Never Shall We Forget

September 25, 2020 - November 21, 2020

Retired Frank McPherson Bill Wainwright Roy Edward Waterfi eld John Mason Wood Robert Alfred Chalmers James Gerard Kearns Patrick J McGrath September 26, 2020 October 2, 2020 October 14, 2020 October 15, 2020 November 4, 2020 November 6, 2020 November 21, 2020

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

CAPTAIN GARY CAMPBELL

On August 11, 2020 Toronto Fire Captain Gary Campbell passed away at the age of 70.

Brother Campbell originally joined the York Fire Department and was very proud to be of service to his community throughout the duration of his career. He retired from TFS Station 422 on December 27, 2000 after a 28-year career with Toronto Fire.

In Honour of Captain Gary Campbell, a Memorial Plaque will be hung at TFS Station 422.

DISTRICT CHIEF JAMES (JIM) RITCHIE

On November 24, 2019 retired Toronto District Chief James Ritchie passed away.

District Chief Ritchie, also known as Jim, joined the Etobicoke Fire Department in 1971 and was very proud to be of service to his community throughout the duration of his career. He then retired from the Toronto Fire Services on February 28, 2009 as District Chief on C44 at Station 445, B Platoon. A Celebration of Life was hosted by the Ritchie family on Saturday January 11th, 2020, which was attended by family, friends and fellow Fire Fighters.

In Honour of District Chief James Ritchie, a Memorial Plaque will be hung at TFS Station 445.

On October 3, 2020, Toronto Captain and former TPFFA President, Ed Kennedy, passed away at the age of 61. We would like to pay tribute to him for his many years of dedicated service to the fi refi ghting labour efforts at the local, provincial and federal level. He made life-long friendships with many people on and off the job, which is evident with the outpouring of condolences and good memories. We have included a small number of these heart-felt comments below. Rest in peace, Brother Kennedy.

Tributes I am truly grateful for the years we spent together. Ed was like a big brother to me and he took the time to not only teach me to be a good union leader but he also taught me to be a better person. He was instrumental in setting up the foundation of this union and I cannot look around without seeing his involvement. Thank you for everything and may you rest in peace. Frank Ramagnano Eddy always got his way. From who held the remote to winning a grievance to where we were going for pizza and beer. But regardless, he treated you with respect and ended every conversation with “Take Care.” A fi erce “grizzly bear” to some and an “Eddy bear” to others, he looked out for his family and friends. I was lucky to call him my friend Kevin McCarthy When I was fi rst elected to the executive board, Ed treated me with a respect that I had not yet earned. He ensured that I was placed on committees where I would be most likely to succeed. I would not be where I am today without Ed James Reed Ed Kennedy’s unique style of bargaining has left a legacy of benefi ts for countless current and future fi re fi ghters and their families, many who will never have the privilege of knowing him personally. One in particular is the health spending account for fi re fi ghters over 65, a benefi t Ed never had the opportunity to utilize. Gone too soon, greatly missed and respected by many. John MacLachlan I fi rst got to know Ed when I was elected to the 3888 Executive Board in the fall of 2008 and gained great respect for the dedication, knowledge, respect, and experience he brought to the table as a true union leader. Over the next twelve years, this relationship evolved into a great friendship that I will always treasure and the fond memories of the good times we spent at Harcourt Park with Ed and his loving wife Dina will last forever. Doug Irwin Ed was highly respected and liked by all. He will leave a large void in the labour fi re service. Sincerest condolences go out to his wife Dina, family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all. My Dear Friend xoxoxoxoxo Karen Reid

Association Biography Ed was elected as an Executive Offi cer with the Scarborough Professional Fire Fighters Association in 1988, becoming the Vice President in 1995. At amalgamation of the new City of Toronto, he chaired the Council of Trade Unions - Collective Agreement Committee, working on briefs and presentations for our bargaining with the City, as well as the landmark Teplitsky Arbitration. This would ultimately lead to the fi rst Collective Agreement for the new Local 3888. Ed became Vice-President of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association in 2002, and held that position for eight years, before assuming the offi ce of President in May 2010, where he served for over fourand-a-half years, representing the 3000 members of the TPFFA. Ed played a key role in the establishment of the Toronto FirePac Committee and the L3888 Stewards Committee. During his time as the Government Relations Chair of the TPFFA, he played a lead role in the “Fire Chief” selection process at City Hall in 2002, as well as advocating for our fi rst-ever mayoral endorsement of candidate David Miller, who was successfully elected as Mayor in 2003. Ed was a long time champion of fi refi ghter issues, lobbying both the provincial and federal governments for legislative changes, such as Bill 84 (FPPA), the Toronto Amalgamation, Presumptive Legislation (Bill 221), Amendments to the Safe Streets Act (Bill 58), Emergency Service Providers Insurance Protection Act (Bill 40), Marijuana Grow Labs Act (Bill 128), federal Hazmat funding, priority vaccinations for fi rst responders, and the need to establish a federal Public Safety Offi cer Compensation Benefi t. In 1997, when the PFOFF and the OPFFA merged, Ed was appointed Chair of the new OPFFA Education Committee, a position he held for 18 years. Under his leadership, the OPFFA has established a program of semiannual educational seminars for its members. These seminars, which provide information and education on a wide array of topics related to important labour issues surrounding the fi re service, are widely recognized and respected across North America. Ed has always lived by the principle that our union must “Stand Strong-Together” if we are to continue to defend ourselves from continued attacks on our profession, while standing united with our brothers and sisters across the labour spectrum. Notes from Social Media (with permission) He was a very kind and compassionate individual. I’ll miss his big smile. RIP Eddie. Sue Brown

I’m so very sorry to hear of Ed’s passing. He was far too young to die. A gentleman and strong advocate for all Fire employees. He will be deeply missed. My condolences to his family and all. Sandra Soon

As much as he was a huge Champion for us rank and fi le, I was honoured to call him a friend fi rst. Rob Gutray Ed was a very respected and loved person in our FF family. It is a great loss to all! My condolences to his family. You are in my thoughts and prayers! Tammy Heleno Such a dedicated gentleman to us all. His time and efforts were much appreciated by all of us at TFS. Heartfelt condolences to his family. Rest in Peace Ed Gus Weinhart

You did so much to protect all CANADIAN fi re fi ghters Ed. Your leadership for ALL TFS will never be forgotten brother. Steve Yurqiw R.I.P. Ed! “You fulfi lled your passions in life and helped many others along the way!” “Salute to you Brother!” Craig Chandler RIP Chappy. You will be missed in the fi re service for sure. My sincere condolences to your entire family. Brad Bull

Worked with you and your Dad Dave for many years! The utmost respect my friend! You will be missed! R.I.P Brother!! Todd Roberts

Great man who always had the members backs. Rest easy, Ed. You will always be remembered. Linda Summers

Ed was a great man that I had the honour to work with and he gave his all to the brothers and sisters of the SFD and TFD. He worked tirelessly for the betterment of the Fire Services. Ed you will be greatly missed by us all. Thank you for your services and may you rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends always. Ron Dey Hell of a guy. Only the good die young. RIP Brother. William Lambert

Rest In Peace Ed, thank you for all you did.

Fit toSURVIVE The fi re fi ghter’s guide to health and nutrition

OLD SCHOOL CARDIO

BY ALEX BOERSMA, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 426-D

Back in the day, before anyone had ever heard of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), people did cardio “old school”. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t exciting. It didn’t promise miraculous results in the blink of an eye. But it worked. In those days, if people wanted to burn off fat or build an aerobic base, they found an activity that would provide them with a continuous elevated heart rate and they did that activity for a given period of time – usually about 45 to 90 minutes. Endurance athletes referred to this kind of training as aerobic threshold (AeT) training or long slow distance (LSD) training. Body builders and weight loss enthusiasts referred to it as training in the fat burning zone.

Nowadays, the high intensity zealots would scoff at people practicing old school cardio, pointing to studies which indicate HIIT is both more effi cient and more effective. However, in doing so, they would only be partially correct. Sure, when we pit old school cardio and HIIT against each other, HIIT often gets similar, if not better results - and usually in less time. But do we really need to pit one against the other?

Here’s the thing: Most studies in this fi eld compare three days a week of HIIT to three days a week of steady state cardio. Very few, if any, juxtapose combinations of HIIT and steady state cardio against HIIT alone over fi ve or six training sessions per week. The reality is, there are signifi cant beneI couldn’t agree more! Although I appreciate the value of steady state aerobic training, there is a zero percent chance you will catch me plodding away on a treadmill, bike or elliptical for multiple hours each week. Fortunately, there are more interesting ways of achieving a consistently elevated heart rate. I will explore some of these, but before I do, let’s clear up a few issues. fi ts to exercising more than three times per week. It is well recognized that HIIT is diffi cult to recover from and should therefore not typically be used more than two or three times per week. It is also well recognized that steady state cardio, if done appropriately, can actually help with recovery from more intense exercise sessions. So, why not program some of each?

Furthermore, we must recognize that HIIT research invariably reveals a relatively quick plateau (usually six to eight weeks) after which, returns begin to diminish. Conversely, research on steady state cardio reveals long-term and sustainable improvement potential over months, years and even decades.

For fi refi ghters, the value of old school cardio should be obvious. Because of our shift work, recovery from exercise will rarely be our strong suit. Because our performance needs to be measured in decades, rather than months or years, recovery is paramount. Although higher intensities can and should play a role in our training, they should not be employed at the expense of recovery. A healthy dose of steady state aerobic training will not only sustain us over the long haul, but it will allow us to recover more effective-

BUT OLD SCHOOL CARDIO IS SO BORING!

ly from any higher intensity demands we are exposed to.

• The kind of training we are talking about falls between zones 2 and 3 in the chart to the left. Heart rates should be between 65 and 75 percent of max (about 115 to 135 bpm for most) and exertion level should be between four and fi ve on a scale of 1 to 10. You should be able to talk in complete sentences. • Duration counts. Most of the benefi ts of this kind of training come when you perform it for 40 to 60 minutes, at least twice per week. • Steady state counts. Ideally, you will work up to your target heart rate or effort level fairly quickly and then stay fairly close to it for the duration of the workout.

The workout should have no signifi cant rest periods. If your heart rate or effort level is too high, don’t stop – slow down instead. • Choose activities that can easily be modifi ed by either picking up or slowing down the pace. You don’t want to be continually changing loads in order to modify effort. • For most people, choose activities which are not high impact. Many people will want to run for these workouts, but if you are heavier, older, or already doing other activities that stress the joints signifi cantly, you would be better off choosing lower impact activities. • Adaptations take time. Be patient. You will progress by doing more work in a given amount of time or by sustaining the same effort level for longer durations. But you should be looking to progress over months and years, not over weeks. To make these workouts more interesting, try to change up the exercises/movements you are doing every two to fi ve minutes so nothing becomes tedious. Perform them in a circuit with minimal rest between exercises, while maintaining an appropriate effort level. Repeat this for 40 to 60 minutes.

Here are a few suggestions:

Multiple Aerobic Modalities

Take three or four aerobic modalities and do fi ve minutes of each one, with about 15 seconds to switch from one to the other. I have included a screen shot of a workout I did using a bike, a rowing machine and a 12-inch step. My target heart rate for this workout was about 120.

Body Weight Exercises

Select a number of bodyweight exercises, each of which you can perform for one to two minutes at a relatively easy effort level. I have included a screen shot of a workout I did, which was designed to also challenge mobility and stability. Target heart rate for this workout was 125. Remember, your aerobic system does not know what it is you are doing. All it knows is what demands you are placing on it. So, as long as you are putting in a sustained and appropriate effort, your body will adapt, and you will become fi tter and healthier. For more information on the physiological benefi ts of performing this kind of training, listen to this interview with Inigo San Milan https://peterattiamd. com/inigosanmillan/.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at dynacore@sympatico.ca.

3888 RECENT HAPPENINGS

On September 13, 2020, 30 riders embarked on a shortened Memorial Ride to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Fallen Firefi ghters Foundation (CFFF). They left Oakville Fire Station 3 and rode to Toronto Fire Station 334. Normally, they would have ridden from Hamilton to Ottawa covering 550km in 3 days, but due to Covid-19, they did what they could. They rode in memory of the 76 members to be added to the 1610 names already on the wall. The TPFFA donated $1000 to this worthy cause to support the CFFF. If you wish to donate, please visit the CFFF page under the https://www.canadahelps.org website. Again, due to Covid-19, the Rob Penney Softball Tournament was cancelled for 2020. A T-shirt sale was still held to generate some funds with all the proceeds going to the Canadian Firefi ghters Cancer Research Fund at Princess Margaret Hospital. Here, Rob Penney’s sister, Ann Menheere, and her daughter, Laura, accept four t-shirts from the Association.

The 2020 Movember campaign was limited to a fundraiser involving challenge coins with the Movember logo on them. Members were still encouraged to raise money and coordinate it through a TPFFA Movember Team. Our 2020 campaign offered the opportunity for members to purchase Canadian Made trucker hats, gaiters, stickers and some older Pink merchandise. All items were available in the colour pink, as it is the international colour associated with creating awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink merchandise was authorized to be worn for the entire month of October, while on-duty, in place of the standardissue TFS baseball cap.

Due to Covid 19, Remembrance Day ceremonies across the city were either reduced to a very limited number of guests, or were cancelled. The Toronto Professional Firefi ghters did not forget the fallen and presented a wreath, with a small party, on behalf of the membership at the following locations: Prospect Cemetery, East York Civic Center, Etobicoke Civic Center, North York Civic Center, York Civic Center, Scarborough Civic Center, Queens Park, Sunnybrook Veterans Centre/ Hospital, Kew Gardens Cenotaph, and Swansea Town Hall. Your Number One Fan! Good Afternoon All I just watched the video my daughter took of my granddaughter receiving her IN PERSON visit by the Toronto Fire Services who gave her a fi re badge and 3 hats. More than that...with the fi re truck lights on outside her house with the fi refi ghters in it waving at her...and the fi refi ghter who went up to the door...God bless you, sir. Despite her positive test result, you stayed a bit while social distancing, to talk to Chloe and asked how she was. Then, you looked at mom, who was still inside and asked how SHE was holding up. You have NO IDEA how much that meant to both of them, and me, seeing my granddaughter squealing in delight and my daughter teary (with happy tears) on a video call to us. From the bottom of my heart, to everyone involved in making today happen, a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU. You created a memory they will cherish for their lifetimes. Sincerely, “Nana” Bonnie Lariviere Hugs to you all! Hugs to you all!

Despite some modifi cations due to COVID-19, the Toy Drive carried on as they normally do with the proper precautions. This year, Corus staff, leaders, and Toronto Firefi ghters participated in a group activity step challenge that used the group-tracking app, Stridekick, in order to raise monetary funds for the Toronto Firefi ghters’ Toy Drive. Additionally; volunteers accepted donations at the Toy Drive Warehouse at several of their drive-thru events in an effort to make donating as contactless as possible. Thank you to all the volunteers who gave in a variety of roles, such as general cleaning and organization around the warehouse, sorting and counting toys, and picking orders for donation. Thank you to all who donated and allowed us to continue doing what we do during a unique time.

“Then the Covid thought of something it hadn’t before. What if Christmas, it thought, didn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” Dr. Seuss (variation)

Traditionally, the TPFFA hosts a Christmas party for the members, their families and friends at Variety Village. This event is always a huge hit with the kids, as it provides a wonderful mix of activities, Christmas cheer, presents and a chance for the members to see each other and chat a little.

Yet again, Covid-19 created a challenge. In order to meet the government gathering rules and to provide a safe and enjoyable event, the Entertainment, Recreation & Social Committee had to be creative.

They decided to host the Children’s Christmas Party – Movie Night!

This event offered an outdoor drive-in movie style night in a large parking lot of the Toronto Zoo, with everything being done in the comfort (and safety) of the members’ vehicles. As the members arrived, they were welcomed by masked greeters and given instructions on how the night would be organized. They were directed to one of three registration desks that confi rmed their registration and provided the gifts, based on the ages of the children in the registration.

Next, they were directed to the drive-in movie area, where they could select a good vantage point to see the screen, while being separated from the vehicles on either side. Once there, they were encouraged to stay at their vehicle and all of the interactions came to the vehicle. Many people came prepared with lawn chairs, blankets and even infl atable mattresses!

Food, consisting of hotdogs, pizza, and popcorn, was delivered by volunteers using carts. Chaperones coordinated the photos with Santa by guiding the families over to the big man in red (and Mrs. Claus as well). To round out the fun, a juggler entertained while passing in front of your vehicle, weaving in and out of the rows, to keep the spirits high.

At dusk, the movie was projected on the massive screen. The movie of the night was “The Polar Express”, a 2004 animated story of a young boy who embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express train, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas. The audio was broadcasted through one of the lower FM radio frequencies, so the audience could hear it through their car audio system.

The one thing that could not be planned was the weather. On this Christmas Party Drive-In day – the weather was a Christmas miracle! The sky was clear, there was no wind and the temperature was close to 20 degrees! Gorgeous!

Approximately 233 children, 105 members and additional family and friends enjoyed this extremely well received event. The ERS Committee is so pleased, it is considering adding it to the event list permanently - after Covid-19 is history, of course! It will likely be something that will be scheduled in the spring or summer.

A big thank you is extended to all of the volunteers, including the kids of Association members, the Fire Venturers, and the committee members, who planned and executed this successful event.

Happy holidays and good health to all!