Fire Watch: Volume 18, Issue 4

Demographics Issue VOLUME 18

ISSUE 4

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 4

IN THIS ISSUE 13

22

5

President’s Message

7

Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

9

Vice President’s Message

11

Chaplain’s Corner

13 TFS Demographics

30

42

33

FIRE WATCH (ISSN 1715-5134) is published by the TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION 14 Cosentino Drive, Toronto ON M1P 3A2 Tel: 416.466.1167 www.torontofirefighters.org E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org CHIEF EDITOR Michael Smith MANAGING EDITORS Chris Sornberger, Suzanne Boss Tel.: 416.466.1167 Fax: 416.466.6632 E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITORS James Coones and Ken de Jong ASSISTANT EDITOR Matthew Spagnolo

20

The Other First Responder

22

96th Annual Off-Duty and Media Awards

30 Toronto War Vets – Ghosts of The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) 33

2026 Rob Penney Slo-Pitch Tournament

39

Behind The Mask

42

Report on the IAFF Strive for Excellence

44

Never Shall We Forget

46

Retired Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association

48

Toronto Fire Historical Society

52

Advancing Cardiac Arrest Care on the Fireground

54

3888 Recent Happenings

:

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Bryan Middleton FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER TPFFA Media Team CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL Agreement No: 41203011 PRINTED IN CANADA Copyright © 2026 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association ADVERTISING Please contact Bill Monson at 416.466.1167 or e-mail monson@torontofirefighters.org Merchant Card Acceptance

Demographic

s Issue

On The Cover May 21, 2026 Crews on scene of a single vehicle rollover with entrapment on Eglinton Avenue East near Birchmount Road.

VOLUME 18

THE OFFICIAL

PUBLICATION OF THE

TORONTO PROFESSIO NAL FIRE FIGH TERS’ ASSO CIATION

Photo Credit: John Hanley 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.

ISSUE 4

Publications Agreeme

nt No: 4120301

1

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Sisters and Brothers,

A

s I reflect on my first year serving as President of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association, I am filled with a deep sense of pride, gratitude, and respect for the more than 3,000 members who make up our Association. It has been an honour to represent such a dedicated and professional membership, and while the past year has brought significant challenges, it has also highlighted the strength and unity of our organization.

When I assumed this role, I understood the responsibility that came with leading the largest fire fighter association in Canada. What I quickly learned is that no challenge is ever faced alone. The support of our Executive Board, staff, committee members, our stewards, and members across the city has been invaluable as we worked together to address the issues facing our membership.

Without question, the most significant event of the past year was the release of our arbitration award. The decision marked the culmination of a lengthy and complex process that will have a lasting impact on our members and our collective agreement.

While securing the award was an important milestone, it was only the beginning of the work that followed.

Since the release of the award,

a considerable amount of time and effort has been devoted to interpreting, implementing, and negotiating the language required to bring the arbitrator's decisions into practice.

As many members are aware, arbitration awards often establish principles that must then be translated into clear and workable collective agreement language. This process has required ongoing discussions with the employer, detailed analysis of the award, and a commitment to ensuring that the rights and interests of our members are fully protected.

Although progress has been made, some matters remain unresolved, and we continue to advocate for interpretations that reflect both the intent of the award and the best interests of our membership. Our goal remains straightforward: to ensure that every provision is implemented fairly, consistently, and in accordance with the arbitrator's decision.

Beyond collective bargaining matters, the Association has remained actively engaged in supporting members through workplace issues, health and safety concerns, grievance administration, professional development opportunities, and the many day-to-day challenges that arise in a large and diverse organization. We have continued to strengthen our relationships with community partners, the other labour organizations within the city, and

elected officials from all three levels of government, while maintaining our unwavering focus on serving our members.

As I complete my first year as President, I am reminded daily of the professionalism, courage, and commitment demonstrated by Toronto Fire Fighters. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting one another, or serving our communities, our members continue to set the standard for excellence.

While much work remains ahead, I am confident in our collective ability to meet future challenges and seize new opportunities. Together, we will continue to protect the interests of our members, strengthen our Association, and ensure that the voices of Toronto Fire Fighters are heard and respected.

Thank you for your trust, your support, and your continued dedication to our profession.

In Solidarity,

Michael Smith, President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE The Fab Four – A Tongue-in-Cheek Perspective

A

s Depeche Mode would say, “People are people”. So, what type of firefighter are you?

It is always interesting to observe the various firefighter personalities that emerge when a hot topic arises. I find that there are four common categories that appear regularly. I call them the Fab Four.

The "Deals and Discounts" Firefighter These firefighters focus on the money they will make or save, but sometimes that is as far as their analysis goes. In recent discussions about pensions and the 3% allowance, these are the firefighters who say, “I can save over $1,000 a year?

Sign me up!” or “I'm getting over $3,000 on top of the raise we're already receiving? Great job!”

There is nothing wrong with wanting more money.

The "Hate Change" Firefighter I have touched on this subject previously: firefighters typically dislike both what they currently have and any proposed changes. These members are satisfied with what is currently working and wonder why a change should even be discussed.

When the pension discussion resurfaced, these firefighters were among the first to ask, “We've had this pension in place for 20 years. Why the sudden change?”

Ironically, these are often the same members who eventually accept the change as the new norm and then become reluctant to deviate from it, as happened with the 24-hour shift.

The "Doom and Gloom" Firefighter These firefighters always seem angry, accusatory, and convinced that there is a conspiracy around every corner. They rarely seek to help the situation. Instead, they focus on assigning blame.

Even when they have a great idea that is adopted, the doom-and-gloomer often shifts immediately into accusation mode.

It is never good enough, fast enough, or frequent enough, which leads directly into the familiar "what are you hiding?" mindset.

Rather than asking how a topic is progressing, they assume someone is intentionally avoiding it.

It must be exhausting to be angry all the time. Try smiling, be friendly, and enjoy life - it is a pretty good gig.

The "Gatherer" Firefighter Most of our members fall into this

category, often with a hint of "Deals and Discounts" and "Hate Change."

I admit that I fall into all three categories.

I could always use more money, my OCD appreciates structure and resists change, but after gathering information, I will adapt.

Gatherers listen to the entire discussion.

They consider what has been presented, ask questions without making accusations, and provide valuable input through additional questions or suggestions.

I learn to see issues from multiple perspectives when these members engage in discussions. During the recent pension discussion, the gatherers brought forward many excellent questions and suggestions.

We have had several hot topics lately, but pensions immediately come to mind.

Perhaps we should ask how and why this became such a controversial issue that brought out all four of these personalities.

Pension changes have been discussed for years; there is nothing new about the topic.

The recent arbitration established a committee to investigate a potential change from our current NRA60 plan to NRA65, which is OMERS' alternative option.

This is where the topic began to heat up, thanks to the firefighter rumour mill, which is always entertaining and rarely reliable.

The kitchen-table conversations started: "Did you hear we're switching to NRA65?"

And out came the Fab Four.

Deals and Discounts: "Switching will save me money, and I get a refund for previous years? Let's do it!"

Hate Change: "I finally understand this pension plan, and now you want to change it?"

Doom and Gloom: "Why are you changing the pension? You're jamming the members. Why weren't we told?"

Gatherers: "I hear there's a committee investigating a pension change. How would that work? Will more information become available? Will the membership have input? Could we have a discussion or town hall to help clarify concerns?"

The Gatherers win this one.

We held a town hall meeting to explain what is actually being discussed regarding pensions. To be clear, the membership has been raising the pension issue with the Executive Board for years.

I think everyone can agree that neither the NRA60 nor the NRA65 plan is perfect for every member. The NRA60 plan may require some members to pay for benefits they may never use, while the NRA65 plan

may offer cost savings but could result in members retiring at an older age.

For those who attended the meeting, I believe our panelists - Frank Ramagnano (L3888 President, Emeritus), Greg Horton (OPFFA President), and Chris Varcoe (OMERS Sponsors Corporation Board Member) - provided an excellent presentation and cleared up much of the confusion.

The takeaway is simple: we want a pension plan that works best for the majority of the membership. That may involve thinking outside the box, examining what other professions currently offer, or even developing a pension model that combines the strongest aspects of both plans.

The bottom line is that once options become available, the membership will be involved so that we can make an informed decision together.

The reality is - and I may be wrong - it probably will not happen anytime soon.

I would like to think that your Executive Board is being as consistent and transparent as possible when it comes to sharing information and providing updates.

At any given time, we have multiple discussions, committees, and investigations underway, and not everything can happen immediately.

Before becoming a doom-and-gloomer and assuming you are being ignored or avoided, consider looking at the issue from a gatherer's perspective. Seek clarification. Ask questions without accusations.

Sometimes a lower-priority item simply needs a friendly reminder.

I believe we work best when we work together with a positive attitude.

Perhaps Tim McGraw said it best: "Let yourself feel the pride but always stay humble and kind."

Stay Safe.

Chris Sornberger, Secretary-Treasurer Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888 Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The Pregnancy/Parental Leave Discussion

I

am continuing my series on the new provisions to our Collective Agreement that came out of the Arbitrator’s Award. As promised in my last article, I have chosen a topic that applies to all of our members and not just Operations.

The potential changes to our pregnancy and parental leave entitlements have generated a lot of concerned questions and misunderstanding.

Second only maybe to the NRA 65 issue. But the key takeaway for both issues is the same: there are no changes coming right now. Nothing was decided between the TPFFA and TFS, and the Arbitrator made no award regarding parental leave or NRA 65.

The Arbitrator noted in his Award that these discussions were on the table and directed the parties to continue negotiations. At this time, nothing has come of them. For pregnancy and parental leave specifically, we have agreed with TFS to push these talks to the next round of bargaining.

That means there will be no changes to our current entitlements until a new contract is in place.

With that settled, let me walk you through what our current pregnancy and parental leave entitlements actually are, and try to give a sense of what future discussions might look like.

If you have any questions about your entitlements, the best place to start is Article 23 of the Collective Agreement and also the TPFFA Family Resource Guide, which is available to everyone on our website, even without logging into your account.

For specific questions related to your individual situation, I can be your main point of contact.

Here is how our benefit works: once you begin your leave, you apply for Employment Insurance (E.I.). You submit your E.I. statements to TEAM

Central, and they process a top-up of your E.I. benefit to 75% of your current salary. You receive that 75% top-up regardless of whether you or your partner select the standard 12-month leave or the extended 18-month leave.

Importantly, if you are sharing parenting, only one of you can make the selection, meaning that one partner can’t choose 12-months and the other choose 18-months. Whoever begins their leave first makes the choice for both of you, so this is a good conversation to have early.

For many other employees in Ontario, when they take the standard 12-month leave they receive a higher top-up rate than we do, say, 85% of their salary. But if they choose the extended 18-month leave, that same total dollar amount gets spread over the longer period, resulting in lower monthly payments.

For our members, we get topped up to 75% of our current salary for the full length of time that we are in receipt of E.I., regardless of whether it is 12-months or 18-months.

A concrete example makes this clearer. Imagine two city employees, one from Local 3888, one from another city division, each earning $100,000 when their leave begins. Both apply for E.I. and receive the maximum weekly payout of $729 from the federal government.

If both choose the standard 12-month leave: the Local 3888 member is topped up to $75,000 over the year, while the other employee is topped up to $85,000.

If both choose the extended 18month leave: the Local 3888 member continues receiving 75% of their salary throughout, totalling $112,500. The other employee, however, still receives only $85,000 total just stretched over a longer period.

As you can see, under our current structure there is very little incentive for our members to take the shorter leave. The City, understandably, wants

to encourage earlier returns and reduce costs, which is why this issue was raised in bargaining and argued before the Arbitrator. He wrote in his Award that there may be a reasonable compromise resulting in cost savings, but declined to make any ruling. Instead, he sent the issue back to the parties for further discussion.

I want to be very clear on this point: the TPFFA has absolutely no intention of agreeing to claw back your entitlements.

If and when this discussion returns during the next round of bargaining, any changes will either come through a hard-fought arbitration or as part of an equally valuable trade-off at the table. We will not sacrifice this crucial entitlement lightly. If there to be any changes, and that is a big if, we are also very mindful of the need for a fair and reasonable transition period, so that no one is caught off guard.

We say “family first” a lot in the fire service, and we describe ourselves as a family. This is one of the best ways we can prove it — by fighting hard for the members who are just starting theirs.

Having personally benefited from these provisions when I was a new dad, I can tell you firsthand that they provided the security and peace of mind I needed to focus on what really mattered. I am determined to protect that same benefit for every member who comes after me.

Justin D’Aloisio, Vice President Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association I.A.F.F. Local 3888

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH

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CHAPLAIN’S CHAPLAIN’S CORNER CORNER Doing Our Best in Difficult Times

I

n the philosophical book make our days more pleasant,

“What I of feared has come uponand me, what I dreaded has Ecclesiastes, which that matters for our overall spends much of its time well-being. happened to me.”

pondering the meaning of life, there is a small but powerful uch are the words of Job, verse: “Two people can resist an a character in the Bible attack who, that would oneten perin onedefeat day, lost son alone.

A rope made of three of his children and all of cords his is hard to break.”

While resources (7,000 sheep, this is often quoted at weddings, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen, 500 donkeys, the lesson is this: plus thelarger tragic loss of most of his we workare stronger together.

Healthy relaforce). To make things worse, a short tionships do more than support time later, Job was afflicted with a us psychologically benefit painful skin disease that — leftthey him in the dirtour as aoverall broken health. man. His wife, having Yet there a counsel dilemma had enough, hadisthis for we him,all “Curse and die’. face.God German philosopher Arthur While Job didn’t curse God, all ithis in Schopenhauer described sufferings certainly made him think 1851 using the metaphor of the about death. In Dilemma. fact, for a It period of Porcupine’s captures time, longed forparadox it, prayingof thatcraving God thehehuman take his life. Suchwhile are oftenalso the thoughts closeness pushing of desperate and broken people.

When people away to avoid being hurt. people are going through hard times, it He wrote, “The need of society is vital to have supportive and caring drives the human porcupines people at hand,only for wetoarebe to loan our together, mutually strength to others in their time of need. repelled by the many prickly and I’ve always found the account of Job disagreeable qualities of their and his sufferings to be a bit unsettling; nature.” particularly the line, “What I feared So, here’s a question both has come upon me...”

I have for a vivid you and Itme: how social imagination. would notmany be healthy connectors are part of your for me to ponder the worst things thatlife — people whohow help stand could happen. So, do you I process strong mentally, and what he said?

Insteadspiritually, of burrowing physically? down the rabbit hole of “what could go I ask thiswith intentionally because wrong”, I live the understanding not all social connections that, “Yes, life is fragile, bad things canare Some people in to our andhelpful. do happen, but I’m not going lives are “energy vampires”; interactions with them leave us feeling physically, mentally, and spiritually drained. Others have a neutral effect — good people doing their best in their busy lives. We may not share our deepest thoughts with them, but they

S

And then there are the people who refresh us and give us live with a spirit of fear”. Rather, I’m strength — sometimes intentiongoing to do my best to trust God, help ally, sometimes others, all the whilesimply holding by on tobeing my West Command Command West who they are, and sometimes befaith, which speaks of a world to come Chaplain Todd Rev. Todd RileyRiley cause they walk with us in deeply in which there is no more suffering, 416.318.9167 416-318-9167 personal ways. These may include tears, or death.

ToddRiley@outlook.com tsriley@teksavvy.com doctors, physiotherapists, Why suchnurses, a glum start to an article? massage therapists, Sometime today,a religious TFS leader, a trusted friend, or a a huge difference.

Communications will take a call where to To addressing this prepared public health spouse partner. attend a scene (and the veryorworst thing has happened crisis.

In the connected life. are After you? the Can this involves all United membersStates, of the Vivek TFS) in So, thathow person/family’s Murthy has adeclared a national youisidentify two,will three, to leave scene having done call taken, a one, fire crew arriveor and epidemic of social disconnection, was realistically possible given at thatfour person or family’s door, and even people with whom you what circumstances, there50% can of be adults great they will witness for to themselves what warning that about are close enough share the im- the comfort in just having done that. the communications call-taker heard portant, vulnerable parts of your struggle with loneliness.

Sometimes, one’s consolation will be described on the phone.

We were made for connection, life? Remember, you don’t need our best inaffects a difficult As awful a day as it is to for be thathealthy person this: and“I/We that did connection our a hundred friends situation.”

That’s a win!

To think to and family, such is what the TFS, as a health — physically, mentally, and mentally, physically, and spiritualoneself, “I entered into this person’s whole, is about.

Helping people who ly — but you do need some. Social spiritually. So, if you find yourself on what was theirthe or their family’s might be having worst dayare of their retreating from world, conisolation and the loneliness now life worst day.

I did what I trained for, lives. risk: recognized as significant threats sider taking a meaningful and did myout best.safe I followed to the bestsafe of of the horrible things Iseek people and to Despite overallsome health. abilities and my training.

I treated heard and seen, and the toll that it my In December 2024, Giulia places to connect and to serve. Be often takes, it is a great privilege to the person and the family with respect, Cambieri of the Harvard T.H. Chan a friend. Be a mentor. Volunteer. come into a person’s or family’s life patience, and compassion. I worked School of Public Health wrote, And if those steps feel too big at with the intention of helping them in well with my team. While I can’t first, stay connected through the “Researchers their darkest hour.agree While itthat mightsocial not change what happened or take away relationships youI could.” already have connection canaway help people live their pain, I did what be possible to take or even reduce — your physiotherapist, longer and healthier lives.

Being Helping, and being withmassage people someone else’s pain or trial, how and therapist, barber or hairdresser, socially disconnected, for example, times, is both a who we are in those moments that we during difficult dental and hygienist, or golf is associated a higher risk of privilege a burden.doctor, Every member are with them with is of vital importance; (if family that’s your These illnesses, disease, the TFS is a thing). vital part of the dignity including and respectheart afforded, the ofpartner are We more connections stroke, anxiety, depression, and this. are important all working towards the compassion shown, the patience given, thanend/mission. we often realize. dementia. andthings, social same As for the burden and going thatLoneliness extra mile. These Not everything you try will work isolation have“soft also been it is impossible to “care which are called skills,” canshown make of service, out, butwearing”. keep at it.

Give yourself to increase the risk of premature without Carrying our ownat leastplus six that months when joining a of others, necessitates death by 26% and 29%, respective- load, monitoring and looking club, after ourselves church, synagogue, or group. ly.” so that our attitudes stay good and Something will eventually stick, She also noted that social our mind, body and soul remain in a disconnection has become so and both you and I will be better place which allows us to thrive, enjoy widespread that countries like the for it. and continue serveservice others. and So you fortoyour United Kingdom and Japan have life,Thank for alllook you after do. yourself, and as you appointed ministers dedicated please, are able, ‘loan your strength’ to others in their time of need.

Thanks for all you do!

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 11

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TFS

Demographics Toronto Fire Services Staff Complement by Rank 2025 DISTRICT CHIEF/SENIOR FIRE BOAT CAPTAIN

DISTRICT CHIEFS

MANAGEMENT/ EXCLUDED STAFF/ LOCAL 79

TOTAL

52

9

19

250

65

9

4

4

82

Information and Communication Systems

10

4

2

3

19

Software/data analysis

4

1

1

2

8

Administrative Services

9

2

1

47.3

59.3

Admin Services Mechanical Maintenance

40

7

2

4

53

Training & Continuous improvement

21

4

6

31

Technical Operations

10

2

3

15

60

20

2,846

1

3

8

9

9

116.3

3,380.3

DIVISION

FIREFIGHTERS

CAPTAINS

Fire Prevention and Public Education

170

Communications

Operations

2,256

Policy, Project and Public Information

509

1

4

Senior Management Staff*

2,490

618

1

86

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 13

SQUAD S313 3,350 AERIAL L325 Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page3,325 13 HIGH RISE HR332 2,979 CHIEF C31 1,911 AIR LIGHT LA325 1,751 HAZARDOUS HZ145 1,742 MATERIALS COMMAND CMD30 297

Summary by Unit Type

Summary by Unit Type Count of Sum of 2025 Unit type Unit Type Responses Aerial 28 42,048 Air Light 4 4,914 Hazardous 2 3,452 Material Command

2

430

Top 5 Busiest Units

High Rise

2

4,744

Chief Car Fire boat

19 2

16,566 386

Pumper

68

164,424

Rescue Squad

16 5

36,686 11,867

Tower 1

1

124

1

13

5 155

76 285,912

Water Tanker Speciality Total

Data from CAD and including emergency and non-emergency events

Busiest Unit by Unit Type

Busiest Unit by Unit Type Unit Type Unit ID Sum of 2025 Responses PUMPER P314 5,820 RESCUE R325 5,575 SQUAD S313 3,350 AERIAL L325 3,325 HIGH RISE HR332 2,979 CHIEF C31 1,911 AIR LIGHT LA325 1,751 HAZARDOUS HZ145 1,742 MATERIALS COMMAND CMD30 297

14

BUSIEST UNITS Unit type Unit ID Pumper Rescue Pumper Pumper Pumper

P314 R325 P332 P312 P313

Sum of Responses in 2025 5,820 5,757 5,567 4,939 4,919

BUSIESTand UNITS Emergency non-Emergency Unit Responses by Comm Unit type Unit ID Sum of Responses in 2025 Command 2025 Pumper P314 5,820 East Rescue R325 63,430 5,757 North 63,748 Pumper P332 5,567 Pumper P312 103,800 4,939 South Pumper P313 4,919 West 59,314

Emergency and non-Emergency by Other 1,381 Total Command 291, 673 Unit Responses by C Emergency and non-Emergency

Command 2025 OperationalEast Events (the last five63,430 years) North Program South Fire Suppression West Medical Other Rescue Total

63,748 2021 2022 2023 202 103,800 33,166 38,047 39,356 41,7 59,314 86,498 115,213 129,792 116,1 1,381 291, 673 3,595 4,353

4,402

4,73

6,934

7,267

6,938

6,51

Marine Operational Events (the last 301five years) 307

302

28

Haz/CBRNE/CO

Other Program Non Emergency Fire Suppression

3,081 3,555 3,312 3,10 2021 2022 2023

Total Events

134,532 169,777 184,818 176,8

957 1,035 4,33 33,166 38,04771639,356

Medical 86,498 115,213 129,792 Summary by Unit Type Events 133,575 168,742 184,102 172,5 Rescue Count of Sum of 2025 Total Emergency 3,595 4,353 4,402 Unit type Unit Type Responses Haz/CBRNE/CO 6,934 data 7,267 6,938 Data obtained from CAD Vo andl uRMS. is categorized based 14 m e 1Emergency 8 | I s s u e 4response | F I R E WAT CH Aerial 28 42,048 Marine 301 307 302 Air Light 4 4,914

TFS Fleet Purchasing Status (as of May 14, 2026)

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 15

Aerial Aerial L426 426 426 426 426 Aerial Aerial L426 L426 L426 1,968 1,968 1,968 1,968 Pumper Pumper P435 P435 435 435 435 435 Pumper Pumper P435 P435 1,999 1,999 1,999 1,999 Pumper Pumper P131 P131 131 131 131 131 Pumper Pumper P131 P131 2,009 2,009 2,009 2,009 Pumper Pumper P421 P421 421 421 421 421 Pumper Pumper P421 P421 2,057 2,057 2,057 2,057 Aerial Aerial A322 A322 322 1,336 322 322 322 Aerial Aerial A322 A322 2,070 2,070 2,070 2,070 Chief Chief C34 345 345345 345 Chief Chief C34C34 C34 1,336 1,336 1,336 Pumper Pumper P343 P343 343 1,368 343 343 343 Pumper Pumper P343 P343 2,111 2,111 2,111 2,111 Aerial Aerial L331 L331 331 331331 331 Aerial Aerial L331 L331 1,368 1,368 1,368 Pumper Pumper P423 P423 423 1,380 423 423 423 Pumper Pumper P423 P423 2,123 2,123 2,123 2,123 Aerial Aerial A415 A415 415 415415 415 Aerial Aerial A415 A415 1,380 1,380 1,380 Unit TFS TFS TFS Unit Unit Unit Pumper Pumper P433 Unit 433 1,408 433 433 433 Pumper Pumper P433 P433 P433 2025 2,135 2,135 2,135 2,135 Rescue Rescue R434 Unit 434 434434 434 Rescue Rescue R434 R434 R434 2025 1,408 1,408 1,408 2025 ID ID IDP232 Station StationAerial Aerial Station Type Type Type 2025 2025 Station Unit Unit Type Type Unit ID ID Pumper Pumper P232 P232 232 1,451 232 232 232 Pumper Pumper P232 2,143 2,143 2,143 2,143 Aerial Aerial A213 A213 StationStation Station Unit Type Unit Type Unit IDUnit Unit ID2025 213 2025 213 213 213 A213 A213 1,451 1,451 1,451 Speciality 234234 DE234 44113 Pumper Pumper P143 P143 143 1,499 143 143 143 Pumper Pumper P143 P143 2,162 2,162 2,162 2,162 SpecialityDE234 DE234 Aerial Aerial A113 A113 234 234 SpecialitySpeciality DE234 4 113 4 113 113 Aerial Aerial A113 A113 1,499 1,499 1,499 Speciality 235235 TRS235 99214 Rescue Rescue R115 R115 115 1,508 115 115 115 Rescue Rescue R115 R115 2,168 2,168 2,168 2,168 Speciality Rescue Rescue R214 R214 235 235 SpecialitySpeciality TRS235 TRS235 TRS235 9 214 9 214 214 Rescue Rescue R214 R214 1,508 1,508 1,508 Speciality 121121 PF121 10 Pumper Pumper P213 P213 213 1,520 213 213 213 Pumper Pumper P213 P213 2,202 2,202 2,202 2,202 SpecialityPF121 PF121 Pumper Pumper P123 P123 121 121 SpecialitySpeciality PF121 10123 10123 10123 123 Pumper Pumper P123 P123 1,520 1,520 1,520 Speciality 331331 BOX12 13 Rescue Rescue R341 R341 Speciality 341 1,530 341 341 341 Rescue Rescue R341 R341 2,209 2,209 2,209 2,209 Aerial Aerial A215 A215 331 331 SpecialitySpeciality BOX12 BOX12 BOX12 13215 13215 13215 215 Aerial Aerial A215 A215 1,530 1,530 1,530 Water Water Tanker Tanker 211211 WT211 13 Aerial Aerial A221 A221 Water Tanker Water Tanker 221 1,534 221 221 221 Aerial Aerial A221 A221 2,242 2,242 2,242 2,242 Pumper Pumper P411 P411 211 211 WT211 WT211 WT211 13411 13411 13411 411 Pumper Pumper P411 P411 1,534 1,534 1,534 Speciality 331331 SUP7 16 Pumper Pumper P146 P146 SpecialitySUP7 SUP7 146 1,553 146 146 146 Pumper Pumper P146 P146 2,252 2,252 2,252 2,252 Pumper Pumper P125 P125 331 331 SpecialitySpeciality SUP7 16125 16125 16125 125 Pumper Pumper P125 P125 1,553 1,553 1,553 Speciality 145145 HS145 18 Pumper Pumper P245 P245 SpecialityHS145 HS145 245 1,555 245 245 245 Pumper Pumper P245 P245 2,252 2,252 2,252 2,252 Aerial Aerial A135 A135 145 145 SpecialitySpeciality HS145 18135 18135 18135 135 Aerial Aerial A135 A135 1,555 1,555 1,555 Speciality 4330 REHAB01 REHAB01 35 Rescue Rescue R235 R235 Speciality 235 1,555 235 235 235 Rescue Rescue R235 R235 2,254 2,254 2,254 2,254 Aerial Aerial A231 A231 4330 4330 4330SpecialitySpeciality REHAB01 REHAB01 35231 35231 35231 231 Aerial Aerial A231 A231 1,555 1,555 1,555 Chief 331331 C10C10 107 Aerial Aerial L312 Chief C10 312 1,555 312 312 312 Aerial Aerial L312 L312 L312 2,270 2,270 2,270 2,270 Pumper Pumper P113 P113 331 331 Chief Chief C10 107113 107113 107 113 113 Pumper Pumper P113 P113 1,555 1,555 1,555 Aerial 331331 T1 T1 124 Squad Squad S232 S232 Aerial T1 232 1,575 232 232 232 Squad Squad S232 S232 2,284 2,284 2,284 2,284 Pumper Pumper P326 P326 331 331 Aerial Aerial T1 124326 124326 124 326 326 Pumper Pumper P326 P326 1,575 1,575 1,575 Command Command Vehicle Vehicle 116116 CMD10 133 Rescue Rescue R223 R223 Command Vehicle Command Vehicle 223 1,580 223 223 223 Rescue Rescue R223 R223 2,285 2,285 2,285 2,285 Chief Chief C33 116 116 CMD10 CMD10 CMD10 133332 133332 133 332 332 Chief Chief C33C33 C33 1,580 1,580 1,580 Pumper Pumper P324 P324 Chief 324 1,624 324 324 324 Pumper Pumper P324 P324 2,371 2,371 2,371 2,371 Air AirLight LightLA421 LA421 331331 C20C20 155 421 421 Air LightAir Light LA421 LA421 1,624 1,624 1,624 Chief C20 331 331 Chief Chief C20 155421 155421 155 Pumper Pumper P443 P443 Chief 443 1,627 443 443 443 Pumper Pumper P443 P443 2,375 2,375 2,375 2,375 Pumper Pumper P322 P322 331331 C30C30 159 322 322 Pumper Pumper P322 P322 1,627 1,627 1,627 Chief C30 331 331 Chief Chief C30 159322 159322 159 Squad Squad S331 S331 Chief 331 1,630 331 331 331 Squad Squad S331 S331 2,405 2,405 2,405 2,405 Rescue Rescue R122 R122 331331 C40C40 204 122 122 Rescue Rescue R122 R122 1,630 1,630 1,630 Chief C40 331 331 Chief Chief C40 204122 204122 204 Pumper Pumper P224 P224 Command Command Vehicle Vehicle 224 1,633 224 224 224 Pumper Pumper P224 P224 2,428 2,428 2,428 2,428 Pumper Pumper P342 P342 331331 CMD30 297 342 342 Pumper Pumper P342 P342 1,633 1,633 1,633 Command Vehicle Command Vehicle 331 331 CMD30 CMD30 CMD30 297342 297342 297 Rescue Rescue R133 R133 BoatBoat 133 1,636 133 133 133 Rescue Rescue R133 R133 2,449 2,449 2,449 2,449 Pumper Pumper P444 P444 334334 FB334 386 444 444 Pumper Pumper P444 P444 1,636 1,636 1,636 Fire BoatFB334 FB334 334 334 Fire BoatFireFire FB334 386444 386444 386 Rescue Rescue R441 R441 Pumper 441 1,653 441 441 441 Rescue Rescue R441 R441 2,452 2,452 2,452 2,452 Rescue Rescue R241 R241 335335 P335 505 241 241 Rescue Rescue R241 R241 1,653 1,653 1,653 Pumper P335 P335 335 335 Pumper Pumper P335 505241 505241 505 Pumper Pumper P415 P415 Chief 415 1,690 415 415 415 Pumper Pumper P415 P415 2,484 2,484 2,484 2,484 Aerial Aerial L315 L315 435435 C43C43 517 315 315 Aerial Aerial L315 L315 1,690 1,690 1,690 Chief C43 435 435 Chief Chief C43 517315 517315 517 Pumper Pumper P222 P222 Chief 222 1,700 222 222 222 Pumper Pumper P222 P222 2,486 2,486 2,486 2,486 Pumper Pumper P121 P121 212212 C21C21 562 121 121 Pumper Pumper P121 P121 1,700 1,700 1,700 Chief C21 212 212 Chief Chief C21 562121 562121 562 Pumper Pumper P112 P112 Light 112 1,703 112 112 112 Pumper Pumper P112 P112 2,504 2,504 2,504 2,504 Aerial Aerial A142 A142 111111 LA111 699 142 142 Aerial Aerial A142 A142 1,703 1,703 1,703 AirLight LightLA111 LA111 111 111 Air LightAir Air LA111 699142 699142 699 Pumper Pumper P145 P145 Chief 145 1,710 145 145 145 Pumper Pumper P145 P145 2,510 2,510 2,510 2,510 HazHaz Haz HZ323 HZ323 415415 C41C41 769 323 323 Haz HZ323 HZ323 1,710 1,710 1,710 Chief C41 415 415 Chief Chief C41 769323 769323 769 Pumper Pumper P311 P311 Aerial 311 1,740 311 311 311 Pumper Pumper P311 P311 2,587 2,587 2,587 2,587 Aerial Aerial A433 A433 125125 A125 788 433 433 Aerial Aerial A433 A433 1,740 1,740 1,740 Aerial A125 A125 125 125 Aerial Aerial A125 788433 788433 788 Rescue Rescue R346 R346 Chief 346 1,742 346 346 346 Rescue Rescue R346 R346 2,637 2,637 2,637 2,637 HazHaz Haz HZ145 HZ145 445445 C44C44 800 145 145 Haz HZ145 HZ145 1,742 1,742 1,742 Chief C44 445 445 Chief Chief C44 800145 800145 800 Pumper Pumper P345 P345 Aerial 345 1,743 345 345 345 Pumper Pumper P345 P345 2,674 2,674 2,674 2,674 Rescue Rescue R425 R425 441441 A441 826 425 425 Rescue Rescue R425 R425 1,743 1,743 1,743 Aerial A441 A441 441 441 Aerial Aerial A441 826425 826425 826 Pumper Pumper P244 P244 Light 244 1,751 244 244 244 Pumper Pumper P244 P244 2,686 2,686 2,686 2,686 Air AirLight LightLA325 LA325 231231 LA231 840 325 325 Air LightAir Light LA325 LA325 1,751 1,751 1,751 AirLight LightLA231 LA231 231 231 Air LightAir Air LA231 840325 840325 840 Pumper Pumper P445 P445 Chief 445 1,765 445 445 445 Pumper Pumper P445 P445 2,726 2,726 2,726 2,726 High High RiseRise Rise 142142 C14C14 871 114 114High RiseHigh HR114 HR114 HR114 HR114 1,765 1,765 1,765 Chief C14 142 142 Chief Chief C14 871114 871114 871 Rescue Rescue R413 R413 Aerial 413 1,778 413 413 413 Rescue Rescue R413 R413 2,761 2,761 2,761 2,761 Pumper Pumper P212 P212 226226 L226 896 212 212 Pumper Pumper P212 P212 1,778 1,778 1,778 Aerial L226 L226 226 226 Aerial Aerial L226 896212 896212 896 Pumper Pumper P323 P323 Aerial 323 1,782 323 323 323 Pumper Pumper P323 P323 2,777 2,777 2,777 2,777 Pumper Pumper P422 P422 341341 A341 945 422 422 Pumper Pumper P422 P422 1,782 1,782 1,782 Aerial A341 A341 341 341 Aerial Aerial A341 945422 945422 945 Pumper Pumper P132 P132 Aerial 132 1,787 132 132 132 Pumper Pumper P132 P132 2,824 2,824 2,824 2,824 Pumper Pumper P111 P111 114114 T114 950 111 111 Pumper Pumper P111 P111 1,787 1,787 1,787 Aerial T114 T114 114 114 Aerial Aerial T114 950111 950111 950 Pumper Pumper P226 P226 Chief 226 1,828 226 226 226 Pumper Pumper P226 P226 2,866 2,866 2,866 2,866 Pumper Pumper P135 P135 114114 C11C11 994 135 135 Pumper Pumper P135 P135 1,828 1,828 1,828 Chief C11 114 114 Chief Chief C11 994135 994135 994 Pumper Pumper P234 P234 Chief 234 1,841 234 234 234 Pumper Pumper P234 P234 2,877 2,877 2,877 2,877 Rescue Rescue R227 R227 423423 C42C42 1,010 227 1,010 227 227 227 Rescue Rescue R227 R227 1,841 1,841 1,841 Chief C42 423 423 Chief Chief C42 1,010 1,010 Pumper Pumper P225 P225 Chief 225 1,858 225 225 225 Pumper Pumper P225 P225 2,938 2,938 2,938 2,938 Pumper Pumper P233 P233 225225 C22C22 1,035 233 1,035 233 233 233 Pumper Pumper P233 P233 1,858 1,858 1,858 Chief C22 225 225 Chief Chief C22 1,035 1,035 Pumper Pumper P231 P231 Chief 231 1,861 231 231 231 Pumper Pumper P231 P231 2,970 2,970 2,970 2,970 Pumper Pumper P321 P321 231231 C23C23 1,037 321 1,037 321 321 321 Pumper Pumper P321 P321 1,861 1,861 1,861 Chief C23 231 231 Chief Chief C23 1,037 1,037 High High Rise Rise Rise Aerial 332 1,862 332 332 332 High RiseHigh HR332 HR332 HR332 HR332 2,979 2,979 2,979 2,979 Pumper Pumper P144 P144 233233 A233 1,077 144 1,077 144 144 144 Pumper Pumper P144 P144 1,862 1,862 1,862 Aerial A233 A233 233 233 Aerial Aerial A233 1,077 1,077 Pumper Pumper P442 P442 Chief 442 1,863 442 442 442 Pumper Pumper P442 P442 3,023 3,023 3,023 3,023 Pumper Pumper P431 P431 244244 C24C24 1,093 431 1,093 431 431 431 Pumper Pumper P431 P431 1,863 1,863 1,863 Chief C24 244 244 Chief Chief C24 1,093 1,093 Pumper Pumper P114 P114 Aerial 114 1,865 114 114 114 Pumper Pumper P114 P114 3,025 3,025 3,025 3,025 Pumper Pumper P116 P116 133133 A133 1,102 116 1,102 116 116 116 Pumper Pumper P116 P116 1,865 1,865 1,865 Aerial A133 A133 133 133 Aerial Aerial A133 1,102 1,102 Pumper Pumper P344 P344 Pumper 344 1,874 344 344 344 Pumper Pumper P344 P344 3,108 3,108 3,108 3,108 Aerial Aerial T333 T333 432432 P432 1,161 333 1,161 333 333 333 Aerial Aerial T333 T333 1,874 1,874 1,874 Pumper P432 P432 432 432 Pumper Pumper P432 1,161 1,161 Pumper Pumper P134 P134 Aerial 134 1,875 134 134 134 Pumper Pumper P134 P134 3,212 3,212 3,212 3,212 Squad Squad S445 S445 411411 A411 1,184 445 1,184 445 445 445 Squad Squad S445 S445 1,875 1,875 1,875 Aerial A411 A411 411 411 Aerial Aerial A411 1,184 1,184 Pumper Pumper P142 P142 Pumper 142 1,880 142 142 142 Pumper Pumper P142 P142 3,237 3,237 3,237 3,237 Pumper Pumper P221 P221 242242 P242 1,192 221 1,192 221 221 221 Pumper Pumper P221 P221 1,880 1,880 1,880 Pumper P242 P242 242 242 Pumper Pumper P242 1,192 1,192 Aerial 325 L325 3,325 Aerial Chief Chief C31 432432 PL432 1,194 312 1,194 312 312 312 Chief Chief C31C31 C31 1,911 1,911 1,911 Aerial Aerial Aerial Aerial PL432 PL432 325 1,911 325 L325 L325 L325 3,325 3,325 3,325 432 432 Aerial Aerial PL432 1,194 1,194 Aerial L325 325 Aerial L325 3,325 3,325 325 325 Squad 313 S313 3,350 Pumper Pumper Pumper P141 P141 211211 P211 1,198 141 1,198 141 141 141 Pumper Pumper P141 P141 1,921 1,921 1,921 Squad Squad Squad Pumper P211 P211 313 1,921 313 S313 S313 S313 3,350 3,350 3,350 211 211 Pumper Pumper P211 1,198 1,198 Squad S313 313 Squad S313 3,350 3,350 313 313 Pumper 334 P334 3,356 Chief Rescue Rescue R243 R243 324324 C32C32 1,204 243 1,204 243 243 243 Rescue Rescue R243 R243 1,931 1,931 1,931 1,931 Pumper Pumper Chief C32 334 334 P334 P334 3,356 3,356 324 324 Chief Chief C32 1,204 1,204 Pumper 334 P334 3,356 Pumper Pumper 334 334 P334 P334 3,356 3,356 Pumper 331 P331 3,673 Chief Squad Squad S143 S143 132132 C13C13 1,222 143 1,222 143 143 143 Squad Squad S143 S143 1,953 1,953 1,953 Pumper Pumper Pumper Chief C13 331 1,953 331 P331 P331 P331 3,673 3,673 3,673 132 132 Chief Chief C13 1,222 1,222 PumperP331 331 Pumper P331 3,673 3,673 331 331 Pumper 315 P315 3,717 Aerial 242242 A242 1,261 Pumper Pumper Pumper Aerial A242 A242 Aerial Aerial L426 L426 315 1,968 315 P315 P315 P315 3,717 3,717 3,717 242 242 Aerial Aerial A242 1,261 1,261 PumperP315 426 1,261 426426 426 Aerial Aerial L426 L426 1,968 1,968 1,968 315 Pumper P315 3,717 3,717 315 315 Pumper 426 P426 4,076 Aerial 423423 A423 1,279 Pumper Pumper Pumper Aerial A423 A423 Pumper Pumper P435 P435 426 1,999 426 P426 P426 P426 4,076 4,076 4,076 423 423 Aerial Aerial A423 1,279 1,279 PumperP426 435 1,279 435435 435 Pumper Pumper P435 P435 1,999 1,999 1,999 426 Pumper P426 4,076 4,076 426 426 Pumper 333 P333 4,229 Pumper 412412 P412 1,321 Pumper Pumper Pumper Pumper P412 P412 Pumper Pumper P131 P131 333 2,009 333 P333 P333 P333 4,229 4,229 4,229 412 412 Pumper Pumper P412 1,321 1,321 PumperP333 131 1,321 131131 131 Pumper Pumper P131 P131 2,009 2,009 2,009 333 Pumper P333 4,229 4,229 333 333 Pumper 313 P313 4,919 Aerial 421421 A421 1,326 Pumper Pumper Pumper Aerial A421 A421 Pumper Pumper P421 P421 313 2,057 313 P313 P313 P313 4,919 4,919 4,919 421 421 Aerial Aerial A421 1,326 1,326 PumperP313 421 1,326 421421 421 Pumper Pumper P421 P421 2,057 2,057 2,057 313 Pumper P313 4,919 4,919 313 313 Pumper 312 P312 4,939 Chief Chief C34 345 345345 345 Chief Chief C34C34 C34 1,336 1,336 1,336 Pumper Pumper Pumper Aerial Aerial A322 A322 312 2,070 312 P312 P312 P312 4,939 4,939 4,939 PumperP312 322 1,336 322322 322 Aerial Aerial A322 A322 2,070 2,070 2,070 312 Pumper P312 4,939 4,939 312 312 Pumper 332 P332 5,567 Aerial Aerial L331 L331L331 331 331331 331 Aerial Aerial L331 1,368 1,368 1,368 Pumper Pumper Pumper Pumper Pumper P343 P343 332 2,111 332 P332 P332 P332 5,567 5,567 5,567 PumperP332 343 1,368 343343 343 Pumper Pumper P343 P343 2,111 2,111 2,111 332 Pumper P332 5,567 5,567 332 332 Rescue 325 R325 5,757 Aerial Aerial A415 A415 415 415415 415 Aerial Aerial A415 A415 1,380 1,380 1,380 Rescue Rescue Rescue Pumper Pumper P423 P423 325 2,123 325 R325 R325 R325 5,757 5,757 5,757 Rescue R325 423 1,380 423423 423 Pumper Pumper P423 P423 2,123 2,123 2,123 325 Rescue R325 5,757 5,757 325 325 Pumper 314 P314 5,820 Rescue Rescue R434 R434 434 434434 434 Rescue Rescue R434 R434 1,408 1,408 1,408 Pumper Pumper Pumper Pumper Pumper P433 P433 314 2,135 314 P314 P314 P314 5,820 5,820 5,820 PumperP314 433 1,408 433433 433 Pumper Pumper P433 P433 2,135 2,135 2,135 314 Pumper P314 5,820 5,820 314 314 Total 286,424 Aerial Aerial A213 A213 213 213213 213 Aerial Aerial A213 A213 1,451 1,451 1,451 Pumper Pumper P232 P232 Total Total Total 286,424286,424 286,424 232 1,451 232232 232 Pumper Pumper P232 P232 2,143 2,143 2,143 2,143 Total286,424 286,424 Total Aerial Aerial A113 A113 113 113113 113 Aerial Aerial A113 A113 1,499 1,499 1,499 Pumper Pumper P143 P143 143 1,499 143143 143 Pumper Pumper P143 P143 2,162 2,162 2,162 2,162 2021 2025 Total Command Rescue Rescue R214 R214 214 214214 214 Rescue Rescue R214 R214 1,508 1,508 1,508 Rescue Rescue Rescue R115 2023 115 1,508 115115 115 Rescue 2022 R115 R115 R115 2,168 2024 2,168 2,168 2,168

UnitUnit Responses Unit UnitResponses Responses Responses 2025 2025 2025 2025 Unit Response Summary Unit Responses 2025 2025 UnitUnit Responses UnitResponses Responses 2025 2025 Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page 15

Unit Responses 2025 UnitResponses Responses 2025 UnitUnit Responses 20252025

UnitUnit Responses Unit UnitResponses Responses Responses 2025 2025 2025 2025

UnitUnit Responses Unit UnitResponses Responses Responses 2025 2025 2025 2025

Unit Responses From: 2021-01-01 to 2025-12-31

123 215 411 125 135 231 113 326 332 421

Specified) 101 136Pumper 1,381 2,025 Pumper Pumper P123 (Not 123123 123 PumperPumper P123 P123 P123 1,520 1,520 1,520 Pumper P213 195 213 1,520 213213 213 Pumper Pumper P213 P213 P213 2,202 212 2,202 2,202 2,202 East 1,530 54,281 65,404 70,765 61,361 63,430 315,241 Aerial Aerial A215 A215 215215 215 Aerial Aerial A215 A215 1,530 1,530 1,530 Rescue Rescue Rescue Rescue 341 341341 341 R341 R341 R341 R341 2,209 2,209 2,209 2,209 Other 825 3,492 Pumper Pumper P411 P411 411411 411 PumperPumper P411 P411 1,534 1,534 1,534 Aerial Aerial Aerial A221 1,051 221 1,534 221221 221 Aerial 894 A221 A221 A221 2,242 722 2,242 2,242 2,242 North 57,805 63,748 321,885 Pumper Pumper P125 P125 125125 125 PumperPumper P125 P125 1,553 1,553 1,553 Pumper Pumper Pumper P146 69,322 146 1,553 146146 146 Pumper 67,658 P146 P146 P146 2,25263,352 2,252 2,252 2,252 South 91,972 103,800 528,199 Aerial Aerial A135 A135 135135 135 Aerial Aerial A135 A135 1,555 1,555 1,555 Pumper Pumper Pumper P245116,580 245 1,555 245245 245 Pumper111,079 P245 P245 P245 2,252104,768 2,252 2,252 2,252 West 51,936 59,942 64,734 57,261 59,314 293,187 Aerial Aerial A231 A231 231231 231 Aerial Aerial A231 A231 1,555 1,555 1,555 Rescue Rescue R235 R235 235 1,555 235235 235 Rescue Rescue R235 R235 2,254 2,254 2,254 2,254 Total 256,920 305,113 322,647 287,676 291,673 1,464,029 Pumper Pumper P113 P113 113113 113 PumperPumper P113 P113 1,555 1,555 1,555 Aerial Aerial L312 L312 312 1,555 312312 312 Aerial Aerial L312 L312 2,270 2,270 2,270 2,270 Pumper Pumper P326 P326 326326 326 PumperPumper P326 P326 1,575 1,575 1,575 Squad Squad S232 S232 232 1,575 232232 232 Squad Squad S232 S232 2,284 2,284 2,284 2,284 16 Chief Chief C33 332332 332 Chief Chief C33C33 C33 1,580 1,580 1,580 Rescue Rescue R223 R223 223 1,580 223223 223 Rescue Rescue R223 R223 2,285 2,285 2,285 2,285Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH Air AirLight LightLA421 LA421 421421 421 Air LightAir Light LA421 LA421 1,624 1,624 1,624 Pumper Pumper P324 P324 324 1,624 324324 324 Pumper Pumper P324 P324 2,371 2,371 2,371 2,371

16

West

59,314

Other

1,381

Total

291, 673

Operational Events

five years) Operational Events (the last (the five last years)

Program

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Fire Suppression

33,166

38,047

39,356

41,763

41,489

Medical

86,498 115,213 129,792 116,137 118,463

Rescue

3,595

4,353

4,402

4,735

4,921

Haz/CBRNE/CO

6,934

7,267

6,938

6,514

6,418

Marine

301

307

302

283

302

Other

3,081

3,555

3,312

3,105

2,819

Non Emergency

957

1,035

716

4,339

4,933

Total Events

134,532 169,777 184,818 176,876 179,345

Total Emergency Events 133,575 168,742 184,102 172,537 174,412 Data obtained from CAD and RMS. Emergency response data is categorized based on Initial Dispatch Event Type.

Operational Unit Response

last five years) OperationalUnit UnitResponse Response(the (the(the last five years) Operational last five years)

Program Program

2021 2021

2022 2022

2023 2023

2024 2024

2025

FireSuppression Suppression Fire

133,202 143,839 143,839 141,160 141,160 126,353 126,353 127,177 133,202

Medical Medical

92,472 127,259 127,259 148,077 148,077 124,807 124,807 126,447 92,472

Rescue Rescue

10,925 12,661 12,661 13,220 13,220 13,454 13,454 10,925

13,666

Haz/CBRNE/CO Haz/CBRNE/CO

13,412 14,084 14,084 13,638 13,638 12,960 12,960 13,412

13,581

Marine Marine

1,505 1,505

1,375 1,375

1,438 1,438

1,296 1,296

1,452

Other Other

4,371 4,371

4,785 4,785

4,293 4,293

4,099 4,099

4,069

NonEmergency Emergency Non

1,022 1,022

1,103 1,103

797 797

4,701 4,701

5,272

TotalUnit UnitResponses Responses Total

256,909 305,106 305,106 322,623 322,623 287,670 287,670 291,664 256,909

TotalEmergency EmergencyUnit UnitResponses Responses Total

255,887 304,003 304,003 321,826 321,826 282,969 282,969 286,392 255,887

ChangeTotal TotalEmergency EmergencyUnit Unit %%Change Responses Responses

-5.8% -5.8%

18.8% 18.8%

5.9% 5.9%

-12.1% -12.1%

1.2%

Data obtained from CADB/RMS.Emergency Emergencyunit unitresponse responsedata dataisiscategorized categorizedbased based on on Initial Initial Dispatch Dispatch Event Type.

Data obtained from CADB/RMS.

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 17

Demographics and Statistics...Continued from page 17

Operational Performance

(the last five years) Operational Performance (the last five years) Emergency Response Time Performance 2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

All Emergency Events

Call Processing Time

90th Percentile

00:52

00:53

00:54

00:56

00:54

1:04 min

% Standard Achieved

of 94%

94%

94%

93%

94%

Turnout Time 1:20 min

90th Percentile

01:56

01:55

01:42

01:26

01:23

% Standard Achieved

of 68%

70%

79%

87%

89%

90th Percentile

05:51

06:00

05:57

06:06

06:15

% Standard Achieved

of 62%

60%

59%

56%

53%

Total Response Time 6:24 min

90th Percentile

07:38

07:48

07:36

07:38

07:44

% Standard Achieved

of 76%

75%

77%

77%

76%

Total Response Time 10:24 min

90th Percentile

10:40

10:28

09:41

08:59

08:59

of 89%

90%

93%

95%

95%

Response Time Travel Time 4:00 min

Effective Firefighting Force Response

% Standard Achieved

Event Count for Time Measures (n=) First-In Measures Effective Measure

18

129,046 162,331 176,703 165,434 167,712 Firefighting 21,447

25,345

26,513

30,037

29,963

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 18

Age of Current Fleet 2022

P125

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R227

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2015

L315

E-One

E-One

Smeal

2022

P411

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2024

R115

E-One

E-One

ERV

2015

L331

E-One

E-One

Smeal

2024

P415

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2025

R425

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2017

L312

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P143

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2025

R413

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2017

L426

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P314

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2017

L226

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P431

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2017

L325

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P242

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Dependable

Dependable

Smeal

E-One

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Spartan

Spartan

P224

S331

PL432

2024

2012

2007

Dependable

Dependable

Spartan

Smeal

E-One

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Spartan

A231

P333

S143

2018

2024

2013

Dependable

Dependable

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Spartan

A423

P211

S445

2018

2024

2016

Dependable

Dependable

Spartan

Fort Garry

Smeal

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Spartan

T333

P141

S232

2018

2024

2016

Dependable

Dependable

Mack/Bronto

Lafleure/1200

Smeal

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Spartan

T1/STN 333

P331

S313

2021

2024

2022

2022

T114

E-One

E-One

Smeal

2024

P245

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2023

A242

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P144

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2023

A411

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P312

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2023

A213

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P322

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2005

WT211

Freightliner

Dependable

Dependable

2023

A113

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P423

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2009

HMS323

Ford LCF

DEL Unicel

DEL Unicel

2023

A341

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P444

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2012

COM30

EVI

EVI

2023

A142

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2024

P134

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Freightliner

A322

E-One

Smeal

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2015

E-One

P225

CET

2024

2025

CET

2024

A415

E-One

E-One

Fort Garry

2025

P332

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2024

A433

E-One

E-One

Smeal

2025

P213

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2024

A441

E-One

E-One

Lafleure/1200

2025

P421

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2024

A133

E-One

E-One

E-One

2025

P231

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P313

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P433

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P412

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2024

P116

E-One

E-One

Dependable

2025

P321

Spartan

Smeal

Dependable

2019

2025

P345

Spartan

Smeal

Dependable

2025

P315

Spartan

Smeal

Dependable

2025

P121

Spartan

Smeal

Dependable

2025

P311

Spartan

Smeal

Dependable

2025

P114

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P445

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P132

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P435

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P233

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2025

P142

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

TRAINING (PDT)

2025

P146

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2005

2025

P221

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2016

2022

25107

P432

Spartan

Dependable

2022

25105

P116

Spartan

Dependable

AERIALS

2025

A135

E-One

E-One

Smeal

2025

A233

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2025

A221

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2025

A215

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2025

A125

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

2025

A421

Spartan

Smeal

Smeal

PUMPERS

SQUADS

SUPPORT 1998

DECON 234

PK Vans

MPV341

Ford F550

2015

P552

Ford F550

CET

CET

2015

TR235

Freightliner

Dependable

Dependable

2015

A/L 325

Freightliner

Dependable

Dependable

2015

A/L 111

Freightliner

Dependable

Dependable

2015

Rehab

Freightlinter

PK Vans

PK Vans

2018

HR114

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

2018

HR332

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

HMS145

Isuzu

NRR DEL Unicel

DEL Unicel

2021

FT121

Freightliner

E-One

E-One

2013

COM10

International

Harves 4300

Harves 4300

2020

Support 7

Freightliner

PK Bodies

PK Bodies

2020

Box 12

Freightliner

PK Bodies

PK Bodies

2022

A/L 421

Freightliner

Dependable

Freightliner

2022

A/L 231

Freightliner

Dependable

Freightliner

2023

HAZ323

Spartan

Dependable

Dependable

TRP1

Spartan

Seagrave

Smeal

TRP4

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2016

TRP5

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2021

TFP6

Spartan

Dependable

Smeal

2006

P335

Ford

Dependable

Dependable

2017

P344

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2017

P145

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2018

P111

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2018

P232

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2018

P135

Spartan

ERV

Smeal

2018

P222

Spartan

ERV

Crimson

2018

P226

Spartan

ERV

Crimson

2018

P343

Spartan

ERV

2020

P131

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

2020

P123

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

2020

P443

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

2021

TRP3

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2022

TRP2

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

Crimson

2020

P342

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

RESCUES

2020

P334

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

2020

R346

Spartan

Dependable

Smeal

2020

P212

Spartan

Dependable

Crimson

2022

R223

Spartan

Dependable

Smeal

2020

P324

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2022

R341

Spartan

Dependable

Smeal

2020

P244

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2024

R133

Spartan

Dependable

Smeal

2020

P234

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2024

R235

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2020

P112

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2025

R325

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2020

P113

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R424

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2021

P326

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R441

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2021

P426

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R243

Spartan

Dependable

ERV

2022

P422

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R214

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2022

P323

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R122

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2022

P432

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

2025

R241

Spartan

Dependable

E-One

MECHANICAL & FIRE BOAT 1964

WL Mackenzie

2025

FB334

Metal Craft

Smeal

2025

RB334

Zodiak

Smeal

2011

MRU20

Freightliner

Dependable

Smeal

2021

MRU30

Freightliner

Dependable

ERV

MRU40

Freightliner

Dependable

ERV

2021

Smeal

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 19

The Other

First Responder

BY CECIL LAW, TORONTO FIRE ACTING CAPTAIN, FIRE STATION 235 - B

The Past

Answering the Other Alarm Toronto Fire Services Staff Psychologist Chris Rodrigues has become a respected and familiar presence within the fire service community, supporting members through the unique psychological challenges that accompany the profession.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with him for an insightful conversation about his upbringing, his journey into psychology, and the evolving role of mental health within the fire service.

From his early years growing up in Scarborough, to helping shape mental health support within the department today, Chris shared personal reflections on family, loss, resilience, and the ongoing effort to strengthen wellness and peer support for firefighters and their families.

20

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency for Born and raised in Scarborough to Guyanese parents, Chris describes his upbringing as one rooted in family, community, and perseverance.

His parents, both hardworking professionals, instilled in him a strong sense of discipline and independence from an early age. His mother worked in the insurance industry, while his father specialized in aircraft electrical systems and wiring inspection — careers that reflected precision, responsibility, and commitment.

Although psychology was not traditionally viewed within his cultural background as a conventional or encouraged career path, Chris always found himself drawn toward understanding people and human behaviour.

As a student, he developed a strong interest in history, political science, and biology, gravitating toward subjects that explored both society and the human condition. Friends and peers often viewed him as approachable, easygoing, and non-judgmental — someone people naturally felt comfortable speaking with. Outside the classroom, he immersed

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 20

himself in sports, Scouts, and Jeet Kune Do, the philosophy-driven martial art founded by Bruce Lee. More than simply a physical discipline, Jeet Kune Do introduced him to ideas surrounding selfawareness, adaptability, personal accountability, and humanity. Chris also found inspiration in figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. — individuals who challenged conventional thinking while advocating compassion, resilience, and service to others.

A defining moment in his life came with the passing of his sister in 1996 — a tragedy that profoundly reshaped his outlook and ultimately solidified his decision to pursue psychology professionally.

Following a period of reflection and personal growth, including time spent in Costa Rica, he returned with renewed direction and committed himself fully to graduate studies and clinical practice.

The Present Chris completed his academic studies at York University before continuing advanced professional and clinical training in Alberta, specializing in counselling psychology, psychological assessment, diagnostic pathology, psychotherapy, and casebased clinical work grounded in DSM practices. His postgraduate training involved years of residency, supervision, ethics examinations, oral boards, and extensive clinical evaluation — a demanding process comparable in rigor to many other regulated healthcare professions. Although opportunities to pursue a PhD were available to him, Chris instead chose to focus on direct clinical practice and frontline psychological support.

Prior to joining Toronto Fire Services, Chris spent years working within corporate employee assistance programs and municipal services, including work connected to children’s services and career development initiatives. His experience supporting individuals through trauma, workplace stress, crisis management, and mental health intervention would later prove invaluable within the fire service environment.

His transition into the fire service came through leaders within the organization who recognized the urgent and growing need for embedded psychological support for firefighters and their families. Former Fire Chief Matthew Pegg, Chief Jim Jessop, and Chief Tony Bavota were all instrumental advocates in bringing Chris into the organization, firmly believing that mental health support needed to become an integral part of the modern fire service. At the time, mental health resources within the service were still evolving, with peer support members often carrying much of the emotional burden without formalized clinical

infrastructure. Chris would eventually become one of the first full-time staff psychologists integrated directly into a Canadian fire service environment.

Since arriving, he has played a key role in helping shift the culture surrounding mental health within the organization. Through resilience training initiatives, suicide awareness modules, ethics education, peer support development, workshops, town halls, and ongoing member outreach, Chris has helped normalize conversations surrounding psychological wellness in a profession historically conditioned to suppress vulnerability. He acknowledges that earning trust within the fire service culture was initially one of the greatest challenges — but also one of the most meaningful accomplishments.

The Future Looking ahead, Chris envisions a more comprehensive and proactive mental health framework within Toronto Fire Services — one that continues to prioritize prevention, education, accessibility, and long-term wellness for both members and their families. Among the initiatives he hopes to expand are dedicated wellness coordinators, enhanced resilience training, smaller and more personalized educational sessions within fire halls, and broader mental health development throughout a firefighter’s career.

He also emphasizes the critical importance of supporting firefighters’ families, recognizing that psychological strain often extends beyond the individual member. Efforts are already underway to improve family outreach, provide education surrounding signs and symptoms of operational stress injuries, and strengthen access to both peer and professional support resources. Chris believes families should feel connected to the support system rather than isolated from it.

Despite the progress made, he believes mental health within emergency services remains an ongoing evolution rather than a completed task.

Continued cultural change, open dialogue, and accessible resources will remain essential moving forward. For Chris, however, the motivation behind the work has never changed.

“What keeps me going is the people,” he explains.

“Firefighters are some of the most genuine and selfless individuals you’ll ever meet — people willing to get out of bed in the middle of the night to help complete strangers. Being able to support them in return is an honour.”

If you or a family member is in need of assistance, please contact peer support at 416-338-9EAP or Chris directly at 426-338-9557.

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 21

Since 1949, the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has sponsored an annual Media Awards to honour and acknowledge media professionals who produce insightful and impactful coverage of the work that Toronto firefighters perform.

Firefighting is often dangerous and dramatic work. In Toronto, we are fortunate that our local media professionals do an excellent job of covering our efforts and capturing some of the dangers that we face on a regular basis. Many of our local journalists and media professionals also distinguish themselves through extensive investigation and insightful analysis of the people and stories behind the events.

The positive public perception of Toronto firefighters is undoubtedly as a result of the positive presentation of our profession by our local media professionals. Toronto firefighters are grateful for coverage of not only our professional actions, but also of our volunteerism and our charitable contributions to our community.

Our annual TPFFA Media Awards provides an opportunity for us to honour journalists who distinguish themselves with reporting of the highest quality on events involving our members. Award categories have been developed to recognize excellence in various mediums, whether coverage be in print, television, radio or posted online.

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Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 22

OFF-DUTY AWARDS

Roy Silver Award

Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s), who during the past year, while offduty, has distinguished themselves by performing first aid/CPR for a fellow citizen.

Dustin Stacey

On the evening of June 2, 2025, off-duty Toronto firefighter Dustin Stacey was at home preparing for the next day’s shift. The quiet evening was suddenly unsettled by an urgent call from a neighbour. His friend and neighbour had collapsed and was completely unresponsive.

Dustin and his wife rushed to the scene to find their neighbour lying on the ground. She was not breathing, and she had no pulse. In that terrifying moment, with no emergency gear on hand, instincts and professional training took over. Working together as a team to save their friend’s life, Dustin immediately began continuous chest compressions while his wife focused on managing her airway.

Because they were in a more rural area, it took nearly ten minutes for emergency responders to arrive.

For that entire window of time, the couple sustained life-saving efforts on their own, carrying the weight of their friend’s survival in their hands. When crews did arrive, they took over care and successfully restored her pulse.

Following weeks of critical care and months of intense recovery, this beloved neighbour and mother of three is finally back home where she belongs. Thanks to the immediate, exhausting, and selfless efforts of Dustin and his wife, she continues to improve each day surrounded by the family who loves her.

Al Pearsall Award

Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s) who contributed time, energy, and ability toward the improvement of their community and fellow citizens, while off-duty.

David Cossitt Firefighters are naturally wired to help others, often displaying incredible selflessness on duty while remaining notoriously reluctant to seek recognition for themselves. David Cossitt perfectly embodies this humble spirit, yet his quiet dedication has built an extraordinary legacy of charity and solidarity. The Toronto Professional Firefighters Celtic Society shared the following regarding David’s impact.

“As we enter the tenth year of the TPFFCS Celtic Fire Ride, we honour David Cossitt with the Al Pearsall Award. Thanks to Dave’s commitment, leadership, and tireless effort, the Celtic Fire Ride has raised over $1 million dollars for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation since its’ creation in 2016. Dave has united firefighters from across Canada to complete the 550km journey across Ontario to Ottawa for awareness and solidarity. Serving as the Celtic Society President for over 10 years, he has also raised money for countless organizations such as: Camp Bucko, Sick Kids, and the TFF Toy Drive.”

Congratulations to David on this well-deserved award, and thank you for all of your incredible work.

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 23

Off Duty and Media Awards...Continued from page 23

OFF-DUTY AWARDS

The BOX 12 Award

The Box 12 Award is presented annually to an individual member of Local 3888 who has gone beyond the call of duty in a voluntary capacity for the direct betterment of Local 3888 members. This may be exemplified by a single significant contribution or by the continued extraordinary work of an individual that reflects positively on both the Box 12 Award recipient and Local 3888. The spirit of the award is to recognize outstanding service and volunteerism as demonstrated by the Box 12 Association which supports Local 3888 members at major fire and other related incidents.

DAVID COSSITT This year, the Box 12 Association is beyond thrilled to award the Box 12 Award to Captain Dave Cossitt for his years of unwavering support for the Toronto Professional Firefighter’s Celtic Society Memorial Ride. Dave quietly nurtured his idea for the Ride from its humble beginnings, in 2017 when 13 riders raised $5,000.00 for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. They did this by riding their bicycles from Toronto to Ottawa over two days and 433 km, attending events at the Memorial in Ottawa. Since then, Dave has worked tirelessly to encourage the Ride’s growth with seventy firefighters of which twenty-six represented the Toronto Fire Service signed up for the 2025 3-day 575 km ride from Hamilton to Ottawa.

To date, the Ride has raised well over $250,000.00 for the Foundation.

The purpose of the Ride is to raise awareness and support the Foundation’s mission to honour and remember firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and to support their families.

The Box 12 Association is delighted to be acknowledging Dave’s years of dedication to the Ride in the Ride’s 10th anniversary year and decided to honour Dave with a sizeable donation from its members to the Ride in his name. Dave truly exemplifies the spirit of the Box 12 Award.

24

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 24

Bernard ‘Ben’ Bonser Award Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s) who during the past year, while off-duty, has distinguished themselves by making a rescue, or being involved in saving the life of a fellow citizen in a hazardous or threatening situation.

David Quinn

On November 13, District Chief David Quinn was driving home on Highway 401 westbound in Mississauga when he noticed a vehicle in the express lanes steadily dropping in speed. Moving closer to investigate, he realized the driver had collapsed at the wheel and was unconscious while the car continued to move. David immediately positioned his personal vehicle to act as a blocker unit to shield the car from traffic as it began scraping against the guard rail. Despite misunderstanding from other drivers who mistook the event for a road rage incident, David maintained his focus on the unfolding life-or-death situation. He contacted 911 to guide the Ontario Provincial Police to their location, successfully maneuvered the car out of the express lanes, and finally positioned his own vehicle in front of the driver’s to safely bring the runaway car to a complete stop. Once stopped, David rendered medical care to the unconscious driver until the OPP and EMS arrived to assume patient care. His quick thinking, composure under intense pressure, and decisive actions that day prevented a potential tragedy.

Josh Losier

On July 5, Firefighter Josh Losier was a guest at a wedding at the Royal Botanical Gardens Rock Garden in Hamilton. What began as a celebratory dinner quickly turned critical when the guest sitting directly next to him began choking on a piece of food and was unable to breathe. Recognizing the immediate danger, Josh’s training took over. He immediately stepped in and administered abdominal thrusts. Josh was successful in dislodging the food from the person’s airway, allowing the guest to recover and enjoy the rest of the wedding festivities. His quick thinking, composure under pressure, and decisive actions that day prevented a potential tragedy.

Barry White Award

The Barry White Award is presented annually to a deserving volunteer from Support 7 or Box 12.

These two support units attend every major incident to provide support and supplies to the firefighters on scene. It is staffed entirely by volunteers who respond 24/7 to lend a hand to our crews on duty.

Brian Noble

Brian is one of the driving forces behind Support 7, serving as one of our primary drivers and always being willing to lend a helping hand whenever it’s needed. His dedication goes far beyond getting behind the wheel. When there was a vacancy on the Board, Brian didn’t hesitate to step forward, taking on the responsibility to help shape the future of our organization and make a meaningful difference. As one of our primary dispatchers, Brian is also a vital link between Toronto Fire Services Dispatch and Support 7, serving as a trusted point of contact for both our members and our partners. His reliability, commitment, and willingness to serve embody the spirit of volunteerism that makes our organization so strong. The Barry White Award is a fitting recognition of Brian’s selfless contributions, quiet leadership, and unwavering commitment to helping others. Congratulations, Brian, and thank you for everything you do for Support 7.

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 25

Off Duty and Media Awards...Continued from page 25

MEDIA AWARDS

Best Fire Watch Article (Toronto Fire Historical Society) This year, rather than recognizing a single article or author, we are breaking with tradition to honour the Toronto Fire Historical Society. The society has become a staple in the Fire Watch magazine, consistently providing excellent, informative, and engaging content. Their dedicated work sheds a vital light on the historical events, stories, and incidents that have shaped our city’s fire service over the years. Firefighters are part of a proud lineage, and without the society actively researching and preserving these stories, many of them would likely be lost to time or never brought forward to our membership. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing contributions to our award-winning magazine, keeping our shared history alive for active and retired members alike. Thank you to the Toronto Fire Historical Society for your outstanding work and dedication.

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Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 26

MEDIA AWARDS

Best News Story Featuring a Toronto Firefighter – Carol Charles A respected voice in Canadian media and a Video Journalist with CTV News Toronto since October 2000, Carol Charles began her journalism career in Durham Region, where she built a strong foundation in local news and community storytelling. Carol has a long history of community service and outreach, supporting organizations like United Way Toronto and volunteering with Accessible Media Inc. to expand access for visually impaired Canadians. She is also a mentor to emerging Black journalists and speaks at elementary schools across the GTHA, earning multiple awards for her leadership and lasting impact in both media and the community.

This year, Carol is being recognized for her exceptional news story showcasing the Celtic Fire Ride and its driving force, David Cossitt. Carol spent two full days gathering footage and conducting interviews to tell this deeply moving story. She captured the heart of the ride by interviewing David as well as Jordan Richie, a rider from Pickering Fire whose father was being memorialized on the wall in Ottawa maintained by the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Through her lens, Carol beautifully captured the camaraderie, physical effort, and profound purpose of the ride, which raises vital funds for the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Her storytelling brought national awareness to this incredible journey of solidarity, helping to make that ride the most successful one yet. We are honoured to celebrate Carol’s excellence, leadership, and service.

Thank you for the work you do and the example you set.

Best Published Photo By a Toronto Firefighter – John Hanley Lehar Crescent House Fire Crews work to overhaul a burned-out bedroom at a 2nd alarm on Lehar Crescent

Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 27

Off Duty and Media Awards...Continued from page 27

MEDIA AWARDS

Best News Story, Web Based – Joanna Lavoie, CP24 A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, Joanna Lavoie joined CP24.com as a digital journalist in May 2022, specializing in breaking news and social justice issues. This year, Joanna is being recognized for her outstanding web-based coverage of a small plane that crash-landed near a high school in Toronto’s east end on September 15. Working alone as this major breaking incident unfolded at Monarch Park Collegiate, Joanna was among the very first media outlets to report on the scene. Her piece heavily featured the fast, coordinated efforts of the Toronto fire crews who arrived to find the plane skidded to a halt just shy of a sports field. Joanna provided continuous updates throughout the evening as firefighters and hazardous materials teams worked diligently to contain and mitigate leaking fuel, stabilizing the site in the heart of a highly populated community. Her thorough, real-time reporting kept the public informed while highlighting the multi-hazard capabilities and swift professionalism of the responding crews.

We are honoured to celebrate Joanna’s excellence in digital journalism.

Best Video – Jacon Estrin Firefighters are exceptionally skilled at doing their jobs, yet they are often notoriously reluctant to take credit for their efforts. That is why the work of visual storytellers like Jacob Estrin is so vital. This year, Jacob submitted three outstanding videos from separate incidents that capture Toronto firefighters in action. His footage is frequently picked up by local media outlets because he consistently seems to be on the scene, documenting the incredible work that our members do on the job. By focusing on the specific moments where firefighters are directly helping people, Jacob’s lens beautifully captures both the heroism and the deep humanity of the fire service.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to Jacob and those like him who show up to show the world the incredible, dangerous, and incredibly necessary work our members do each and every day.

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MEDIA AWARDS

Best Photo, Social Media – Simon Sheehan A skilled photojournalist and ENG camera operator at Bell Media, Simon Sheehan brings extensive expertise in visual storytelling and live broadcasting to everything he does. Having contributed as a CP24 photojournalist and live eye coordinator, Simon is no stranger to the fast-moving world of breaking news. That sharp eye for live action was on full display when he captured an outstanding photograph of Toronto firefighters on scene and posted it to social media. Much like the videos and photos captured by his media peers, Simon’s lens provides a crucial, authentic window into the incredible and dangerous work our members perform. We are incredibly grateful to professionals like Simon who use their off-duty time and professional talents to highlight the bravery and humanity of the fire service.

Best Photo, Social Media – Keith Hanley Keith Hanley is a retired photojournalist who spent over thirty years capturing the news with CFTO/CTV News Toronto.

Though he is now enjoying his retirement, Keith’s professional instincts remain as sharp as ever. While in his home neighbourhood of the Beaches in January, he captured a striking photograph of a 3-alarm fire that perfectly showcased the intensity and grit of the fire ground. His powerful image ended up on the front cover of our union magazine, Fire Watch. We are grateful to Keith for continuing to use his incredible talent to highlight our members in action, and we are honoured to recognize his work with this award.

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www.tffwva.ca

3 Bridlington Street, Scarborough, Ontario M1H2L2 Wayne Bridger President

Paul Moffatt Secretary

Eric Motton Treasurer

Ghosts of The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

BY MIKE OGLE, RETIRED TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN

Greetings All! Hope everyone has survived our lengthy winter season and are ready for Spring.

We thought we would start off 2026 with another good story.

A few weeks before last year’s Remembrance Day activities, which were numerous, we were contacted by the Canadian Great War Society. The project was introduced to us as The Ghosts of the CEF. The contact information came with much support from a few others in our social circles, including our own Glenn Kerr and his Western Front Association, so it was something that looked interesting. It took us a while to figure out the big picture, from all the requests and all the project interpretations from our colleagues.

First some background. The Canadian Great War Society (CGWS) is a non-profit historical living history/ceremonial preservation organization, dedicated to remembering and educating the public about the Canadian soldiers of the First World War. The group was founded in 1997 by director Tim Gillies. The CGWS is operated from Thamesville, Ontario. One of the many interesting things about this group is their “back yard”. They have constructed a 150-foot First World War British military trench. This site serves as a hands-on educational resource for local youth groups and has been used as a location for several movie productions, including the short film The Unknown Soldier. Further, they maintain a group of reenactors, which emulate infantry and mounted cavalry sections.

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The event itself, as stated above, came together early last November. The GCWS partnered with the 48th Highlanders, the Toronto Police Military Veterans Association (TPS-MVA), and now us, the Toronto Firefighters War Veterans Association (TFFWVA), for an event called the Ghosts of the CEF. In this project, reenactors portray specific Canadian soldiers killed in WW-1. For those who have been following us, you will be aware of our “Operation Never Forgotten” project. In that project, we have been documenting all our war veterans, which has reached 880, 330 of which served in the Great War. We were proud that we could showcase some of our own veterans.

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The project involves the collected group of reenactors, dressed as period soldiers, to wander silently around several “public places” just to be “seen”. Each of the participants are selected from the above groups and each participant specifically portrays a WW-1 veteran, also chosen from the attending organizations. The group travels on foot like soldiers do and hand out cards to the public, detailing the soldiers' identities and resting places. In some cases, the curious will approach the group and ask questions, and in others, the group will reach out, all the while being filmed with the focus being on the group and the public reactions. The contrast between the group and present day is quite amazing to watch. After a period of time, the group moves on, as if on the battlefield, to the next location.

The itinerary involved three Toronto locations.

It is our understanding that some of the initial impetus for this project’s inception was in a similar project created in the UK, for the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Battle of the Somme, and was conducted the first time by Tim and the GCWS on 01 July 2016. The UK project was captured in a number of YouTube segments with the same name and can be readily searched here:

The Ghosts Project actually took place here on Saturday the 8th of November. The TFFWVA was not able to attend because it coincided with the inaugural Indigenous Veterans Day Ceremony held at Nathan Phillips Square. Our Colour Guard had already committed to attend, and we had a great turn out. The annual Indigenous Veterans Day will fall of the Saturday before Remembrance Day and will be an annual event for our Association.

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Toronto War Vets...Continued from page 31

I was only able to catch up to the group after the event at the Royal Canadian Military Institute.

There was a lunch held in the project’s honour. It was graciously member sponsored and hosted by Jack Gin. It was here when the whole scope of the project had become evident to me and I was given the opportunity to address those in attendance on behalf of the TFFWVA. I thanked them all, including the organizers and our gracious host. I told them how proud we were to participate and showcase some who had gone before us.

In conclusion, I must say that the above likely makes it look like our organization was an equal contributor. In fairness, we were not. November is a very busy month for us, and we were slow in the engagement with the project. Kudos goes out to the participants who volunteered their day to support this event, some who travelled quite a distance. We were able to provide six veteran profiles and some background support. This year, we will be providing more support. We have been asked to provide another six veteran profiles, which are in process as we speak, and we will also provide three firefighters to participate in the group itself. We also offer a shoutout to the photographers whose pictures we used.

Please look for this project to appear in our local media this year. It will take place Saturday, November 7, 2026, and will honour soldiers who were killed in 1916.

We hope that the summer season is a safe and happy one for all.

Our Next TFFWVA membership meeting will be announced soon. Please watch for the updates.

Our meetings are always held quarterly at the Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 527 Wilson, 948 Sheppard Ave W, North York, ON M3H 2T6.

All are welcome.

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TFFWVA Membership Our membership drive is continuous, if you’re interested in becoming a member, feel free to contact us at tffwva@gmail.com. The dues ($25.00) are payable annually, consider becoming a member!

Don’t forget to follow our social media feeds: On The web: www.tffwva.ca On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TFFWVA On Twitter: @TFFWVA Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tffwva

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BY SUZANNE BOSS, TPFFA SENIOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

The 1962 Royals, a Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball Team of the American League, where the young Rob Penney, the tallest of the group, is in the back row, third from the left. Even as a young boy, Rob loved baseball and made friends for life. Retired Fire Fighter, John Gibb, and friend of Rob Penney, since childhood is also in the photo, back row, second from the left, beside Brother Penney. Thank you John for sharing this photo; these are great reminders of why we continue to honour Rob Penney’s legacy and bring awareness to the health and wellness of Toronto Fire Fighters through the Rob Penney Soft Ball Tournament.

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Photo Credit: Larry Thorne

Rob Penney Slow-Pitch Tournament...Continued from page 33

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Rob Penney Slow-Pitch Tournament...Continued from page 35

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Rob Penney Slow-Pitch Tournament...Continued from page 37

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Letter from the Editor…

BY ASAD RASTAGAR, TORONTO FIREFIGHTER, FIRE STATION 231 - A

In the fire service, strength is often measured by how much we can carry — long shifts, difficult calls, sleepless nights, and the emotional weight that comes with witnessing people on the worst days of their lives. We pride ourselves on resilience, dependability, and our ability to show up when others need us most. However, one conversation that continues to grow in importance across the profession is this: who takes care of the people doing the caring?

For generations, firefighters and first responders have been conditioned with an alpha mentality to push through exhaustion, compartmentalize stress, and place the needs of others ahead of their own well-being. While dedication and sacrifice remain core values of the profession, we are beginning to better understand the long-term consequences of neglecting our own physical and mental health. Burnout, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress injuries are realities that affect firefighters at every stage of their careers.

When you are running on empty emotionally or psychologically, the consequences ripple out fast. If we do not prioritize our mental health, it will affect

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES PEER SUPPORT NEWSLETTER

us performing our duties as competent firefighters, and it will also hinder our personal lives by impacting family and friends around us. Taking care of your mental health is not “self-indulgence”—it is maintenance on your most important piece of equipment: yourself. Hence, you cannot pour from an empty cup, and you cannot safely rescue or help others if you are drowning.

As firefighters, we are trained to protect lives and communities. To continue doing that effectively, we must also recognize the importance of protecting ourselves and each other. Prioritizing mental health—whether through peer support, therapy, coping mechanisms or just breaking the stigma of talking about a bad call is what allows a firefighter to have a long, successful career and a happy family to retire to.

The culture around wellness in the fire service is evolving. More departments are recognizing that maintaining operational readiness means more than physical training and equipment maintenance — it also means supporting mental health, recovery, peer connection, and work-life balance.

Conversations that were once considered uncomfortable or taboo are now becoming an important part of building healthier crews and stronger organizations.

In this article, Iyana Phakira explores why self-care is not a sign of weakness or selfishness, but rather a critical component of resilience and professional longevity in emergency services. Drawing on current research and the lived realities of first responders, this article highlights the importance of prioritizing sleep, physical wellness, mental health support, and peer connection in a profession built around service to others.

VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 4 | FIRE WATCH

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You Can’t Pour from an Empty Tank: Why Self-Care is Important

BY IYANA PHAKIRA, TORONTO FIRE COMMUNICATIONS, SHIFT 1

As first responders, we are trained to protect our communities during some of the worst moments imaginable. We run toward danger (literally and figuratively), work long and unpredictable hours, and witness traumatic events that most people will never experience. Yet, behind the strength and resilience associated with the profession is a reality that is often overlooked: first responders are at significant risk for physical exhaustion, burnout, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress injuries.

Because of these occupational demands, self-care is not a luxury for us — it is an essential part of maintaining health, performance, and longevity in the profession.

Research consistently shows that poor sleep and chronic stress have a major impact on first responder wellness. A large North American study involving more than 6,000 firefighters found that sleep disorders and mental health conditions were strongly associated with emotional exhaustion and burnout.

Firefighters with insomnia or other sleep disturbances were significantly more likely to experience depersonalization, fatigue, and reduced feelings of accomplishment. Sleep deprivation is particularly concerning in the fire service because it affects reaction time, decision-making, mood regulation, and physical recovery. In a profession where split-second decisions can mean life or death, prioritizing rest and recovery directly impacts operational safety.

Self-care also plays an important role in protecting first responders from cumulative psychological stress.

Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to traumatic incidents such as fatal fires, medical emergencies, child deaths, and severe accidents. Over time, repeated exposure to trauma can contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, and substance misuse. A systematic review published in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse found that firefighters experience elevated risk for PTSD due to repeated exposure to potentially traumatic events throughout their careers. Another systematic review examining psychosocial stress in firefighters linked chronic occupational stress to poorer mental and physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular strain and emotional exhaustion.

Importantly, evidence suggests that supportive self-care practices can reduce these risks. Peer

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support programs, resiliency training, access to counseling, physical activity, adequate nutrition, and healthy sleep habits have all been associated with improved mental health outcomes among firefighters.

A Canadian cohort study examining firefighters after the Fort McMurray wildfire found that firefighters who reported access to peer support had significantly lower rates of depression and anxiety symptoms. These findings reinforce the idea that self-care is not solely an individual responsibility — organizational culture and team support matter as well.

Physical self-care is equally important. Firefighters experience high rates of cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal injuries, and chronic fatigue due to the physical intensity of the job combined with disrupted sleep and high stress levels. Regular exercise, hydration, balanced nutrition, and recovery practices help firefighters maintain physical readiness while reducing long-term health risks. Exercise has also been shown to improve mood, reduce stress hormones, and enhance sleep quality, creating benefits for both mental and physical wellness.

Despite growing awareness around first responder mental health, stigma remains a barrier to seeking support. Discussions within the fire department often highlight concerns about confidentiality, fear of appearing weak, or worries about career consequences when accessing mental health resources. However, attitudes within the fire service are gradually changing. More departments are implementing peer support teams, mental health education, and proactive wellness initiatives aimed at normalizing conversations around stress and psychological injury.

We increasingly recognize that asking for help is a sign of professionalism and self-awareness rather than weakness.

Ultimately, prioritizing self-care allows us to continue serving others effectively while protecting our own health and quality of life. Just as we maintain our equipment and train regularly to remain operationally ready, we must also care for our minds and bodies.

Prioritizing sleep, nutrition, exercise, mental health support, social connection, and recovery is not selfish — it is a critical component of resilience and occupational safety. A healthier first responder is better equipped to protect both the public and their crew, making self-care an essential investment in the future of the fire service.

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES PEER SUPPORT NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 4 | FIRE WATCH

Name

Lynn Sciberras Iyana Phakira Candice Roulette Sean O'Connell Gary Wharton Neil Beveridge Vallery Black Adina Kaufman Angelo Tagarelli Rodney Johnston Hugh Doherty Asad Rastagar Dave Camplin Kevin Scragg Cecil Law John Malcolmson Marcus Martyn Jones Jocelyn Bourrie Jenna Wulff John Pagnotta Trayce Shaw Cary Stather Brian McAlinden Louise Chen Kent McDonald Kevin Hosier Greg Duncan Chris Pallister Sidney Zigah Darren Taylor Tony Mellozzi Louis Chow Chris Rodrigues Lorraine Patterson Robert Jackson Bernie Leufkens

TORONTO FIRE PEER SUPPORT TEAM CONTACT LIST Call 24/7/365: 416-338-9327

Station

Shift

Email Address

Chaplain Chaplain Chaplain Chaplain

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

ted.leck@toronto.ca tahseen.gill@toronto.ca daniel.chandran@toronto.ca todd.riley@toronto.ca

Tech Ops Days lynn.sciberras@toronto.ca HQ Comms /1 iyana.peerteam@gmail.com TFA Days candiroulet@gmail.com 233 FP/B sean80446@gmail.com 225 A gary_wharton@hotmail.com 114 A neilr.bev@gmail.com 333 A valleryblack@gmail.com 342 A adina_kaufman@hotmail.com 421 A angelo.hamtac@gmail.com 332 A rj3111@hotmail.com 231 A hugh.doherty@sympatico.ca 231 A asadullah_rastagar@hotmail.com 433 B dcamplin104@gmail.com 324 B kevintfspeersupport@icloud.com 235 B cecil.law@rogers.com 222 B johnmalcolmsonpeerteam@gmail.com 332 C m.martynjones@gmail.com 227 C j.bourrie@live.ca 227 C jennakwulff@gmail.com 244 C johnpagnotta@hotmail.com 315 C traycegshaw@gmail.com 324 C cstather@sympatico.ca 114 C bmcalinden@me.com 321 C louise.deanne.chen@gmail.com 132 C kentmc6@gmail.com 226 D kevin.hosier@hotmail.com 333 D greg.duncan@outlook.com 333 D chris_palli@hotmail.com 143 D smkz45@hotmail.com 341 D darren.taylor@rogers.com 325 D tonymellozzi@gmail.com 313 D chowl@live.com Mental Health Professional chris.rodrigues@toronto.ca Mental Health Professional lorraine.patterson@toronto.ca Retired firejackt333@gmail.com Retired tapemeasure92@hotmail.com

Chaplains Ted Leck Tahseen Gill Daniel Chandran Todd Riley (Coordinator) Call 24/7/365: 416-338-9327

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES PEER SUPPORT NEWSLETTER

Phone #

647-409-3135 647-784-2129 416-624-9452 905-510-2673 416-735-5845 905-466-8510 416-994-5276 416-949-5359 905-929-8548 647-223-2121 416-433-0446 647-606-3056 705-441-5418 416-540-6222 437-869-2126 416-553-6046 416 873-0954 416-476-4219 647-678 1077 905-424-1113 519-331-4943 289-314-8100 905-391-5118 416-919-8098 289-208-1226 416-320-7573 416-525-4995 905-741-5396 416-990-0044 416-697-7842 416-562-0253 647-401-0821 416-338-9557 416-338-8776 905-419-4545 905-449-3047 647-461-4047 416-737-2127 647-518-9750 416-318-9167

Last Updated: May 2026

VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 4 | FIRE WATCH

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Report on the

IAFF Strive for Excellence Educational Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada

BY NASTEHA BEINAH, TORONTO FIRE COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER OF THE TFS HERI COMMITTEE & MEMBER OF THE TFS BLACK STAFF NETWORK. PUBLISHED (POSTHUMOUSLY)

It has been an exceptionally hard few months for this Association. I’m sure we have all been impacted by the passing of Chris Love, Nasteha Beinah and Dale Markham. Chris and Nas’ passing hit especially hard because of how young they were, and the promising careers ahead of them. All will be deeply missed. I hope that their memories move us to cherish one another and to express gratitude for the good people in our lives while we have them.

Nas wrote this article before she passed. She reached out to me for some help editing it for a broader audience (aka dumbing it down). I got to know Nasteha during our recent trip to Las Vegas for the Strive for Excellence Conference. Spending just 10 minutes with her in the airport on the way to Las Vegas, and her spark was immediately apparent.

She was so smart. And so self-aware. Not just on a personal level, but she had a sense of her place in this culture, this history, this earth like no one I had ever met. She made the folks I met in grad school seem dim. In every conversation together over the next week, she pulled out layers of meaning. You needed to keep up, or her wit would lose you pretty quickly.

I think this article gives you a glimpse into the extraordinary person she was. The incredible vision that she possessed. I hope that this article serves as a preservation of her voice and her memory. Rest Easy, Sister. I wish we got to hear more of what you had to say.

TPFFA VP Justin D’Aloisio 42

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s a relatively new member of the TFS Communications Division and the HREI Committee (who will at least be first class by the time you’re reading this article!), I was deeply grateful for the privilege of traveling to Las Vegas for the Strive for Excellence IAFF educational seminar. And so, in light of that gratitude, I would like to relay a bit of that experience here.

I’ll start by admitting that before this opportunity, Las Vegas was nowhere near my “Top 500 Cities to Visit” list.

Now that I have been, I would like to further demote her standing. Nevertheless, in the end, it was the people—the security guards, store clerks, waitresses, and bartenders— whose kindness and care sent me home with a treasure chest of warm memories, such that recognizing what was truly important became much less impossible in the face of all the blaring noise.

While I was witnessing the extreme culture of consumerism and gleeful self-annihilation on the Las Vegas Strip, I began recalling my mother’s lectures. As an elder and as an immigrant, said lectures were constant. She was quick to remind me that my every comfort, every ease, and all my frivolous complaints could only exist thanks to the great sacrifices of all those who came before. And my underdeveloped, first-world brain ought to keep that in mind before attempting to speak of “hardship.”

As a kid, I registered most of this not as wisdom, but as drama. It was amusing, theatrical hyperbole. As an adult, I see it more as an entire philosophy of life compressed into something I might absorb without paying the same price for it, and it brought the quieter realization that, as usual, my mother was right.

I am but a collection of sacrifices. And the sacrifices of others brought me and nearly 2,000 other members from across the fire service to Las Vegas.

That recognition feels especially potent in our profession, where tradition does not survive as mere decoration. It is something more tangible. There are few professions left today so rich in legacy, so deeply intertwined with labour history, public duty, and civic expectation.

But in Las Vegas, after the trauma of the great spectacle had worn off, I resolved that mere imagery or slogans were not simply enough. They can bring people together, but they can’t guarantee that those people will get home from work safely.

Here, Gertrude Stein’s observation, “Silent gratitude isn’t of much use to anyone,” comes to mind. That is why gratitude cannot remain nostalgia. It must manifest as momentum.

It should enable us to see that the relative stability we enjoy in Toronto does not mean the struggle has disappeared.

It is evidence that enough of us remained involved long enough, and at sufficient cost, to secure what we now think of as “standard.”

That was one of the clearest lessons I took from Las Vegas.

The state of labour relations in many places in North America is bleak. Many of the privileges, safeguards, and entitlements that we in Toronto see as ordinary were secured by union action and are not so common elsewhere.

I met firefighters who had moved through numerous departments not simply in pursuit of wages or benefits, but because they did not feel safe. Not rhetorically, but literally, due to inadequate staffing, insufficient standards, or conditions that had been allowed to wither and decay.

What appeared was not a series of isolated misfortunes,

but a more traceable pattern: poorer worker conditions following from weakened participation, diminished unity, and the slow erosion of political leverage.

If we take pride in this profession, if we believe in our shared history, and if we want to hold on to our sense of community, we have to react when standards begin to slip.

We have to commit to ongoing participation.

And as we benefit from some of the strongest conditions this profession, and perhaps humanity at large, has ever seen, it feels all the more pressing that we understand our condition historically as well as sentimentally.

Hopefully, it is at this moment that the link between all these words and HREI becomes clear. HREI (Human Relations & Equity Initiatives) is often misread as a specialized concern.

Dismissed as something belonging primarily to an obscure committee or to the language of policy, thankfully the reality of it is far more basic.

If you happen to be a human being working alongside other human beings, then questions of human relations are already embedded in your job. If you are concerned about fairness in a practical sense—that is, consistency, dignity, and accountability—then you are already participating in what equity initiatives attempt to address.

If you are committed to developing and participating in the culture of this department, the standards it upholds, the way members are treated, or the environment in which we all work, then HREI is not external to you. It is just another part of the responsibility you are already carrying.

What becomes clearer (especially after seeing how unevenly different departments can develop, even within the same union) is that the strength of a department, for better or worse, is dependent on the engagement of its members.

That can mean volunteering for union initiatives, city initiatives, or charities, participating in meetings, and remaining connected to the processes that shape the conditions of the job.

There exists perhaps the greatest personal duty at the most immediate level: whether our halls, offices, and daily interactions show respect for fellow members, for the legacy of the service, and for the discipline required to improve both ourselves and the work we do.

We owe it to those who came before us not to gamble with those legacies, and I’ll conclude with the final lesson Vegas imparted—actually winning money from gambling is much, much less straightforward than it looks.

Committee Members: Chair: Ryan Morrison | CRR Division, North Executive Board Officer morrison@torontofirefighters.org Justin Gaspini | OPS Division, South Executive Board Officer justin.gaspini@torontofirefighters.org Frank Jones | OPS Division, TFS Black Staff Network Chairman, North Command Steward jones@torontofirefighters.org District Chief Brian Porter | OPS Division, TFS Black Staff Network, Allied Firefighters Canada bporter@torontofirefighters.org Katelyn Swarbreck | Communications Division, Headquarters Steward katelyn.swarbreck@torontofirefighters.org

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February 27, 2026 to June 24, 2026 Charles Anthony Schrier

March 2, 2026

Paul Wayne Fitzgerald

William Hudson

March 11, 2026

Mike Ward

May 3, 2026

Frederick William Onley

March 14, 2026

Alex Ritchie

May 5, 2026

Bruce James Titus

March 15, 2025

Richard Dash

May 7, 2026

Vincenzo Audino

March 19, 2026

Jim Filyer

May 11, 2026

Timothy John McConkey

March 20, 2026

David William Bruce Earle

May 28, 2026

John Perry

March 24, 2026

Dale Markham

June 19, 2026

Wilfrid O’Hearn

March 24, 2026

John “Jack” Crawford

June 19, 2026

Paul McCullagh

March 29, 2026

Michael Bailey

June 20, 2026

Raymond Barager

April 1, 2026

Paul Martinak

June 20, 2026

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April 13, 2026

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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Murray W. Evaschuk On March 21, 2023, District Chief Murray W. Evaschuk passed away from Lymphomatosis; his passing has been identified as a Line of Duty Death in the Toronto Fire Department.

Brother Evaschuk was born and grew up in Toronto. He began his career with the Toronto Fire Department and retired after 32 dedicated years. He was a proud member of the fire community and was consistently bettering himself to help his career grow and improve. Retiring as a District Chief in 1997, Brother Evaschuk completed a very fulfilling career within the fire service. After retirement, he moved to Adams Lake, BC, where he and his family enjoyed travelling the world and hosting family and friends at their lake house. In addition to fire, Murray showed a great passion for Astronomy and the Naturalists Clubs; he also loved microbiology. He was an avid storyteller and a natural teacher. He connected with nature, enjoyed the beauty of our world, and always tried to share that love with those around him. His passion for life, quirky quotes and silliness will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

In Honour of District Chief Murray W. Evaschuk, a Memorial Plaque has been hung up at TFS Fire Station 134.

Ralph Amero On July 9, 2023, the Toronto Fire Services lost Retired Senior Marine Captain Ralph Payson Amero to Bladder Cancer. Captain Amero served for 23 years as a Senior Marine Captain before his retirement in October 1999.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Ralph was one of 19 siblings. He later moved to Ontario for work where he was employed by the Toronto Harbour Commission and after returning to school for Marine Captain, he then joined the Toronto Fire Department.

During his lifetime Ralph could always be found working hard whether at home or at his beloved cottage. Ralph did make time for leisure and enjoyed boating, fishing, golfing, hockey, baseball, and gardening. Being a "Coaster" Ralph enjoyed a good feed of seafood, especially when digging clams and cooking lobsters. He had many great times with family and friends. Ralph and his neverending stories will be truly missed by his loved ones, his crew and the sea.

In Honour of Senior Marine Captain Ralph Payson Amero, a Memorial Plaque will be hung up at TFS Marine Unit.

Christopher Love

April 30, 1988 - April 12, 2026

Nasteha Beinah

September 7, 1996 – June 10, 2026

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OUR OWN SELF AWARENESS Greetings All!

We hope everyone is well these days.

Your executive tries to meet at least once a month.

When the spring becomes as busy as this one, that becomes increasingly difficult. None of us have ever seen a spring with so much going on and so much going on in the world. When we get together, each of us have long lists of member information requests, which we consolidate and then try to search out the appropriate answers.

We constantly rely on our former retiree groups (the original six), a relationship we maintain for our mutual survival. Those following our various social media platforms will know we just had the opportunity to get together with our former retiree colleagues at the TFS Retirement Dinner and Recognition event. TFS generously allowed us to invite one member from each of the original six, to join our executive and enjoy the event.

It allowed us to do some recruiting, and it also allowed us to answer retirement questions directly or refer the questions to the Local 3888 member responsible.

Like any group these days, our group all have common topics of discussion which have a recurring theme.

Our recurring themes are much the same from year to year, although the priorities change places. The sheer number of retiree funeral postings in March alone was a big one, as was the topic of our own self-awareness.

This was brought on by the Optional Health Screening Opportunity hosted by United Diagnostic Services (UDS).

For our retirees that are not RTFFA members, this might have been missed the first time around, because, unless you’re a member, you don’t have access to the union notices at their time of posting. If you’re one of them, we urge you to read through this to the end and consider becoming a member.

The Optional Health Screening process was open to all, at an individual cost of approximately $500, and will be repeated this summer. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for the notice. UDS conducts early detection diagnostic testing, which has proven successful in identifying actionable pathologies to improve overall health as well as early detection for cancer and cardiovascular issues. Early detection has had a significant impact on helping prevent and reverse potential future catastrophic events.

The loss of any of our members is tragic, with some “appearing” to succumb in very short order, leading to another of the recurring topics of discussion. Recently, that conversation was directly related to speculation 46

over the members themselves and if they had symptoms, and whether they were ignoring them, self medicating, or were asymptomatic.

In any case, education is a priority, to give our members as much education and tools to be able to catch potential issues before they become catastrophic. We owe it to ourselves and to our families.

The UDS screening was part of a process that began with the Firefighter Medical Surveillance Guide.

Please refer to union notice #26-018 dated April 15, 2026, Subject: Occupational Disease, Cancer & Early Detection. In addition, we recommend everyone search for the Canadian Fire Fighter Cancer Registry and read the available information.

Of course, our health and welfare are paramount, but there are also things which we think our membership should watch for in the coming months. There is an IAFF movement looking to change the designation of the “Active Retiree” group, to the “Alumni Retiree” group, which we are all watching closely. The last issue we are watching are the changes in our OMERS structure, resulting from the recent Governance Review.

“As a result of the Governance Review initiated by the Ford Government, the Sponsors Corporation is being wound down and replaced with a Sponsors Council. In many says the Sponsors Council will operate in a way similar to the Sponsors Corporation in that the Council will determine contribution rates, benefits and oversee appointments. What is concerning is that the Council will not have any independent staff to rely on, so all oversight will be based on information provided by the Administration Corporation. While this may provide the necessary information the role of the AC Board was always different to that of the SC Board. The SC Board had a fiduciary responsibility to the plan itself, focussing on its long-term sustainability and meaningfulness.

While the new Council will be similarly focussed, they will be a bargaining board, weighing and negotiating the challenges to sustainability of the plan between the employer and employer groups. The Council will not have a strict fiduciary responsibility like the SC Board did. The new Council will also determine future appointees and representation on the Council through policies and bylaws that are currently being authored under the oversight of the AC. Retirees are the only group that are no longer contributors to the plan, that may put their appointed position at risk in the future.

Time will tell whether these changes will bring about governance improvements.”

We are watching this process unfold and will report Vo l u m e 1 8available. | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 46 on it as information becomes

The Bottom Line!

WSIB and Illness Tracking

Regardless of the claim, preferably before the receipt of the goods or services,

We encourage all members, past and present, to reach out to us with whatever information you wish to share. Further, if a member has passed, we are reaching out to the families to share as well.

We ask that all requests are made by the members themselves or directly from the family. Anyone who contacts us, will be forwarded to our WSIB group. Even if the cancer is not on the current list, we are asking for all members to share, so that we have case material to help add future illnesses for review.

make a pre-authorized claim though Green Shield Canada ON-LINE! Keep all documents, get hard copies! et a yearly prescription beforehand, G if possible, it’s easier to chat with your doctor

hould the claim be approved, then follow S the process as required. hould the claim be denied, download all of the S documents ind the 3888 TPFFA webpage F (https://www.torontofirefighters.org) You need not log in!

Locate the Make the selection and follow the prompts!

T his is the ONLY WAY to get one-on-one representation from a benefits rep.

The rep will advocate for you as best they can!

MROO Membership We recommend everyone join the Municipal Retiree’s of Ontario (MROO). Its $25 for life, it offers all our members and their families many benefits regardless of which retirement stream they are in. MROO holds an annual zone meeting for all members, where you can attend at no cost and get all the pertinent OMERS/MROO updates. (www.mroo.org)

The next RTFFA membership meeting will be held in October 2026 at the union office. We will be holding elections, should any of you want to join our executive. Please keep an eye out for the notice and consider attending.

RTFFA Membership 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 January and we will be holding two general membership meetings each year. One in the spring, where you can sign up and/or pay your dues in person, and another in the fall. Meetings will involve food and fellowship, what could be better! Come join us and be well Don’t forget to follow our Social Media Feeds:

On The web: https://www.retiredtorontofirefighters.org/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TFSRetirees On Twitter: https://x.com/tfsretirees

President Alan Thomas - Secretary/Treasurer Mike Neely - Al Falkner - Alan Hall - Ron Coates - Chuck West Vo l u m e 1 8 | I s s u e 4 | F I R E WAT CH 47

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Advancing Cardiac Arrest Care

on the Fireground Through the close collaboration between Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services, we are able to implement new evidence-based practices under the shared medical direction of our base hospital Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine.

We have recently moved forward with two new advancements: Anterior-Posterior (AP) pad placement, and Double Sequential External Defibrillation (DSED).

Why:

Toronto sees approximately 2,000 prehospital cardiac arrests each year. While early CPR and defib remain the foundation of survival, a subset of patients remain in Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation (VF).

Refractory VF is generally defined as VF that persists after three consecutive shocks despite ongoing highquality CPR and standard ACLS interventions. These cases have historically had poor outcomes, leading to the adoption of alternative defibrillation strategies beyond repeated standard defibrillation.

Evidence:

Much of this change is driven by research from Dr. Sheldon Cheskes and Sunnybrook Research Institute, including the landmark DOSE VF trial. In patients 52

with refractory VF, DSED showed a 30.4% survival to hospital discharge rate, while AP pad placement showed a 21.7% survival rate, both compared to 13.3% with standard defibrillation. The study also showed improved neurological outcomes, with neurologically favourable survival increasing from 11.2% with standard defibrillation, to 16.2% with AP pad placement, and 27.4% with DSED.

Change:

“Early AP Pad Placement (chest and back) changes the electrical vector pathway through the myocardium, potentially improving the likelihood of successful defibrillation. It is increasingly being applied early in resuscitation. Early AP pad placement also improves readiness for potential DSED without requiring crews to reposition pads later during an active resuscitation. For fire crews, this is a low effort, high impact intervention that can be done immediately upon arrival. For DSED patients who remain in VF after three consecutive shocks, care escalates with two defibs, two sets of pads (AP & Anterior Lateral), and two rapid sequential shocks (directed and completed by the paramedics).

This allows an increase in energy delivered to the patient through multiple electrical vectors. Resulting in the improved probability of refractory VF termination and positive patient outcome.

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Operation:

• Fire arrives on scene • Pulse check confirms VSA and high-performance CPR is initiated • Clothing is removed and patient is prepared for AP pad placement • Pads are applied while minimizing interruptions in compressions • CPR and airway management is continued • Toronto Paramedic Services arrives and transitions pads to their cardiac monitor • If VF persists after three consecutive shocks: - Additional anterior-lateral pads are applied - Toronto Fire’s AED or a second cardiac monitor is prepared - Paramedics charge and shock the patient sequentially, less than 75ms apart

When paramedics make patient contact, they assume patient care, meaning fire crews continue assisting under paramedic direction while still operating within the scope of firefighter medical practice.

Firefighters should communicate: • How long CPR has been in progress • Number of shocks delivered • Whether any advised shocks occurred

Moving Forward: These changes represent a more active role for firefighters in advanced cardiac arrest care.

Greater emphasis is now placed on pad placement, defibrillation readiness, and coordinated resuscitation alongside Toronto Paramedic Services.

Firefighters are no longer simply arriving first on scene; they are becoming increasingly integrated into high performance cardiac arrest management.

The adoption of AP pad placement and DSED reflects a system evolving through research, training, and inter-service collaboration, with the ultimate goal of improving survival for the patients we serve.

Firefighters are not trained to interpret cardiac rhythms.

Paramedics are able to interpret cardiac rhythms using their cardiac monitor and identify refractory VF following three consecutive shocks. VF is not the only shockable rhythm. Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) is also shockable. AEDs do not identify the specific rhythm present, only whether a rhythm is shockable or non-shockable.

Despite these advancements, high-quality CPR with minimal interruptions remains one of the most important predictors of survival in cardiac arrest care.

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TPFFA hosted their Annual Retirement Dinner this past May. Congratulations to all the 2025 Toronto Fire Retirees.

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The TFS Peer Support Team recognized Mental Health week from May 4 - May 10th this Spring.

It’s important to recognize the needs of our Fire Fighters both mentally, physically and emotionally. We have a fantastic Peer Support Team who is available 24/7/365 at 416.338.9327

Jr. Fire Fighters taking their stuffies on a station tour.

A great way to welcome the summer break!

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3888 Recent Happenings...Continued from page 55

Passing of Honourary Firefighter Donnie Witter Honourary member, Donnie Witter, was an unofficial member of Fire Station 325 since he was five years old, right up until the day he passed on April 18, 2026, at the age of 58. The crews at 325 and Donnie all became too familiar with each other over the years; pop-in visits quickly became the norm, and before they knew it, Donnie was one of them. Our members took Donnie under their wing and showed him essential life skills along with sharing the tricks of the fire fighting trade.

Donnie had great respect for our members and would always address them by their rank. He would even help the crews wash the trucks and played cards with them from time to time. He was a well known figure in their neighbourhood and part of his routine was to visit his friends at the fire station. AC John Michinsky of 325 set up a Go Fund Me to assist Donnie’s family during their time in need. The 325 crews, past and present, attended and participated in this fallen honourary member’s funeral. Donnie will forever be missed, and never forgotten. Rest in peace our dear friend.

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A special card drawn by a child at the Red Door Family Shelter to the Association.

The TPFFA donates annually to this program to assist with mothers and children escaping domestic abuse.

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Fire Watch Volume 15 Issue 4_v1.indd 46

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