is one of the reasons why it is better to be able to find someone proactively, before the need feels urgent. So, how do you decide whether a therapist is right for you? Here are some questions you might want to ask your prospective MHP, such as: • Do you have experience working with fire fighters or other emergency responders?

• How long have you worked in the field of mental health?

• What evidence-based practices do you use to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse?

Further, here are some questions you could ask yourself about your interaction with the MHP: • How do I feel when talking with the MHP? • Do I feel relaxed?

• Do I feel I can be honest?

• Do I feel that the MHP understands me and what I am trying to express?

• Am I comfortable talking with this MHP and does the conversation flow well?

These will aim to help you to find a MHP who is going to become important in helping you stay healthy and well, which is vital for you and those who care about you, at work and at home.

Now what?

If you don’t already have a mental health professional, it is never too late to find one. There are many ways to identify one who might be right for you, e.g.: referral from your family physician; word of mouth from family, friends or colleagues; referrals from City EAP, TFS EAP, PST; Boots on the Ground Peer Support for First Responders 1-833-677-2668; Psychology Today ‘Find a Therapist’ (www.psychologytoday.com).

Please reach out. Now is the time. is available.

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2 | FIRE WATCH

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BY BERNICE HALSBAND, TORONTO FIREFIGHTER, STATION 232-C

B

rad Hoy’s first hiking adventure was a challenge. To be fair, it wasn’t something he was prepared for. But in typical firefighter fashion, he finished the hike anyway.

La Cloche Silhouette is notoriously hard. Experienced hikers spend weeks planning everything surrounding the trip. Everything is important, from headlamp to footwear.

Permits have to be booked, routes planned, sites chosen.

The 78km loop that winds its way through the La Cloche Mountain Range in Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the world every year.

As Brad told me the story of his misadventure, salvaged by pure determination, I was impressed and slack-jawed in equal measure. I myself had spent months planning my hike on the Bruce Trail a few years ago, complete with a four day test hike, and I still made a ton of mistakes. I couldn’t believe that he just decided to do one of the toughest hikes in Ontario on a whim, with four buddies (Toronto firefighter brothers) in tow. After all, they ended up hiking with heavy backpacks, loaded with heavy food and equipment and very little research. He told me he wanted to quit every single day!

A few years ago, I was

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interviewing a crew at Station 421 (oh, those were the days when we could just visit each other) and one of the guys said something that stuck with me ever since.

“If you have ten years on this job, you’re cracked. I don’t care who you are. You’re a little bit cracked and you get more cracked as you go on in this career”. I was approaching the ten year mark and his words hit home.

We had just run a call earlier that year that affected me in a way no other call had before, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it or what to do about it. This had never happened to me before.

I remember running a motorcycle fatality when I worked at Adelaide, eight years ago. One of the guys from the other shift told me that it was OK to not be OK. Although I really appreciated his concern for me, my issue wasn’t “not being OK”. My issue was being OK. I wondered all week if there was something wrong with me. I felt like I shouldn’t have been OK with a guy scraping his face across 100 feet of pavement.

We found teeth and brain like a breadcrumb trail all the way to his body. Why was I OK? If it was OK not to be OK, was it OK to be OK? In a way, hikes are not unlike our careers. We think we go into this line of work prepared, but really

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we are just excited to get started, hope that we can muddle along with our ideas of how it’s supposed to go, and once we are on the path, we’ll be damned if we turn back. Some of us do end up having to turn around, but most of us muddle on, meeting obstacles and going under or over top of them, usually with one another’s support at our back, egging one another on to keep going no matter what.

Brad finished the hike. I wasn’t sure if I thought he was nuts or ingenious. Probably a little bit of both. The one thought that did go through my mind, as I listened to his stories, was “typical firefighter”. We run calls this exact same way. We are generally well prepared for everything and nothing all at once, and at the end of the day, it’s teamwork and our wits that get us through our situations. If training was a thing, (and let’s be honest, it’s not…) it would come into play too. But, mostly, it’s good Captains and good crews that make all the difference.

Yes, his approach was unorthodox, but does it matter if you stick with it and finish? It’s the beauty of our job; 3,000 different approaches but at the end of the day something is going to stick. Despite the challenge, this trip was actually the spark of a love between him and the outdoors. He caught a bug on the trail that determination and the gratification of perseverance often gives us; the feeling of something earned through blood, sweat, and facing our fears.

If you have ever been on a hike that takes everything out of you, you know what I’m talking about. The situation where you want to give up, but it’s either just a smidge harder to give up than to keep going, or impossible altogether.

The former was a situation I found myself in constantly as I hiked 26 days on the Bruce Trail. Twelve of those days were spent in warm beds at the mercy of gracious hosts and fourteen in a hammock tent that I stealthily set up along the way. Despite months of planning and a four day test hike, I still made a ton of mistakes.

It’s a learning curve that takes its trajectory from experience and talking to more experienced hikers, just like our job takes experience and lots of conversation in order to become competent.

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Nature Therapy...Continued from page 35

It’s no wonder Brad wants to share this experience with other fire fighters. After catching the love of adventure in Killarney, he has discovered his “happy place“ on solo adventures throughout Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. He is no stranger to the therapy that can be found in the woods - alone or in a group. Walking and thinking, then stopping and talking with your peers has a wonderful healing quality. Especially now, after what feels like an eternity on lockdown, when people are on edge. COVID has people feeling a lot of extreme emotions: anger, impatience, intolerance, isolation and loneliness. Parents are feeling overwhelmed to an extreme degree and single people living alone are feeling underwhelmed to an extreme degree.

There are no gyms for us to keep ourselves physically healthy, which is affecting our first responder brain in an unhealthy way. We can’t get together for drinks to blow off steam and make sense of our work life the way we used to, and the lack of social interaction between us is making us squirrely (if I can use special psych jargon).

One thing I hear a lot when the subject of mental health comes up is that old “Let’s Talk” slogan.

But how? Everyone is so different in terms of their needs, when it comes to mental health. It’s much easier said than done. Think about any fissures in your mental health eggshell. Do you need to talk to someone right after it happens? Do you need some time to decompress? Do you talk to your crewmates or a few select ones that you trust? Do you call EAP? City EAP? Do you have a therapist you talk to? A nonfirefighter friend? A non-crewmate firefighter friend?

Nature therapy, whether you do it on your own or with others, has a deeply meditative quality to it.

There is no pressure. There is only one task to focus on at a time: find water, get to your site before dark, make a fire, set up camp, cook dinner, cook breakfast, purify water, set up a tarp, finish the hike. There are priorities that will find you quickly if you neglect them. Sitting around a fire draws dialogue out of you as it has with other humans since we harnessed fire.

National Geographic published an article in February 2019 that delved into the topic of nature therapy stating that “The idea that humans possess a deep biological need to connect with nature has been called ‘Biophilia’, from the Greek, meaning ‘love of life and the living world’. American biologist,

Edward O. Wilson believed ‘our existence depends upon this propensity, our spirit is woven from it, hope rises on its currents.’ We know this deep in our bones.

Science knows it, too. We are hard-wired to affiliate with the natural world.” It describes the steps South Korea has taken in medicalising Nature Therapy. In fact, it is mandatory for many first responders to go on hikes and do team building exercises together.

The Japanese call it ‘Shinrin – Yoku’ – Forest Bathing.

Every year, more and more research shows that Nature Therapy is effective in combating PTSD, from abused and neglected children to first responders and military veterans. According to UC Berkeley psychology professor, Dacher Keltner, “time outdoors changes people’s nervous systems.”

Brad Hoy isn’t the only member of the TFS who partakes. Many firefighters, cracked or otherwise, are consummate hunters and outdoorsmen and women.

However, Brad is the only one who has thought to create a club that wants to officially take on anyone who is interested in the outdoors, from beginner to expert.

There is already a rafting trip planned from August 13-15. Not only hikes and rafting trips are on the agenda. Cycling, water sports, camping or any other outdoor activity there is interest for are on the table. He wants to hold workshops and have other firefighters come and teach starting fires in difficult conditions (wind and rain) or talk about how to dehydrate food, pack a bag efficiently or discuss which equipment is best for which type of hike/canoe trip.

If you think you have something to offer the Outdoor Club, don’t hesitate to contact Brad!

You can contact Brad on Facebook or Instagram at Toronto Fire Fighters Outdoor Club 36

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Mind, Body & Spirit from the Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association!

“Mind, body & spirit” (or mind, body & soul) creates the total sum of who we are. These three words are mentioned everywhere, especially in the commercial marketplace, where we are victims of constant advertising. These three words are also a big part of our everyday lives. Now, to write a “Mental Wellness” article specific to each of our members would be impossible, due to our diversity. Our members range in age and stages of retirement, and to cover them all would be an impossible task.

What we can do, is re-emphasize our role as another “go-to” source of information for questions that come up, requiring information you need to solve an issue, the same as you would have in the station when you were still working. Your RTFFA executive works hard at being a “referral agent,” much like our EAP and Peer Support Team colleagues. They are our first contact when dealing with issues relating to the mind and our mental well-being.

Another good resource is all of the excellent articles here in Fire Watch, and specifically, in the Behind the Mask series.

We are also in various stages of physical wellness, some more acute than others. In dealing with our bodies, we refer to our medical establishment for help and management, and along with the involvement of our retiree network, we seem to manage whatever issues that are before us.

With respect to our soul and/or our spirits, we refer to those who are in our immediate network, be it formal or informal. We have many, many organizations related to the soul/spirit and, again, we have many members within and outside to whom we can make referrals.

Notice the thread here? There are basically two threads here and they have been mentioned in most articles written for our membership, “We” are here to help, and “We” can refer you to the right resource. It’s all about the size of the network and there’s also a pretty noticeable similarity here as well, relating to our former occupation. Why does the public call the Fire Service for events that aren’t readily apparent to be fire related? Because they know we will help them deal with the situation and can bring some of our crew expertise to the problem. See the similarity? That’s exactly what your greater network can do for each other.

In closing, let us offer up one tool that might help in the navigation of information overload.

We are all aware of the enormous amounts of information related to the pandemic. Much of it we find on social media. There’s no way to navigate all of it, but there is a way of dealing with it with respect to your mind, body and soul. Remember back to your first lesson on Incident Command! Remember the three levels: strategic, tactical, and task. Suppose you applied this to the hierarchy of our health infrastructure. Starting from the top, Canada’s Chief Officer of Health would be considered to be at the strategic level. The Province’s Chief Officer of Health would be considered to be at the tactical level and the city’s Chief Officer of Health would be at the task level. Fire Chief Pegg would be at this level coordinating the Office of Emergency Management at Site Command.

I can feel you rolling your eyes! Think about this! First, it would triage out all of the chatter from the social media and it would stream to you all the information that could be prescriptive. Plus, the important part, remember back to an incident when you weren’t thrilled about who occupied the Command Post, but knew that the job still had to be done, and you did it. Relate it to this scenario.

You may not like them, but they are in charge. Use this tool for any challenge faced, when the information flow is overwhelming.

We hope that the light at the end of the vaccination tunnel will lead to us getting back on track with our yearly meetings. In the meantime, we continue to hold our weekly Coffee Zoom events for those who wish to chat.

Those details have been mailed out. As of our last count we have just over 300 members and are still growing. In future issues of Fire Watch, we will continue to keep all of you updated on our progress.

Our membership drive is continuous; if you’re interested in becoming a member, feel free to contact us at active. retired@torontofirefighters.org. The dues ($25.00) are payable annually on the 1st of May. Come join us, and remember to follow us on social media: On the Web - https://www.retiredtorontofirefighters.org/ On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TFSRetirees On Twitter - @TFSRetirees Be Well and Stay Safe.

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

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WSIB’s

Community Mental Health Program

BY JOHN SNIDER, CO-CHAIR, WSIB COMMITTEE

In April 2016, after considerable campaigning from many first responder groups, the Ontario government enacted presumptive legislation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Since the presumptive legislation, the WSIB committee has assisted and supported almost 300 members in filing compensable mental health claims.

In the first six months after the presumptive PTSD legislation, there were a large number of claims filed. What quickly became obvious from these initial claims, is that there were a number of members already accessing therapy for PTSD; however, due to limitations of coverage under our extended health benefits, and/or the red tape and discriminatory past policies from WSIB, which restricted access to care, many members had chosen to fight their injury in secret and often were paying out-of-pocket for treatment.

To this day, we continue to assist members in filing suspected PTSD claims at a rate of 1 new claim per week (on average). Contrary to the firehall rumour mill, we do NOT have 300 members off work on WSIB for compensable mental health injuries. At any given time, there are approximately 50 members off on WSIB Loss of Earnings for mental health injuries.

Many members with approved PTSD claims never miss a day of work and receive therapy on a weekly basis. Sadly, due to the stigmas around mental health in the first responder community, many members wait far too long to reach out for help. There is a direct correlation between how long you have been suffering PTSD (before getting treatment) and how long you may need to be off to get the injury under control.

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So what happens when you file a possible mental health claim with WSIB? Shortly after the presumptive legislation was enacted, WSIB instituted a program called Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) with the purpose of streamlining access to a psychologist for an initial assessment and ongoing treatment.

In general, the program has worked well for our members. The CMHP has allowed psychological assessments to be approved quickly and members to access approved psychologists for the initial assessment and treatment in a timely manner.

Finding a therapist that works for you!

WSIB has a list of pre-approved psychologists, so members can be directed to psychologists that work with WSIB clients under the CMHP. These are independent mental health professionals. They do NOT work for WSIB. The only issue with the pre-approved list is that there is no way to find psychologists that are familiar or work with first responders. This is a very important criterion, as not all therapists are comfortable or experienced with the realities of the first responder traumatic exposures. We encourage anyone looking for a therapist to engage with the TFS Peer Support Team or the TPFFA WSIB Committee for help in finding a suitable therapist.

Ultimately, a relationship with a therapist is personal. We have had members rave about a psychologist and yet other members have not been happy with the same psychologist.

This therapeutic relationship is based on trust and if you are not comfortable with your mental health professional, you should (and can) find another that works for you.

We are often asked what type of mental health professional you should look for. In addition to the mental health professional having experience with first responders, we strongly recommend that you seek out a psychologist or a mental health professional that works under the direct clinical supervision of a psychologist. Psychologists and Psychiatrists are the only two regulated health professionals that can diagnose mental health injuries in Ontario (and that is required for a WSIB claim).

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What to expect from the Initial Psychological Assessment If you have already chosen a psychologist from the CMPH list, WSIB will approve an assessment by that provider. If you have not chosen a provider, WSIB can arrange an initial assessment at places like CAMH. Generally, it is preferable to have the initial assessment done by a treatment provider of your choosing who will be providing ongoing care; however, if you are having difficulty finding a provider or getting a timely appointment, an assessment at CAMH may be logical.

WSIB has also streamlined the psychological assessment that is conducted for WSIB purposes. This is good and bad.

The good part is that the WSIB assessment is typically done over several hours and includes the client completing a variety of psychological inventories as well as interviews with the clinician. Often a full psychological assessment can take place over several days.

The negative part of the streamlined assessment is that it is only designed to assess the claimed “issue” and may not assess and/or diagnose concurrent mental health illnesses.

Depending on the research, approximately 40% of people with PTSD have a concurrent mental health illness (anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc.). These concurrent conditions may not be fully assessed and diagnosed in a WSIB PTSD assessment.

Psychological assessments are difficult processes but are a necessary component of the healing process. First responders struggling with mental health difficulties often have trust issues; however, it’s important to participate fully and openly with the clinician to ensure the assessment is accurate.

Ongoing Treatment Once an assessment is done, assuming a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, WSIB will approve the claim under the presumptive legislation and approve treatment. Under the CMHP, WSIB approves treatment in blocks. A block is 6 session or 8 weeks (from the first session), whichever comes first. Typically, WSIB approves 2 or 3 blocks of treatment initially and then ongoing approvals are based on feedback from the treatment provider. At the end of each block of treatment, your therapist submits a progress report to WSIB. What to expect when you visit the psychologist’s office?

Unlike Hollywood’s portrayal of a psychological session, your mental health professional is unlikely to have a stereotypical couch for you to lie on. The environment will be quite relaxed, with comfortable chairs for you and the therapist to sit in. The therapist will have the ability to arrange the environment to best meet your needs and level of comfort. Understandably, you are likely quite nervous and anxious about your first few appointments; however, mental health professionals are experienced in working with you in these first appointments to get you more at ease. In fact, it is likely in the first few therapeutic appointments that you

may end up discussing a lot of things that aren’t directly workrelated or even directly related to your symptoms. This is all part of the process of gaining a trusting therapeutic relationship so that you can start to work on the more difficult issues.

WSIB Assessments Sometimes, as your therapy progresses, WSIB will indicate their desire to send you for an independent psychological assessment (often at CAMH in Toronto if you live in the area). This can cause a lot of distress, as you are likely comfortable in your therapy progress and are worried that this assessment will disrupt your claim or your progress. While these concerns are understandable, in our experience, these independent psychological assessments often further reinforce your diagnosis and treatment plan. Occasionally, they make suggestions regarding different medications or therapeutic modalities that may be beneficial at that point in your progress.

In short, we have not had a claim suddenly denied due to these independent assessments, rather they have often helped provide more clarity and direction.

Return to Work When your mental health professional determines it is time for you to start considering a return to work, it is something that you will discuss in your weekly sessions. The return to work process is just that…a process. It begins in your therapist’s office and may be a subject of discussion for several months, to determine the best pathway forward as far as timeframes, restrictions, and limitations.

If you and your mental health professional are struggling with the recommendations, please feel free to contact the WSIB committee and we will be happy to discuss our experiences.

Often, at the request of the therapist (and always approved by the member), we have attended (physically or virtually) therapy sessions, to provide our support to the return to work process.

Once you and your therapist have developed return to work recommendations, they are forwarded to WSIB. At that point, WSIB will assign a Return to Work Specialist to facilitate the process. Our experience with the RTW Specialists assigned to mental health claims has been, generally, positive (unlike many members’ experiences with WSIB RTW Specialists for physical injuries).

All mental health return to work plans are unique. The cookiecutter approach just doesn’t work. WSIB has acknowledged the uniqueness of return to work plans for mental health injuries and, in general, has been supportive of our members. The WSIB Committee and the Association will support you throughout the accommodation process, whether it be temporary or permanent, to ensure that your RTW is as efficient and effective as possible.

Managing a mental health injury is not something that we ever plan on needing to do, but if you do develop symptoms of PTSD, there are mechanisms in place to assist you. Feel free to reach out to the WSIB Committee at any point to discuss a possible claim.

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Phoenix Recovery Group O

n a bad day, firefighters witness more human suffering than most people experience in a lifetime. For generations of firefighters, the answer was simply to drink it away - try to drown the gruesome memories and numb the pain. Add to this, the toll that shift work and other factors can take on our families and personal lives. The result is often untreated mental trauma, alcoholism and addiction.

Programs such as R2MR, Critical Incident Debriefings and the EAP now offer a healthier way to deal with difficult situations, but problems of substance abuse still affect a significant number of our brothers and sisters.

Two years ago, a group of clean and sober TPFFA members (active and retired), formed the Phoenix Recovery Group. We are alcoholics and addicts who have found a way out of the destructive cycle of drinking and drugging. Our recovery is based on a 12-Step approach, first popularized in Alcoholics Anonymous, and used since by many other recovery programs.

What makes the Phoenix Group different from other recovery meetings is that our members are all first responders. We can freely discuss the things we see and experience on the job, things that might be too shocking or inappropriate to mention at a civilian recovery meeting.

The group has grown since our founding two years ago. Most of our members are still active or retired TFS members, but we also have firefighters from other departments, as well as a few people from other emergency services.

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Currently, we meet on Zoom, every Wednesday night at 8pm (details at the end of this article).

When the public health measures allow, we hope to get back to meeting in person at the TPFFA office on the first Wednesday of the month, as well as our weekly Zoom meeting.

Meetings are fairly informal. We begin by reading AA’s 12 Steps and 12 Traditions to focus ourselves. Each person can then choose a recovery related topic and share their experience with or ask questions about that topic. Participation is completely voluntary. Some people, particularly newcomers feel more comfortable simply listening. The meetings usually last about an hour and end when everyone who wants to, has had a chance to share. There is then time after the meeting for conversation and fellowship.

Anonymity is a key part of our program.

Members can identify themselves by their first name only, and on Zoom, you can choose whether to have your camera on or off. We understand how difficult it can be to admit to a substance abuse problem. All of us were new at one time, looking at the prospect of recovery with hope and fear.

So, how do I know if I have a problem with alcohol or drugs? There are many ways to answer that question, but in general we lose the ability to control how much we drink or use. We are drunk or high at inappropriate times. It can be a point of friction at home or work. We start to lie about how much we are drinking or using and how much we are spending on our habit. We start

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hiding our bottles or stash. There are many other indicators, but gradually alcohol and drugs occupy an ever-larger role, until they begin to dominate our lives.

It’s important to note that alcoholism, and addiction in general, is a disease. It is not a weakness of character or moral failing. We addicts and alcoholics simply have an abnormal reaction to alcohol and drugs that condemns us to crave more and more. The reasons for this addictive reaction are complex – partially genetic, partially life experience, partially physiological and mostly unknown. For us, the key question is not why, but what are we going to do about it.

Let me say clearly that we are not against the use of alcohol or anything else. If you can do so responsibly, without suffering harmful consequences, our hats are off to you. We are not fanatical abolitionists. When it comes to alcohol and drugs, we have simply lost the ability to choose. Once a cucumber becomes a pickle, it never becomes a cucumber again.

You may have noted that the word “God” is used in some of the 12 Steps. This sometimes gives the impression that AA, NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and other recovery groups are religious organizations and cultish in nature. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of us are atheist or agnostic. Others come from a variety of faith backgrounds such as Christian, Jewish, Muslem, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. Some follow Indigenous spiritual practices. Others find meaning in nature. When we use the word “God”, we mean it in the broadest possible context – whatever it is that makes you feel connected to your fellows and the world around you.

Our drinking and drugging had brought most of us to the point of hopeless despair. In recovery, we have found a renewed sense of hope and purpose. We have regained our self-respect and rebuilt damaged relationships with family and friends. Life still poses its challenges, but we can face them without having to retreat into the fog of alcohol and drugs.

If substance abuse has become a problem in your life, we invite you to join us. We’ve been there. We know what it’s like. We understand. And we have a solution.

Phoenix Group

Every Wednesday night, 8:00 pm Zoom Meeting ID - 915 7565 1724 Password – TFS12step In person, first Wednesday of each month, at the TPFFA union office, 14 Cosentino Drive, Toronto, Ontario M1P 3A2

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T ORONTO F IRE H I STO RI CAL S O C I ETY

S M O K E O N T H E WAT E R S HIPS OF THE T ORONTO F I RE D EPARTM ENT Toronto ire has o er 1 years of nautical firefighting under its belt. ating all the ay back to 19 6, Toronto irefighters ha e taken to the ater to fight fires and rescue the city s inhabitants. er the years, firefighters ha e cre ed a number of ships, each more capable than the last. . arper, T S

1 9 0 6 -1 9 0 9 : T H E N E L L I E B LY The Nellie Bly, was contracted by Fire Chief Thompson, as he felt the population increase on the islands warranted better fire protection for the island and harbour area.

September 21, 19 7: The Nellie Bly fought a fire on board the Pictou, berthed at the foot of Scott St. 65 m from the present day ater s edge.

The Bly had the fire extinguished in under minutes.

1 9 0 9 -1 9 2 3 : T H E T.J. C LA R K E The T.J. Clarke as a contracted tug, outfitted patrol the harbor and islands until 192 .

ith firefighting e uipment and used to

19 2 3 -1 9 6 4 : T H E C H A R L E S A . R E E D The Charles A. Reed replaced the contracted T.J. Clarke for fire protection in the habour.

It was 50', bow to stern, had a 12' beam, 1200 GPM capability, cruised at 14 mph and had a crew of five. At the time it was commissioned, it was the only vessel in Canada capable of firefighting. It was the first fireboat exclusively commissioned for firefighting by the TFD. Without today’s ice breaking capabilities, the Reed was put into dry dock each winter. The firefighters had an office in the filtration plant and a signal system to alert islanders to the location of a fire.

September 17, 1949: The Reed battled the S.S. Noronic. Also in 1949, it responded to a fire at the Gair paper box company.

196 4 -P R E SE N T: T H E W I L L I A M LY O N M A C K E N Z I E

Commissioned into service on May 18, 1964, the William Lyon Mackenzie is a 10,000gpm, ice breaking, twin screw diesel fireboat, complete with a 16.5m articulated boom (removed in 2020.) Its original purchase price was around $605,000. It is just under 81', bow to stern, with a 24' beam. At the island yacht club fire, the Mackenzie was the only apparatus used, due to access issues. Over 30 boats were lost.

July 21, 1965: The William Lyon Mackenzie battling a fire on the Greek freighter, Orient Trader.

in fo@toronto fire hi stor y.com

@tofirehi story

@tofirehi sto r y

Sources: A History of the Toronto Fire Services, 1874-2002 by Marla Friebe and History of the Toronto Fire Department (1984)

Yield: 8 Filling Ingredients: • 1 pound lean ground beef • 2 Tbsp. olive oil • 1 small onion, finely diced • 2 scallions, finely diced • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (For more spiciness add 2) • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 Tsp. dried thyme leaves • 1 Tsp. onion powder • 1 Tsp. paprika

• ½ Tsp. curry powder • 1 Tsp. kosher salt • ½ Tsp. cayenne pepper • ½ Tsp. allspice • ½ Tsp. ground black pepper • 2 bay leaves • 1 ¼ cups low-sodium beef broth • 2 Tbsp. Steak sauce • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs • 8 slices of Monterey jack cheese (optional)

Dough Ingredients: • Puff pastry sheets (Cut out 16 circles) • 1 large egg beaten with 1/4 cup water Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Marinate 2lbs diced chicken thighs 12-24 hours in: • 2 cups greek yogurt • 2 tsp paprika • 2 tsp cumin • ¼ tsp cinnamon • ¼ tsp garlic powder • ¾ tsp turmeric • 1 tsp allspice • ¼ tsp cayenne • salt and pepper Directions 1. Spread out chicken on oven sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400 F 2. Remove from oven, pan fry chicken with some olive oil for 3-5 minutes to make chicken crispy/chewy.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions, scallions, scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, dried thyme leaves, onion powder, paprika, curry powder, salt, cayenne pepper, allspice, black pepper and bay leaves.

3. Serve chicken over rice, potatoes, salad, tabouleh etc.

Add in ground beef and cook until beef is evenly brown, stirring constantly.

Recipe for easy garlic sauce:

Add in beef broth, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and bread crumbs. Simmer until beef is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow it to cool down before applying it on puff pastry.

Remove bay leaves from filling once cool.

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 2 garlic cloves crushed • salt

Cut circles out of puff pastry sheet and spoon equal amounts of filling into each pastry circle. Add a slice of cheese on top of filling.

Using another puff pastry circle, brush the edges with egg wash and place on top of the puff pastry circles with filling and cheese. Press edges together, making full circles. Use a fork to press edges. Brush the top of each patty with egg wash.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and serve.

If you have a Fire Hall recipe that you’d like to share with our members, please contact Suzanne Boss via email at sboss@torontofirefighters.org Vo l u m e 1 5 | I s s u e 2 | F I R E WAT CH 45

February 13, 2021 – June 14, 2021 RETIRED

Stanley Lake February 13, 2021 Robert A. Wilson March 14, 2021 Larry Harold Neice April 25, 2021 David Bruce Bell April 29, 2021 Brian Garwood Marquardt May 30, 2021 Johnnie Walker June 14, 2021

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.

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William Fredrick Smith

May 27th, 1932 - November 26th, 2014 William Fredrick Smith was born May 27th, 1932. On January 1st, 1952, he joined the City of Toronto Fire Department (Local 113) at the age of 19 years. He rose to the rank of District Chief. Sadly, Fredrick died at the age of 82 on November 26th, 2014, from skin cancer after repeated exposures to smoke and chemicals during his years of fire fighting in Toronto.

According to his family, Fredrick, a Korean War Veteran and a retired Toronto District Fire Chief, passed away after a 4 year battle with cancer. He was a kind and loving husband of Doris Drew-Smith and the late Marjory (nee Sinclair). A beloved father of Karen Mason (Chuck) and Randy Smith (Linda), a cherished Grandpa of Laura Mason (John), Cheryl Lennon (Steve), Rob Mason (Bronwyn), Jeffrey and Andrew Smith and a proud Great Grandfather of Seth and William. Loving brother of Helen Thompson (Doug), John (the late Isabel), Stewart (Patricia), Jannette Dempsey (Bill), loving brother in-law to Jean, Ken Tilley, predeceased by June, Stephen and Patricia. Fred leaves behind many nieces, nephews and cousins. The family also thanked Stevenson Memorial Hospital and had a special appreciation for the wonderful care given by the nursing staff and volunteers at Matthews House Hospice.

Fredrick was kind, loving and nonjudgmental. Fredrick made time for everyone. We will all miss him so very much. A soldier, a firefighter, a father and a loving husband; just a wonderful man who knew how to love life. Fredrick’s death is regarded as a Line of Duty Death by the WSIB as his cancer is recognized as a work related illness. Skin cancer (melanoma) is presumed to be an occupational disease that occurs due to the nature of the work as a firefighter, based on presumptive legislation in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. In Honour of District Chief William Fredrick Smith, a Memorial Plaque has been hung at TFS Station 312.

George Powell

March 11th, 1934 - January 15, 2016

George Powell was born March 11th, 1934. He joined the North York Fire Department (Local 752) on July 3rd, 1962 at the age of 28 years. He rose to the rank of Captain. Sadly, George died at the age of 81 on January 15th, 2016, due to lung cancer after repeated exposures to smoke and chemicals during his years of fire fighting in Toronto.

Peacefully, after a battle with lung cancer, George passed away Friday, January 15, 2016. Beloved husband of Patricia (Rennie) for 63 years. Loving father to Sharon (Ed Burkhard) and Bob. Grandfather to Kody Catania.

He is survived by his brother John (Georgina) and predeceased by his sister Irene (Earl Stanfield). He will be missed by his many nieces, nephews and friends. George was a retired member of the former North York Fire Department and the father of retired dispatcher Sharon Burkhard. George enjoyed 25 years of retirement.

His death is regarded as a Line of Duty Death by the WSIB as his cancer is recognized as a work related illness. Lung cancer is presumed to be an occupational disease that occurs due to the nature of the work as a firefighter, based on presumptive legislation in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. In Honour of Captain George Powell, a Memorial Plaque has been hung at TFS Station 114.

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Fit to SURVIVE Body and Mind

BY MARC DUNN, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 421-D

Y

ou don’t need me, or anyone, telling you that you should exercise. Everyone knows exercise is good for you. But physical exercise is not only good for your body, but also your mind. There are three ideas that I want to discuss in this article: 1. The benefits of exercise to your mental well-being.

2. The best exercises to do as a firefighter.

3. A plan to ensure you stick with your exercise regimen.

I will cover why, what and how to work out.

Why exercise?

It not only reduces your chance of a heart attack but guards against Alzheimer’s. It defends against ADHD and improves your mood. Exercise even fights off cancer. But don’t take my word for it, there’s a pile of research that has incontrovertible evidence to support these claims.

I’m going to focus on the items above that relate to mental health. Firstly, we all have stresses in our lives. Exercise fights against the damaging effects of elevated cortisol levels, which come from chronic stress and can lead to depression and dementia. Secondly, not only does your blood chemistry change to improve your mood, but the act of getting out and staying involved with people you work out with helps lift your spirits. Thirdly, it boosts motivation by counteracting the gradual decline of dopamine. By challenging yourself in your exercise routine, you are constantly trying to improve and get better. The old adage, “If you’re not busy living then you’re busy dying,” fits nicely here. And lastly, exercise increases the connections in your brain to help guard against any damage it might experience. Working your muscles releases chemicals that improve your brain’s ability to function and manage your emotions. Exercise is not only good for your brain but also your mental health.

John Ratey, M.D., an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard medical school and the author of “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” says “Exercise is as important for the brain as it is for the heart.”

Here’s how exercise keeps you going: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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It strengthens the cardiovascular system It regulates fuel It reduces obesity It elevates your stress threshold It lifts your mood It boosts the immune system It fortifies your bones It boosts motivation It fosters neuoroplasticity (improves your brain’s ability to learn and remember.)

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What kind of exercise should I do?

Guidelines recommend that older adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. But what if cardio exercise bores the heck out of you or you can’t do cardio exercises because of health reasons or other limitations?

You and your heart are in luck. New research suggests that weight training can be just as effective as cardio for protecting against heart attacks and strokes. Devoting just an hour per week may improve multiple markers related to heart health.

A study in the March 2019 Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise examined the exercise habits of almost 13,000 adults (average age 47) who did not have cardiovascular disease. The results: those who did at least an hour per week of weight training (using free weights or weight machines) had a 40% to 70% lower risk of heart attack or stroke compared with those who did not exercise. (They found similar results in people who did and did not do cardio exercise.)

I have spoken with a couple of firefighters on the job who are quite serious about their fitness and have various experiences with Crossfit. Karm Amer of R112 is a 21-year veteran and is a lifetime workout king. He owned a Crossfit box (facility) and won a gold medal at the 2015 Fairfax World Police and Fire Games in the Crossfit competition in his age category.

Karm thinks Crossfit is built for firefighting. It’s the perfect balance between the musclebound body builder and the marathon runner. Crossfitters have both strength and endurance. They aren’t the best at any one thing but are good at everything…like a firefighter.

Cathy Odell, also from Station 112, has been on the job for 5 years and started when she was 42!

She started Crossfit about 10 years ago and has been coaching Crossfit for about 6 years. To put it simply, she says she probably wouldn’t be able to do her job if it wasn’t for Crossfit. Because she is a relatively small person, the loads that are required to be moved on a regular basis are more challenging. Crossfit has prepared her for this and keeps her in the shape she needs to do her job.

The gyms around the city have been closed due to the pandemic, whether it be a Crossfit gym, a spin studio, Peloton, a weight room, or something similar. Many people are missing a big chunk of their regular routine and often a large part of this is the people they do it with. The sense of community, meaning and connection are the things which make these activities great.

This brings me to my last point.

How do I ensure that my exercise routine becomes a habit?

The programs that are in it for more than just themselves are the ones that are successful. This is a sign of health and integrity. It is these businesses that offer more than just a better body that are thriving. They make real connections and are genuinely interested in your health, both physically and mentally. There is enormous value in making exercise a social experience, including the benefits of social interaction for mental health.

So, to help ensure you continue with an exercise program, ask a friend who has similar goals as you, and set up a schedule to work out. Or join a program that already has people coming on a regular basis.

Lastly, I want to mention one business to which I have a personal connection. Dana Rocket at Rocket Cycle at St. Clair and Christie was kind enough to host a ride and reach out to her spinning community and ask for donations of Christmas gifts to go to the Toronto Firefighter’s Toy Drive. Like many businesses, her business has been hit hard by the pandemic.

But I believe these times of adversity bring out the true essence of people. And the essence of Dana is a love not only for the activity which she promotes but she genuinely cares for the people she leads in her exercise classes. She leads with amazing music which often has deeper meanings, which she is happy to share. She’s positive, compassionate, understanding, friendly, generous and enthusiastic, with just the right amount of oomph to push your limits.

In conclusion, if you need a reason to exercise, just know that there are so many that it doesn’t stop with the physical.

Your choice of activity should be based on whatever you enjoy and an intensity that will result in some positive adaptations from your body. And one method to help you maintain your exercise routine is to invite a friend. If there’s anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s the value of relationships. Reach out and work out with someone. Everyone will benefit in more ways than one.

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