Fire Watch (Winter 2008)

VOLUME 4

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ISSUE 4 | WINTER 2008

Interview with TFS Medical Director Children’s Christmas Party Publications Agreement No: 41203011

FIREHALL SHOWCASE: Fire Station 445

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 4

16

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ISSUE 4

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WINTER 2008

IN THIS ISSUE 20

5

President’s Message

9

Secretary Treasurer’s Message

11

Vice President’s Message

13

Chaplain’s Corner

14

Letters to the Editor

16

The Biggest One Yet

18

Off Duty Awards

19

Captain Ron Seymour

20

Toronto Eaton Centre

24

North York Fire Department

30

Fire Fighter Survival & Rescue

32

Member Profile on Cameron Sharpe

35

TFW: Recruitment and Outreach

38

Firehall Showcase–Station 445

42

Backdraft Shows We Care

44

Life on the Road–Friends for Life

FIRE WATCH is published quarterly by Xentel DM Incorporated on behalf of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association

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Battling the Biggest Blaze of His Life

CHIEF EDITOR Scott Marks

47

Fit to Survive

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

49

In Memoriam

50

Toronto HUSAR Takes Off!

ASSISTANT EDITORS Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston, Seonaid Lennox, Janos Csepreghi, Doug Erwin, Damien Walsh

52

An Interview with Dr. Feldman

ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Alyssa Petrillo & Marcel Ramagnano

56

3888 Recent Happenings

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Xentel DM Incorporated

59

Never Shall We Forget

FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Keith Hamilton

62

Events

62

Ad Index

24

50

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FIRE WATCH (ISSN 1715-5134) is published quarterly by the TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION 39 Commissioners Street, Toronto, ON Canada M5A 1A6 Tel: 416.466.1167 www.torontofirefighters.org E-mail: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org

CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL Agreement No: 41203011 PRINTED IN CANADA Copyright © 2008 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association ADVERTISING Latoya Davis, Project Manager Tel: 416.646.3128 Ext. 104 Fax: 416.646.3135 Email: latoyad@xentel.com

Merchant Card Acceptance

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

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

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

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On The Cover DRAWING BY FIRE FIGHTER CAMERON SHARPE Profile on Page 32

Interview wit Medical Dire h TFS ctor

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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hope that all members had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season with their families. It is a time to recharge the batteries to face the year ahead. Traditionally in this issue of Fire Watch, we reflect on the past year and look ahead to the coming year. I don’t believe that I have ever felt as much trepidation looking ahead into a coming year as I do currently. The events of the fall of 2008 have been a sobering reminder of how quickly good economic times can get turned around.

As difficult as things may look, we are in a much better position than many of our union counterparts. We are in a position to make decisions based on fair and rational judgements over the next year. Our last contract, ratified in June of 2007, looks better and better with each passing year. Many at the time were hesitant to ratify a deal that moved us two years ahead of the Toronto Police in contract years. Retrospect shows that this was a sound decision. The membership made the right decision in a strong endorsement of this contract.

The Toronto Police Association (TPA) were mired in a protracted arbitration for their 2008, 2009 and beyond wages.

The award, issued just before Christmas, mirrors our negotiated contract for 2008 and 2009. The arbitration did not bring about an improvement over our negotiated settlement. Both CUPE 416 and 79 are at the negotiating table for 2009. These locals are facing a difficult situation, negotiating in the current economic climate. This may mean that the foundation for wage increases for 2010 and beyond is established by the time we get to the table next fall. While CUPE has never been a direct comparable, Toronto Police are our most established comparable. More importantly, there is a large number of fire locals involved in negotiations. Those settlements will likely serve as comparables

that we have to argue for or against when we get to the table next fall.

The settlements of those locals will be a blessing or a curse. It underscores the value of having a strong provincial organization like the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) to assist the smaller or more vulnerable locals. Our union dues into the OPFFA ensure that these locals have all the necessary bargaining tools available to them to achieve fair outcomes. Due to the environment of arbitration and comparability, this ultimately protects your wage.

Another important factor is public sentiment. We are inundated on a daily basis in the media that unionized em-

[

Scott Marks

We as fire fighters do not want to concede the hard fought improvements we have established in the last few years. Nor should we expect members of other unions to capitulate and carry the burden of bad management and business decisions. Sometimes, we as fire fighters do not see ourselves as part of the broad family of unionized employees, but in today’s economic climate it will be the unions, standing united and firm, that will protect employees in every sector from bearing the brunt of this. We must support other workers in being treated fairly and justly if we want to expect the same.

The last 25 years has seen the de-

WE AS FIRE FIGHTERS DO NOT WANT TO CONCEDE THE HARD FOUGHT IMPROVEMENTS WE HAVE ESTABLISHED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. NOR SHOULD WE EXPECT MEMBERS OF OTHER UNIONS TO CAPITULATE AND CARRY THE BURDEN OF BAD MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS DECISIONS.

ployees should take concessions and temper their demands. This is accepted by the public as necessary and just. It seems odd that we, who have had so little to do in creating this mess, should now be seen as the ones that are responsible to fix it.

Unions must be cognizant of the economic climate they are in and always make fair and justifiable requests. The same must apply to employers. Both sides must negotiate fair settlements in good times as well as bad.

]

mise of the middle class. Unions have been the sole protector of that disappearing phenomenon. Studies have shown that the provinces and states that have the highest level of unionized employees have maintained higher wages, a stronger middle class, higher education and a more educated work force than provinces and states with lower levels of unionization. This applies not only to the unionized work force in these states and provinces but also to the people working non-

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH

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President’s Message ... Continued from page 5

union jobs. So when members of the public talk of rolling back unionized employee’s wages and benefits, statistics have shown that this will ultimately hurt them as well.

Reactionary politics and economics do not always produce sound results.

Bailouts and assistance for the employers that are shipping their jobs off shore do not assist the working class. We all need to support political and economic initiatives that invest in people, jobs and services. Upper levels of government must maintain assistance to the City’s that deliver the front line services. Fair and appropriate wage and benefit packages need to be maintained.

I raise these issues because prevailing thought consistently blames workers and unions and supports the notion that everyone has to tighten their belt. Realistically, a CEO that loses access to a private jet can hardly be considered to be tightening their belt. Taking fifty dollars a week from a worker does create a pinch and results in money out of the economy which is not the desired result. We are part of this family of working class people. We need to support other private and public sector employees in their quest for fair and appropriate improvements. When we slam other workers, we provide the ammunition to have ourselves subjected to the same treatment.

If this sounds like a pro-union rant, it is! As the people representing your interests we do not operate in a vacuum.

Fire fighters are fortunate to be held as an essential service in high esteem by the public. A strong position for negotiations includes making sure other unionized employees are being treated fairly.

These are things to keep in mind as the rhetoric heats up over the economy.

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

Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year!

On Behalf of the Executive of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association Local 3888, I.A.F.F.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH

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TORONTO FIREPAC POLITICAL ACTION WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE US STRONGER

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SECRETARY TREASURER’S MESSAGE

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s we enter 2009, we will once again see some significant changes to our pay cheques. Full CPP and EI deductions will commence once again. We will also be given one of our three pay increases for 2009; 2% wage increase in January, 0.75% in July and .75% in December. There will also be an increase to our OMERS contribution for income earned above the YPME. The new OMERS contribution rates will apply starting with the first full pay period in 2009.

The OMERS Sponsors Corporation (SC) is responsible for setting contribution rates and filing the valuation. The SC had been studying the 2007 valuation, which disclosed the plan was relatively healthy with an 8.7% rate of return in 2007, resulting in a small surplus of $82 million. A recent contribution rate study by the actuaries determined that the cost of NRA 60 benefits has risen compared to forecasts and relative to the costs of NRA 65 benefits. Changes were needed based on the NRA 60/65 contribution rate study (CS). The last CS was performed in 2002 and resulted in a rate adjustment in 2004. The study is done to ensure that both groups are paying their appropriate share.

In a nutshell, the CS concluded that there has been an underlying shift over the last five years in cost versus contribution rates between the NRA 60 and NRA 65 groups and between the below and the above YMPE rates. The main reason behind this, according to the actuary’s report, is the fact that NRA 60 members received greater salary increases than NRA 65 members. The cost centered predominately on the recently negotiated 3/6/9 recognition pay for NRA 60 members.

The combined rate for employers and employees, NRA 60 and NRA 65 is currently 15% (this is the aggregate total of the four individual rates). That rate will remain unchanged. Despite earlier projections that the current NRA 60 rate (10.7%) needed to be adjusted to 13.4%, the SC decided to use the surplus to offset the increase in normal costs so the increase to NRA 60 rates while still substantial at 12.8% is not as large as was first projected.

Overall, this represents an 8% increase. Member contributions are matched by the employer. Remember that the contributions which members make are deducted from their taxable income and this may lessen the impact of the rate increase. The Sponsors Corporation had both the plan valuation and contribution rate study verified by an independent actuary. The plan last had a contribution rate increase in 2006, which primarily addressed the OMERS funding deficit. This latest increase was the result of an in-depth analysis of the underlying costs of OMERS benefits. This analysis determined that the cost of benefits provided to NRA 60 members—specifically on their earnings above the CPP earnings limit—was higher than last forecast in 2003. This can be directly attributed to retention/recognition clauses as with our 3/6/9 salary increases. While some members would argue that while we get paid more we also pay more in OMERS contribution on the 3-6-9. They are correct but the actuaries did not estimate our higher salary increases in 2003 and that is how the rate is determined. Also, note that we do not receive 3/6/9 from day one in our career and thus do not make extra contributions based on it from day one, yet we will receive the increase in pension on the extra 9% from our first retirement pay cheque. This happens on other late salary increases but the difference is they have been factored in our rate and this was not. It is for these reasons that the actuaries review the rates every four to five years and the factors that are used to determine the rate, to determine if the factors are still relevant.

Frank Ramagnano

We are all aware of the recent market turmoil and you may be wondering how it affects our pension. While it is expected that market conditions will adversely affect OMERS performance in 2008, you can rest assured that your pension will be there for you. Contributions and benefits can change during your career, depending on the plan’s funding status, but your pension is secure. It is times like these that you see the true value of belonging to a defined benefit plan. Unlike other retirement savings vehicles, such as RRSPs, your starting pension is not dependent on the value of the fund on the day you retire. Your pension is defined by a formula that takes into account your years of service and average earnings. Today’s markets illustrate the importance of being diversified across asset classes, industries and geographic areas. OMERS holds significant investments outside stock markets in fi xed income, real estate and infrastructure to spread out investment risk.

In closing, I sincerely hope that all Local 3888 members had a safe and joyous holiday season and may you have a healthy and prosperous 2009.

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

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH

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

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

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You MUST fill out the accompanying card and return it, along with a cheque no later than January 31, 2009. We will only be accepting subscription requests once per year before our Spring issue is mailed out.

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

10

VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Working through the Budget Process

O

n Wednesday December 10, 2008, Toronto City Council met to review and debate the proposed 2009 Toronto Fire Services Capital Budget. We have been working with TFS Administration in having both our Capital and Operating budgets approved as per our common priorities. The recommended and approved 2009 Capital Budget amounts to an increase of 5.87 million dollars, to be allocated to a number of important projects.

These include, among others: a restoration of the Beaches Fire Hall, money to maintain other facilities in good repair, continuing life cycle replacement of fire fighters, portable radios, and a voice logging system for the communications centre. It also advocates money for an extension of the Toryork Mechanical Facility in order to help minimize vehicle repair times (staffing for the Toryork Bay is an operating budget issue) and a start to the design for the new station at Eglinton and Midland Avenues.

The five and ten year recommended Capital Plan endorses funding to include four new fire stations, as approved in the recent Fire Master Plan. Two should be built between 2009 and 2013 and two more are proposed for the years 2014 to 2018. While the ten year plan should bring on line four new stations, there are still other areas of the City which will require attention, including the downtown core, specifically King Street between Dufferin and Bathurst.

We also anticipate significant growth in the Bay/Front and east end Donlands Avenue areas. Thus, further study is required and new proposals will undoubtedly be added to future Capital Budget requests in ongoing years.

Funding has also been provided from 2009 to 2013 for a Radio Replacement Project. It is a corporate initiative dealing with three areas; Fire Services, Police Services and Emergency Medical Servic-

es. The present system needs to be replaced and will not be supported by the manufacturer by the year 2011. As a result some $70.0 million in total costs has been budgeted corporately in the period from 2007 to 2012 and does not form part of each Programs’ Capital Plans.

In regards to the upcoming Operating Budget process, which your Government Relations Committee will be following, it will go through committee

[

Ed Kennedy

positions are the Union’s priorities and are those that we feel have the strongest arguments. Currently, the Toronto Fire Services still has six fewer staff positions than at amalgamation, while both the Police and EMS have seen substantial increases.

The fact that Local 3888 has been able to substantially agree with and support the Fire Administration’s proposals is, to a large extent, due to a de-

WHILE THE TEN YEAR PLAN SHOULD BRING ON LINE FOUR NEW STATIONS, THERE ARE STILL OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY WHICH REQUIRE ATTENTION, INCLUDING THE DOWNTOWN CORE, SPECIFICALLY KING STREET...

meetings in early 2009, with final recommendations before council on March 31st and April 1st, 2009. The Toronto Fire Services have identified forty-six new positions and have prioritized them as follows: five for mechanical support, six for fire prevention, thirty-two for operations, one professional development and mechanical support and two more in Communications and Ops support.

We will be lobbying strongly for the hiring of five mechanics to support the Toryork Mechanical Facility, increasing the compliment of our Aerials in the downtown core to conform to the NFPA standards, which would result in twenty-four new positions, six new ‘Fire Cause Determination’ positions and two hires for permanent recruitment and outreach staff. These thirty-seven

]

cision made a few years ago by the Association to determine that the interests of the Union, the Administration and City Council are often compatible.

Much campaigning has been done by our Government Relations and FirePac Committees in pursuit of our goals, which we believe has resulted in a relationship of ongoing respect between all parties. We are hopeful that everyone’s commitment will equate to beneficial results for our membership and the citizens of Toronto.

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

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 11

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12

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

BY HUGH DONNELLY, EAST COMMAND CHAPLAIN

I

was sitting in a dentist chair yesterday, tools and drills and suction tubes in my mouth, and I experienced a gentle moment of inspiration. Well, it was actually the guy being interviewed on CBC radio who inspired me. A rabbi, Brian Zachary Mayer, spoke in very direct terms about our need for doing nothing. He advertises what he calls the Free Vacation Giveaway by asking, “Would you like to relax with nothing to do? Not have to answer your calls or emails? Sit comfortably and just daydream? Well, you can. Absolutely free. First, decide how long a vacation you would like to have, then don’t schedule anything for that length of time.”

I wondered, “Is it possible to experience this kind of vacation with a dentist’s hands in my mouth?”

Too often we think that the only time we have to relax is when we’re away from home, but that’s a fallacy. It is possible to take time for ourselves throughout a busy work week—we just have to schedule it into our day-planners.

Perhaps, on the surface, Rabbi Brian’s approach sounds simplistic. And yet, it points to a powerful human need: the need for renewal—physical, social, spiritual renewal. Until a couple of decades ago, Sunday was considered by society to be the day of rest, and many people used Sunday as a day of renewal by taking a day off of work, by spending time with family and friends, by attending services at the local church, synagogue or temple to be reminded of the truly important things in life. Times have changed however. For many people, Sunday is a workday like any other.

A day during which email continues to flood our inboxes; a busy, normal day of responsibility which requires extensive scheduling.

I’m not suggesting we try to restore those “good old days” and dispense with Sunday shopping. What I am suggesting, though, is that somewhere during the week, each one of us needs

to spend some time being intentional about renewal—cultivating those parts of our lives which nourish the spirit.

The Judeo-Christian faiths have a name for this day of renewal: Sabbath. It comes from a Hebrew word, Shabbat, which means to cease, or to rest.

There is great wisdom in making time for Sabbath, for renewal—and doesn’t have to be on a Sunday. My full time gig is serving a church in Scarborough. I work hard on Sundays; therefore, Sunday is not my day of renewal.

So, I schedule another day. Fridays work sometimes; my son gets out of kindergarten at 11:15 and we have the rest of

[

Rev. Hugh Donnelly

EAST COMMAND Rev. Hugh Donnelly 416.450-8372 (cell) hughdonnelly@rogers.com

This is hard to do, to be sure. It’s not easy logging out of my email for a day and choosing to be “unavailable” to every other person in the world who depends on me. I know a lot of fire fighters who have many other commitments outside of their shift work who might find such a practice hard (at first, anyway). Yet, isn’t it true that the most important things in life require training—fire fighters know a lot about training. Well, renewal requires training as well. We need to be intentional about allowing this dimension of our life to develop

WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT ALLOWING THIS DIMENSION OF OUR LIFE TO DEVELOP AND MATURE. WHEN WE NOURISH OUR SPIRIT, WE ARE HEALTHIER ALL AROUND. WE ARE FAR MORE INTEGRATED PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, SOCIALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY THAN WE THINK WE ARE.

the day to play, go for a hike in the woods, take a trip to the zoo, have supper at Tim Horton’s or Wendy’s. If something precludes me from taking Friday (such as a funeral or a wedding, for example), then I schedule another day, like Saturday. On my day of renewal, I turn off the computer, let the phone ring, and spend my time fully with the people I love the most and doing the things that are most important to me, the things that bring me life.

]

and mature. When we nourish our spirit, we are healthier all around. We are far more integrated physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually than we think we are.

It’s January, the time for New Year’s resolutions. Maybe you could try Rabbi Brian’s idea of a Free Vacation Giveaway. Take one day a week, and give yourself fully to the people you love and the things that bring you joy. Who knows, you might actually like it.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 13

 e  Le TO THE EDITOR

FIRE FIGHTER DINNER

Thank you for the opportunity for us to have a Firefighter Dinner!

It was a very entertaining prize.

The crew were great sports to entertain us for the evening.

Have a great day.

Say hello from Linda, Elaine, Janet and I and a big thank you to the Crew.

Cherell

HOCKEY EQUIPMENT DONATION

On behalf of the goal tenders and players of Agincourt Canadians Hockey League-Scarborough, Ontario, I would like to thank the Whitby Minor Hockey Association through the Toronto Firefighters Association for the generous donation of five sets of goalie equipment and two sets of sweaters.

Everyone of these items will be used within our house league during the coming seasons. As the price of good equipment goes up, your gift lowers our future costs passed on to registrants.

We are volunteers who work to develop hockey skills within our community. Your donation will help us to meet this objective while reducing the cost of the program. It is great to see the T.F.A take an active part in helping our youth.

With thanks for your generosity and good will.

Blaine Morlock Treasurer-ACHL

RETIREMENT FAREWELL Just wanted to let you all know that I went down and saw Sandra Soon on Wednesday and signed off the Toronto Fire Department. I will be retired as of January 31, 2009.

It’s already a sad day for me even as I was talking to Sandra. It’s hard to leave a job (life) that you love so much and leave the friends that you have made (I’m getting a little misty here). I have some great memories of 33 years of socializing, hockey, baseball, golf. Thanks to all of my friends for your support.

14

I don’t have everyone’s email address in my contacts list but please pass along to anyone you think may be interested.

Nick Dimitropoulos

SUPPORTING A BROTHER IN NEED

I had no idea how lucky I was when I was hired as a Toronto Fire Fighter just nine years ago. Many of you already know that I’ve been off the trucks since January of this year battling cancer. I ran out of sick time as I was recovering from my second surgery.

There were many members who voluntarily gave up their days off to cover my shifts and allow me to continue to get paid. This alone was an incredible show of support to a fellow fire fighter, any yet, there was still a lot more generosity to come.

Part of my treatment includes a six month cycle of chemotherapy. As it happens, one of the drugs recommended by Cancer Care Ontario, to be used in conjunction with my chemo, is not covered by O.H.I.P. or by Manulife. This meant that the cost of this particular drug would have to be paid privately. Once fire fighter Brian Hill (412-D) found this out, he approached Captain Brian Johnson (444-D) and a fundraising golf tournament was quickly organized. The tournament was completely sold out and a good day was had by all.

Not long after this, a second fundraiser was held at Hollywood on the Queensway. At this function, “Backdraft” performed along with Scott Marks and his band. Again, the event was well attended and a lot of fun was had.

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

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MAY BE FORWARDED TO: Letter to the Editor FIRE WATCH 39 Commissioners Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A 1A6 LETTERS POLICY You may email your letter to: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org FIRE WATCH welcomes letters to the editor to give you – Local 3888 members – an opportunity to express your views, concerns, ideas, or gripes.

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

[

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

These two fundraisers alone raised almost enough to cover the entire cost of the unfunded drug (Avastin). This drug, I am told, works by preventing tumour cells from creating their own blood supply, thereby making the other drugs work more effectively.

I quickly learned that Cancer affects a person and their family in three ways: physically, emotionally, and financially. I was completely taken care of financially by a great number of fire fighters. Not having to worry about finances while fighting this disease goes a long way in helping with the emotional and mental stresses that one encounters while battling cancer. With your very generous support I was therefore able to fully concentrate on my physical recovery and subsequent healing.

The news I have been receiving in terms of my health has been very positive to date and I am looking forward to coming back and riding the trucks soon. I can not thank you all enough for tour support, generosity, and encouragement. I have never been as humbled as I was this year while in need of help.

My wife, two daughters, and myself will be forever thankful. I don’t think there are many (if any) professions that would stand up and support a person in need like fire fighters did for me and will continue to do for others.

Cam Haunton (412-D) (Barb, Rachael, and Sarah)

FUNERAL EFFORTS APPRECIATED I cannot thank you enough for all of the hard work that you put into Ron`s funeral and the kindness and support you showed us. I will always keep you in my thoughts when I think of Ron and the Fire Department. If there is ever anything I can do in return, please don’t hesitate to call on my help. It was a beautiful service and went very well according to all of the feedback I have received. The family was extremely grateful.

Penny Seymour

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

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

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS/QUERIES MAY BE FORWARDED TO: Articles FIRE WATCH 39 Commissioners Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A 1A6

[

]

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

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

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

FIRE WATCH does not offer payment for submissions.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 15

THE BIGGEST

ONE YET! 16

LOCAL 3888 CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY

T

he 10th annual Local 3888 Children’s Christmas Party was held on December 13th at Variety Village and once again, it was an immense success. New attractions and old traditions helped make this event such a special day for everyone to enjoy.

There were over 1,200 children in attendance - a new record - which reflects the high regard that members hold for this event. The Children’s Christmas Party, which is an integral part Local 3888’s social calendar, has grown bigger and better with each consecutive year.

Christmas cheer filled the air and the joyous spirit could be felt everywhere.

There are more than 3,000 fire fighters who make up Local 3888 and the Christmas party is always an important social event to plan every year. Frank Ramagnano, chairman of the Children’s Christmas party stated, “Once again I am extremely pleased with this year’s turn-out. Every child had a smile on their face and everyone truly got into the Christmas spirit. This is a special time of year, and it’s a great opportunity for everyone to see each other’s families and spend some quality time together.”

Those who attended the Christmas party enjoyed great food, wonderful prizes and the warm presence of others throughout the day. Activities that the children enjoyed included the everpopular inflatable rides, the climbing

wall, extreme obstacle course, a children’s activity center, and of course, the arts and crafts. The face painters, hair braiding, air brush tattoos, science guy and Jungle Jack - a crowd favourite proved to entertain the children as well.

Undeniably, the main attraction of the day was the long-awaited visit from Santa, who made a very special appearance, well equipped with presents for everyone. As an added bonus, Mrs. Claus attended and was gracious enough to assist with the long line ups and with pictures. Children were filled with glee at the sight of the jolly old man in the bright red suit and were thrilled to have their chance to meet him. Santa and Mrs. Claus spent individual time with the kids in order to take pictures and also to find out what is on their Christmas list this year.

Local 3888’s Children’s Christmas Party is always a huge success among families and this year was no exception.

As one of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association’s many events, the Christmas party holds a special place in everyone’s hearts as it brings people together to celebrate the holidays.

“It was a great day and everyone enjoyed themselves,” said Neil McKinnon, Local 3888 Entertainment Committee Chair. “There was a lot of effort put into making this day a success and many thanks go

out to everyone involved.

I can say without a doubt that all of the preparation paid off in the end.

The excitement and joy on every child’s face makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Above picture is Michael Cane, Station 212 A. His five year old son Patrick won the Nintendo WII System.

Thanks to all for the donation of Toys.

W I N TWINTER E R 2 0 02007 8 | F|I FIRE R E WATCH WATCH 17

Awards

OFF DUTY M

any members of Local 3888 are involved in off duty deeds that might be taken for granted by their fellow peers or the general public. These efforts reflect most favourably on all Toronto Fire Fighters. With that in mind, on behalf of all the members, the Association presents annual awards to recognize those efforts, and to thank those members for doing their part to enhance the image of Toronto Fire Fighters. Nominations are accepted in three different categories;

Award THE BEN BONSER Award

THE AL PEARSALL

Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s) who contributed, time and ability toward the improvement of his/her/their Community and Fellow Man, while “off duty”.

Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s), who during the past year, while “off duty”, has distinguished himself/herself/themselves — by making a rescue, or being involved in saving the life of a fellow citizen in a hazardous or threatening situation.

Award BOX 12 ASSOCIATION Award THE ROY SILVER

Awarded to the Local 3888 member(s), who during the past year, while “off duty”, has distinguished himself/herself/themselves — by performing first aid or CPR for a fellow citizen.

This award will be presented annually to an individual who has gone above and 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 continued extraordinary work by an individual that reflects positively both on the winning candidate and Local 3888.

The spirit of this award is to recognize outstanding service and volunteerism as demonstrated by the Box 12 Association.

We ask your assistance in helping us to identify those members who have performed in a manner that would qualify them for an award in one of the categories stated above.

Submissions can be given to any Executive Officer or can be sent to the Union Office at:

39 Commissioners Street, Toronto, Ontario M5A 1A6 Or Faxed at 416-466-6632 to the attention of Off Duty Awards.

Please contact Dave Holwell, Awards Coordinator if you require further information.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE - FEBRUARY 6, 2009 (For deeds occurring on or before December 31, 2008)

18

SPEECH MADE BY FIRE CHIEF, BILL STEWART AT RON’S FUNERAL

CAPTAIN RON SEYMOUR

I

t is a great honour to recognize the outstanding work of Ron Seymour in developing and advancing The EAP/CISM for Toronto Fire Services. It is also very important to recognize and remember his contribution as a Captain of The Toronto Fire Department, which he joined in May 1961 until July 1995.

His dedication to serve and protect the public is undeniable. He is a true hero who faced and dealt with risk each and every day to help and protect the men, women and children of Toronto.

In the very brief time that I have been given, I need to highlight the tremendous impact that Ron had on fire fighters and the public through the creation of and significant contribution to the EAP/CISM program.

The development started back in 1985 when Ron recognized the need and moved into action. There was no turning back with his determination to create a successful team.

We know that; • In 1987, he became the EAP team director.

• In 1991, he became a CISM training instructor and the team became EAP/ CISM. • The IAFF president struck a committee on EAP/CISM and Ron was the only Canadian Fire Fighter asked to join that team. He remained until he stepped down in 2007.

• In 1995, Ron approached Ron Nickle of the North York Fire Department EAP team and asked him to Co-Chair the TFS EAP/CISM team. A lasting friendship was formed and resulted in a well trained team.

• In 1997, with the TFS amalgamation, Ron Seymour called a meeting with representatives of each of the six Fire Services. An integrated team was established and up and running for amalgamation.

• On September 12, 2001, Ron was contacted by FEMA and asked if he could put a team together to assist at ground zero with CISM/EAP. It was because of Ron’s involvement and contacts, that Toronto Fire was the first Canadian CISM/EAP team deployed to New York. Ron did all the ground work and made it possible for seven representatives of Toronto to work with the FDNY, the IAFF and FEMA from September 22 to October 5, 2001.

• In 2001, in light of 9/11, Ron began preparations for a large scale CISM plan for the city of Toronto. He gathered representatives from both Toronto Police and Toronto Emergency Services. Ron became an executive member of the newly founded Tri-Service EAP/CISM team.

• In 2002, Ron was awarded with the TEMA Conter memorial trust public service award. The TEMA Conter memorial trust public service award is presented to the individual who has gone “Above and beyond the call of Duty” in assisting his/her community of fellow emergency services personnel cope with the psychological stressors of critical incident stress and/or post traumatic stress disorder.

His work on behalf of EAP/CISM has helped thousands of fire fighters throughout North America and here in Toronto.

Ron stepped down as director of the TFS CISM/EAP Team in order to spend more time with his wife Penny, but stayed very active on the team. He attended regular meetings and took part in all training sessions.

It is with sincere respect that we offer our condolences to Ron’s family. We think of his wife, Penny and his family Janette, Kerry and Andrew, who is a member of Toronto Fire Services and his cherished step-children Debbie, Lucie and David. These are very difficult days for you as you miss your husband and father. My hope is that you will find inner strength that comes from the support of your friends and the memories of love shared with your husband and father.

It is with deep respect and honour that we remember and give thanks for the service of Captain Ron Seymour of the former Toronto Fire Department and his work as the director of the EAP/CISM Team of the Toronto Fire Services.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 19

Toronto’s Top Hot Spot…

Spot…

TORONTO EATON CENTRE

BY MARLA FRIEBE, SOUTH COMMAND, PUBLIC EDUCATION SECTION

“TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE LONG RESPONDED TO TORONTO’S LARGEST SHOPPING MALL AND TOP TOURIST DESTINATION. HERE ARE A FEW HISTORICAL FACTS, AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT CANADA’S BUSIEST FIRST RESPONDERS FACE.”

B

...the complex contains three office buildings, and is linked to a 17-storey Marriott Hotel and the Bay department store chain...

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oasting over one million visitors every week, the Toronto Eaton Centre opened over thirty years ago and is now Canada’s third largest shopping mall and widely acclaimed as Toronto’s top tourist attraction. Located at 220 Yonge Street, the Toronto Eaton Centre is bounded by Yonge Street on the east, Queen Street on the south, Dundas Street on the north, and on the west by James Street and Trinity Square.

Inside can be found twisting passages that form part of Toronto’s underground city, the PATH network, and each day brings countless trains into both Queen and Dundas TTC subway stations.

In addition to providing shoppers with 250 boutiques, popular stores and restaurants, and two food courts, the complex contains three office buildings, and is linked to a 17-storey Marriott Hotel and The Bay department store chain on the south side of Queen Street. In 2006 The Toronto Eaton Centre evolved yet again, with a new wing containing a large Canadian Tire, Best Buy, Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, and an additional parking

garage with 574 parking spaces on its upper level.

HISTORY Founded by Timothy Eaton in the 1800’s, his first dry goods stored located on Yonge Street eventually would become the largest department store chain in the country. By the 20th century, the Eaton’s chain owned most of the land between Yonge, Queen, Bay and Dundas Streets with the exception of Old City Hall, and the Church of the Holy Trinity. This tract of land was occupied by its main store, the Eaton’s Annex, and numerous mail order and factory buildings. Eventually Eaton’s aspired to construct a massive new flagship store to replace its two oldest sites, the main store at Yonge and Queen Streets, and its College Street store to the north.

They announced their plans in the mid-sixties, with the original plan calling for the demolition of Old City Hall, and the Church of the Holy Trinity; a fierce local debate ensued, and the plans were sidetracked until the early seventies. Eventually, some streets were

closed to enable the mall’s construction: Terauley, Louisa, Downey’s Lane, and Albert Lane all disappeared from Toronto’s history. Luckily, James and Albert Streets were preserved around City Hall, and the City required that pedestrians have 24-hour access, seven days a week, through the mall where Albert Street once existed. This feature is still in existence today.

Revolutionary in its design, the new downtown Toronto Eaton Centre would influence shopping centre architecture throughout North America in the coming years. Partnered with Cadillac Fairview and the Toronto-Dominion Bank, Eaton’s sought designers Eberhard Zeidler and Bregman + Hamann Architects to construct a multi-leveled, vaulted glass ceiling galleria, modeled after a similar structure in Milan, Italy.

TORONTO EATON CENTRE FIRE Shortly after its opening in February 1977, Toronto Fire Fighters were called into action. On May 9, 1977, a fire erupted inside the new building and spread from structure to structure, fuelled by the night’s windy weather. To be sworn in as Fire Chief later that day, Ben Bonser was kept busy battling the fire throughout the early morning.

Headlines in the paper expressed his concern over having to manage the conflagration on what would have been his first day as Chief—“New Fire Chief on

the Job, ‘I hope I get to keep it’.” The Trinity Church roof would also catch fire, and hundreds of the mall’s new glass panels were smashed and scorched by radiant heat. The fires were doused by early morning, but crews remained on site all day washing down the remains of the blaze. Total damage was estimated at one million dollars.

Upon its eventual re-opening, the mall was hugely successful, but sadly, in 1999, Eaton’s department store surrendered to bankruptcy. Today, that original space is now occupied by Sears Canada, now the largest chain store in the world.

FIRST RESPONDERS No doubt, Toronto’s first responders in the downtown core need to know the

Eaton’s sought designers Eberhard Zeidler and Bregman + Hamann Architects to construct a multileveled, vaulted glass ceiling galleria, modeled after a similar structure in Milan, Italy.

layout of this massive structure very well. South Command fire crews may have to discern between one of the many street addresses that the Toronto Eaton Centre is known by, in what could be a life or death situation. Its winding corridors and numerous sub-basements would be confusing even to the best navigator.

As a proactive strategy, Toronto Fire crews were invited to participate in building familiarity tours conducted by owners and property managers, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited.

Keeping abreast of changes and retrofit features to the Toronto Eaton Centre could prove to be vitally important, considering how many people’s lives could ultimately be at stake in the event of an emergency.

A crew described how they were recently called to one Toronto Eaton Centre address by a 911 Dispatcher to respond to a victim in a store inside the mall. Knowing the layout well, crews immediately identified that the stated address was in fact not the closest to the store entrance, and responded using a nearer entrance. They arrived quickly to assess the victim who was eventually defibrillated and revived; however, circumstances may have turned out more critically had this crew not be familiar with the space.

W I N T E R 2 0 0 8 | F I R E WATCH 21

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22

Toronto’s Top Hot Spot ... Continued from page 21

The Toronto Eaton Centre recognized the need to further bridge the gap between public and private sectors specifically in the field of emergency preparedness. It is with this in mind that they employ three full time Fire & Life Safety Inspectors—who hold CFAA Designations, as well as NFPA Fire Inspector Certification. This dedicated team is responsible for the day-to-day involvement in testing and maintenance of Fire Protection Systems as well as assisting in property emergency preparedness initiatives.

One such Initiative is the joint partnership involving Toronto Fire Services and their First Responders and specialized crews that respond to the Toronto Eaton Centre.

Heightening the awareness of emergency response personnel to the vital information required by Fire Crews is of key importance. It points to the need for coordinated efforts between public and private staff and clarifying emergency arrival locations to improve efficiency.

Detailed floor plans have now been compiled outlining the perimeter entrances that may be used by arriving Fire Crews.

In addition, Property Systems and Hazard Identification lists have been created and implemented into Toronto Eaton Centre Fire Safety Plans—things that responding Fire Crews need to know.

“This partnership, allows front line Fire Crews to provide direct input to our building personnel in order to enhance future responses—the strong commitment and collaboration displayed by Toronto Fire Service has been tremendous”, says Jason Reid, Manager of Fire and Life Safety for the Toronto Eaton Centre. Paul Moffatt, Toronto Fire Services Platoon Chief, agrees that the tours designed for Toronto Fire have been extremely helpful. “Toronto Fire Fighters benefit greatly by familiarizing themselves with the size and complexities of the mall in a non-emergency atmosphere,” he stated.

One life safety feature that was highlighted during the evening tours could

greatly assist Toronto Fire Services when dealing with a large scale evacuation.

The Eaton Centre is equipped with revolving doors that will collapse into a book fold position for emergency egress.

When the door’s edge is grasped and a sharp quick pull is administered, the snap-in spring mechanism is disengaged, allowing for a quick breakout.

In addition, another interesting feature, installed after the summer blackout of 2005, is their photo luminescent guidance system that will be found in most of the complex’s stairwells, retail, and common areas (now required by Code in New York City after 911). In the event of an evacuation, and if the building’s emergency lighting were to ever fail, 4 km of photo luminescent stripping has been installed and will glow with light for up to 8 hours on all stair treads, rails, and signage. Using the latest photo luminescent technology, this tape is a flexible laminated film that absorbs and

stores energy from ambient light. In the event of a power outage, this tape is immediately visible, providing people with a clearly illuminated evacuation route.

As a result of this program, Toronto Eaton Centre staff now has a far greater understanding of the Fire Service informational needs and they have become significantly more aware of the response capabilities of the Toronto Fire Service.

Such understanding and communication will improve emergency responses in the future, solidify community partnerships and ultimately better serve the public. This is truly a best-practice model that other property owners and managers across Canada can and should learn from.

For further information on the Toronto Eaton Centre, or future emergency preparedness initiatives, please contact Jason Reid, Manager, Fire & Life Safety at: jason.reid@cadillacfairview.com.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 23 WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 23

NORTH YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT

BY IAN HAMILTON, DISTRICT CHIEF, CAR 13 “C”, WITH EXCERPTS FROM TFS HISTORY BOOK

PRIOR TO 1922, THE NORTH YORK AREA WAS A PART OF YORK TOWNSHIP WITHIN YORK COUNTY. ON JULY 18, 1922, THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH YORK WAS CREATED. IT HAD SEVEN OFFICIAL VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES THAT PROVIDED FIRE PROTECTION FOR NORTH YORK’S SEVENTY SQUARE MILES. BY 1923, A VOLUNTEER BRIGADE HEADED BY CHIEF WILLIAM JOHN NELSON PROVIDED FIRE PROTECTION FOR THE TOWNSHIP. CHIEF NELSON WAS TO ASSUME THIS POSITION UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1931. THEIR FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT AT THIS TIME CONSISTED OF JUST ONE MODEL “T” FORD TRUCK AND FOUR HOSE HAND REELS, LOCATED AT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP. THE MODEL “T” WAS STATIONED AT THE ‘PIONEER GARAGE’ WHICH WAS LOCATED AT YONGE STREET AND ELMHURST. THE HAND REELS WERE LOCATED AT VARIOUS ALTERNATE SITES DURING THIS TIME, INCLUDING DREWRY AND YONGE STREET, LILLIAN NEAR STEELES, GLENCAIRN AND DUFFERIN, BEDFORD PARK NEAR LEDBURY, HARDING NEAR JANE STREET, ALBION PARK, AND HUMBER SUMMIT. THE POPULATION OF THE TOWNSHIP AT THIS TIME WAS 6,303.

W

hen Chief Nelson retired in 1931, Harry Ryder, a mechanic by trade, rented the Pioneer Garage from Nelson and took over as Chief until his death four years later. In

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1935, the position of Fire Chief was then handed over to Ivan Markham Nelson, the son of the first Fire Chief, William John Nelson. At 22 years of age, Ivan was the youngest Fire Chief in all of Canada.

A Full Time Department Up to 1941, the department operated as a volunteer brigade. In that year, the township indicated the need for a fulltime, permanent operation as the popu-

lation had grown to 22,953. Chief Ivan Nelson, Deputy Chief William Ballantyne, Fire Fighters Charles, Prowse, Charles Dawson, and Frank Bennett became the first official Fire Fighters of the North York Fire Department. Chief Nelson continued in the capacity of Fire Chief until he died in 1975 after forty years of fire fighting. Deputy Chief Ballantyne remained second in command for 34 years, and notably, during Hurricane Hazel in 1954, he was one of many fire fighters who worked up to their waists in water rescuing people from a flooded intersection at Jane Street and Wilson Avenue. On January 1, 1942, the first official fire station was opened in Willowdale at 5125 Yonge Street, south of Empress, complete with a fiveman permanent crew and two pumper apparatus—a 1936 Bickle Engine and a 1926 Reo. During the Second World War, North York experienced a population boom; from 18,205 in 1939 to 30,114 in 1946.

A rush of Torontonians, eager for hous-

ing, sparked the population explosion in the suburbs. To provide adequate protection, it was evident to the North York Fire Department that it was necessary to expand. Between 1942 and 1943, five additional members were added to the staff, bringing the total complement up to ten.

The North York Fire Fighters Association was born on May 10th, 1943, in Chief Nelson’s apartment above Number One Fire Station. Chief Nelson and eight members of the department were present. The ceremony was conducted

by Mr. Jim Preston, 13th District Vice President of the I.A.F.F. The group became I.A.F.F. Local 752.

A snapshot report of the North York Fire Department in 1948 under Chief Ivan Nelson shows that there were just seventeen full-time fire fighters to serve a population of 37,932 residents. Fire fighters worked a two-platoon system of 56 hours weekly. While not having the benefit of a city water supply, their primary source of water for fire fighting

was wells and rivers. A contingent of volunteers that supplemented the efforts of the full-time men still existed; sixteen volunteers cost the Department a total of $315 for their services that year.

The Fifties

North York Fire Fighters were welcomed into the fifties with another increase in emergency responses. There were 508 calls in 1950 and, by 1952, fire fighters were responding to 658 calls annually.

Due to the increased number of responses, in 1952, a second official fire station was constructed on Lawrence Avenue, just east of Bathurst Street.

Thirteen additional fire fighters were hired to staff the Lawrence Avenue Station, bringing the total complement up to forty-nine men.

Seven men increased the staffing complement, with one individual assigned to the recently formed Fire Prevention Bureau. An additional nineteen men were hired, bringing the total up to seventy. The need for volunteers as a result was drastically reduced,

A SNAPSHOT REPORT OF THE NORTH YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 1948 UNDER CHIEF IVAN NELSON SHOWS THAT THERE WERE JUST SEVENTEEN FULL-TIME FIRE FIGHTERS TO SERVE A POPULATION OF 37,932 RESIDENTS.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 25

North York Fire Department ... Continued from page 25

except for the Humber Summit Volunteer Brigade, which still operated in the north-west corner of the township. In 1954, a mechanical division was created and one staff member was assigned to that division operating out of Station

No. 1, then moved to No. 6 in 1959. It was also in 1959 that the first Training Division—with Training Officer Jack Wright (later to become Chief of Training) in command—was established to produce a standard of efficiency in fire fighting techniques. Captain Wright also produced the department’s first training manual.

26

Fire calls increased to 874 by 1954. In response to the growing need for their services, between the years 1955 and 1962, North York saw immense growth in their department and facilities. Two new stations were constructed in 1955, one on the west side and one on the east side of the township, with occupancy expected by 1956. The Headquarters on Yonge Street was renovated and expanded to accommodate offices and personnel and the Fire Prevention Division also expanded to include three inspectors.

The purchase of the department’s first 100’ aerial ladder truck in 1956 helped the township to deal with the ever-increasing number of high-rises being built. The annual statistical report, which Fire Chief Ivan Nelson issued to Council in January 1957, for the year 1956, shows an unprecedented increase in alarms to 1,171, with an annual fire loss of $772,380. Five stations were now responding to the needs of the community. Fire Station No. 6 was officially opened on March 15, 1959, and 46 recruits were hired as a result.

The North York Fire Department also had a very active Fire Prevention Bureau, and in 1959, the bureau responded to 3,103 inspections ranging in nature from commercial and industrial to high-rise occupancies. Chief Inspector C. E. Symonds noted in the 1957 annual report that a total of 2,833 home inspections were conducted. This number significantly rose by the following year to 4,090 inspections, and 19,793 home inspections.

In 1959, the Provincial Federation of Ontario Fire Fighters commenced what was to become one of the greatest boons to Ontario full time fire fighters. They organized fire fighter training seminars for the purpose of teaching fire fighters how to present briefs and bargain. These

seminars were first held in Gravenhurst and were conducted by Dr. Eric Taylor.

Fire fighters owe much to him, including his award of a 42-hour work week to the Toronto Fire Fighter Local during a 1962 arbitration.

The Sixties

By 1960, North York now had seven fire stations when the newly constructed station at 200 Bermondsey Road was opened. An additional 100-foot aerial ladder was purchased, and nineteen fire fighters were hired to create a force of 211 men. The eighth station was opened in 1962; No. 8 Station at 1507 Lawrence Avenue West was constructed for $218,000 dollars. Two new pumpers and a 100-foot aerial ladder were acquired, complemented by the hiring of 39 recruits to help staff them.

The department opened its own fully equipped training tower at the location of No. 7 Station in 1963; the first of its kind in Metropolitan Toronto, the four-storey tower was built at a cost of $34,800. The new tower was used to train recruits along with review and advance training of in-service crews. To accommodate the growing need for fire fighter training, a second Captain was transferred to the Training Division in the capacity of an Assistant Training Officer.

The Seventies and Eighties

Fire Chief Ivan Nelson passed on July 16, 1975 after forty years of dedicated service, and was succeeded by Fire Chief Joe Gibson.

In 1982, training in North York was still being conducted in a cramped 12 by 24-foot office in No. 7 Station on Bermondsey. However, an almost $400,000 dollar grant from the city of North York and the Province of Ontario allowed for a large addition to be added. The basement of the structure contained a mock

New Equipment and Station Improvements

Toronto Transit Commission subway tunnel with tracks and lighting where subway fire fighting and rescue operations could be simulated.

Pope John Paul II visited North York in 1984, and the Papal Mass was scheduled to be held at Downsview Park. A North York Fire Department task force was formed, consisting of members from the Operations, Fire Prevention, and Administration divisions. Planning began one year before the visit was scheduled to take place. Up to one million people were expected to attend the Mass, but heavy rains on the morning of the event deterred many from attending. The final attendance at the event totalled 500,000.

By 1985, North York had over 600 employees, seven Divisions, 16 fire stations, 18 pumpers, one foam pumper, five aerial trucks, two rescue vehicles and one elevated platform apparatus. Emergencies were steadily rising. In 1981, crews responded to 11,456 calls and by 1985 the total number of emergencies had risen to 15,579. The difference in the number of calls was attributed to the refinement of the tiered response system by ambulance, police and fire. The average first arriving apparatus response time continued to be 3.5 minutes, which was the same for the previous year. The

Leslie Street and Eglinton Avenue Station officially opened in January 1985 and this helped to further reduce road response times in this area.

The North York Fire Fighters Association approached Dr. Ron Nickle in 1985 and requested that he accept the position of ‘Chaplain’. Dr. Nickle was looking after a full-time ministry in 1985 with Lansing United Church but upon his acceptance of this position, he dedicated much of his time away from his congregational duties towards his role as Chaplain. Dr. Nickle helped research and develop the initial NYFD Critical Incident Stress program.

Some of the new equipment investigated by the department in 1992 included the PASS devices and EEV thermal imaging cameras. Two cameras were put into operation in 1992 and the PASS devices were put into service in 1993. In addition, the new Emergency Planning, Research and Development Section became part of the Administration Division effective January 6th, 1992.

Station No.12 was renovated to accommodate a new Communications Centre and additional mechanical repair space. This work was begun in the fall of 1992 and was completed in 1993.

In the realm of new equipment, Positive Pressure Fans were acquired in 1993, as well as the department’s first Thermal Imaging Camera. The Thermal Imaging Camera proved to be of tremendous assistance to fire crews responding to fire incidents and, as a result, three more cameras were purchased in 1994.

1993 marked the Fiftieth Anniversary for the North York Fire Fighter’s Association, and the occasion was marked with a service held at Lansing United

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 27

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North York Fire Department ... Continued from page 27

Church. Reverend Dr. Ron Nickle conducted the ceremony.

Apparatus Relocations and Station Renovations

The North York Fire Department Museum and Education Centre was ready for operation on December 16, 1995 and then officially opened by Fire Chief Alan F. Speed on February 16, 1996. The facility was attached to Station No. 19 on Curlew Drive. The flagship of the museum was the original 1936 Bickle Chieftain Triple Combination Pumper. This truck saw service until 1948 when it was sold to the Thessalon Ontario Fire Department; the engine was brought back to North York by the North York Historical Board and completely refurbished by the North York Fire Department Mechanical Division. Fire Prevention staff moved from Stations No. 15 and 17 into new facilities at Station No. 19.

A number of new vehicles, purchased in 1995, made it possible to relocate others to response areas in need of improved service. Also this year, the wide scale implementation of the Rescue/Pumper concept occurred, along with the phasing out of North York’s second Heavy Rescue. In April 1996, major renovations commenced at Station No. 8 and were completed by September. A Rescue/ Pumper was put into service at this location. Renovations were also completed at Station No. 6. Station No. 7 received a Rescue/Pumper, and the CAD System became operational on December 31, 1996.

The development of the North York Fire Department from a small, volunteer group in a rural, suburban area to a large

Museum and Education Centre

professional force of men and women had taken place in a very short amount of time. By 1997, the North York Fire Department had nineteen stations. The stations were divided into four districts covering seventy square miles, with a population of approximately 580,000. A District Chief commanded each district.

The department possessed a contingent of 20 pumpers, five foam/haz-mat pumpers, six aerials, one aerial platform truck, one pumper/aerial truck, one heavy rescue truck, five rescue/pumpers, one hazardous materials truck, one air recharging/lighting truck, one incident command vehicle and five Chief’s vehicles. All emergency response apparatus were staffed with one Captain and three Fire Fighters except for the rescue, which was staffed with one Captain, and two Fire Fighters.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 29

&

FIRE FIGHTER

SURVIVAL & RESCUE &

Are you ready when the MAYDAY is called?

BY TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS GEOFF BOISSEAU and JOHN MCGILL

YOU ARRIVE AT A ‘ROUTINE’ HOUSE FIRE. LINES RUNNING IN THE HOUSE, FLAMES COMING OUT OF A WINDOW, SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE EVES—IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD WORKING FIRE. SO NOW IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK; YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THE RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM. SUDDENLY THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, A MAYDAY CALL COMES ACROSS THE RADIO. A FIRE FIGHTER IS IN TROUBLE. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? ARE YOU PREPARED? HAVE YOU AND YOUR CREW PRACTICED? WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS ASKED OF YOU? AFTER ALL, THAT FIRE FIGHTER, MUCH LIKE YOU, WANTS TO GO HOME AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND SAY THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD?

A

t every fireground emergency there are key roles to play. In this issue we are going to discuss the role of the RIT Officer and their involvement in a fire fighter rescue. Read it, and then you can decide if you are ready.

RIT COMPANY OFFICER You are the Officer in charge of the RIT at a scene and it is not very exciting. It is just a ‘routine’ fire, nothing major, but this is the time as we all know when Mr. Murphy will show up and bite us.

Suddenly, a fire fighter radios a MAYDAY—they need help. Now is the time to earn your money and prove you are a leader. In any fire fighter emergency, time is our enemy. It is working against the fire fighter in trouble. Everyone at the scene is expecting YOU to do something, anything, to save one of our own.

The RIT Sector Officer calls you into action. Now is NOT the time to ask yourself if you are ready. This is not a position that you can learn as you go. Lives are at stake. Your ability to do this job will have a DIRECT impact upon the success or failure of the rescue operation. Now 30

ask yourself…if this happens today, are you ready? Would you know what to do?

Have you drilled and practiced with your crew? We all know that we are only as good as we train. If you are a RIT Captain and you don’t practice with your crew regularly, what kind of outcome do you think you will have during a fire fighter rescue? Do you want to go home at the end of the shift and think ‘if only we had taken this more seriously’ or ‘ damn, that

rescue was really slick’. It is up to YOU to decide. You are leading your crew into one of the most dangerous situations you will ever encounter in your career.

Your crew will be concentrating on the prize—“saving one of their own”. Once the MAYDAY comes in, you will only have seconds to develop your search plan, gather your resources, and request additional personnel and equipment if necessary. In the interior, you have to supervise your crew. They WILL get tunnel vision because they are so focused on their goal. They WILL put the life of the downed fire fighter ahead of their own. It is up to you to ensure that they do not become part of the problem, and keep them safe.

RIT OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES BEFORE DEPLOYMENT • Monitor tactical radio channel en-route • Utilize standard staging procedures and ensure appropriate tools/ equipment have been cached • Ensure a building size up is completed and continually monitored

[

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE READY. THIS IS NOT A POSITION THAT YOU CAN LEARN AS YOU GO. LIVES ARE AT STAKE. YOUR ABILITY TO DO THIS JOB WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT UPON THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF THE RESCUE OPERATION.

• Ensure secondary means of egress (i.e. ladders to upper floors) • Ensure all doors are unlocked.

RIT OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER DEPLOYMENT • Develop and Communicate an Incident Action Plan to the IC (focus is to reduce risks to personnel) taking into account: 1. Critical fire ground factors 2. Air management 3. Fire fighter fatigue 4. Radio communications

• Monitoring air supply • Providing timely reports to Command or RITSO • Consider relay rescue (call additional resources early) • Provide timely reports to Command or Rescue Branch

]

• Consider alternative exit points Remember, these are the tasks that you are EXPECTED to do and the rescue attempt has just started. Now ask yourself—are you ready?

Fire fighters and their families are depending on it.

DEVELOP AND COMMUNICATE A SEARCH PLAN • The point of entry for crew or fire fighter in trouble • The last known location of crew or fire fighter in trouble • Assignment of tasks to RIT entry team (camera, air, tools, RIT Kit etc.)

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 31

Member Profile on

BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 445A

F

lip back to the cover of this issue of Fire Watch and you will instantly bare witness to the impressive artistic talents of Toronto Fire Fighter, Cameron Sharpe.

His artistic interest in fire fighters and fire fighting equipment came quite naturally, soon after being hired by Toronto Fire Services.

As a kid, Cam loved to play hockey and always liked to draw. In 1985, he decided to study art at the Ontario College of Art, from which he graduated in 1989. In the summer of 1989, he went on a motorcycle tour through Colorado and the American Rockies and then traveled up through Vancouver Island and the Canadian Rockies.

Cam had always been attracted to fire fighting and attempted to get onto the Fire Department in 1990. However, he soon learned that the competition was fierce and the sheer number of applicants, seeking the same dream as himself, was staggering. He was unsuccessful at that point in time.

32

He went on to study at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1991 and 1992, where he graduated with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He and his wife Joanne brought their motorcycle to Nova Scotia and explored the Canadian Maritimes while on the east coast.

After graduation, he worked at the craft of hand pulled lithography and screen printing in fine art printmaking studios. He also continued to draw and paint. His main interest was in painting urban landscapes and highway scenes in high realism.

Cam’s work has been well received in a variety of exhibitions in Canada and has been featured in far away places such as Korea and Japan. It has been shown on a book cover, on an annual report cover, and was included in a book celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Region of Peel.

In 1996, Cam became the Technical Director at the Open Studio printmaking studio. During the next five years, he also taught courses at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ontario College of Art and Design. In 2000 and 2001, he taught printmaking at the University of Guelph.

Cam never lost his desire to become a fire fighter however. Now realizing the extent of the commitment that is required in order to get hired, he tried again and was hired by Toronto Fire

Services in January of 2002. After successfully completing his basic training, he began his career at Station 224 on “B” platoon.

Cam did not spend much time on his artwork for the next few years as he began to learn his new craft of fire fighting. As time went on though, he was struck by some of the sights around fire stations. His interest in drawing began to return as he studied the light that fell

Cameron Sharpe

on equipment that we see every day and take for granted. One of the first projects that caught his interest was when he saw an unusual fire hydrant while travelling in Vermont. Working on this project rekindled his interest and, as time allowed, he began to study and capture the views we see every day.

Cam’s first love is his family. His wife Joanne is a nurse and they have a 10year-old daughter, and a six-year-old son. Both of the children have picked up Cam’s love of the game of hockey, and his daughter is even playing for a rep team.

The Sharpe family lives in Mississauga, so three years ago, Cam transferred to West Command to cut down

on his travel time. He says it was hard to put in for the transfer because he had such a great crew at Station 224.

He now works at Station 435 on B Platoon, where he is fortunate to work with another great crew. When this crew saw his fire fighting artwork, they encouraged Cam to share his work with other fire fighters through the Toronto Fire Watch magazine.

While enjoying other artists work, Cam says that realistic art is his favourite. Dutch 17th century works by artists such as Johannes Vermeer, and Canadian High Realism by Alex Colville and Christopher Pratt capture his imagination. When viewing Cam’s art, fire fighters may have found their new favourite artist in Cameron Sharpe.

Members who are interested in talking with Cam about his work can email him at: sharpecameron@rogers.com.

One of the first projects that caught his interest was when he saw an UNUSUAL FIRE HYDRANT while travelling in Vermont.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 33

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TFS: RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH

BY ADINA KAUFMAN, TFS RECRUITMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH SECTION

“

How do I become a fire fighter?”

This is a question that almost every member of 3888 has heard at some point. Whether the question comes from a family member, a friend, a neighbour or simply a member of the public, people see us as their source of information about career opportunities within Toronto Fire Services.

As members of TFS, we know that great career opportunities are available.

We know about the pride that comes with wearing the uniform, about the respect people have for us in the community, about the chance to help people every day, and about the salary and benefits that come with the job. But do we really know what it takes today to be hired by Toronto Fire Services? How have the rules changed since the day you were hired?

CHANGES IN HIRING PRACTICES Do you remember a time when fire fighters had to meet strict requirements for height and weight? When a career in communications started with training in operations? When the plan of a career in operations could be cut short by a transfer to prevention? When a probationary fire fighter job offer was conditional upon a fitness test at York University? None of these things is true any longer. Things have changed and they continue to change with each new recruitment process; we are constantly

evaluating our hiring practices to recognize the evolving reality of the work done by TFS as we serve the citizens of Toronto.

Now, imagine yourself with an eager applicant standing before you and you want to give them all the right answers, but where do you find them?

WE DO MORE THAN FIGHT FIRES TFS offers three main career paths: Probationary Fire Fighter, Call Taker/Dispatcher, and Fire Prevention Inspector.

The eligibility criteria and essential qualifications for these positions are all detailed on our website at www.toronto. ca/fire/recruitment.

The application process is different for the three career paths. Applicants for fire fighter positions can only access an online application during an active recruitment process, while applicants for communications and prevention positions can submit an online resume and cover letter at any time.

FIRE FIGHTER RECRUITMENT PROCESS Our last Probationary Fire Fighter recruitment campaign was in March 2008. Did you know that only applicants with an Ontario DZ Driver’s License, as well as First Aid and CPR certificates, were considered? Did you know that applicants who had an OFM/OAFC Pre-Service Fire Fighter Education and

Training Program Certificate (or equivalent training/experience) were deemed to have preferred qualifications?

The online application was available for a period of seven days, from March 1 to March 7, 2008. After application reviews, written testing, and interviews with a panel from TFS Operations and Human Resources, a hiring list was made.

On November 13, 2008, 48 Probationary Fire Fighters, chosen from that hiring list, completed their three months of training and were assigned to positions in operations.

THE HIRING LIST Every one of the Probationary Fire Fighters who graduated in November had preferred qualifications. On January 5, 2009, a new class of 52 recruits, also chosen from applicants with

APPLICANTS FOR FIRE FIGHTER POSITIONS CAN ONLY ACCESS AN ONLINE APPLICATION DURING AN ACTIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS, WHILE APPLICANTS FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PREVENTION POSITIONS CAN SUBMIT AN ONLINE RESUME AND COVER LETTER AT ANY TIME. WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 35

36

TFS: Recruitment and Outreach... Continued from page 35

RECRUITMENT OFFICERS INCLUDE IN THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES, DIRECT CONTACT WITH ASPIRING APPLICANTS, CAREER PRESENTATIONS IN LOCATIONS SUCH AS HIGH SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTRES AND LIBRARIES, AND ATTENDANCE AT COMMUNITY CAREER FAIRS. preferred qualifications, will begin their training.

If there is an operational need for another class of recruits during 2009, candidates without preferred qualifications will be selected from the hiring list; they will then train for approximately four months at the Fire Academy.

On December 31, 2009, the current hiring list will expire. It is expected that during 2008, we will have a recruitment campaign to determine qualified candidates for a hiring list to take effect in 2010.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Toronto is the 5th largest city in North America, with over 2.6 million people from more than 100 ethnic groups. The focus of the Recruitment and Commu-

nity Outreach Section is to make the fire service an accessible career choice for applicants who are passionate about fire services, who reflect the diversity of our city, and who are committed to serving the people of Toronto.

We work with community partners to best deliver recruitment information.

Recruitment Officers include in their daily activities, direct contact with aspiring applicants, career presentations in locations such as high schools, community centres and libraries, and attendance at community career fairs.

Outreach efforts that are supported

by Recruitment and Outreach include the TFS Career Preparation Course, Toronto High School Co-op Student placements, and the 1st Toronto Fire Venturers Company.

PLEASE HELP US The current employees of Toronto Fire Services are our most valuable resource in our recruitment efforts. You are the face and the voice of Toronto Fire Services in our community. Please share your enthusiasm and pride with potential applicants and be aware of the constantly changing nature of our recruitment process.

For accurate and up-to-date recruitment information, please refer any interested individuals to: 1. Our Website: www.toronto.ca/fire/ recruitment 2. Our Telephone Hotline: 416-392-FIRE (3473) 3. Our TFS Career Information Sessions, posted on our website calendar

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 37

STATION 445

BY JON LASIUK, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER

A

s the year 2008 draws to a close, Toronto Fire Station 445 will have recently celebrated its R MPE PU 48th anniversary. While that is a worthy accomplishment of its own, the story of ďŹ re protection in the area of Etobicoke that Station 445 serves began many decades previous.

A fixture of central Etobicoke in the first half of the 20th century was the Village of Islington. The village grew as its role as both a way station for travellers using the Dundas Highway and as a supply centre for the neighbouring farms increased.

To provide fire protection to the village, a volunteer fire department was formed in 1918. Storage space was acquired for three hand-drawn hose reels and small chemical wagons at the corner of Islington Avenue and Bloor Street, as 38

well as at Dundas Street and Burnhamthorpe Road and at the corner of Dundas Street and Bloor Street.

Prior to this, mutual aid from the Toronto area was the sole means of fire protection. In one famous account, Toronto Fire Fighters from Station #13, at

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Dundas Street and Lansdowne Avenue, responded several miles outside of the city limits to assist West Toronto Junction Fire Fighters in fighting to save the Canada Woolen Mill at Dundas Street on the west bank of the Humber River.

At the time of the fire on January 19th, 1901, the mill was one of the largest employers in Etobicoke Township.

The Village of Islington joined the mechanized world of fire fighting in 1923 with the purchase of a Bickle chemical and hose truck. To house this new apparatus, a new two-storey, multiple bay station was built by the village in 1924 at 5000 Dundas Street West.

This station, which would eventually become Etobicoke Fire Station #3, would remain in service until replaced by what is now the current Station #445 in 1960.

The Islington Fire Brigade would not

IN ONE FAMOUS ACCOUNT, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS FROM STATION #13 ...

RESPONDED SEVERAL MILES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS TO ASSIST WEST TORONTO JUNCTION FIRE FIGHTERS IN FIGHTING TO SAVE THE CANADA WOOLEN MILL AT DUNDAS STREET ON THE WEST BANK OF THE HUMBER RIVER.

]

close out the 1920’s without tragedy befalling them, though. On November 26th, 1929 the hall was dispatched to a grass fire north of the village. Fire Chief Arthur Wellwood, who had been instrumental in the formation of the department earlier in the 1920’s, jumped on the sideboard of the pumper as it was leaving for the call. As the apparatus turned left onto Burnhamthorpe Road to head north, it reportedly hit some loose gravel causing the driver to loose control. The rig overturned, crushing Chief Wellwood under it. His was the first reported lineof-duty death to strike the Etobicoke area. Today, Toronto Fire Fighter Sean Wellwood continues the family’s fire fighting tradition in West Command.

Throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, the apparatus and equipment at the old Dundas Street station continued to be improved upon. While a new LaFrance pumper was purchased in 1939 to replace the Bickle, residents and politicians alike were slowly becoming concerned that a wholly volunteer fire department could not meet the needs of the continuously expanding population. To meet those needs, Etobicoke’s first full-time Fire Chief, Fred Mitchell, was hired in 1947. His job would be to co-ordinate and manage the various volunteer fire departments throughout Etobicoke Township from his base at Islington.

Whatever development that Etobicoke Township had seen in the first half of the 20th century paled in comparison

to the explosive growth after World War II. Township Council struggled to provide basic services such as sewers and hydro to the new housing developments that seemed to break ground almost weekly.

The Etobicoke Fire Department went from an essentially all-volunteer force in 1950 to six fully staffed professional stations by 1959. The Dundas Street station became Station #3, itself getting a full-time crew in 1955.

Within four years, it became apparent that the old volunteer hall on Dundas Street was wholly inadequate to serve the full-time force. As well, it was badly situated to serve the rapidly growing areas to the north-west of the old Village of Islington. With houses springing up to the west of Highway 27, Township Council selected a plot of land at 280 Burnhamthorpe Road, just east of Ashbourne Drive, for the construction of a new fire department headquarters.

Twenty bids were received for the construction of the new hall, and on March 7th, 1960, the W.H. Dodd Construction Company won the contract with a bid of $149,400.00. The architectural firm of Hanks, Irwin and Pearson was contracted to design the new station.

A two-storey design was settled upon, incorporating three apparatus bays exiting the front and a fourth bay exiting the west side. This side bay would be used by the fire department’s Mechanical Division to repair its ever increasing fleet of mostly LaFrance apparatus. (The LaFrance Fire Engine and Foamite Company chose Etobicoke in which to construct a new 41,000 sq.ft.

manufacturing facility at 60 Coronet Road that very same year.)

The design of the new Fire Station #3 would also include offices for both the Fire Prevention Division and the E.F.D.’s chief officers. A rifle range—a rarity definitely not found in many fire halls—was constructed in the rear of the basement. The range was well-used by area gun clubs up until a few short years ago.

A modern, two-position radio room was installed on the first floor. This replaced the original Etobicoke Fire Department radio room, a single position console located in the small floor watch room at Station #1 on Royal York Road. An experimental new electric P.A. system, using Bell Canada equipment, was installed as a replacement to the traditional station bells.

Construction continued rapidly throughout 1960 and on November 16th, retired Fire Chief Fred Mitchell reportedly cut the ribbon, officially

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 39

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Station 445... Continued from page 39

opening the new Fire Station #3. The LaFrance pumper and quadruple combination ladder truck from the old hall on Dundas Street were transferred over to the new hall. The old building at 5000 Dundas Street West would be sold to offset the cost of the new facility.

Etobicoke’s new “Central Station” was found to be well situated to provide quick service to both the new sub-divisions of Central Etobicoke as well as the busy Highway 27 (which would be greatly expanded into the present-day Highway 427 in the 1970’s). The increase in automobile extrications on both the many highways that serve Etobicoke, as well as its suburban streets, resulted in the Etobicoke Fire Department disbanding the aerial truck at Station 3 in May of 1989 and replacing it with a third rescue truck. This arrangement worked well and that rescue company remains in service to this day as Toronto Heavy Squad 445.

The amalgamation of the Etobicoke Fire Department within the new Toronto Fire Services in 1998 resulted in major changes for Etobicoke Station #3. The Station would eventually be-

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come T.F.S. Station #445—the highest number in the new amalgamated numbering system. Senior staff were replaced with a West Command Platoon Chief, while a District Chief was later transferred into the hall from Station #443. The Etobicoke Communication Division moved out of Station 445 on November 18th, 2001 with the consolidation of communication services at 4330 Dufferin Street. Etobicoke’s lone quartermaster would also be reassigned to a new facility on Rotherham Avenue.

From a small farming community in 1923, the fire fighters of Station #445 today protect a wide variety of both residential and industrial areas on the west side of the City of Toronto.

APPARATUS ASSIGNED TO STATION 445 Pumper 445 – A 2003 Spartan/Smeal triple combination pumper. Shop # 24111.

Squad 445 – A 2004 Spartan/Seagrave heavy rescue squad. Shop # 28013.

Car 44 – A 2003 Ford E350 District Chief’s van.

Shop # 20277.

Car 40 – A 2001 Chevrolet Impala.

Shop # 20235.

445

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THE KIMBERLY-CLARK TRAGEDY It would be remiss to write an article focusing on the Etobicoke Fire Department without mentioning the recent 30th anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies to ever befall Etobicoke’s Fire Fighters.

The morning of Monday, December 4th, 1978 started early for fire fighters in the north-end of Etobicoke when they were dispatched to a report of a structure fire at the Kimberly-Clark paper warehouse at 10 Disco Road. The building had been the scene of two other recent, suspicious fires. In this instance, a fire had started among 600-pound, 15-foot-high rolls of paper.

The building’s sprinkler system had essentially extinguished the blaze by the time crews from Stations 7 & 2 had arrived, but in the meantime the rolls of paper had become soaked with water—making them profoundly unstable.

Factory supervisor Ross Peach would later testify that he warned fire fighters of the danger of the rolls of paper falling over but fire crews followed orders and placed a ground ladder against one of the stacks with the intent of getting above them. One of the swaying stacks collapsed on top of the fire fighters, crushing three men.

District Chief Lloyd Janes was found almost immediately, while it would be some time before Captain Donald Kerr and Fire Fighter John Clark were located. All three were beyond help. Chief Janes had been a war veteran who had risen through the ranks of the New Toronto Fire Department to become Deputy Chief before that department was amalgamated with Etobicoke in 1967. Captain Kerr had joined the E.F.D. in 1955, while Fire Fighter Clark—who had just recently been married—was a fourteen year veteran.

The tragedy remains the second largest one-time loss of life of Etobicoke Fire Fighters, surpassed only by the deaths of five volunteer firefighters in the swollen Humber River during Hurricane Hazel in 1954.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 41

SHOWS THEY CARE

BY CAPTAIN MIKE STRAPKO, TFS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

I

t all started last January when Mike Fleming (435-D) showed up with a fire crew at the former Westwood Theatre at Kipling and Bloor. He was there to help unload five Canadian Tire tractor trailor loads of toys from the Huntingwood Drive temporary warehouse donated by Morguard Properties.

Mike is well-known as the job’s ‘guitarist extraordinaire’. He mentioned that he was thinking of forming a cover band that would also do benefit gigs for fire fighter charitable issues, including a fundraising concert for the Toronto Fire Fighters’ Toy Drive.

Mike has an extensive resume of performing live and recording that spans almost 40 years.

He has performed live and done shows with such well known acts as Trooper, April Wine, Colin James, Thor, Hotel California, Hourglass, Matt “Guitar” Murphy from the Blues Brothers, Matt Minglewood, Charlie Pride and Pat Travers, Kim Mitchell, Suzie McNeil, Ric Emmitt as well as recording with members of

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Triumph, Boston and Von Groove.

Mike has won numerous awards including the Q107 FM “Homegrown Contest” in Toronto as well as “US Metal” in California… a contest sponsored

by Guitar Player Magazine to find the top 10 guitarists in the United States.

Next, Mike developed a web site (www.backdraftband.ca) and formed a classic rock band called BACKDRAFT with Dave McNamara (443-D) and Neil Dechamplain. Like Mike, both Dave and Neil have been talented and accomplished musicians since they were kids.

Dave has extensive music knowledge and powerful drumming abilities. Neil possesses a soaring lead vocal range while at the same time he effortlessly holds down the bottom end with his bass guitar.

After BACKDRAFT played a few outdoor music festivals in Burlington, Oakville, and Mississauga, Mike overheard the tribulations of fellow Toronto Fire Fighter, Cam Haunton (412-D), who is living with cancer and paying for med-

ications not covered by OHIP. So, Mike graciously launched BACKDRAFT’s inaugural benefit gig at the Hollywood on the Queensway on August 22nd.

Scott Marks (TPFFA President) and Adrian Ratushniak (TFS PIO) have a band called Scorcher Brody and the Flametamers. They got people up and dancing before BACKDRAFT hit the stage. CFRB, CBC, CP24, CityTV, and the Etobicoke Guardian newspaper all gave the show great news coverage.

Special thanks go to Dave Holwell (435-D) for arranging a successful silent auction. Close to $3,000 was raised to show Cam that we care. It was a fun night of dancing, good cheer, and all for a very worthy cause.

Tragically, only five days later, Steve Van Hemme (322-A) was killed in a motorcycle crash in Peterborough. Steve was a pillar of the community. He was an athlete, coach, referee, avid golfer, and a local paramedic.

Neil McKinnon (121-D) and Steve Byran (324-A) immediately set up a

BACKDRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BOOST THE LEGACY TO SHOW THAT TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS AND PETERBOROUGH EMS CARE FOR STEVE’S BABY DAUGHTER WHO WILL NEVER KNOW HER DADDY. Kayley Van Hemme Educational Trust Fund at the Fire Department Employees Credit Union. Kayley was less than five-months-young when she lost her fire fighter/paramedic father. Yet, BACKDRAFT was determined to boost the legacy to show that Toronto Fire Fighters and Peterborough EMS care for Steve’s baby daughter who will never know her daddy.

Consequently, at Steve’s funeral, emergency workers and local officials welcomed a benefit concert and silent auction concept for Kayley’s Trust Fund.

The encouragement was unanimous.

Some emergency workers and media suggested holding the gig at the popular Junction Night Club in downtown Peterborough.

The Junction was quite accommodating by generously offering the full door cover towards the benefit and suggested selling advance tickets to enhance fundraising. Soon after, 25 Union Stewards stepped up to the

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plate by offering to help sell tickets during their rounds.

With overwhelming support, BACKDRAFT packed The Junction on November 14th and raised $15,000, which far exceeded initial expectations.

Special thanks go to the Peterborough Examiner newspaper, Randy Smith for capturing photos, as well as Paul and Andrea Enright for being the pipeline to Peterborough. Of note, Mike Fleming was no stranger to Peterborough. Back in the 80’s, he performed with Hourglass, the house band at the former “Cave” nightclub.

In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open during the next few months for another BACKDRAFT benefit concert and silent auction. This will be a big one to boost the Toronto Fire Fighters’ Toy Drive as originally planned.

Please email me at mstrapko@toronto. ca if you are able to donate silent auction items.

GET NOTICED Call Latoya Davis at 416-646-3128 Ext: 114 WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 43

Life on the Road – Friends for Life

BY SCOTT EYERS, LOCAL 3888 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER

D

ecember 6, 2008: As the curtain draws to a close, the behind the scenes work is well underway. This is life on the road, another day, another group of satisfied patrons. However, this is not just another day on the “Magic and Miracles Show tour.” This is not their normal routine of packing up and off to the next city; tonight they have a different deadline—a date with their favourite television show, “So you think you can dance Canada.” Tonight it is their turn to sit back and cheer as one of their own has

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a date on Canada’s biggest dance stage.

For over twenty years, Murray Hatfield and Teresa have become known around the world as masters of their craft. In this time, they have also hosted some of the largest fundraising events for many fire fighter locals across this country. In Toronto, the shows allow us to donate over $300,000 every year to local charities and hospitals.

This year, Hatfield has brought yet another new show, with artists from across the continent to entertain us all once again. The show opens up with a dance troop known as, “The Murray Hatfield Company.” These four young dancers, along with choreographer Teresa Midbo, are a sure fire hit with the audience. Two of these young dancers were finalists on the popular television

dance show mentioned above. Next up is an illusion by show hosts, Murray and Teresa. Then, it is time for the three feature acts to take to the stage: • OSCAR MUNOZ (THE TOAST OF TEXAS): Oscar blends his unique magical talents with a wry sense of humour and his Hispanic heritage. Oscar is recognized as one of the top children’s entertainers in the United States. He has won numerous awards and is a public speaker for many Fortune 500 companies. Oscar also uses his many talents to work with gangs in inner cities across the country.

• SEAN BOGONIA (THE YOGICIAN): Sean combines magic, comedy, yo-yo’s and a truly magical handkerchief. Sean has combined his very original and funny act on television, in theatre and at major corporate events around the world. Some of the biggest names in magic use effects and illusions created

by Sean.

OSCAR MUNOZ

SEAN BOGONIA

CHIPPER LOWELL

• CHIPPER LOWELL (COMEDIC WHIRLWIND): In 2005, Chipper was a hit with audiences and sponsors alike when he was a guest on Magic and Miracles for the first time. In 2006, his show was extended three times for an incredible 12-month run at the Horizon Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Chipper has been described as, ” an artistic cyclone of talent and comedy”. To the fire fighters in the audience, this guy is a “dead ringer” in many ways, for acting captain and former Executive Board member, Kevin Doherty.

Intermixed between the feature acts, Murray and Teresa take to the stage to once again entertain and perform their craft. In November 2008, Murray and Teresa were the subject of a feature article in “Magic Magazine”—the largest trade journal for magicians in the world.

The audience is comprised of many “repeat customers”—many wait patiently for months in anticipation for next year’s show. Upon closer inspection, they may have noticed something missing in the “Murray Hatfield Com-

pany” —one of the feature performers is missing this year. In every show, Hatfield points out the absence—one member of his dance troop has made it big.

Miles Faber, the 26 year old from Calgary has become a household name and made it to the final four of the critically acclaimed television show, “So you think you can dance Canada”. Hatfield proudly tells the crowd how Faber was a part of the group for over four years.

In between shows, as I chat with Hatfield, the admiration of his young friend touches one’s heartstrings— almost like a father “doting” on his son.

December 10, 2008: The final Toronto date, Northview Secondary School, the eighth and ninth shows for the Toronto run. Tonight is a special night and a surprise is in the cards for the audience. Unbeknownst to those in attendance, Miles Faber is in the crowd.

During the show, Hatfield proudly mentions his protégé’s absence on the stage and then mentions the third place dancer is in the audience. The life of Miles Faber is about to change, he has become

a sought after talent across the country.

Today is a day to reminisce, remember the past and meet up with old friends.

As the crowd slowly departs from the room after the show—Faber has thrown a little wrinkle into the time lines as it appears as though everyone wants to meet and have their picture with the rising star.

As the curtain draws to a close, Hatfield and Faber reminisce backstage. The mutual admiration is obvious—Faber discusses how tough it was to watch his friends on stage. It was coming home day and Faber picks up where he left off—packing up the equipment, moving on to the next city. Hatfield laughs, “Miles take a break, we have this all covered, go see your fans waiting at the front door”. “You are the boss, see you on the bus”, responds Faber. Although it is unknown as to whether he joins them on the leg on the Eastern Ontario run, one thing is for sure, Faber is welcome back anytime. Two entertainers, two friends bonded together for eternity—of this, one does not need to ask.

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WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 45

Battling the BIGGEST BLAZE of his Life STORY REPRINTED FROM ALS NEWSLETTER. VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2

F

ighting battles is nothing new to Jim MacIntosh. The Pickering resident is a 28-year veteran firefighter, spending 15 of those years as a captain in the Toronto Fire Services. He’d just been transferred to a fire station he’d hoped to get into for five years and was looking forward to his remaining active years before retirement. In the summer of 2006, Jim’s muscles began weakening and twitching. After a battery of tests, he was diagnosed with ALS in November 2006 at age 57. He was told that for unknown reasons, firefighters have a greater risk of developing ALS than the general population. The normal incidence rate of ALS is two to three per 100,000, but of Ontario’s 35,000 firefighters, 10 have been diagnosed with ALS. Unfortunately, Jim’s ALS has progressed to the point where he can no longer move his right arm and his left is becoming weaker. He relies mainly on a wheelchair for mobility and has been using a BiPAP breathing machine at night for the past two months. ALS has forced Jim into early retirement, a fate he laments. “Having worked so closely with the men and women of the fire service, they become part of your family and when you can’t be with your family, it’s hard to accept,” says Jim. Jim says he is grateful for the support he’s received from the ALS Society. He has especially benefited from the equipment program, receiving a walker, bath lift and lift chair. “I never realized what equipment was out there for people with special 46

needs until I needed it,” he reflects. Jim and his family—his wife Nancy, three sons and their spouses, and their fourweek-old granddaughter—demonstrated their support of the Society by attending the Durham WALK for ALS on June 21. “I was very happy that my en-tire family joined me in the walk and very thankful to the many people who supported the walk with their donations,” Jim says. Jim’s family has been supportive throughout his journey with ALS. Nancy is his primary caregiver.

The MacIntoshes also receive assistance from their local Community Care Access Centre. “My wife and I have been

married 35 years and love each other deeply,” says Jim. “She would do anything to support me unconditionally but it’s hard for her when she has to worry about my every need, every minute of the day.” Despite the challenges that ALS creates, Jim calls his experience with ALS a ‘journey’ and reflects upon the lessons it has taught him. “One thing I have learned about ALS is that it progresses differently in each person,” notes Jim. “The one piece of advice I can offer is to think ahead to prepare for the next stage. Get all your personal and legal issues, like power of attorney, organized early.”

Jim poses with wife Nancy, sons Shaun, Adam and Andrew, daughter-in-law Jenny and granddaughter Rylee at the Durham walk.

Fit to SURVIVE

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

STOP BEING SO BUSY Being constantly busy helps us feel involved and relevant, which is nice up to a point. This point is, for many of us, reached quite quickly. We may not even realize we’re too busy until we can’t stand it anymore. You won’t stop feeling too busy until you plan for—and deliberately take—time for solitude.

TAKE TIME FOR SOLITUDE

Reading those words—just thinking of solitude— may help you relax. But, you may also wonder how on earth to achieve that goal. This synopsis will give you some suggestions, but they won’t be any use unless you seize each occasion you can to give yourself time for solitude. You’re more likely to do this if you recognize how good it is for you to have these moments.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING REFLECTIONS

It’s easy to get caught up in a self-propelling whirlwind, powered by the expectations of our culture. Does living in a busy frenzy prove you’re valuable and in demand? Many people make a lot of demands on other people, and many of us make heavy demands on ourselves. It’s seen as a sign of success to always be busy. Consider how even children, especially children of active parents, go from one scheduled activity to another, leaving scant time for breaks, either for themselves or for their parents.

FRENZY IS LEARNED

Frenzy may be part of our culture, but it’s not a constituent of all cultures. Since many of us have grown up with it, frenzy has became part of us.

The good news is that since we learned our frenzy, we can also learn other ways to live. We’ve known for centuries that it’s healthy to have quiet times for solitude. Ancient civilizations realized the benefits of meditation. Oriental and European meditative practices have long histories. Now, scientists have shown meditation can counter the physiological effects of stress. Creative things happen when people are quiet. You’ve probably

heard stories of how imagination and creativity emerge from fallow times. An understanding of gravity came to Newton as he lounged under a tree. Einstein had the idea for his theory of relativity during a dream.

• You might think of examples from your experi ence of good ideas you’ve had when you were alone and relaxed.

• Recall the feeling of solitude and special places that enable it.

• Build a mental file of your own great moments of solitude. Many places in nature inspire us with a profound feeling of solitude.

• Think of what it is like to walk on a beach without expectations.

• Do you remember the stillness of a forest, or the freshness of a flower garden?

• Perhaps you recall sitting in a park and watching the squirrels.

• Some people also experience very peaceful moments in houses of worship.

You must change the things you do before you can expect to change the way you feel. If you crave more solitude in your life, plan the changes you want, then make them. Everyone is unique, so you should personalize the strategies you chose and persevere in applying those you find that work well for you.

LifeSkills is a publication of Human Solutions™. LifeSkills is not intended to replace professional assistance.Taken from Manulife Website Health for Life Section

SALMON WITH HERBS INGREDIENTS

• lb. salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions, skin removed, if desired • 2 tbsp. dry white wine • ½ tsp. Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste • 2 tbsp. finely chopped shallot (1 medium) • lemon wedges for garnish

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 425°F Coat a 9-inch glass pie pan or an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place salmon, skin-side down, in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with wine. Season salmon with salt and pepper and then sprinkle with shallots.

Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

When the salmon is ready, transfer to dinner plates and spoon any liquid remaining in the pan over the salmon and serve with lemon wedges.

Serving Size: 1 fillet, 4 servings Calories: 216 • Total Fat: 12 g Sodium: 213 mg Total Carbohydrates: 67 g Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 23 g

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 47

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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.

By Laurence Binyon

Active

D.O.D.

Retirees

D.O.D

Ron McMann

March 12, 2008

Walter Bishop

June 12, 2008

Daryl Topley

March 20, 2008

Bob Hilton

June 16, 2008

Paul Kelly

March 31, 2008

Clare Mahler

June 16, 2008

Terri Mullen

June 12, 2008

Terry Haworth

June 20, 2008

Kemolene Chadwick

July 15, 2008

Bruce Standing

July 22, 2008

Steve Van Hemme

Aug 27, 2008

Bob Arnold

July 25, 2008

Steve Buck

Nov 4, 2008

Ab Roberts

July 30, 2008

Active LODD

D.O.D.

Norman Rabjohn

July 31, 2008

Bob Leek

Aug 10, 2008

Jimmy Johnston

Aug 4, 2008

Retirees

D.O.D.

Al Jenkins

Aug 5, 2008

Sam Gooley

Jan 4, 2008

Tom Jenkins

Aug 11, 2008

George Egerton

Jan 26, 2008

Charles Fisher

Aug 13, 2008

Victor Osborne

Feb 8, 2008

Roy Potter

Sept 9, 2008

Kenneth Cunnington

Feb 16, 2008

Paul Begley

Sept 9, 2008

Keith Stroud

Feb 17, 2008

Ron Miller

Sept 11, 2008

Bob Maxwell

Feb 19, 2008

Frank Motley

Sept 27, 2008

Kenneth Russell

Oct 3, 2008

John Oxtoby

Oct 5, 2008

Ron Mathe

LODD

March 2, 2008

Don Bahen

March 5, 2008

John McGuirk

March 12, 2008

Don Clark

March 14, 2008

James Gray

March 17, 2008

Bob McCullough

March 21, 2008

Bill Yates

March 24, 2008

John Mclaughlin

April 7, 2008

Barry McEvoy

April 9, 2008

James Bolton

April 23, 2008

Douglas Dawson

May 15, 2008

Ron Seymour

LODD

Oct 8, 2008

Gerald Callaghan

Oct 12, 2008

Wells Pehlemann

Oct 15, 2008

Norm Gray

Oct 22, 2008

Bert Drury

Oct 27, 2008

Ian Cochrane

Nov 8, 2008

Al Cousins

Nov 24, 2008

Bernie Bourne Gordon Connor

Sept 7, 2008

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 49

Toronto HUSAR Takes Off!

BY CAPTAIN MIKE STRAPKO, TFS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

C

anada Task Force 3 (CAN-TF3) Toronto Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) is a selfsustaining team with specialized equipment to operate technical search and rescue tactics in significant structural collapse emergencies that have mass casualties. CAN-TF3 achieved a significant milestone by becoming the sole national team that verified its airlift deployment readiness in partnership with Canadian Forces (CF).

At 0600 hours on 21 November 2008, CAN-TF3 mustered at the Toronto Police Service Public Safety Unit (TPSPSU) to check and sign for a duffle bag and knapsack of cold weather gear and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The team clambered on the Toronto HUSAR bus that took us to Pearson International Airport. From there, CAN-TF3 boarded a CF Hercules 50

on their way to test their ability to respond to a major disaster by participating in the largest multi-jurisdictional disaster response exercise held since last year.

Exercise Trillium Response involved all levels of government and simulated a massive ice storm in north-western Ontario, similar in scope to the challenge that devastated eastern Ontario and QuĂŠbec in 1998. The challenging exercise involved more than 1,500 participants from the Ontario and Canadian governments, 25 municipalities and three First Nations communities, the province of Manitoba, and non-government organizations.

The CF Hercules touched down in Thunder Bay where CAN-TF3 boarded City transit buses that brought them to a huge desolate grain elevator at the dockyards along Lake Superior. Nineteen military pallets had arrived earlier after being airlifted via a CC-177 Globemaster III. This is the largest CF cargo plane at about three and a half times bigger than a Hercules. Each pallet held four skids of equipment that were se-

cured with CF webbing. They looked like daunting giant rubix cubes that contained thousands of items.

It was an icy-cold night but CAN-TF3 bundled up on the buses and hit the ground running to strategically rearrange their rubix cubes of cache. They quickly set up generators, lights, tents, and an assortment of equipment.

During basic training, all team members learned how to put up tents, so everyone contributed to build a fully functional extreme weather base camp. Eleven tents were erected for Command, Communications, Medical, Mess, Sleeping, Water, and Showers.

The tents were insulated and had diesel-fuelled heaters to offer some relief from the cold outdoors. CAN-TF4 Manitoba made their base camp immediately north. The close proximity of the Toronto and Manitoba teams enhanced mutual respect, camaraderie, and interoperability.

Initially, a reconnaissance team assessed the site to provide information for the Commanders to formulate a plan of attack. A search component ordinarily enters the hot zone first with equipment and highly trained K9 to locate people trapped, followed by a rescue team converging to extricate possible survivors and administer life-saving medical treatment. Meanwhile, Logistics maintained base camp with the huge cache of equipment and sent down what the Rescue Manager requested at emergency site operations.

At this realistic exercise, HUSAR was tasked with extricating people who were buried under tonnes of concrete, steel, wood, and other debris. Some victims were pinned in crushed cars that were buried under the heavy rubble.

Non-stop search and rescue activities continued on and inside “the pile” for almost three days before the exercise concluded and site operations reconvened to base camp. The rubix cubes of cache were repacked accordingly to

stringent CF specifications—identical to how it all arrived. These complex tasks were accomplished without a hitch because the entire dedicated team picked up the ball with unbridled enthusiasm.

After CAN-TF3 members reassembled the cache, CF personnel affixed the pallet webbing in the middle of the night, as flatbed trucks repeatedly hauled the gear back to Thunder Bay Airport.

Before the break of dawn, transit buses delivered CAN-TF3 to the airport

where the pallets and the team were loaded on a CF CC-177 that touched down in Toronto on 24 November 2008.

The HUSAR bus dropped the team off at TPSPSU to account for the returned HUSAR deployment gear.

This was an extraordinary hands-on learning opportunity that reinforced the teams’ commitment, courage, and dedicated service. CAN-TF3 Toronto HUSAR is well-prepared to deploy anytime, anywhere, when duty calls to save lives.

AT THIS REALISTIC EXERCISE, HUSAR WAS TASKED WITH EXTRICATING PEOPLE WHO WERE BURIED UNDER TONNES OF CONCRETE, STEEL, WOOD, AND OTHER DEBRIS. SOME VICTIMS WERE PINNED IN CRUSHED CARS THAT WERE BURIED UNDER THE HEAVY RUBBLE.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 51

An interview with DR. MICHAEL FELDMAN BECAME MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE FIREFIGHTER PREHOSPITAL CARE PROGRAM AS OF JULY 1, 2005. DR. FELDMAN IS AN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN AT SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, BUT THE FIRST TWELVE YEARS OF HIS CAREER WERE SPENT AS A PARAMEDIC AND AMBULANCE DISPATCHER IN KINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF PREHOSPITAL EXPERIENCE AND MEDICAL TRAINING PROVIDES HIM WITH A PRACTICAL APPROACH AND UNDERSTANDING OF PROVIDING PATIENT CARE UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE OFTEN LESS THAN IDEAL. THE CHALLENGE OF THE FIREFIGHTER EMERGENCY PATIENT CARE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE STATE OF THE ART EMERGENCY CARE THAT WILL INCREASE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL AND RECOVERY AFTER A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, WHILE BEING MINDFUL OF THE MANY OTHER SKILLS A FIREFIGHTER MUST MAINTAIN. DR. FELDMAN IS COMMITTED TO HELPING FIREFIGHTERS ACQUIRE AND MAINTAIN THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO SERVE TORONTO’S POPULATION. WHEN NOT AT WORK, DR. FELDMAN CAN BE FOUND SPENDING TIME WITH HIS PARTNER LINDSAY, AN XRAY TECHNOLOGIST AT SUNNYBROOK, AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN JOSHUA AND BRONWYN. IN HIS SPARE TIME, HE LIKES TO COOK HEART HEALTHY MEALS AND ENJOYS LIFTING WEIGHTS AT THE LOCAL GOODLIFE.

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great cooking, teamwork at fires and medical calls—are something unique to fire fighters. It makes Toronto Fire Services a better place to work than most other types of workplaces that I’ve seen.

A major goal involves helping fire fighters increase their understanding of the impact, in terms of saving lives, of following the basics: high quality CPR and early defibrillation. This has

: Did you find anything surprising when you began working with the TFS? : The most pleasant surprise had to be the camaraderie among fire fighters. I’ve worked as both a paramedic and as a physician, and you are sometimes on your own when things get hairy. Everything—life at the fire halls,

52

: What do you see as the future goals for your role with TFS? : I look for ways to improve efficiency, ease of use, and lives saved. Everything from how we get dispatched on a tiered response, to which types of calls are selected, to training and equipment can have an impact on our tiered response system.

more potential benefit than new equipment or skills.

Beyond this, another goal that is potentially life-saving is epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis. We spent some time earlier this year refreshing training on patient assessment skills.

Once we had a strong skills base for recognizing airway emergencies and shock, we were able to provide additional training so that Toronto Fire Fighters can now treat life threatening allergic reactions. We already respond to these kinds of calls, and now we can do better.

Dr. Feldman I often get asked whether Toronto Fire Services could administer other drugs, such as nitroglycerin. Medications have risks and benefits. Nitroglycerin can relieve chest pain but with little impact on mortality in heart attacks. The risk is a severe—sometimes, life-threatening—drop in blood pressure. Making decisions to change our program is based on assessment of medical risks and benefits, as well as agreement by medical experts that there is a compelling reason to change.

My goal is to make sure changes make sense medically. : How do you view the fire fighters role in offering input into the EMS Section? : In medicine, we evaluate whether we are doing a good job by looking at medical evidence and getting data on what we do. The base hospital helps bring this kind of medical evidence into discussions on fire fighter emergency patient care. This, combined with input from the fire fighters themselves, is essential to moving forward with a high quality, efficient prehospital care program.

We have a great team in the EMS Section. The EMS Section consists of District Chief Scott Andrews, acting District Chief Mario Trevellin, program manager Captain Ken Webb, program developer Captain Mike Nemeth, command coordinators Captain Ted Lamsh and Gord Thompson, and a dedicated group of shift training instructors. We get input from a wide variety

FW DR

of individuals, and decisions or plans are based on information from front line fire fighters, emergency physicians, and our EMS Section staff.

The training programs and equipment that end up making it to front-line operational staff have gone through a lot of eyes and hands before ending up on the trucks. And fire fighter input doesn’t end with the launch of training. This week I rode out on Pumper 332, seeing how the new medical bags, BP cuffs, and stethoscopes were being used, and listening to fire fighters’ concerns. : What do you view as the biggest hurdles in performing your job? : Most fire fighters see the benefit of providing care for Toronto’s sickest and worst injured people. Most paramedics appreciate the service we provide. There are still a few individuals on both sides that feel that the cooperation between both agencies is a waste of time and resources. Medical studies have proven that a tiered response system, comprised of first responders and EMS transport to hospital Emergency Departments and Critical Care Units, provides measurable improvement in saving lives for cardiac arrest patients. Fire fighters are a part of the larger team working for the patient.

Other benefits range from helping paramedics reduce scene times in trauma, to opening an obstructed airway, to psychosocial support for families in crisis until other emergency workers arrive.

The biggest hurdle is to get the medical point of view across to the naysayers:

FW DR

fire fighters have a key role in the prehospital care system. : How do you see the role of fire fighters in EMS evolving? : I think medical studies will help solidify the need for fire fighter first responders in a few key types of illnesses or injuries. We may be better able to select which EMS calls are best suited for fire fighters to attend, and then look at whether our training and skills help us meet the patient needs.

It’s all about what is best for the patient and being part of the medical emergency response team. : How is the current defibrillator program progressing? : The Zoll AED Pro defibrillators are a key part of providing high quality CPR and defibrillation. In the last few months, we have noticed improvements in depth and rate of chest compressions, with minimal interruptions. Some fire fighters have told me that these defibrillators are also easier to use than the old ones, and they do seem to suit our needs. Overall, I’m even happier with the defibrillation program now than I was two years ago.

New medical studies suggest it’s safe to use adult defibrillators on children.

So in the upcoming 2009 defibrillator recertification, we will expand the protocol to use the AED Pro on children as young as one year old. We save more lives with this device than just about anything else we do.

It’s of vital importance to get fire fighters to the patient’s side as fast as

FW DR

FW DR

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 53

An Interview with Dr Feldman ... Continued from page 53

DR

possible. I am working with my colleagues in communications to find ways to make the dispatch process more efficient. And fire fighters should be encouraged to make contact with all patients—even if they are not VSA—as rapidly as possible. It shouldn’t matter if paramedics are right behind us: if we’re first on scene, the priority is not

: I’ve been involved with Toronto’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team since taking on the role with Toronto Fire Services. I’ve seen this team start with only basic medical care for victims of a disaster and develop into a team with advanced medical capabilities with five physicians and a highly motivated and energetic team of paramedics, fire

response systems have seen improvements in survival from cardiac arrest. As Canada’s largest fire department, we should show leadership in defining our role in emergency patient care. We are not trying to turn fire fighters into paramedics; we are trying to have the best emergency medical response system in the country, and skilled first responders are key.

to hold doors open. Instead, we should make every effort to get to the patient’s side quickly and assess whether they are VSA. Remember, “FIRST on scene, FIRST at patient, FIRST at CPR, FIRST on AED.” : Can you foresee the Fire Service’s involvement in any other medical studies? : Toronto Fire Services has already participated in research on the use of PPE, and is a key participant in the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium cardiac arrest study. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital are leading medical re-

fighters, police officers, and heavy equipment technicians. I’m confident we can look after both the health and safety of our team and of injured victims and it’s a privilege to have helped in the development of the HUSAR team. : How would you address individuals who believe fire fighters should not have a role in EMS? : As I mentioned previously, communities that have adopted tiered

: Many fire fighters believe our N95 masks do not offer the best protection for infectious disease, what are your thoughts on that? : N95 masks meet and often exceed infection control standards for respiratory communicable diseases and hospitals use the same precautions for patients with highly transmissible diseases such as tuberculosis or influenza. Even though N95 masks are more

FW DR

search institutions. The base hospital is always looking for new research opportunities and continues to collaborate with leading researchers. When we find an area of pre-hospital care that could be improved through research, we will work to get Toronto Fire Services involved. : To date, what has been your most satisfying accomplishment, as it relates to your role?

FW 54

FW DR

FW DR

THE MOST STRIKING THING I OBSERVED WAS THE PROFESSIONALISM WHICH TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS EXHIBIT WHEN DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC. than we need for most diseases, TFS takes every reasonable precaution because fire fighters often do not know what they might be dealing with.

There is speculation about what might happen in a pandemic influenza outbreak. Experts say that N95 masks will protect against influenza, but they also tell us that most of the spread to emergency workers will probably occur from contact at home with friends and family. So fire fighters will be better protected at work than at home. : You have done a few ridealongs with our crews, what did you learn or observe? : The most striking thing I observed was the professionalism which Toronto Fire Fighters exhibit when dealing with the public. I was impressed when a Toronto Fire Services Captain addressed a homeless man as ‘Sir.’ Another observation I made is that fire fighters are curious about the illnesses or injuries which they see. I answer numerous questions from fire fight-

FW DR

ers about the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ and ‘what-ifs.’ If this keeps up, some fire fighters are going to lose their reputation for being disinterested in medical calls! : Do you believe the TFS will be able to effectively respond to a Flu Pandemic? : Aside from the masks, gowns, and gloves, which do offer good protection, our biggest challenge will be

FW DR

to deal with rising medical call volumes compounded by increased numbers of absent fire fighters and paramedics who may be ill or caring for their sick family members. No one really knows how a flu pandemic will play out but TFS is working with emergency planners to deal with these types of scenarios. : How do you see the intersection of fire fighter EMS and public health? : Public health is an emerging area of pre-hospital care, and focuses on illness prevention. Fire services appreciate the value of fire prevention, which is much more efficient and safe when compared to fire suppression. The fire fighter pre-hospital care program could contribute to public health by helping identify patterns of illness or injury in the community and by promoting healthy lifestyles.

Calgary Fire Department actually par-

FW DR

ticipates in a Heart and Stroke Foundation program and runs blood pressure clinics to identify people at risk of heart disease and stroke. Fire services have highly effective relationships with the media, which could also be used for public health issues identified through the pre-hospital care program. : Can you respond to fire fight-

FW

ers who believe that the current method of dispatching Fire for EMS calls puts the patient at risk with regards to the length of time it takes?

DR

: TEMS uses an industry standard 9-1-1 caller interrogation algorithm devised by EMS physicians to try to figure out which resources should be sent to a call. This caller interrogation algorithm increases accuracy of dispatching and selecting which calls need tiered response. This is already an efficient process and it decreases the number of unnecessary runs by fire fighters (as hard as that might be to believe!).

TFS sits on a committee with TEMS and TPS that looks at ways to streamline the tiered response process. If there is room for improvement, we will find it. : How do you believe you can help in getting the TFS and TEMS to work more efficiently and effectively then we currently do? : Focus on the patient. That’s the key when asked, “Should fire fighters respond to these calls? Are we being dispatched quickly and efficiently? What can we do if we encounter paramedics who don’t interact well with our fire fighters?”

The base hospital usually frames all of the issues between the emergency services in Toronto in terms of what the patient needs. When put that way, the solution to working together efficiently and effectively usually emerges: The patient needs professional, prepared, and suitably equipped fire fighters as a key part of the integrated emergency pre-hospital care system.

My job is to help make that happen.

FW DR

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 55

3888 RECENT HAPPENINGS

Country Music Television visits Toronto Fire Station 331 on October 7th to shoot a spot for Fire Prevention Week.

Several members of Local 3888, including our famous Pipes & Drums Band, visit Colorado Spings from September 19th to 22nd for the Annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Ceremony.

Local 3888 Executive Board Members and Stewards pose with David Caplan, MPP and Minister of Health, during the OPFFA’s Annual Legislative Conference, held from November 24th to 27th.”

56

Toronto Fire Fighters were well represented during the Ontario Fallen Fire Fighters Ceremony, held at the Ontario Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial on Sunday October 5th.

48 operation recruits and support division recruits attended their graduation ceremony at 895 Eastern Avenue on November 13th Congratulations and welcome to the job!

Acing Captain Steve Buckingham, from Station 331 on “D” platoon, demonstrates special confined space rescue equipment during the World Police Fire Games media event held at the Rogers Centre on October 4th.

Scott Marks, Hugh Doherty and Kevin Cullen stand ready to present a wreath on behalf of Local 3888 at the Remembrance Day Ceremony held at Prospect Cemetery.

On the morning of October 4th, TFS recruits hit the downtown core to participate in the traditional Boot Drive for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 57

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58

BY JON LASIUK

Alfred Potter d. Friday, February 19, 1904 Turn-of-the-century Toronto was indeed a dangerous place for those who worked in the various industries and factories throughout the city. With only a rudimentary knowledge of the hazards of the hundreds of chemicals that had recently been introduced into the workplace, many workers would succumb to years of chemical exposure.

When an emergency occurred involving these chemicals, it fell to the fire department to deal with it. Late in the afternoon of Wednesday, February 17th, a person ran into Firehall #1 at Bay and Temperance Streets to report an explosion at the Toronto Engraving Company, located at 92 Bay St. The firm was located in a long, narrow building at the intersection of Melinda St. Across from it was one of their most important customers, The Toronto Telegram. The company produced engravings for the newspaper using a process of nitric acid applied to zinc plates. .After sending in the still alarm to the Lombard St. alarm office, Hall #1 crews arrived quickly to find that the explosion was actually several carboys of nitric acid which had ruptured within their shipping crates, sending toxic fumes throughout the building. Without the aid of any type of breathing apparatus, firefighters still had a job to do. One of these firefighters was Al Potter.

A 13-year veteran, Potter was ordered into the shop with his fellow firefighters to remove the crates of acid. With the air being highly toxic, Potter and several other firefighters were overcome by the fumes as they repeatedly re-entered the business holding their breath. Axes were eventually used to remove parts of the wood floor which had become saturated with acid.

This heavy exertion caused many of the men to breathe in the poisonous gas.

Most of the first-in crews ended up being incapacitated, with several being taken to downtown hospitals. By far the most seriously injured were Potter and his partner Cecil Stewart. Doctors used oxygen therapy on both men, but Potter’s lungs had been too heavily damaged. He died just after 2 O’clock in the morning of February 19th. His death had been the first in the line-of-duty for the T.F.D. since the loss of five firefighters two summers earlier. Firefighter Potter was 43-years-old and left a wife and child. A full department funeral was held from his house at 14 McMillan St., with burial taking place at St. James Cemetery.

The tragedy at the Toronto Engraving

Company was soon to be eclipsed by a much larger event in which the same building would play a pivotal role. Exactly two months after the death of Alf Potter, The Great Toronto Fire would race across several downtown blocks. Firefighters working the north exposures—many of whom had been injured at the same fire as Potter —would make a determined stand on the roof of the engraving company, and the Telegram building across the street, stopping the flames from spreading north to the other businesses on Bay St. The irony of the location would not have been lost on these men as they thought of their brother firefighter, who had made the supreme sacrifice in the very same building underfoot.

Rest in Peace Stephen Buck August 9, 1957 - November 4, 2008

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

At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

We will remember them.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 59

2009 UPCOMING EVENTS January 22, Thursday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

January 23, Friday Day meeting only (1000 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

January 25 - 29, 2008

OPFFA H&S Conference

Toronto, Marriott Courtyard

February 19, Thursday Night (1900 hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

February 23 to 27, 2009

SOFFHL Tournament

Etobicoke, Ontario

March 27, Friday, 2009

Stewards Meeting

Toronto

March 30, Monday Day meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

March 31, Tuesday Night meeting only (1000 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

LOCATION

*DATES AND TIMES

EVENT

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60

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March

February

January

DATE*

Never Shall We Forget... Continued from page 59

Thomas Worrell d. September 19, 1905 A MILL can be one of the most dangerous structure fires for a firefighter, due to the explosive nature of the dusts. It was just such a fire that the crew of the Berkeley Street fire hall faced when miller Richard Byers phoned the central fire hall.

At 1:13 a.m. the crew from Station 4 on Berkeley Street responded to the fire call at the Alexander Brown Mill at The Esplanade on the then Princess Street slip.

Thomas Worrell had been a firefighter for over twenty-four years and was an excellent officer. With the regular driver off that night, he took the reins and drove the team to the fire himself. The fire was located in the lower elevator part of the five-storey mill building and was serious enough to require a general alarm at one-thirty, bringing help from the Wilton Avenue station and other companies.

District Chief Villiers led a hose crew into the building and tried to attack the fire from above, but his position was untenable due to heavy smoke, and they withdrew. Captain Worrell’s crew took a line along the railway track that went straight through the building to the base of the elevator.

The crew from Wilton Avenue arrived and began to stretch out hose. Firefighters C.J. Fox and William Patterson, led by Captain Robert Sargent, took a line inside

the building behind the Berkeley crew.

They were just twenty-five feet inside the building when a loud explosion occurred and the second floor began to come down. Captain Worrell, who was coming back to meet them, raised his hands as a large beam struck him in the head and he was buried under burning debris and flour.

In the smoke and darkness the other firefighters scrambled for their lives. Firefighters Patterson and Fox crawled underneath one of the freight cars still inside the building. The debris knocked down Captain Sargent, who was almost up to Captain Worrell’s position, as he tried to follow the other men to safety.

Patterson and Fox were in a desperate situation but kept the water stream on the area where Worrell was last seen. The intense fire and heat made it unbearable and both thought they would not survive, until they saw the light from the lantern of Fire Chief Thompson, who was coming in with another hose crew. At the time of the explosion Chief Thompson thought eight or nine men had been killed. Fox and Patterson were rescued along with Captain Sargent, who had a seriously crushed arm, just before more of the floors collapsed.

The mill, which was an old sugar refinery, contained approximately 200,000 bushels of grain and 15,000 bags of flour.

The grain dust probably contributed to

a dust explosion after the firefighters arrived, which caused the structural collapse. Due to the severe nature of the fire and the instability of the structure an attempt to rescue Captain Worrell could not be mounted until the fire was finally extinguished at seven a.m.

The amount of debris was tremendous.

Dynamite was used to bring down a wall and clear away some of the material.

A large crowd watched firefighters work all day tunnelling through an almost solid mass of flour bags. At five p.m., after shovelling away about twenty-five tons of debris, firefighter William Grier reached down and pulled out a piece of a rubber coat. Captain Worrell had been found. A procession of firefighters covered in white, pasty flour removed his body, which had been under about twelve feet of flour.

On July 16, 1884 firefighter Thomas Worrell had saved the life of firefighter Tom Pointon. He had held his head above burning hay from a collapsed loft that had killed firefighter Albert Gilbert, until help came to dig him out. Worrell also had a narrow escape in 1895 at the Globe fire where two firefighters had been killed.

Captain Thomas Worrell joined the department on July 14, 1881 and on October 1, 1900 was promoted to captain of Hose Company 4 at the Berkeley Street hall.

The sixty-one-year-old was about to retire from the department and now rests in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Due to the severe nature of the fire and the instability of the structure an attempt to rescue Captain Worrell could not be mounted until the fire was finally extinguished at seven a.m.

WINTER 2008 | FIRE WATCH 61

ADVERTISERS INDEX 3 DISTRICT TOWING ................12 A.J. STONE COMPANY LTD ......58 ALARM FORCE INDUSTRIES ..... 10 ALIZAH HOME HARDWARE .......36 BIO PED ........................ Inside Back CANADIAN PROCESS ................58 CARLOT CANADA.COM ............45 CASTLE HONDA .........................60 CENTRAL PAINT TILES TORONTO LTD ...........................36 CITY PONTIAC BUICK CADILLAC ....................................4 DOMESTICARE FAMILY SERVICES....................................28 ELEGANCE .................................36

ESTONIAN HOUSE CAFE ...........62 ETOBICOKE BRAMPTON SLEEP CLINIC ...............................8 EXECUTIVE REALTY SERVICES INC ............................28 EYES ON AVENUE OPTICAL ......12 GEORGE BROWN ....... Outside Back GRAFIKOM .................................58 GREENWAY THERAPY CLINIC ...12 GTA TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR .........................40 HIGH STREET FASHIONS ...........36 JACK M STRAITMAN .................60 KEN WEINBERG PHD..................58 LIUNA TRAINING CENTRE LOCAL 183 .................................28

MAPLE LEAF HOUSE GRILL LOUNGE .....................................36 MORTGAGE CENTRE .................28 NORTH CITY GENERAL INSURANCE BROKERS LTD .............................40 ONTARIO HYUNDAI ..................12 PANTHEON RESTAURANT .........58 ROSEHAVEN HOMES .................28 ROYAL BANK:BARB TAUS ............8 SHIBLEY RIGHTON LLP ..............62 SPADINA SECURITY INC ..............8 SUTTON GROUP–LIFESTYLE REAL ESTATE LTD BROKERAGE...........62 TAYLOR PROPERTIES .................36 TEMPORARY FENCE & BARRICADES SALES ...................62

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION LIMITED ...................... Inside Front THE PLAN GROUP ......................58 TIM HORTONS .................. 36 & 58 TODD GLEN CONSTRUCTION ...36 TRIPLE CROWN BAR & GRILL ......................................36 TUSHEENA FABRICATING .........40 VIKING FISH & CHIPS ................58 WAL-MART .................................43 WASTE MANAGEMENT .............22 WILLOWDALE SUBARU..............40 Y B NORMAL ..............................36 YONGE LAWRENCE TOYOTA .....29

Classified Advertising in the Toronto Fire Watch Magazine Name

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Ads run one issue free of charge. Home phone or pager numbers will be used. Ads MUST be submitted in writing. Phoned ads are not accepted. Submit before the second Tuesday of the month. Send to Toronto Fire Watch, 80 Bloor Street West, Suite 601 Toronto, ON M5S 2V1 or email: LatoyaD@xentel.com

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