Fire Watch (Summer 2011)

HALL SHOWCASE ON STATION 235 VOLUME 7

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ISSUE 2 | Summer 2011

Local 3888 Off-Duty and Media Awards Read who won and why!

Time to Take a Stand

The crucial upcoming Provincial Elections

Publications Agreement No: 41203011

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 7

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ISSUE 2

SUMMER 2011

IN THIS ISSUE 5 President’s Message

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9 Secretary Treasurer’s Message 11

Vice President’s Message

13 Chaplain’s Corner 14 Letters to the Editor 16 Fire Fighter Survival & Rescue

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WSIB: Understanding the Process

20 Early Detection Can Save Your Life 22 Local 3888 Annual Charity Golf Tournament

45 40 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 FIRE WATCH is published quarterly by Xentel DM Incorporated on behalf of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association Chief Editor Ed Kennedy

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IAFF Burn Camp

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Time to Take a Stand!

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The 2011 Off-Duty and Media Awards

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The DEVO Committee

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Member Profile Doug Vanderby

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Firehall Showcase - Station 235

40 Honouring Our Retirees 45

Never Shall We Forget

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

46 Fit to Survive 49

Behind the Mask

ASSISTANT EDITORS Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston, Janos Csepreghi, Bill McKee, Damien Walsh

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3888 Recent Happenings

ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Alyssa Petrillo

55 Upcoming Events

Design and art direction Xentel DM Incorporated

55 Ad Index

FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Keith Hamilton

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ISSUE 2 | Summer 2011

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No: 41203011 Printed in Canada Copyright © 2011 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association Advertising Debra Cheeseman, Project Manager Merchant Card Acceptance Tel: 1-800-366-3113 Ext. 102 Fax: 1-866-764-2452 Email: publications@xentel.com • www.xentelpublications.com 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.

On The Cover Keith Hamilton’s winning photo in the Local 3888 Media Awards “Best Unpublished Photo by a Local 3888 Member” category. See page 30 for more details.

Loc al 38 88 Off

-Du ty an d Me dia Aw ard s

Rea d who won The cru cia

Tim e to Ta ke

l upc om ing

Pro vin cia l

and why !

a Sta nd Elec tion s

Publications Agreemen

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TIME FOR LOCAL 3888 TO BE DILIGENT

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am sure most of you are aware of what is occurring in some States in the U.S. regarding labour unrest and the attack on worker rights. In Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Michigan, state legislators are passing laws attacking the benefits and pensions of fire fighters, paramedics and other public workers. In Ohio, a law was enacted to eliminate bargaining rights that have been in place for almost 30 years. New Hampshire voted to end bargaining rights entirely. Imagine not even having the ability to negotiate with our employer?

The International Association of Fire Fighters has initiated the ‘Fight Back Campaign,’ to assist locals whose rights and abilities to bargain are under attack. The Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association passed a resolution at our recent convention in Ottawa, which was supported by Local 3888 delegates, which will lead to a $25.00 per member assessment to resist these anti-labour tactics in both the United States and Canada.

Even before the Mike Harris Conservative Government altered the ‘Fire Departments Act’ and legislated the ‘Fire Protection and Prevention Act 1997,’ which officially disallowed strikes in the fire service in the Province of Ontario, we had voluntarily agreed that fire fighters would not strike due to the very negative impact it would have on the communities and citizens that we serve. In exchange, we have always enjoyed a fair and independent arbitration system, which commenced when it was not possible to reach an agreement at the bargaining table. Toronto Fire Fighters are presently proceeding to mediation/arbitration in order to attain

a new collective agreement. The events unfolding in the United States and similar political threats here, in Canada, put this system in jeopardy.

Tim Hudak, the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party is of the opinion that arbitrators have awarded unions excessively generous contracts.

His party’s platform notes that, “We will fix this costly problem. We will require arbitrators to respect the ability of taxpayers to pay and take into account local circumstances.” he said on March l, 2011.

“The arbitration system is badly broken. It needs to be fixed. And a PC Government will get the job done.”

As someone who has been involved in many arbitrations, I can assure you that arbitrator’s awards mirror freely

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Ed Kennedy

coming, “To avoid the crisis, retirement ages for public sector employees should be increased and defined benefit plans should be scrapped. We are calling on governments to reform public sector plans along the lines of what is happening in many private sector plans – reducing benefits and converting defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans.

What would be ideal is getting rid of public-sector unions entirely.”

Every one of our members should be aware that our OMERS pension plan - a defined benefit plan - is precisely what these statements refer to and would be

The right to negotiate further pension enhancements as part of OMERS was a major step forward.

negotiated settlements and are fair, well thought out and just.

Kevin Gaudet a Conservative candidate in Pickering – Scarborugh East has gone as far as stating, “We need Winconsin up here (in Ontario) but it is lacking. The problem is similar. Wisconsin sends labour a big message. Be part of the solution, or else” What does Tim Hudak have to say about his union busting candidate?

“I’ve known Kevin for a long time. I’m very pleased he’s put his name forward to be a candidate.”

The City has some powerful allies in their quest to significantly diminish our benefits, pensions and even the arbitration system. Catherine Swift, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, has noted, with regard to the fiscal crisis she says is

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at risk, should these threats be carried out by a PC government.

At this years Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association convention, delegates once again, unanimously endorsed the re-election of Premier Dalton McGuinty in the upcoming election on October 6, 2011. His government has been instrumental in passing legislation positively supporting fire fighters and their families. The current Presumptive Legislation, which recognizes various cancers and heart disease, as job related for fire fighters, is one that we pursued for many years.

The right to negotiate further pension enhancements as part of OMERS was a major step forward. There are a number of other achievements from increased protection for emergency workers when dealing with Marijuana S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH

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President’s Message ... Continued from page 5

grow operations to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, which will give us quicker access to medical exposure information. Fire fighters have achieved much legislative success through a respectful partnership with this government led by Premier McGuinty.

Municipally, Mayor Rob Ford is in the early stages of a ‘Core Service Review’ and has demanded a budget reduction of 10% for all City of Toronto departments including the Fire Service.

It is doubtful if this can be accomplished without significant downsizing and, as we have seen with garbage collection, he is keen to privatize wherever he can. Mayor Ford’s brother and Ward 2 Councillor, Doug Ford, has noted, “We’re going to be outsourcing everything that is not nailed down.”

All Local 3888 members must be in-

volved since we know that the process is being tightly controlled and any feedback is filtered through those running the overall review. In reality, I believe that minds are already made up and the new city council intends to impose their ideological views, no matter what the results are produced through this consultation.

Brothers and Sisters, we are faced with a serious threat, at both the provincial and municipal level. There are political forces that can’t wait to see what is happening in the United States come across the border into Canada. I will not take this threat lightly, and I have asked all Executive Board members, FIREPAC and Steward’s Committees, not to schedule meetings, unless absolutely necessary after Labour Day – September 5th - and through the

month of September, up until Election Day, October 6th. We simply must be involved this time. Our arbitration system is in jeopardy and our future livelihood is at risk. The Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association is working with all of its locals to mobilize every member in the province to get involved in this election. I have no doubt, that with perseverance, dedication and organization, we will be able to protect the benefits, rights and arbitration procedure we need and deserve.

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

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SECRETARY TREASURER’S MESSAGE

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ecently, I became engaged in a discussion with a few of our members at an event. We discussed, amongst other things, what the fall provincial election might bring. The members understood the issues and we discussed Tim Hudak’s “Changebook” policy book, released a few weeks ago.

Changebook sets out policies that, on the surface, one would read and quickly agree with. For example, the document discusses, “pay cheque protection.”

Who would disagree with a term like that? We work hard for our salary and we want to see it protected. However, when you dig deeper, you see that this has nothing to do with protecting your pay cheque but instead, placing barriers that make it more difficult for our Association to function and serve you efficiently. This was the same policy legislated in the United States that placed so many financial reporting restrictions on unions. The IAFF was forced to hire a full-time accountant in order to comply with the legislation. It also placed restrictions on how those funds could be spent, even when a democratic vote of the union membership supported the use of funds for a specific purpose.

There is no intent to protect your pay cheque; this policy is designed to lessen the effectiveness of our Association and consequently, our ability to improve your working conditions.

It further states, “We will bring public sector pay cheques in line with private sector standards. Public sector wages, benefits, and pensions are a significant part of government spending. We must address this gap.”

So let me see if I understand this correctly: we are faced with one of the worst economic periods of the modern age since the Great Depression. It is well documented that it was caused by a collapse of the credit market, brought on by governments in the United States deregulating the financial industry due to pressure from that industries lobbyists. Once the regulations were removed, the industry saw unparalleled profits and, despite warnings, they con-

tinue to disregard common sense in order to reap countless billions, payout obscene bonuses and line their own pockets. The warnings became reality and we, the taxpayers, were forced to bail them out. To rub salt in the wound, these same financial institutions paid out still more in bonuses to themselves with the financial help provided by taxpayers. This collapse has had a ripple effect that has affected our economy here in Ontario, in both the private and public sectors. So how does Tim Hudak suggest we solve our financial problems? How does he ensure it does not happen again?

Tim Hudak proposes to bring down the public sector wages to match the private sector after they went through their worst period in 90 years. Where was the matching with the private sector when they were thriving? I recall the argument back then was, “You have good pensions and job security so you will be forced to take less.”

So, you may wonder how a Tim Hudak

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Frank Ramagnano

the department and that they had already warned them that they may not have a defined pension plan like their father and his father did before them. They warned their own children that they should take that into account when deciding on their future career. I started thinking that these members really got it; that these members understood what was at stake with a Hudak government.

It was getting time to move on so I thanked them and I stated I was relieved that they knew who to vote for in Octo-

Tim Hudak proposes to bring down the public sector wages to match the private sector after they went through their worst period in 90 years.

government plans on bringing your public sector salary in line with the distressed private sector? He will simply rig the table. “We will fix this costly problem.

We will require arbitrators to respect the ability of taxpayers to pay, and take into account local circumstances.” So, the government decides to go into debt because they chose to give corporate tax breaks and bailout money and now you are forced to take what is offered in negotiations or enter an arbitration process that is rigged against you. The arbitrator does not have the ability to take all of the factors into account. You are left to pay for the mistakes and the profit taking of others.

Our members in attendance at the event, who I was speaking to, all agreed that this was not only a possibility but it would be the new reality under a Hudak government. Some went further, stating that they have children trying to get on

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ber to give us the best opportunity for a fair settlement to our working conditions. They looked at me strangely and the three of them stated that, notwithstanding everything we had just discussed, they were going to support Hudak come October.

After I picked myself up from the floor, I simply asked them why? They stated, “That they are tired of McGuinty going into their pockets.” I wish I could tell you that I had some great rebuttal. I wish I could tell you that I explained all that he has done for fire fighters in this province.

I wish I could tell you that we discussed it further and they changed their mind.

Unfortunately, that was not the case, we went our separate ways and I contemplated all night what I could have said differently to change their minds.

In the morning, still feeling completely deflated, I researched what they had stated, in order to be better preS U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH

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Secretary’s Message ... Continued from page 9

pared for my next encounter. While it is true that we now have a health premium, we also have shorter wait times and we are building hospitals, as opposed to closing them. Nurses and doctors are not leaving in record numbers as they were under the Harris/Hudak Conservative government. We also have the HST and as we all know, it taxed some items that were not subject to a previous provincial tax. The business community supported the HST, saying it is vital to competitiveness, and in B.C. there are fears of a loss of jobs to Ontario if they vote to remove the HST. These are the main “in your pocket” drains. So I review the Hudak changebook document and there is no mention that the HST will be eliminated.

In fact, Hudak supported it prior to being the party leader and admits he will not remove it if elected. There is no mention to do anything with the heath premium and Hudak has stated he has no plans to remove that as well. While paying taxes is not pleasant, I sometimes think we forget it is those taxes that provide our healthcare and education, as well as pay for our salary, provide us with the trucks in which we ride and for the compensation our families receive if we are hurt or killed doing our job.

While our members may look at what went out of their pocket, they should also look at what went in. Presumptive legislation, which had been denied to us under the Harris/Hudak regime; a pension plan that the members in the plan now control and administer, another request denied under Harris/Hudak; and

an arbitration system that is seen as being fair and thus the vast majority of contracts are settled in negotiations, as employers know there is no advantage in going to arbitration. One thing that Mike Harris tried to rig but was unsuccessful, Tim Hudak is coming back to finish the job.

So, being a numbers guy, let’s look at the difference that the election results will mean to your pocket book. Under a Hudak government you will pay more in union dues to cover arbitration costs, the drastic cuts to your working conditions and the extra regulations your Association will need to adhere to. Arbitration awards will be less; you may have needed a 3% wage increase to keep in line with your traditional comparables but because of the new rules, arbitrators will be required to award only 1.5%. That will easily cost you $1,275 in the first year alone. Now, take into account no benefit increases, loss of sick time gratuity (as they don’t exist in the private sector) and no defined benefit pension plan and you can see the $1,275 increasing by thousands more, escalating on an annual basis.

In contrast, a Tim Hudak government will give families $275 in immediate relief by removing the provincial portion of the HST from your hydro and home heating bills, as well as removing the Debt Retirement Charge from hydro bills (a charge instituted by Harris/Hudak - but of course the debt will still be there).

Hudak will also lower taxes on middle class families: 5% on the first $75,000 of

taxable income. That’s $258 dollars in tax relief for a person earning $70,000.

A Tim Hudak government will change the tax system to allow all couples to share up to $50,000 of their income for tax purposes. A typical middle class family earning $70,000 will save $476 per year. That is a potential savings of a $1,000 a year to you. Thus, you can save a $1,000 on taxes but loose five times as much on an annual basis in salary and benefits. That’s all dependent on if he implements those tax reductions of course, because Tim Hudak has shown no plan to pay for those savings. So, it really means more debt. I ask you, who will be into your pocket for the greater amount? Let’s not repeat the mistakes of our past. Let’s support the politicians that have dealt with us with fairness and respect.

I know this article may upset some members but I would not be doing my job if I did not point out what is in the best interest as a fire fighter. The decision is ultimately yours but it is my role to point out the ramifications of your decision. You must be given the facts in order to make an informed decision.

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

563K represents the amount of money which the OPFFA spent fighting the anti-union, Mike Harris PC Government and the not so “Common Sense Revolution” during their time in power from 1995 to 2002.

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE “May you live in interesting times”

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– Ancient Chinese curse

hese are indeed, interesting times for our members. Let’s look at the current state of affairs affecting our Association:

• After last fall’s municipal election, which had our members involved at record levels, we find ourselves with a city council whose agenda, to date, would seem to be to dissect every facet of the city’s public service with a goal to trim and slice at the expense of providing quality services that residents of a large urban centre have come to expect.

• Labour/Management relations continue to experience some significant challenges while we continue to work under a collective agreement that expired on December 31, 2009 and sees us heading to arbitration for the first time since amalgamation harmonized our contract.

• A recent federal election, which saw 15 of 23 Toronto ridings change their elected representatives. We also had excellent member participation with our stewards and Toronto FIREPAC members assisting in many ridings, as Jack Layton’s New Democrats became the Official Opposition.

• An upcoming provincial election on October 6th, which will see a historically, fire fighter-friendly Liberal government being challenged by the Tim Hudak led Conservatives, whose platform has publicly attacked all public sector workers in Ontario, and a surging New Democrat party, riding the “ orange wave” after the recent federal election.

I have no doubt that our Association will continue to thrive through these difficult times, because we have been here before.

Fire fighters have a way of meeting challenges head-on and achieving our goals, despite difficult circumstances. A look at our recent history clearly demonstrates our ability to come together when it matters most, whether it be our involvement with Bill 84 in the 1990’s or our own “Quest For Respect” campaign where hundreds of our members marched on City Council. We have risen to some serious challenges and successfully stood our ground.

Recently, IAFF members in Ohio and Wisconsin have led the way in the fight against regressive legislation and attacks on public sector benefits and pensions, as it has become a popular tactic for local governments to address all economic difficulties by attacking those workers who serve their communities with dedication.

It is encouraging that many of our members have contacted the Executive Board recently to voice their concerns and ask what they can do to assist our Association in addressing this challenge. We will need all of our members to contribute if we are to be successful.

This fall’s provincial election will be a watershed event as the Ontario Progressive Conservatives have repeatedly stated they would open up the arbitration process which fire fighters have come to rely on when a freely negotiated agreement cannot be achieved. PC Leader Tim Hudak has stated, “Arbitrators thumb their nose at the province and hand out rich wage increases to the public sector…”

Our goal would always be to freely negotiate an agreement with the city but when that becomes unachievable, we must be able to access a fair and just arbitration system in a timely manner.

Your Association had successfully negotiated our two previous collective agreements but last year, with a looming municipal election, the previous Council feared having our contract become an election issue and stalled and delayed until it became obvious we would need to resort to the arbitration system to get a deal.

This new Council, swept to power on a cost-cutting agenda, has shown a reluctance to re-visit negotiations for fear of establishing a standard for all city employees. Rest assured, we will not alter our objective in achieving a fair and just agreement for all of our members. Your Association will utilize every tool at our disposal

Damien Walsh

to ensure our members are recognized for the valuable service we provide to the city.

We are faced with a number of challenges and we will need the assistance of our members as we face each one. We will be asking our members to get involved, once again, in the provincial election campaign.

It’s clear we have a very diverse membership, with views spanning the political spectrum, however, regardless of anyone’s personal political beliefs, there can be no debate that we have been extremely successful in achieving important legislation for professional fire fighters over the last two terms of the current government. We have built a mutually respectful and co-operative partnership that we should all be proud of but our support is never carte-blanche, especially in these interesting times. We will hold all governments and candidates that we support accountable for their actions.

There will be a considerable amount of information being conveyed to you, the members, over the next few months. I would urge everyone to pay close attention to our website, one of our most valuable tools in circulating information.

Spread the word, engage in discussion and contact your Association representatives when you have concerns or questions.

Stay involved in these interesting times!

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

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We at Starfield-Lion are thankful for the continued support and partnership with the Toronto Fire Services.

We look forward to fulfilling the personal safety and identity needs of the Toronto fire fighters for the next five years.

YOUR PENSION

OPTIONS VOLUME 3

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ISSUE 3 | FALL 2007

Captain John A. Chappelle

1954 - 2007 VOLUME 4

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2008 ISSUE 1 | SPRING

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TFS Demographics Where do you fit in?

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ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2008

Would You Escape a Fire in An d thHom e?ard e Aw Your

Goes To...

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Local 388 Station 116 Fire 8 hos FIREHALL SHOWCASE: ts annual Media Awards

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.

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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Who Helps Chi ldre Who Set Fires?n A look at the TAPP -C Program

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

By HUGH DONNELLY, EAST Command Chaplain

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have a good friend whose husband died from illness a few years ago. Because I often find myself spending time with people who are grieving, I was curious to hear her take on the kinds of comments she felt were most helpful—and unhelpful—from other people, early in the days following her husband’s death.

I found my friend’s reflections on the subject to be enlightening, and I hope you take a moment to read them here.

After all, at some point we will all find ourselves standing in line at a funeral home, wondering what we should say when we come face-to-face with someone who has just lost a loved one.

Don’t say, “It’s gong to be Okay.” Death is anything but Okay. And we really have no clue if life will ever again be Okay for the griever. While such an expression may emerge from a true desire to offer some long-term hope, a person who has just lost a loved one is unable to think about the future; he or she is simply wondering how they are going to get through the next five minutes.

Don’t try to break the ice with chitchat. When people are feeling anxious about what to say to someone, or fear awkward silence, we sometimes resort to meaningless talk. My friend told me about people who, at the funeral home, spoke to her about the length of their trip that day or how hard it was to find parking. She said that she found herself quite unable to enter into the petty problems of others, and felt that such comments only diminished the seriousness

of the occasion.

Don’t suggest that you know what someone is, “going through.” People experience grief uniquely, and express grief differently. Even if you too have lost a loved one, remember that the experiences of another are probably quite different from your own.

Don’t suggest that the griever take comfort in the possibility that they “may marry again,” or in the event of a child’s death, “have another child” or take comfort in the fact that they, “have other children.” The unspoken, perhaps unintended message in such comments is, “Your pain isn’t as bad as you think it is.”

A person in grief longs rather to have their painful experience validated. .Do say that you are sorry for their loss.

This acknowledges the reality and the pain of what has happened. .Do feel free to speak about what the deceased meant to you. Sometimes people think that they should not mention the deceased for fear that such comments will only cause distress to those in grief. My friend shared with me that she longed to hear people tell her what her husband had meant to them. And when they did, she felt the assurance that her

Rev. Hugh Donnelly

EAST COMMAND Rev. Hugh Donnelly 416.450-8372 (cell) hughdonnelly@rogers.com husband would not quickly be forgotten.

She felt that they truly shared in her grief.

Do tell people who grieve that you will think about them, pray for them, or remember them in the days to come.

This can be a powerful reminder to them that they are not alone, but part of a supportive network of family, friends and acquaintances. .This list is pretty good advice, not only when you’re in the line-up at the funeral home, but also for any encounter you may have with a grieving family in the months following a death; whether it be a chance meeting or a planned visit.

What seems to be most appreciated by people who are grieving, are messages of compassion, messages of the heart.

We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that we will comfort another when we give them messages that are rational in nature, messages of the head.

Any attempts we make to help assuage the pain of another through some kind of explanation, either by helping them to, “look on the bright side” or “see a kind of purpose” in the death of their loved one, is asking a griever to go someplace they are not yet ready to go. Eventually, most people do come to a point in the grief process at which they are able to reflect rationally on death. However, when grief is raw, it is the heart messages (such as in the list of Do’s, above) which matter most, and which bring the most comfort.

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rs e tt e L to the E ditor

Appreciative of Retirement Dinner

We attended the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association 2011 Retirement Dinner on Friday, May 6, 2011, at Qssis Banquet Hall in Scarborough. As a family, we were most appreciative of the reception and gifts presented to Dave Spence, Captain, for 33 years of service to the City of Toronto citizens. It is commendable that the TPFFA recognizes the selfless efforts of its members and family throughout the years at such an auspicious occasion, with memorable gifts, presentations, and encouraging remarks from Fire Chief William Stewart for the future. We wish the TPFFA all the best in their future endeavours, and recognize their continued support for firefighting families in the GTA for the future. The Pipe Band was amazing and made us proud to be part of the firefighting family! There have been many memo-

rable recognition events organized by the TPFFA throughout Dave’s firefighting career that we have enjoyed with friends and associates. We wish the TPFFA continued success in their future objectives within the City of Toronto!

—Dave & Pam Spence

Thanks for a Wonderful Evening

Just wanted to let you know what a wonderful job you all did for and at the retirement dinner! It was truly a special night, from the arrival greetings to the Pipe Band to the excellent meal - and so many wonderful gifts! You should not change a thing; it was perfect in our eyes and so great to see old friends from years gone by.

—Bruce and Linda Welch

Words of Inspiration from Jason DuPont Dear IAFF Members, I want to congratulate you on a very successful year in carrying on the tradition of supporting families affected by neuromuscular disorders.

Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s year-end is March 31st and I am very pleased to be able to tell you that 2.777 million dollars was raised across Canada by fire fighters, an 8.8% increase over last year.

IAFF members raised 1.162 million dollars through many activities including boot drives, golf tournaments and roof top campouts. Thank you on behalf of the families who fight this disease every day.

A grandmother recently sent in this essay by her grandson, Jason, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and struggled this winter. Jason’s words

June 22, 2011

Al Watterson

793 Hillcrest Road, Pickering

Dear Mike,

Dear Al,

It was a pleasure speaking with you on the phone. As per our conversation, below is information on the event that we would like to hold for the Firefighters who helped save our Chapel.

I just want to thank you very much f or arranging for the antique fire truck for our Centennial celebrations on June 18 th . We were very pleased to have the t ruck as people were taking pictures with it a ll day long.

On a bright sunny June day, the comm unity came out to help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of 97 Main Street a nd Fire Station 226 next door. After m onths of planning our numerous partners i ncluding the police and fire departmen ts arrived with activities, trucks, cars and horses to help us celebrate. People d ined, bands played, children danced, politic ians reminisced and a good time was had by all.

Thank you for helping make our annive

Sincerely, Debbie Visconti Executive Director

rsary celebration a success.

In honour of your assistance, we would like to invite Station 344-­‐C shift and Station 31-­‐C shift to join our school community to celebrate a special service in our Chapel,St. Alban’s, located at 120 Howland Ave, Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 at 8:15am.

This special day will mark the reopening of our Chapel. We would love to have both shifts and yourself attend this special service so we can thank you formally.

Also in attendance will be our neighbor, Mr. Leishman, who placed the 911 call, Staff, Faculty and Students of RSGC. Kindly, RSVP with your list of attendees to Toni Nosworthy at 416-­‐533-­‐9481 ext. 229.

We are looking forward to seeing you on May 4th, 2011.

Sincerely,

Father John Hodgins Chaplain of St. Albans

14

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 14

exemplify what motivates each and every one of us to never give up until the fight against this disease is won.

My name is Jason DuPont and I will be going to Sheridan College in Brampton, in the fall. The program I have selected to take is computer programming. I am not certain what I would like to do after college but I know that I want to work with computers.

Hopefully, I will be able to get a job where I can sometimes work from home. It is often difficult when it is really cold outside for me to leave my house. I have a disability called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This is a continual weakening of the muscles in your body. Even though this disability presents many challenges for me, my motto is to never give up. I have always told my Mom that I have resolve. Resolve keeps me going. My mom keeps telling me that even though my body is weak that my mind is strong.

I have always found computers to be fun but also hard work. Computers have also always been my best subject. Computer work just comes naturally to me; my parents told me that now that I will be attending College, I have an excuse to do what I love 12 hours a day. I struggled in other subjects throughout school but I never gave up.

Last year I had to miss 9 weeks of school. At the beginning of the year I had spinal fusion due to scoliosis and in the fall I was hospitalized for pneumonia because I stopped breathing while I was sick. In the hospital, I decided that my disease was not going to put me down; I just got back up and finished the year.

Even though I know college will be fun I am also very scared of going. One big reason for my fear is getting to know the people in my class and doing the work, but I will do it! I will try my best and do all my work on time.

My over all point in this essay is just because life can put you through many things, you should never give up, always let your dreams come first.

If you work hard, even if the work is tough, reach for your goals, they are possible. Giving in should be the last thing on your mind.

I hope you have enjoyed what I have said. Finally, I hope that everyone has a good life and never gives up to the challenges they face.

—Jason

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.

HEALTH & SAFETY HONOUREE

Letters Policy You may email your letter to: firewatch@torontofirefighters.org

Thank you so very much for the recognition.

It’s an honour to have served TFS and your Members. It was the best experience in my over 30 years of H&S career, as I was a part of a collaborative team working towards making the job safe for all employees.

Best wishes.

—Alex Chan, CFIOSH; CHSC Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner Health and Safety Consultant, City of Toronto

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION THANK YOU

I just want to thank you very much for arranging for the antique fire truck for our Centennial celebrations on June 18th. We were very pleased to have the truck as people were taking pictures with it all day long.

On a bright sunny June day, June 21, 2011 the community came out to help us celebrate the 100th anniversaKen. Magill .

71 Silverbirch Blvd ry of 97 Main Street and Fire StaIWO Mount Hope, L0R tion 226 next door. After months 905 679 7021 I d Guar r Colo ters War Veterans memorial service Toronto Firefigh of planning our numerous partAs a member of the honour and privilege to attend the re admi also I t . grea year consider it a ners including the police and fire of Ontario each en firefighters itaries, senior fall dign the ps, g grou urin r hono othe fighters, and all departments arrived with activisolemn ceremony. those active fire part in this most lies for taking officers and fami ties, trucks, cars and horses to selflessly have who es of my colleagu property and respect for all help us celebrate. People dined, duty to save the I have the utmost their e in the line of have ific to sacr and eme made the supr rve our presence bands played, children danced, They greatly dese memory. ing last ever lives of others. an as on the monument politicians reminisced and a names inscribed e thos of s include the name good time was had by all. to was introduced to ion (due slat ers legi canc nt of Since rece ific types to the list each later died of spec Thank you for helping make names are added firefighters who sure) many more due. expo over dent well inci unavoidable ion that was our anniversary celebration a and fair legislat year. This is good it has become success. above expectations g as it dates tly expands far the very beginnin As the list grea Thank you to Al Watterson some future all the names from at read will e to e edur cabl impracti present proc s. To continue our to complete. This will eventually for all you do in regards to the back to the 1800 ice into hours serv g. the ndin tch atte date stre antique fire truck lly seniors) from ge some, (especia discoura

r are here to hono statement that we the line of sense to make a who have died in ters It would make more figh that fire e names of thos of those fallen and respect all y to read out the are also here toda duty and that we current year. the in lost we have elled great relatives have trav l ers who have lost ice. Many are stil Many family memb to attend this serv rio Onta n the over if they were give ing distances from all fitt ent most curr would also be names of the grieving and it owledged as the d up and be ackn out. opportunity to stan d ones related to them are read love ased dece of list Sincerely, Ken. Magill

Sincerely, —Debbie Visconti, Executive Director

Letters to the Editor may be forwarded to: Letter to the Editor FIRE WATCH 39 Commissioners Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5A 1A6

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.”

]

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.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 15

&

FIRE FIGHTER

SURVIVAL RESCUE &

By Geoff Boisseau and John McGill, Toronto Fire Fighters

IT TAKES A VILLAGE I

t has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. It can also be said that it takes a village to save a fire fighter.

If a fire fighter gets into trouble on a fire ground, what steps need to be taken by everyone involved?

What is our individual AND group responsibilities as a part of the fire fighting ‘village’ that will help ensure a positive outcome? That outcome being that you make it back to safety, and most importantly, to your family.

Just as there are many components to a village, there are similarly, many components to saving a fire fighter. Over the next few issues, we are going to discuss fireground components such as training, personal preparation and PPE, communications, incident command, rescue teams and others that all play an important part in any fire fighter rescue.

Preparing To Handle a Fire Ground Emergency ‘Risk a Little to Save a Little/ Risk A Lot to Save A Lot’…

The following is taken from NFPA 1500 — Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, 2007 Edition, which is a guideline utilized

by IC’s to minimize risk to their fire fighters on the fire ground: 8.3 Risk Management During Emergency Operations 8.3.1The incident commander shall integrate risk management into the regular function of incident command.

8.3.2The concept of risk management shall be utilized on the basis of the following principles: (1) A ctivities that present a significant risk to the safety of members shall be limited to situations where there is a

16

potential to save lives.

(2) Activities that are routinely employed to protect property shall be recognized as inherent risk to the safety of members, and actions shall be taken to reduce or avoid these risks.

(3) No risk to the safety of members shall be acceptable when there is no possibility to save lives or property.

(4) In situations where the risk to fire department members is excessive, activities shall be limited to defensive operations.

8.3.3The incident commander shall evaluate the risk to members with respect to the purpose and potential results of their actions in each situation.

8.3.4 Risk management principles shall be routinely employed by supervisory personnel at all levels of the incident management system to define the limits of acceptable and unacceptable positions and functions for all members at the incident scene.

After reading these guidelines, there is one question that becomes strikingly clear.

How does an IC develop the appropriate strategy and tactics at an incident in order not only to extinguish the fire, but also to do it while also meeting these NFPA objecS U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 16

tives? The answer is surprisingly simple: INFORMATION. Information is the key to fire ground preparation and safety; not only at the Chief or Company Officer level, but also most importantly, at the individual level as well.

At the company or individual level, one of the simplest ways to gather information is with pro-active district familiarization. We don’t want the first time we see a building to be when we roll up at 2am with flames coming out of the roof.

It is up to us to become better prepared.

Get out and look at the buildings in your district. According to the IAFF, the things we should be looking at in standard building pre-planning are: fuel load, overhead weight (HVAC on roof), building history and whether or not the building is derelict.

In order for us to determine these things, we need to stop and talk to owners and renters. Find out things like when the structure was built; are there any special

hazards to be aware of? What should be the expected occupancy? Outward appearances can be misleading. Is it a converted commercial property to a loft? Or maybe it’s an old warehouse being used as an ammunition storage depot…again, it is up to YOU to find these things out. Don’t just drive by new construction in your district.

Stop, get out and have a look around. Talk to the people on site. Most likely, if it is a new building, it will be some form or another of lightweight construction. If so, are there metal studs and or engineered I-beams? Ask yourself, how long does lightweight construction last when impinged by flames? How long would this building last if on fire?

Another benefit to district familiarization is developing your ‘mind’s eye’. Your mind’s eye is your ability to visualize or see things in your mind that you have seen or done before. Your response to the release of increased levels of cortisol into the body when stressed or panicked is key in sur-

vival. This release of cortisol will cause the brain to search for any and all information that is stored in your memory that may help you. So, it follows then, that by having seen the interior layout and room orientation previously, this should help you in the event of an emergency.

All of these things will factor DIRECTLY into your fire ground safety and survivability. Again, we need to know this stuff before we roll up at 2am with flames coming out of the roof and a report of people trapped.

If we have all of this information; building construction, expected occupancy, how long has the fire been burning, what is the smoke telling us, etc…then we have the tools to make a proper decision - whether the risk is worth it. Otherwise, we are just rolling the dice…and that may be okay in Vegas, but it’s not okay on the fire ground.

Remember: ‘The most flammable thing in the room could be you!’

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JOIN THE PAC!

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firepac@torontofirefighters.org OR (416) 466-1167 ext 356

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 17

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S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 18

WSIB: UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS

By Bill McKee, Local 3888 WSIB Committee Member

T

he Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, more commonly known as WSIB, is a complex organization that is often misunderstood. In fact, many of you have asked me pointed questions about WSIB, how it works, what the process is and what it encompasses. Let me try and address some of your questions by starting from the beginning.

WSIB was created in 1915, as the Workmen’s Compensation Board. As stated on its website, its mandate is to, “administer no-fault workplace insurance for employers and their workers.” While this mandate seems simple enough, the actual process is quite complex.

The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has a WSIB Committee and representatives that work on your behalf. We analyze your claims and try to work all files to help administer the best possible outcome. However, the committee is not always made aware of all of the claims. The cases we tend to deal with are those that have “come off the rails.” These are the files that have not been resolved, due to a myriad of problems. Some of the problems may have occurred during the process of the claim; such as a worker’s failure to seek medical attention in a timely fashion or a delay in reporting a claim and conflicting statements of the nature of the injury, are just a few of the issues that may stall your claim. Some of these can be resolved in a quick manner by providing more information or documentation, or simply by clarifying the issues. However, there are also other roadblocks in this process.

Sometimes, WSIB approves a claim only to have the city file an objection to have the claim entitlement denied. When this occurs, the

WSIB Committee members get involved to work the case file and arrive at a resolution.

This is often a long and frustrating process for the injured worker. We as a committee do our best to speed the process up, but as you will see, the timelines are restrictive. The first step in a case like this is to gain access through a form, signed by the injured worker, and then obtain a complete copy of his/her WSIB file.

This step can take anywhere between four and eight weeks before the complete file is delivered. Once we receive the file, we determine what the problems are and how to resolve them. We liaise between the worker and the case manager from WSIB, in order to provide the information required to get the file moving. In some cases, we are successful in overturning the denial of benefits while in others the decision is upheld.

Regardless of the outcome, if either party is not satisfied with the results, we can file to go to the next stage, which are appeals. This is a second stage of the process and may take up to six months before you can even get a date for a hearing. It is like going from a small claims court and appealing a ruling to the higher provincial court. In this stage, a resolutions officer is appointed and he/she will be the decision maker, or judge, in the case. This is an opportunity for the claimant to tell his/her story about the injury and how it has impacted their life. Just like in court, this process entails opening statements from both the worker’s representative and the employer’s representative, and then both parties have the opportunity to question the worker. Finally, both the employer and worker’s representatives present

all aspects of the case, how it applies to the workplace, WSIB policies, Health and Safety Acts, workplace policies, etc. The hearing ends with closing statements and a decision is rendered within eight weeks.

The waiting, of course, is one of the hardest parts of this process. Once a decision is made, both parties again have a chance to appeal it.

This is the third and final stage of the process.

This appeal is held directly before the Workplace Safety and Insurance board, not unlike the Supreme Court, their decision is final. The main difference in these proceedings is that you can present case law, other jurisdiction and provincial WSIB policies, and other WSIAT decisions to support your position. This can be presented in front of a single decision maker or a panel of three. The panel consists of one appointee from Labour, one appointee from the employers sector, and a legal professional such as a judge or lawyer.

It’s important to note that only a small percentage of our WSIB claims ever get to this third stage; fortunately, most are resolved within the resolution stages. Ideally, most claims are resolved in a timely fashion but sometimes they fall off the rails and the unavoidable, long and arduous process follows.

The WSIB Committee is here to work for you. We see the effects that injuries, minor or major, have on our members. This is why we are committed to obtaining the best possible resolution for the worker, ensuring you are compensated and if possible, allowed to return to work safely without penalties.

If you have questions or concerns contact a member of the committee.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 19

EARLY DETECTION CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE! and supportive manner.

“We are all aware that fire fighting can be one of the most rewarding careers one can choose. However, we also know that there are inherent health risks associated with the job.

Your Association and Toronto Fire Services are working together in the development of a proactive and comprehensive health and wellness program, addressing the needs of all staff in areas that include medical and behavioural health, physical fitness, injury prevention and rehabilitation in a non-punitive

T

In the upcoming issues of Toronto Fire Watch, we will highlight personal experiences of some of our members who have made some positive lifestyle changes, resulting in significant outcomes for their lives and also for their families.

“You have cancer.”

By Greg Steffler, Toronto Fire Fighter

hese are the dreaded words that none of us ever want to hear. Unfortunately, it is a phrase heard by many fire fighters and their families all too often these days. For me, these words came on a September day in 2008, while sitting in the specialist’s office with my wife, Sara. It felt like Mike Tyson had just punched me in the head. Once I regained my composure, I asked the doctor, “What happens next?” What followed, was a journey through the healthcare system that lasted nearly a year.

Upon arriving home, I had to tell my two teenage daughters that I had cancer, and I attempted to comfort them as they sobbed and hugged me.

There were also phone calls to be made; first to my Dad. That was a tough one. Then, to my brother at Station 345, the guys at my hall, my District Chief Dave Hill, the administration, the medical office, the Association… well, you get the picture. All the while, not knowing the extent of the disease other than it was throat cancer.

One day shortly thereafter, while working in the yard, I could feel the stress building in me and I knew I had to speak to someone. I wandered down the street to my friend and fellow fire fighter, Bill Sault’s house. After blurting out my story, he sat me down and helped me get my head back together. I was able to refocus and never had another bad moment after that. Thanks Bill.

20

We thank all participants who are sharing their stories, as they encourage each of us to think about how our lifestyle choices today will impact our health throughout our career and into retirement.”

Within a few days, I was in the care of Princess Margaret Hospital. Lots of tests, biopsies, CT scans, an MRI. If you’ve never had the pleasure of an MRI, it’s like being loaded into a torpedo tube and then having several rather large fellows beat on it with sledgehammers. It turned out that I had a stage 3, squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil. Knew I should have had them out when I was a kid!

Treatment was to be radiation therapy, five days a week for seven weeks, followed by a radical neck resection surgery to remove any of the little nasties still lingering. But first, I needed to have a feeding tube installed. This was because my throat was going to become so sore from the radiation that I wouldn’t be able to eat or drink by mouth. My nourishment would come only from the liquids that would be poured down a tube that went into my stomach.

So, it’s across the road to TGH for this procedure. They insert a tube down your nose and throat until it gets past your stomach and into your duodenum. Then they slice through your abdomen and fish it out. Over the course of my illness I lost over 50 lbs and my clothes no longer fit.

Back at PMH, they fitted me with a custom made “helmet” that was specially moulded to my face.

When you show up for your daily radiation treatment, the technicians fasten you to the table with

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 20

WOULD YOU?

this device so that it holds you in an exact position while the beam rotates around your head, blasting your cancer from all different angles. The basement of the hospital has a dozen of these machines and they are going all day long. Mine was in the head and neck department. On the days when I was feeling sorry for myself I’d just look around the room and see the other patients sitting there who were dealing with much more devastating outcomes than mine.

Radiation treatments don’t discriminate. They kill the cancer cells - a good thing - but they cause collateral damage as well. My saliva glands were nuked and no longer work. Now, I carry a water bottle with me at all times to avoid the cottonmouth and to aid in swallowing. My right jawbone was impacted as well. For months after treatment, as my jaw delaminated, I would have to make my way to the PMH dental unit to have bone fragments that were slicing my tongue removed from the inside of my gums. It took months to recover and get my strength back. There was a systemic infection of my GI tract that took much medication and three months to clear up. All of this is happening while you try to co-ordinate the medical office, OMERS, Manulife and WSIB. Slowly but surely, things started to turn around. I finally felt that there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

During my illness, I had many friends from the job, call with offers of a ride to treatments or to just provide words of encouragement. Thank you all. Three of my old captains called with words of support, two of them battling their own forms of the disease. It has been two years since my illness and now my trips to PMH are only every three months, just to make

YOU WOULDN’T PERFORM AN AUTO EXTRICATION WITHOUT PROPER PPE AND EYE PROTECTION...

sure things are going, as they should. It’s good to be back at work and to have a normal life again. I know I am lucky in this regard and that sometimes it is not a good outcome for our brothers and sisters.

The point of my story is this: it is well known that our job puts us at an elevated risk for cancers and cardiovascular disease. The days of the smoke eaters are gone. Wear your SCBA as required, especially during overhaul. The effects of the toxic chemicals released by the burning synthetics in a modern house fire are still not completely understood. Keep your bunker gear clean and remember to shower after any exposure to heavy smoke. Our Association and the City have made great strides in providing us with a safer work environment but ultimately we have to take responsibility for our own wellbeing. Take advantage of the Health and Wellness initiatives provided by the TFS that promote a healthier lifestyle.

Remember to get your annual health check up and make sure your doctor is screening you with the appropriate tests. You know your body better than anyone. When something doesn’t feel right, get it checked out.

Next time you are in your dentist’s office, ask the hygienist if they can give you an oral screening for cancers. It takes only a few minutes and involves a physical palpation of the mouth, tongue, and neck. This is how I was able to detect my cancer early enough to have such a successful outcome. Support the many anti-cancer initiatives by members that are aimed at eliminating this disease. Quit smoking, stay active, and live longer.

Do you really want to hear those words “You have cancer.”

YOU WOULDN’T ENTER A HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE WITHOUT YOUR SCBA ON...

WOULD YOU?

ALWAYS WOULD YOU? WOULD YOU?

SO WHY WOULD YOU EVER GETWOULDN’T INTO A MOVING FIRE YOU ENTER A APPARATUS WITHOUT HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERE FIRST PUTTING ON YOUR WITHOUT YOUR SCBA ON...

SEATBELT? WOULD YOU?

Local 3888 encourages SCBA worn LOCAL 3888 REMINDS ALLbeOF ITSeven when the fire isTO out, overhaul BUCKLE has been shown YOU WOULDN’T PERFORM MEMBERS ALWAYS UP! AN AUTO to EXTRICATION be just as hazardous as when the visible WITHOUTsmoke PROPERwas PPE present.

ALWAYS! AND EYE PROTECTION...

WOULD YOU?

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Local 3888 Annual Charity Golf Tournament

By Bill McKee, Chair, Local 3888 ERSS Committee

O

ur second Annual Charity Golf Classic was a huge success. We raised nearly four thousand dollars for Project Engagement.

Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson and Vince Gasparro founded project Engagement. It is a volunteer based, not-for-profit organization that looks to alleviate short-term and long-term poverty in Toronto and the GTA (For more information on the charity please visit their website www. projectengagement.org).

The Golf Classic was held on Monday May 16th.

The morning started out overcast and rainy but our spirits were not dampened and the weather cleared quickly. After arriving at Royal Woodbine Golf Club, participants were greeted at our registration table by members of the Local 3888 Executive Board and Stewards Committee. Everyone received a participation prize package that included: a sleeve of balls, an insulated cooler, a stainless steel water bottle (all with the Local 3888 logo on it), a package of tee’s, a hat and a few other small items.

After registration, the outdoor BBQ was fired up, where participants enjoyed a nice lunch. At 12:15, muster began, and by 12:30 the horn had blown to get everyone onto the course. The buzz was certainly evident around hole 14, sponsored by Aviva. It gave the opportunity for all to win $10,000.00 for a holein-one. Unfortunately, it was left unclaimed this year, but there were numerous chances to win on other holes. Starfield Lion sponsored a closest to the pin competition on hole 4, our friends at Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP also sponsored a closest to the pin on hole 7. The Fire Services Credit Union sponsored the longest drive competition on hole 9, while the Toronto Professional Police Association sponsored “In The Zone” competition hole on hole 11. This was an accuracy drive competition, which only one participant was able to successfully negotiate. Finally, on hole 18, we had a test of skill with our, “Out Drive the Executive,” where players had the opportunity to

22

test their skill against Executive Board Officer, James Reed, for the chance to win a one night stay for two at One King West with breakfast and a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey signed by Giguere.

Fortunately, the weather held out until all players made it back to the club house to relax. Before we enjoyed a wonderful dinner, our guests of Honour Councillor Michael Thompson and Vince Gasparro made some brief statements. Dinner was served and enjoyed by everyone; the menu was a buffet and included a choice of succulent roast beef, chicken, pasta (or all three), plus salads, potatoes, vegetables and a variety of desserts.

After dinner we held our 50/50 draw for the $425 prize. The lucky winner was Ferdinando Longo, Chief of Staff for the Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. After coming up to claim his prize Mr. Longo turned to me and said, “I would like to donate it all back to the charity because you guys always go above and beyond.”

This act is what defines who we are, our sacrifice and participation within our communities. So, thank you Mr. Longo for your generosity and for setting the example for us to follow.

The evening wound down with all participants asked to claim a prize at the end. The prizes ranged from hotel stays, BBQ sets, truck ramps, and gift certificates to restaurants and shopping centers, just to name a few.

Although we did not reach capacity this year, the evening was an immense success and all proceeds raised will go toward building stronger communities.

I look forward to next year’s event and hope to build upon the success of this one.

I would like to say a special thanks to Doug Erwin, James Reed, Janos Csepreghi, Mike Ogle, Geoff Boiseau and to Stewards Tom Odsaca and Gerlando Peritore, and members Brent Weaver and Bill Triolo for your assistance in this event.

See you all next year!

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 22

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Burn Camp A

s we traveled throughout Washington DC, spending a week touring museums and monuments, visiting with national leaders and dignitaries, and enjoying the warm hospitality of local fire fighters, I often found myself wondering what our group must look like to the casual observer. We were almost 100 people, half of us teenagers, half of us definitely beyond our teenage years; a mix of men and women, a variety of skin colours, a range of accents and speaking styles. Yet, despite all of these obvious differences, we were united by much more than our matching IAFF backpacks and baseball caps.

Burns are one of the most horrific assaults that can be inflicted on the human body. As professional fire fighters, we understand this fact better than most. We recognize the tremendous need to assist the more than 2.5 million people, including fire fighters, who are burned each year. That is why in 1982, the IAFF formed the IAFF Burn Foundation (IAFFBF), dedicated to burn prevention and education, advocacy, research and improving the quality of life for burn survivors.

Each year, the Foundation selects a young burn survivor between the age of 13 and 15, and a professional fire fighter/camp coun24

By Adina Kaufman, Toronto Fire Fighter selor from regional burn camps across the United States and Canada to attend the IAFFBF International Burn Camp. This internationally recognized program gives young burn survivors the opportunity to explore Washington, DC and share their experiences with other teens that have fought back courageously and successfully from burn injuries.

In September 2010, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Washington DC with Julia McGill, a 13 year old camper from Cambridge, Ontario, to represent Ontario’s Camp BUCKO (Burn Camp for Kids in Ontario) at the 15th Annual IAFFBF International Burn Camp.

It was an amazing week for both of us, and we became part of a small but proud Canadian contingent, including representatives from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Manitoba. We did our best to distribute maple

leaf flag pins and stickers to all of our new American friends; we sang ‘O Canada’ in addition to the Star Spangled Banner, and we even added Canadian trivia to the daily quiz that became part of our bus rides at the end of each action packed day, as we returned to our home for the week at the National Labor College. I’d like to think we got some people thinking about making the IAFFBF International Burn Camp truly international by hosting it not only in Washington DC but also in our nation’s capital of Ottawa, on a rotating basis of course.

Our week in Washington had an endless supply of amazing moments. Some of them were the kind you would expect – a private tour of FedEx Field, home of the NFL’s Washington Redskins, hosted by Redskins Linebacker Robert Henson. We all expected the tour to be amazing, and it was - we got to meet an NFL player, sit in the stands, step on the field, and visit the team locker room. What we didn’t expect was the intense personal connection that we would each feel with this pro football player as he spoke to us from the heart, softly, sharing his intensely personal story of losing his brother to a house fire when they were still children.

He admitted to us how nervous he was to speak to S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 24

a group our size but how he was fighting his fear because of how much admiration and respect he had for each of the burn survivors.

Picture it: a professional NFL linebacker standing humbly and respectfully before a group of teenaged burn survivors and recognizing them for their strength and courage, making them feel they were true heroes – that was an amazing moment. And during our week in Washington, it was but one of many, many such moments.

As the end of the week came upon us, people eagerly put on their finest clothes, we fire fighters put on our dress uniforms, and we all excitedly gathered for our closing banquet. We shared stories, exchanged email addresses and took photos of new friends. However, smiles quickly turned to tears as we went around the room and shared heartfelt thoughts about our time together and what the week had meant to us. As one person after another spoke, it became clear that this week would affect each of us for the rest of our lives, and the friendships developed would last well beyond our week together in Washington, DC. The IAFF Burn Foundation is not funded through your union dues. It is funded solely through donations received from concerned fire fighters, citizens, organizations and businesses. There are many ways that we as fire fighters can become actively involved in the great work of the IAFFBF. You could consider making a personal donation, or finding a way to join an existing fundraising effort (e.g. IAFF Burn Foundation Marine Corps Marathon Team), or volunteer your time for a regional burn camp (e.g. Camp BUCKO). There is no doubt that any way that you choose to get involved will have positive lasting effects for more people than you can imagine, including yourself.

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Time to Take a Stand!

By Damien Walsh, Local 3888 Vice President

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he October 6th provincial election is fast approaching. It will be present system. This media fed opportunism seeks to deceive the general a crucial campaign for the future of our members along with ev- public with the intent of finding easy solutions to balance budgets and ery professional firefighter in the province of Ontario. One of the appease taxpayers desire to address financial problems.

After amalgamation of the six former municipalities of Metropolitan key campaign issues has become the very system that firefighters rely on to achieve a collective agreement when negotiations break down Toronto, our collective agreement was formed through an arbitrated between their bargaining representatives and their respective municipali- award as merging six collective agreements was a monumental task. Subsequently, our following two collective agreements ties. This is our arbitration system that is curwere freely negotiated between the city and your rently in place in the Fire Protection and PrevenAssociation with our current agreement expiring tion Act, 1997. on December 31st, 2009. Considerable effort went The opening salvos have already been fired by toward achieving a new agreement last year but the opposition Progressive Conservatives. On due to the political climate at the time of the reseveral occasions, their leader Tim Hudak has cent municipal election, it was apparent that we made statements publicly on their desire to take would be unable to reach an agreement and there control of public sector unions as well as opening would be a need to access the current arbitration up the current arbitration system for the purpose system. of making it a more favourable process for muNow it seems that politics will again enter into nicipalities while harming the ability of unions to the equation as the leader of the Ontario Progresachieve equitable settlements.

—Tim Hudak, Ontario PC Leader sives Conservatives seeks to make political hay out This theme stems from the ongoing struggles of the current arbitration system. south of the border as governments look to strip “Arbitrators thumb their nose at the province and hand out rich wage away hard fought rights and benefits achieved by unions over many years past. Many state governments have already enacted legislation which has increases to the public sector, while municipalities are forced to keep drastically affected the ability of public sector unions to negotiate fairly on pace. The system is broken. A PC government will work with municipalibehalf of their members. Now, governments here in Canada are pondering ties to fix it and ensure public sector contracts reflect Ontario families’ similar laws to impede the ability of unions to negotiate fairly, using the ability to pay.”– Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak.

“I would open up the act to make sure that the taxpayers’ ability to pay is one of the dominant factors that arbitrators will look at ...”

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Professional fire fighters in Ontario have achieved significant legislative success over the last two governments led by the Ontario Liberals.

We can be proud of these achievements as we have been held in high regard, treated as partners in the public service and appreciated for the work we do serving our communities.

• Bill 221, Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act (Presumptions for Firefighters), 2007 • Bill 236, Pension Benefits Amendment Act, 2010 (OMERS) • Bill 181, Fire Protection and Prevention Amendment Act, 2011 These are just a few examples of the 8 significant pieces of legislation we have achieved over the last 8 years in partnership with the current provincial government. In light of these successes, on June 7th, at the OPFFA’s bi-annual convention, a resolution was passed unanimously to endorse Premier Dalton McGuinty. All locals in the OPFFA have pledged their support in assisting the current government in re-election to a 3rd term.

The intent here is not to steer anyone’s personal political leanings. With over 3,000 members, our Association has a wide range of political opinions and many who are committed to various political causes for their own personal reasons. As an Association, we will always respect and encourage that. The purpose is to demonstrate what we have been able to achieve as fire fighters and with continued diligence through this next campaign, we can pave the way for future success. There’s no question; it’s a difficult decision to weigh your political choice between your personal political

feelings and those of your profession, but we have shown, time and again, that a few hours of unglamorous campaign work can pay huge dividends post-election.

The relationships built with existing MPPs and new candidates are crucial in opening doors at Queens Park when we go to lobby our issues.

The city of Toronto boundaries incorporate 22 provincial ridings with an additional one straddling parts of Scarborough and Pickering (Pickering- Scarborough East). There are currently 17 incumbent Liberal MPPS, 4 incumbent NDP MPPs and there will be one open seat as a result of the retiring Gerry Phillips in ScarboroughAgincourt. Your Association has benefited from excellent relations with all existing MPPs in the Toronto area across party lines. It’s been stated many times- we support those who support us. We will continue this philosophy as we head into the 2011 provincial election.

This has been an incredibly busy year in politics for our Association, with major involvement in 3 elections. We have seen our members get involved in record numbers and have shown a significant presence in many races. It is critical that we make an impact on October 6th, as the future of our livelihood may depend on it. Your Association urges all members to educate themselves on the issues and get involved in any way you can. We will be active in every Toronto riding under the leadership of your Executive Board, FIREPAC committee, Stewards and you- the membership.

Whatever area of the city you live or work in, get involved. There are many good candidates who are worthy of our support. We must continue to support those who have supported us and will continue to do so. See you out there on the campaign trail; it’s going to be a wild one!

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THE 2011 OFF-DUTY AND MEDIA AWARDS

By Dave Holwell, Chair, Local 3888 Public Relations Committee

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his year was a break from tradition, as it marked the first time that both the Off-Duty and Media Awards were being presented at the same event. Both the Local 3888 Public Relations Committee and Executive Board felt that these two events were similar in their focus and their purpose, and that each attracted an identical audience of Councillors, city officials and TFS upper management. As well, it provided for a total savings of $14,000 to the membership.

PR Committee Chair, Janos Csepreghi, admits that combining the two events presented numerous challenges (as we have all learned first-hand that amalgamations can) but felt that the event was hosted with style and he looks forward to the chance to improve it further next year.

Local 3888 Off-Duty Awards While it is evident that our members risk their lives and go above and beyond in many situations during the course of their duties while at work - utilizing the personal protective equipment, training and policies that are issued and are in place – what is not so evident to most, is the number of times that our members will do the same while off-duty; acts which are equally, if not more admirable, as there is no obligation to do so, only a true desire to help others.

Local 3888’s Annual Off-Duty Awards program consists of four separate and distinct categories, which recognize the exceptional efforts and achievements of our members while off-duty.

THE BERNARD “BEN” BONSER AWARD THE AL PEARSALL AWARD Presented to a Local 3888 member who contributed time and ability toward the improvement of his/her community and fellow citizens, while “off-duty”.

2010 RECIPIENT: FIRE FIGHTER ADINA KAUFMAN THE STORY: Adina has been with Toronto Fire Services for just over nine years. The list of charity work and non-profit, community-improvement based organizations she is a member of is very long and impressive. The following list is just a small sample of Adina’s involvement: • Member of Global Medic, an organization that provides emergency relief to those affected by natural disasters and complex emergencies • Counselor for the past few years at Camp BUCKO • Provided medical assistance to people in Guyana • Has mentored prospective fire fighters in the TFS recruitment and outreach program • Volunteers with “Out of the Cold” to feed the homeless • Volunteers at the annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, answering phones

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

2010 RECIPIENT: FIRE FIGHTER DONNOVAN BENNETT THE STORY: On the afternoon of Friday June 11, 2010, while traveling east on a busy stretch of Highway 407 near Bathurst Street, Donnovan witnessed an automobile accident.

Approximately 100 meters in front of him, a car swerved erratically from the extreme right to the extreme left of the eastbound lanes. In an effort to correct the direction of travel, the driver “over-steered,” causing the car to spin 180 degrees into the path of oncoming traffic. In the blink of an eye, the car was clipped by a large truck and sent flying through the air. Upon landing, the car rolled several times, before landing upside down in a ditch on its caved-in roof.

Realizing what had just happened; Donnovan pulled over in the curb lane and ran back 300 meters to the smoking vehicle. With the help of the truck driver, Donnovan was able to manually pry the driver-side door open and free the two trapped, upside down occupants from the smouldering car. At the roadside, Donnovan assessed the condition of both occupants and stayed with them until emergency services arrived.

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THE ROY SILVER AWARD

THE BOX 12 AWARD

Presented to a Local 3888 member who during the past year, while “offduty” has distinguished himself/herself by performing first aid or CPR on or for a fellow citizen.

Presented to a Local 3888 member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in a voluntary capacity for the indirect betterment of Local 3888 members.

2010 RECIPIENT: FIRE FIGHTER STEVE RODAK

2010 RECIPIENT: CAPTAIN JOHN POIRIER

THE STORY: On Monday August 9, 2010, while at the cottage, Steve and his family discovered a three-year-old child face down in the water. Upon pulling the child from the water, Steve determined that the child was VSA. After several long minutes of CPR, Steve had regained a pulse in the child. Still in need of assistance, Steve and his family monitored the boy’s vital signs until paramedics arrived. The boy was transported to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay and then transferred again to Scarborough Centenary Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. He was eventually released on Thursday August 12 and made a full recovery.

THE STORY: In addition to being a respected Captain in Operations, John has been an active member of 3888 volunteering his time and effort whenever needed.

John was one of the founding members of our Celtic Society. Since 2005, the Celtic Society has raised over $30,000 for charities within the city, such as Sick Kids Hospital and our burn camp – Camp BUCKO. Boasting over 400 enthusiastic members, the Celtic Society is the festive side of Local 3888, as demonstrated by the great times had by all at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

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Local 3888 Media Awards

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et’s admit it, we watch local news channels, read local newspapers and listen to local radio stations. The media is a large part of our everyday lives, one that is hard to escape, even if we wanted to. While watching, reading or listening to any media coverage, if there is a mention of Toronto Fire Fighters, whether it be a dramatic rescue, a large-scale fire or even a charity event that we were involved in, each one of us becomes a little more interested and a little more engrossed in the coverage.

The media in Toronto does an excellent job of covering and capturing our actions and the dangers that we face on a daily basis. The vast majority of the time, we are cast in a very positive and favourable light. This is part of what enhances our very admirable public perception within our community. The coverage that we receive for the job and community/charity work we perform is something that we should be, and as an Association, are grateful toward the media for. Thus, each year, we hold our annual Local 3888 Media Awards in order to honour Toronto media outlets and various journalists who report on events involving our members.

Our Media Awards consist of eight different categories, including two homegrown categories. Long-time members of the media judge all nominations for each of these categories. Combined, they have several decades of journalism experience and know very well, what makes a compelling story or media presentation.

The judges for this year’s awards were: • Mr. Bill Dampier – A former police reporter for the Toronto Telegram and a national newspaper awards winner for the Toronto Star.

• Mr. Norm Betts – A distinguished news photographer with decades of experience and a former multiple winner of these awards.

BEST PHOTO (PRINT MEDIA OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION) 2010 RECIPIENT: JOHN HANLEY (APPEARED IN GLOBE AND MAIL) John receives this award for his June 2010 photograph of Toronto Fire Fighters and a Toronto Police Officer attending a spectacular house fire in the beaches area.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Captures all of the elements of the scene in a single frame. The clear winner in this category.

BEST NEWS STORY (PRINT MEDIA UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION) 2010 RECIPIENT: INSIDETORONTO.COM Insidetoronto.com receives this award for their continuing, day-byday coverage of the activities of Toronto Fire Fighters.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is the first time that an online news service has been honoured with a Local 3888 Media Award. However, the judges agreed unanimously that insidetoronto.com has provided outstanding coverage, not only for its own use, but also for community newspapers across the region.

Excellent use of new media in order to inform and educate the public.

BEST UNPUBLISHED PHOTO

BY A LOCAL 3888 MEMBER 2010 RECIPIENT: KEITH HAMILTON Keith is a Captain at Station 313 on “A” Platoon. He receives this award for a photo he took on March 28, 2010, at a fire in Scarborough on Thyra Avenue.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A dramatic shot of fire fighters in action at a dangerous house fire.

• Mr. Ken Mallette – A veteran print and television journalist and a former news director for Global Television News.

BEST NEWS STORY (PRINT MEDIA OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION) 2010 RECIPIENT: KENYON WALLCE (NATIONAL POST) Kenyon Wallace, from the National Post, received this award for his September 2010 story about a fire in the St. James Town complex that forced 1,100 tenants into the street.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A complete, thorough story, produced under the pressure of a tight deadline that captured the warm, human details of the stricken tenants and the fire fighters.

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BEST RADIO NEWS STORY – THE JIM MORRIS AWARD 2010 RECIPIENT: SGT. ROB CULLEN (YORK REGIONAL POLICE, ON AM 640) Sgt. Rob Cullen of the York Regional Police receives this award for a moving letter that he wrote to memorialize the death of retired fire fighter, Robert Wilson. The letter was broadcast on AM 640 and subsequently published.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Sgt. Cullen is a police officer, not a journalist. However, any professional would be proud to broadcast the touching, heart-warming story he produced about the spontaneous actions taken to honour a fire fighter who had spent 30 years of his life, protecting others, and who died alone in his basement apartment.

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BEST TELEVISION NEWS COVERAGE 2010 RECIPIENT: ANDREA PIUNNO, DAN FRECHETTE, TIM MAEBA AND GEORGE JOSEPH (CITY TV NEWS) This City TV News team receives this award for their coverage of a sixalarm fire in a downtown Toronto apartment building, involving more than one hundred fire fighters and hundreds of tenants who had to be evacuated. Andrea provided the report, while Dan, Tim and George shot the video coverage.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good action video and a strong human-interest element. Good interviews with tenants, as well as with fire service officials.

BEST PHOTO (PRINT MEDIA UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION) 2010 RECIPIENT: JOHN HANLEY (APPEARED IN BEACH COMMUNITY NEWS) John receives this second award for a different photo, from the same incident in the beaches area in June 2010.

JUDGES’ COMMENTS: News photographers go to dozens of fires every year and many of them are unable to capture spectacular moments. This time, John arrived on scene early and produced not one, but two excellent photographs, both of which merit awards.

BEST FIRE WATCH ARTICLE 2010 RECIPIENT: MATT DUNN Matt took over the task of writing various historical articles, including our popular ‘Hall Showcase’ pieces and profiles of fallen fire fighters, from former award winner and Toronto Fire Fighter, Jon Lasiuk, many months before he actually became a Toronto Fire Fighter. He was just finishing recruit class at the academy when this award was presented to him – a great way to start your career Matt. Well done.

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The danGer dOesn’T end when The fIre’s OuT.

This photo was taken in 1980 in Canada. A lot has changed since then, but job hazards – especially during investigations – are sometimes still not treated with the caution they deserve.

Photo: Carlo Hindian/Masterfile

YOUR SCBA THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

AGAINST TOXIC EXPOSURE.

Toxic fumes from smouldering debris are just as harmful as those from an active fire. So until you’re sure the danger’s really over, wear your SCBA. Originally developed by: Office of the Fire Marshal, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters, The Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Municipal Health and Safety Association, Ontario Section 21 Committee, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). © 2006, WSIB – all rights reserved. Printed in Canada. #5065C (07/06). To order posters, contact WSIB: 1-800-663-6639, or WSIB Marketing: 1-800-387-0750 / 5540 (Outside Ontario / Canada).

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The DEVO Committee

By Rodney Johnston, Toronto Fire Fighter

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hose to the tailpipe is another way of avoiding troublesome collisions, and always stopping when losing sight of your spotters might not just avoid a collision, but could also save a life. It is extremely important that Captains on a 3-man apparatus exit the vehicle and act as a second spotter. The lone person hooking up the EVEC cannot see what is behind him.

• Trevor Trotter, Platoon Chief North Command Collisions with overhead doors are often preventable as well. The driver • Matt Woodrow, East Training can easily detect sticking remote control buttons by routinely testing • Mike Ogle, East Training them as part of your truck check in the morning.

• Rick Cooper, C23 A Platoon A visual check of the operation of the overhead door can help spot po• Gord Tewnion, P215 A Platoon tentially dangerous problems ahead of time. Simple and not too time con• Rod Johnston, P242 B Platoon suming, these preventative measures can avoid costly problems and need• Rob Gutray, PL432 C Platoon less paperwork.

• Ted Kular, R444 B Platoon Seatbelt use is rapidly becoming part of our safety culture, and is liter• Gerald Pyjor, R421 B Platoon ally one of the easiest things you can do to avoid serious injuries on the • Josh Kramer, R444 B Platoon job. Ensuring that your crew is seated and buckled in, before you even The DEVO Committee meets on a quarterly basis and discusses various turn a wheel, is not just sensible, it is the law. As our goal is to have evaspects of apparatus operation, pertinent to the TFS. Topics include the erybody return home safe after each shift at work, seatbelts simply save review of relevant SOGs, current safety initiatives, and making sugges- lives…be sure you use them!

Red light cameras are routinely installed in targeted intersections tions to enhance the safety of both TFS personnel, as well as the citizens throughout Toronto. Currently, there are 87 cameras rotating at 114 interwe serve.

A Collision Sub-Committee was also formed, comprised of Matt Wood- sections in Toronto. Current fines are as much as $325 dollars, but the row and Mike Ogle from East training, and fire fighters Gord Tewnion and implications of running red lights are far more serious; injury to Toronto Rodney Johnston. They meet every eight weeks to review and discuss all Fire personnel and citizens, damage to vehicles and property, and downcollisions involving TFS vehicles. Anything standing out as ‘high priority’ time for apparatus are just a few of the issues.

Toronto Fire had a total of 48 incidents with red light cameras in 2010, is reviewed and investigated with the goal of finding solutions and possible training issues. A current high priority issue for the Sub-Committee is as compared to Toronto Police with 137 and Toronto EMS with 220 incidents. We feel this is largely due to our high degree of professional confire trucks striking buildings and apparatus bay doors. duct on the roads, and specifically at intersections. Driving courteously and sensibly maintains our good image with the public. Coming to a comThe mission of the DEVO Committee is simple: plete stop with lights on and siren sounding, then proceeding only when • Improve driving skill across the TFS it is safe, ensures trouble free passage through the intersection. Making • Reduce collisions citywide sure to sound the air horn before the intersection, but not at the intersec• Educate drivers, rather than discipline tion is also a good practice as the horn can confuse some drivers, and is • And most importantly, make recommendations also not a legal warning device under the HTA. With recent tragedies still Safe driving is a key component in the way that we deliver high quality fresh in our minds, it underscores the importance of clearing intersections service within the TFS. Whether we are responding to a house fire in safely and properly. Remember, "We didn't start the fire but we want to get south Scarborough, or doing inspections in the busy downtown core, get- there to put it out!"

The TFS responded to almost 150,000 incidents last year. Individual ting there safely and responsibly is our top concern. We are doing a very apparatus run totals were almost triple that amount. In a city with hungood job of this.

This doesn't mean we can sit back and rest on our good reputation. In- dreds of thousands of vehicles on the congested roads every day, our drivstead, we must always be learning and continually improving to stay on ers do a first-rate job of ensuring the safety of their crews and the citizens we protect. top. Our pride in our profession demands this.

Adherence to SOGs and the HTA, diligent truck checks, routine mainAlthough we do an exceptional job with our driving duties on the TFS, there are some areas where we can improve. Collisions involving fire ap- tenance, and a proactive approach to defensive driving are ways that we paratus reversing are often preventable with a little bit of attention to de- can continually improve our great record. Take the extra time to do things tail. As a driver, you should always insist on a minimum of two spotters, right - it will pay off big time!

Please feel free to contact any member with suggestions or concerns. whenever available, while backing up. Stopping briefly to attach the EVEC he Driver Education and Vehicle Operation (DEVO) Committee first met this year at Station 114 on March 22. The Committee is comprised of:

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Member Profile

By Tony Macdonald, Retired Toronto Fire Captain

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efore joining the fire department, Doug studied social work at Ryerson University. While he was there, he trained on both the Ryerson and the University of Toronto Swim Clubs. In 1981-82, he was the Ryerson Athlete of the Year. Doug was also the 200-meter breaststroke champion for two years and he set a record that stood until, “some guy named Alex Baumann broke it.”

It was while he was at Ryerson that Doug met Helena, an advertising executive. They have been together for twenty years now. Doug also spent 17 summers working for the Metro Toronto Police Marine Unit as a motorboat crewman and a lifeguard supervisor. “That was the best summer job ever,” he says. “I am one of the many who came from the beach, to our job.”

Doug started on the Scarborough Fire Department in January of 1988, and moved to Station 311 in 2001.

He enjoys working as an STI for EMS, and for Fitness. He feels that since a majority of our incidents are medical calls, it is great to keep up those skills.

“The ROC study involving upfront CPR is a good example of this. It provides a great forum to get feedback from the guys on the trucks. Due to the nature of our job, (we are industrial athletes) I truly believe that all fire fighters should have a good basic physical fitness base. So far, the Core and Functional Movement workshops have received a lot of positive feedback from the trucks,” states Doug.

Since becoming a fire fighter, Doug has attended all of the World Po-

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any Toronto Fire Fighters know Doug Vanderby as the Acting Captain on Pumper 311. However, what they don’t know is what Doug does when he is not at work. Like many fire fighters, Doug has an interesting way of spending his offduty time.

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on Doug Vanderby lice and Fire Fighter Games (WPFG) since 1991, except for Melbourne Australia. His medal totals at these various WPFG are astounding: 3 bronze, 11 silver, and 27 gold medals! He has also set various WPFG records in the process of winning those medals. Doug is looking forward to competing in the WPFG in New York City this summer. He admits that he has a ‘bone to pick’ in the open water swim event. He came second in Vancouver to a California Fire Fighter who is an open water specialist. He is working hard to be ready but says that younger guys are coming up into his age group, so he will have his hands full fending them off.

Doug hopes that Toronto gets the opportunity to host the 2017 WPFG, so that the friends and competitors he has met over the years can see his

city. “I am planning on being with the bid committee when the announcement is made in New York City. I think the games would be a phenomenal time for the City of Toronto. Police and Fire know how to have a good time at these games.”

In 1991, Doug founded the North Toronto Masters Swim Club. This club caters to Masters Swimmers and Triathletes, and promotes a healthy lifestyle through fitness and competition. Masters competition starts at age 19 and is separated into age groups that are five years apart.

Doug is the head coach for their 120 members, whose skills range from regular swimmers, up to past Olympic Team members.

Doug professes, “Coaching Masters is great. Everyone there wants to learn how to swim more efficiently, get in shape, or stay in shape. Swimming is a great exercise.” In 2009, Doug was the first recipient of the Masters Swimming Canada Coaching Excellence Award. “I was very honoured by this, for it is voted on by swimmers and coaches in the masters swim community. As a Masters Swimmer, Doug has held a world record and various Canadian records. He has consistently been ranked in the top ten in the World, and # 1 in Canada within his age groups.

Doug is also the assistant coach of the University of Toronto varsity

swim team and runs their strength and conditioning program. The U of T is also home to one the National High Performance Swim Centres in Canada. Swim Canada brought in Australian swim coach John Rogers, who has put 12 swimmers on the podium at the Olympic Games. Doug is apprenticing with John and is working his way toward his Swim Canada NCCP Level 3 coaching certificate. He is averaging three hours a day coaching, and also swims four to five kilometers per workout, five times a week.

Doug recently had an unusual experience, which provided him with the trip of a lifetime. Back in the 1960’s, Canadian Club Whiskey began a unique advertising program in magazines such as Time and Playboy.

They would run ads in the magazines providing clues to find cases of Canadian Club hidden around the world. The ad campaign continued until the 1990’s, but not every case of Whiskey was found. In 2011, Canadian Club decided to run a contest to see if one of those cases, S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 35

Member Profile Member Profile ... Continued from page 35

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on Doug Vanderby which was still hidden in Tonga, could be found now.

A total of 25,000 people entered the contest and the list was reduced to four Canadians, and four Americans. Doug was ecstatic to be one of the four Canadian team members. This was a childhood dream come true for him. As a child, he would get his father’s Playboy magazine, and follow the ads with a sense of adventure. (author’s comment – I’m sure he only read the articles!)

The Canadian Club Hide A Case – Adventure of a Lifetime commenced in April of this year. They started at the Canadian Club Heritage Centre in Windsor, Ontario. The Centre showcases CC’s history from the mid 1800’s to present day. “It is definitely a place worth checking out, especially for the unusual years during Prohibition,” says Doug.

The race format was very similar to the Amazing Race show on TV. They flew to Auckland, New Zealand, then on to Vava’u, Tonga. While in Auckland, Doug did the Skywalk, which is the same walk that is opening at the CN Tower this summer. “The walk was a rush! We were 200 meters high, walking on an open metal platform with a great view of the City. The CN Tower Skywalk will be another 100 meters higher, and I can’t wait to do it,” exclaims Doug.

According to Doug, Vava’u, Tonga was, “amazing!” He got to drive through remote jungles in a dune buggy and he hung out at the only Fire Station on the Island, with the fire crew as they participated in their traditional evening Cava Ceremony.

Unfortunately, the Canadian Team was eliminated on the third day of competition. It turned out that the prize money was won, but the case was still not found.

“It is in a pretty remote area in the South Pacific. If anyone is interested in continuing the search, I have the exact GPS coordinates. The two finalists didn’t like the fact that they had to put on fins and a snor-

kel, and then swim around in a small volcanic lake the size of a swimming pool, with a depth of 6 feet. I think I could have found that case….”

All participants received prize money, and Doug donated $2000.00 of his winnings to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Just as we were sending this story to the editors, Doug got the exciting news that Canadian Club had matched his donation for a total of $4,000.00 going to the burn centre.

“When Canadian Club called me to say they were matching my donation, I was floored. I had a tour of the Centre and the work they do is very unique with an incredible staff. What a way to top off my CC adventure!”

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 37

Station 235

By MATT DUNN, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER

A

s the neighbourhood of Victoria Village rapidly welcomed new residents throughout the 1950’s, it took little time before the North York Fire Department added its sixth new fire hall in less than ten years. October 9, 1960 marked the arrival of #7 Fire Hall at the corner of Bermondsey Road and Old Eglinton Avenue, which would become a focal point for fire fighter development in the years to come.

38

Having become the youngest Fire Chief in Canada at the age of 22, Ivan Markham Nelson oversaw many of the changes to the fire service in North York during his 40 years as Chief.

His diligent work with the Township of North York Traffic, Fire and Licensing Committee led to the massive expansion the NYFD experienced throughout the 1950’s and beyond. By 1958, a five-year plan for three new fire halls, five new triple-combination pumpers and two additional 100’ aerial trucks had been submitted. It took little time for Chief Nelson to receive approval to purchase the first new aerial and move forward with the construction of the proposed station on Bermondsey Road.

Architect William Savage worked alongside Chief Nelson and by October 15, 1959, drawings of the proposed fire hall met the satisfaction of the various Township of North York departments. Only two months later the contract for the construction of the hall was given to Elmont Construction Limited at a cost of $94,445, though additional costs would put the eventual price tag at $110,750 by October of 1960. Meanwhile, the addition of the new King Seagrave custom aerial called for the hiring of sixteen additional fire fighters and promotion of four 1st class fire fighters to Captain.

At the time, the new aerials were equipped with a mobile radio, medical supplies, chemox masks, various sizes of double jacket fire hose

and a 125-gallon water tank with a booster pump in addition to other standard aerial equipment.

Less than one year after construction began, #7 Fire Hall was opened at 200 Bermondsey Road on October 9, 1960 and had its first call at 10:18am. By the following day the hall received its first and second fire calls, both for grass fires as was very common at the time.

The hall was originally outfitted with two pumpers and #7 Hall fire fighters were among the first in to the Inn on the Park Hotel Fire in January of 1981. The fire wreaked havoc on the hotel occupants and despite fire fighters’ best efforts; the fire resulted in six civilian fatalities including the deaths of two children. As a re-

sult of the fire, Mayor Mel Lastman immediately began a thorough review of fire safety in North York high-rise buildings. The second pumper at #7 Hall remained in service at the station until 1983 when it was reassigned to the new #15 Fire Hall on Parkway Forest Drive.

In the same year #7 Hall was built, the North York Fire Department also began taking steps towards the modern types of rescue apparatus that can currently be found in the fleet across the City of Toronto. The Hoggs Hollow Disaster on March 18, 1960, had the NYFD quickly reevaluating how emergency response to rescue situations could be improved for resident safety. The event left five men dead

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 39

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Station 135 ... Continued from page 39 after a flash fire sparked in an underground tunnel while they were building a water main.

Only a few months later the NYFD moved ahead with the purchase of specialized equipment and began training sessions that would help enlarge the fire department’s involvement in various types of rescue. Letters to bordering municipalities such as Scarborough, Etobicoke and York were sent out to discuss the possibility of purchasing a joint rescue apparatus to be shared among municipalities.

After much discussion, North York decided that given the size of each region and the possibility of multiple rescue calls at the same time, they would purchase their own heavy rescue truck, which was received in 1965.

This was a first step towards the type of modern rescue apparatus that can currently be found at 200 Bermondsey Rd. Presently assigned to the station are both a 2008 Spartan/ Smeal Rescue Pumper and the 1998 Ford Trench Rescue Truck.

When #7 Fire Hall was opened the department had a total of 211 full-time fire fighters.

Three years later the latest addition to the hall came in the form of a four-storey training tower to be used for live fire and rescue training.

The tower was completed at a cost of $34,800 and was the first of its kind within Metropolitan Toronto. A $400,000 grant from the City of North York and Province of Ontario in the 1980s allowed for additions to the training area at #7 Fire Hall, including a large classroom, projection room, lounge, library, flammable liquid pits, a smokehouse with a maze, sprinkler room and a 70-foot mock Toronto Transit Commission tunnel with subway tracks and a platform.

Since Toronto’s amalgamation in 1998, the

training area at #7 Fire Hall, now Station #235, continues to be used on a regular basis for both fire fighter and recruit training. This includes specialty training such as RIT, autoextrication and hazardous materials. The present day training dome is equipped for confined space and trench rescue simulations and also includes a water rescue pool and full size rail cars just south of the dome. The site is also home to Toronto’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team who routinely use the training grounds to simulate large-scale incidents. One of the few former North York Fire Halls located outside of Toronto Fire Services North Command, Station #235 continues to be one of the vital locations for training fire fighters in Toronto to this day.

Apparatus Assigned to Fire Station 235 Rescue 235 - 2009 Sp artan / Smeal rescue-pumper.

Shop # 25029.

In service Feb. 22nd, 20 10 Trench Rescue Support 235 1988 Ford F800 / Depe ndable rescue truck. Shop # 30 012.

Originally East York FD Rescue 2.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 41

Honouring Our Retirees

By Bill McKee, Chair, Local 3888 ERSS Committee

A

fter serving the citizens of Toronto many years, Local 3888 had a chance to pay tribute to fire fighters who had retired over the past year. The annual retirement dinner was held at Q’ssis Place in Scarborough on Friday May 5th.

The evening was an overwhelming success and gave us a chance to say thank you to members who have dedicated their lives to the fire service and to this Association. The celebration began with the Toronto Fire Services Pipes and Drums Band, who provided the entertainment. Local 3888 President, Ed Kennedy and Fire Chief, William Stewart were on hand to thank our retirees for a job well done.

Following the four-course meal, everyone had a chance to relax and enjoy some dancing. All of our retiring members were presented with commemorative gifts, as a token of our Local’s appreciation.

Master of Ceremonies and Local 3888 Treasurer, Frank Ramagnano, presented each member with a brass helmet, engraved with the retiree’s name and years of service on it. As well, each member re42

ceived a custom framed print. Friends and family, who were able to share in their accomplishments, accompanied many of our retirees.

Many of our members honoured had well over 30 years of service under their belt.

During the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to speak to some of our guests and hear tales of how things used to be done.

Each member also told me just how much they are enjoying retirement, having the ability to travel and do things they were not able to do until now.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our retirees for their dedication and commitment and for paving the way for everyone to follow. It is because of their hard work within our local that we have achieved and made the gains we enjoy today. So, on behalf of the Local 3888 Executive Board, all Local 3888 members, and myself, I would like to extend our best wishes to all of our brothers. May you live full and prosperous lives knowing you made a difference.

Name

Mid

Surname

SERVICE

Gary

J.

Matthews

21

John

L.

Bacon

30

Raymond

P.

Mattison

37

Christopher

A.

Bull

30

Alex

McCallister

34

Edward

J.

Butler

35

John

W.

McCready

31

Joseph

A.

Canestraro

26

Jim

B.

McIntosh

31

James

A.

Cannon

35

Ross

A.

McMahon

38

Dennis

W.

Carter

28

Douglas

F.

Menard

34

Bernie

J.

Cassidy

32

Gregory

Milani

32

Mark

P.

Compton

32

Peter

W.

Minns

30

William

R.

Cruickshank

31

Terrence

H.

Morris

32

Daniels

25

David

W.

Mount

30

Moyer

30

Michael Arthur

K.

Dobson

30

James

Brian

T.

Domander

33

Gordon

K.

Munro

41

David

Eade

34

John

J.

Nearing

35

Michael

Evans

39

Gordon

M.

Nelson

31

Benjamin

Farrell

36

William

C.

Norlock

14

Alvaro-Luis

Felipe

14

Paul

Omdahl

17

Payne

23

David

H.

France

37

John

Timothy

J.

Gayman

32

William

E.

Pearsall

31

Mark

F.

Gray

29

Robert

F.

Pollock

30

John

S

Graziano

36

Stephen

Pope

35

Kirk

D.

Haigh

27

Gregory

Potter

30

Lawrence

C.

Hamill

36

Angelo

Puopolo

33

William

Handson

30

Glen

Ross

36

Dan

Hardychuk

27

Grant

Ruffle

30

A.

D.

Anthony

P.

Hickey

29

William

Schouten

7

Henry

G.

Hong

30

Earl

Sheehan

30

Peter

Johnston

12

Blake

E.

Simmons

10

Michael

Kane

34

James

M.

So

21

Donald

Kellough

25

Greg

Spellen

29

Kirton

36

David

Spence

33

Kit

Lariviere

36

Craig

Stewart

30

Richard

Lisinski

37

Charles

Stoeckle

31

Szlapak

31

Taylor

29

Gary

W.

W.

Paul

J.

Lorion

31

Peter

Ross

M.

MacDonald

32

Doug

MacDonald

35

James

Todd

29

Tony

A.

Thomas

M.

MacLachlan

32

Marilyn

Trunks

20

Gary

W.

Madden

32

Bruce

Welch

35

Maitland

35

John

Whitehead

35

Mann

28

Robert

Wlodarczyk

39

Bill Christopher

J.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 43

Honouring Our Retiress ... Continued from page 43

44

May 17, 1947 Melville Kerfoot • Charles (Bud) Leslie • Joseph Walker It had been over a decade since the last time Toronto lost three fire fighters on the same day, when early on the morning of May 17, 1947, fire was spotted on the upper floors of the Queen Alexandra School on Broadview Avenue. Shortly after 1:00 a.m., the first alarm brought Pumpers 12 and 7, Aerial 7 and a District Chief to the scene.

Upon entry, fire fighters quickly noticed blatant signs of vandalism throughout the structure, including several forced doors and broken drawers with the contents scattered amongst the building.

With the fire having spread to multiple classrooms on both floor two and three of the school, a second and later a third alarm were both called.

Due to quick and effective action by fire attack crews on scene, the damage was limited to just $25,000, as only four rooms were completely gutted by flames. Unfortunately, the impact of this fire reached much farther than the school in which it was contained. As the crews on scene successfully salvaged the building, the horrific news of what had happened blocks away at Queen St. East and Parliament St. arrived.

for witnesses who saw all eight fire fighters thrown from the trucks. Pumper 5 rolled dozens of feet east of the intersection and its front end was completely destroyed, while Pumper 4 came to rest just northeast of the intersection. Streets covered in scattered hose and fire fighting equipment among the wreckage met civilians, who tried to assist the downed fire fighters. When police and ambulances arrived, both Joseph Walker and Charles Leslie, who had been riding the tailboard, as was customary at the time, had already died from their wounds and several others were in serious condition. The other two fire fighters who had been riding the tailboard of Pumper 5, Albert Creighton and Melville Kerfoot, were also expected to meet a similar fate due to the extent of their injuries. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., Melville Kerfoot became the third Toronto Fire Fighter to die from his injuries en route to the fire at Queen Alexandra School. To everyone’s surprise, Fire Fighter Albert Creighton did eventually recover from his injuries, which included a badly fractured skull.

Joseph Walker had served just over one year with the Toronto Fire Department and was 26 years old at the time of the accident. Prior to becoming a fire fighter, Walker served in the navy for four years.

While fire fighters and civilians had escaped the Queen Alexandra School unscathed, several blocks away was the grim scene where two pumpers had collided. When the call for a second alarm had come through at 1:14 a.m., fire fighters at Stations 4 and 5 quickly boarded their trucks. Heading north on Parliament Street with his Captain, Jesse Stroud and Fire Fighters, Joseph Walker and Charles Leslie, Pumper 4 driver, John Morrison planned to turn east on Dundas Street before making his way to Broadview Avenue. Coming from the Lombard St. Firehall, Pumper 5 driver, Ralph Brunton was already on the road with Captain, Alex Johnston and Fire Fighters, Albert Creighton and Melville Kerfoot, heading across Queen St. East towards Broadview Ave. As Pumpers 4 and 5 approached the Queen and Parliament intersection simultaneously, Pumper 5 from the Lombard Firehall slammed into the side of Pumper 4.

Three days after the accident, fire fighters paid their respects at a joint service at St. David’s Anglican Church on Donlands Avenue. Standing alone during the service on the edge of a crowd of thousands was Fire Fighter John Morrison, as he was the only man to escape the crash without serious injuries. While the others remained in hospital, the three fallen fire fighters were remembered for their service to the community.

Today, a piece of history from the incident still exists, in the form of Pumper 5 from the Lombard Street Firehall. In 1964, the pumper was acquired

by Somerville Township and was used in Kinmount for ten years, until it was moved to Burnt River where it continued to be used for fire fighting operations for an additional twenty years. After being declared a heritage vehicle in the 1980’s, a grant of $23,400 was given to assist in the restoration of the pumper. After spending over 3,000 hours restoring the 1939 American LaFrance Pumper, the volunteers from the Burnt River division of the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service held an open house in August 2005, to reveal the restored pumper. The truck was unveiled by the four great-grandchildren of Melville Kerfoot and to this day it remains at the Burnt River Firehall in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

The intense sound of the crash and sight of the men being ‘tossed like paper’ was unforgettable

Melville Kerfoot joined the Toronto Fire Department in 1929 and was a well-liked member of the department who regularly played catcher on the fire fighters’ softball team in the Davisville Park League. He was forty-two years old and married with three children, one of whom eventually became a Toronto Fire Fighter in the 1950s.

For the family of 25 year old Charles Leslie, it was an especially difficult week. Only two days prior to the crash, his father, who was also a member of the Toronto Fire Department, had died as well.

Originally a temporary fire fighter after serving in the Second World War, Charles Leslie became a permanent member of the department in 1946.

After losing three fire fighters in the line of duty and the injuries to several others, the right to pass bylaws giving fire apparatus absolute right of way under the Municipal Act was removed on June 1, 1947. Prior to the change, the standard in Toronto was to slow to 10 miles per hour before going against traffic signals. Since the change, all responding trucks are required to stop at red lights as required by the Highway Traffic Act.

Researched and Written by Matt Dunn, Toronto Fire Fighter

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 45

Fit to SURVIVE

The fire fighter’s guide to health and nutrition Dr. Jody Anderson is a Health & Wellness professional, who studied in New York and is Board certified in U.S. and Canada. He was born into a serving and early-responding family, the son of an emergency room nurse, nephew to an uncle who served within an Ontario, Fire Department for 35-yrs and a brother who is an Inspector on an Ontario Municipal Police Service. Dr. Anderson has a strong interest in health promotion, disease prevention and Occupational Health education. For reprint permission, contact drjodyanderson@ yahoo.com.

Immunity and Staying Healthy

M

any first responders are familiar with the old adage “a best defence is a good offence”. This concept is very much applicable to human health, especially in the firefighting occupation.

It is well understood and agreed that firefighters are exposed to extreme temperatures, physical and psychological stress, and a myriad of chemical and environmental toxicants, some of which are known carcinogens (cancercausing agents). In fact, presumptive legislation was introduced first in U.S. where more than 40 states currently recognize certain illnesses as occupational hazards of firefighting and in Canada, where it was enacted in Manitoba (2002), and followed by Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia and British Columbia.

Tireless efforts by OPFFA representatives; support from IAFF; Union stewards; and numerous executive members of various OPFFA affiliates realized in May 2007, the 10,000 IAFF members in the Province of Ontario became protected under the presumptive legislation laws. As a clear indicator the OPFFA message was understood, the presumptive legislation bill passed through the House of Commons in

46

Ontario without debate or rebuttal, likely due to the clear and unequivocal evidence, provided by the OPFFA and IAFF that outlines potential dangers associated with environmental-occupational exposure, within the firefighting vocation.

According to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger “an astounding 90 percent of fire fighter deaths are due to occupationally related illnesses,” The IAFF President has made it clear to Congress, State lawmakers and Health & Safety Boards that “IAFF members put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities, and shouldn’t have to worry what will happen to them and their families if they get sick”.

Firefighters around the world are professionally trained to identify, understand and manage occupational risks. The purpose of this article is to provide firefighters in all regions, whether unionized, municipal or volunteer - with additional and same professionallevel of quality, useful and relevant information about health-protection and health-promotion, with an emphasis on providing salient data that may be used to coordinate and develop

both personal Risk Management and Health Promotion programs, for your own health, wellness and longevity.

WTC study provides glimpse into firefighter health and wellness The known hazards within firefighting are many and real; the health impact of these hazards on firefighter-health (and all occupations for that matter) is not well understood or thoroughly documented in scientific research literature, and the events surrounding the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 (9-11) provided an opportunity for the scientific and medical communities to learn a great deal from a large number of brave individuals, who were exposed to harmful substances that originated from the same source, at the same time. In a December 2003 Environmental Health Perspectives published a major joint research study Article, conducted

by The National Center for Environmental Health, (Division of Laboratory Sciences), The National Institute of Safety and Health, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention,

The New York City Department Bureau of Health Services, and two prominent Hospitals’ Departments of Pulmonary Medicine. The article explains how researchers “analyzed blood and urine specimens of 321 firefighters responding to the WTC fires for potentially 110 fire-related chemicals”, which is providing us with a glimpse into firefighter health and wellness. Early responders and rescue workers including Firefighters who were called to duty at WTC, have been tracked under several medical studies, since 9-11, and as a result, we are learning a great deal more about the disease process following certain exposures. With advancement in our scientific understanding, we gain related opportunity to build better tools and strategies that serve to help protect and promote the health of our Firefighters, Police, EMS, Haz-Mat teams and other brave early responders.

Understanding, predicting, and safeguarding against environmental substance exposure is complicated in even controlled work environments, where chemical inventories are known and proper handling procedures are followed. “Biomonitoring” is a term used to describe a process that doctors use to measure and monitor the accumulation of toxic chemical compounds, elements or their metabolites in biological human tissue. Biomonitoring measurements are usually conducted on blood, urine and fat tissue of exposed individuals.

First responders aren’t generally provided chemical inventories when attending a fire, so exposures are unknown but certain. Biomonitoring is one way to help us better understand firefighter exposures.

According to a report published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC Volume 98), “firefighters are exposed to a mixture of toxic combustion and pyrolysis products while engaged in very high workloads”. We know that chemical inventories are not readily available to responding firefighters and that “peak” exposures to harmful substances are possible. What we don’t know, is how multiple harmful substances will react synergistically on human health and contribute to the disease process or when it will strike. This complex scenario earns the firefighting occupation, the dubious distinction of being exponentially more difficult to biomonitor, than every other recorded occupation. Self-preservation and health promotion as a result, is of paramount importance.

We are presently noticing a clinical trend

GRILLED SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS

SERVING SUGGESTION

2 1/2 lb. Jumbo shrimp 1/4 cup Olive oil 1/4 cup Chopped cilantro 1/2 Shallot, diced 3 tbsp. Lemon juice 1 tsp. Dried basil 1 Clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. Salt

SERVING SIZE: 9-10 shrimps NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 4

RECIPE

NUTRITION FACTS Calories 370 Total Fat 12 g Sodium 710 mg Total Carbohydrates 4 g Fiber 0g Protein 58 g

- Peel and devein shrimp.

- Place prepared shrimp in zip-lock bag.

- Mix remaining ingredients in small bowl and pour over shrimp.

- Squeeze out as much air as possible, seal bag and refrigerate for 2-3 hours (do not marinade much longer as the acid from the lemon will actually start to cook the shrimp).

- Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

- Remove shrimp from marinade. Discard marinade.

- At this point, you can either skewer the shrimp or grill them individually. If grilling them individually be very careful not to let them fall through the rack.

- Grill for about 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are opaque and firm to the touch.

- Remove from heat and serve immediately.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 47

Immunity and Staying Healthy... Continued from page 47 within our firefighter-family population, where spouses, often wives of firefighters are asking us specific questions about occupational exposures, which this author estimates is related to, and as result of recent media coverage of firefighters who have developed serious illnesses over past number of years, and following known exposure at World Trade Centre.

The reality is that materials commonly used in construction of buildings within any industrialized nation contain the same or similar, “potentially harmful substances”, especially when ignited, which, creates a process called “pyrolysis”. (Pyrolysis is the thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen).

Buildings in New York for example, are similar to a certain degree, in the composition of construction material, to buildings that were constructed in Toronto, Canada; Brisbane, Australia; Munich, Germany and any other industrialized nation.

“The best defence is a good offence” The brevity of this article does not allow for thorough investigation into the topic of occupational exposure, and yet we can estimate fairly that we do know a great deal about the potential harms of exposure within firefighting, as is evidenced by presumptive legislations and IARC monitoring; further, that we would be wise to discuss prevention of disease and promotion of health as result of our current understanding. All doctors agree the “best defence” is our best “offence” against disease, and our offence begins with a healthy and strong immune system, which we know comes

under siege every time we are exposed to stressors; pathogens such as bacteria or viruses; and harmful substances such as toxic chemicals and aforementioned pyrolysis products.

A colleague of mine, who is the son of Firehouse Captain in New York, summed up immunity in the following terms, he said “firefighters understand preparedness; readiness - which, is their offence and their defence.

If you want to get a message across to this group he stated, explain immunity in their terms. The equivalent of immunity (in the offence: defence example), is a firefighters’ pump truck, which requires water to be effective. Like immunity, if the pump truck doesn’t show up at a fire, it can’t pump water. Like immunity, if the pump truck does arrive on scene, and there is no available water, there is no (immunity) defence against the fury of a fire. Immunity he said, is part of a firefighter’s preparedness-plan, and what firefighters will really understand, is they must keep immunity “full”, so they are always ready should the (disease) alarm sound” In our next article, we will explore ways to ensure you are prepared for the stressors associated with the job and we will explain simple and effective ways to boost the immune system reserves, and describe methods to ensure your immune system is functioning. We will describe simple ways to adopt immunity-boosting nutritional practices; we’ll cover the topic of exercise and explain how exercise can be an effective immune booster; we’ll review the importance of and how to attain a balanced PH; and finally, we will explore effective ways to safely cleanse toxins from our bodies, as a component of a firefighters Risk Management and Health Promotion program.

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48

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TORONTO FIRE SERVICES PEER SUPPORT NEWSLETTER

SUMMER EDITION 2011

Message from the Editor…

were overwhelmed with the outpouring and outreach in the kindness people expressed. A memorial was later made in memory and celebration to honour Bob’s life, career and his countless years of dedication with Toronto Fire Services. The n adversity, man is saved by hope ~ Menander of Athens community park named, As I think about this edition’s feature article, I think of the above “Robert Leek Park,” is in the quote, for in Listowel, Ontario, after the death of their two neighbourhood of the Sunrise beloved brothers, the town’s fire fighters, their families and the explosion, where Bob took his last breath. community had hope after the tragedy they endured.

I

During tough times, people come together no matter what initiates the event/call, or what the outcome could be or is. This brings hope to those suffering. This was true with the LODD of a friend and colleague, Robert Leek, in August 2008. Local citizens and fire fighters, as well as those from afar, who knew nothing of this stranger, sent their condolences and made trips from all over North America to attend Bob’s funeral. Bob’s family too,

When we left Listowel after our follow up defusing, the local fire fighters and their spouses were making plans to continue gathering as a family, whether it be for a baseball game, a barbeque or chatting over a beer in someone’s garage. They will live on with hope and perseverance and will never forget.

Be well, Lynn Pezzelato

2011 CONTACT LIST CIS/EAP TEAM

416-338-9327 dmorley@toronto.ca

David Morley - Manager

South (Station 331/B) 416-338-9331

John Drimmie - Manager

East (Station 223/C) 416-338-9223

johndrimmie@torontofirefighters.org

905-903-2574 (cell)

Lynn Pezzelato

PD&T (North) 416-338-9109

lpezzela@toronto.ca

647-409-3135 (cell)

East (Station 233/D) 416-338-9233

cstather@toronto.ca

647-409-2633 (cell)

Kevin Scragg

South (Station 331/D) 416-338-9331

kscragg@mac.com

647-405-2562 (cell)

Gordon Thomson

PD&T (North) 416-338-8796

gthomso@toronto.ca

416-262-6933 (cell)

Heather Forbes

West (Station 433/D) 416-338-9433

hfforbes@hotmail.com

416-436-7295 (cell)

Samantha Hoffmann

North (Station 121) 416-338-9188

shoffman@toronto.ca

Hugh Donnelly

Chaplain Co-ordinator, EAST Command

905-898-7893 (H) 416-550-1854 (c) 416-540-2859 (work cell) 416-450-8372 (cell)

Todd Riley

Chaplain, WEST Command

tsriley@primus.ca

David King

Chaplain, NORTH Command

rural.personnel@bayofquinteconference.c a sulkingcot@cogeco.ca

Barry Parker

Chaplain, SOUTH Command

bparker@stpaulsbloor.org

Cary Stather - Mentor

CIS/EAP PHONE

416-338-9327

Communications

416-338-9001

416-723-8374 (cell)

chrishoffmann1965@hotmail.com

hughdonnelly@rogers.com

416-318-9167 (cell) 416-236-8801 (w) 416-723-8375 (cell)

416-271-7540 (cell) 416-961-8116 x224 (w)

Last Updated: Dec 10 - 2010

49

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7404 ROS COR Firewatch Ad.indd 1

11-01-20 10:56 AM

The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE ARE HONOURED TO BE ON YOUR LIST OF SUPPORTERS

• JOY HENDERSON • • ALLIED HALO INDUSTRIES INC • • LINDA E. HEIKKILA •

AMARI GENERAL CONTRACTORS ATH STAINLESS STEEL MANUFACTURING COMPETITACTICS H&T GLO-HAR VARIETY KIRKOR ARCHITECTS & PLANNERS KING FLEET SERVICES INC

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MAYBLES RESTAURANT & BAR MODULAR HOME EDITIONS LTD MR G’S AUTO CARE PLUS O MINIALOFF & SONS PARS MACHINE TOOLS LTD RESEARCHOLOGY RONALD ANDERSDON

A Community Gathers as Tragedy hits Listowel…

By Cary Stather, EAP/CIS Team Member

O

n St Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2011, in the town of Listowel, a very sad event occurred; one that saddened the community, especially the fire service family. The town lost two local heroes - Ray Walter and Ken Rea. Ken, a veteran District Chief, Ray, a skilled fire fighter with many years of service, experienced this type of fire before. The pair went inside the store with other fire fighters to look for shoppers who still may have been inside. The visibility was good and they were there to take a quick look and get out.

Without any time to look back, the roof suddenly came crashing down. It was impossible to get them out. It was at that moment, a small town department and the community it served, would try to cope with such a huge loss.

Life in a small town is unique. People all know and care for each other. Residents get involved and help one another. No one expected to die by volunteering this way. The anger, sadness and grief around this tragedy would continue to echo in the days and weeks to follow.

The Saturday following this tragic event, our Team Leader received a call from the OPFFA, requesting our team to attend, along with a team from the local areas of Kitchener and London.

The very next day, Sunday, around noon, five of us arrived in the small town of Listowel, Ontario, and gathered with the two other local teams and their members, in an effort to support and help our fellow fire family.

The two teams, which included two Mental Health Professionals and Chaplains, were excellent to work with. A real team effort took place. We worked hard to prepare and plan a debriefing for 75 members. As you may be able to imagine, the process was quite overwhelming, emotional and exhausting for all three teams, as we tried to help the fire fighters and their families cope with their deep sorrow and prepare them for the upcoming funeral.

In early April, our Team returned to Listowel to conduct a follow-up defusing. Like the debriefing before the funeral, this was a challenging test for our team. I do believe that our team founder, Ron Seymour, would have been proud of our response.

This ‘event’, like many we attend, whether from our own members or an external group, initiated with a call for help. Our individual and accumulated experience and training continue to prepare us and provide us with practice, so that we are able to deliver peer support, in order to assist those to get back (or get as close as possible) to their normal daily lives. When one door closes, another one opens. While this was a very unfortunate event, it also surfaced some positive outcomes. It demonstrated the true meaning of community and support and brought hope for those involved as they gathered to mourn and celebrate the lives of their fallen.

For our team, we are now better prepared should this type of situation strike our own department in Toronto.

Please be safe.

2

TORONTO FIRE SERVICES EAP/CIS NEWSLETTER - SUMMER EDITION 2011

3888 Recent happenings

Toronto City Councillor, Michael Thompson, Project Engagement founder, Vincent Gasparro, and EA Ihor Wons, with Ed Kennedy and Damien Walsh, attending the TPFFA Charity Golf Tournament dinner.

Travis Matthews and Mike Ogle present Brother Rich Eldon the proceeds from an April 9th dance and silent auction fundraiser. Special thanks to Kevin McGahon for donating the premises and the Band Route 66 for donating their services.

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Local 3888 Health and Safety Chair, Hugh Doherty, presenting Alex Chan with a gratitude plaque for his tireless efforts toward improving the Health and Safety of 3888 members, at the TFS JH&SC education Day.

Toronto Fire Fighters working the phones at the Easter Seals Telethon on Sunday April 10, 2011.

The Annual C Platoon District Hockey Challenge Champions - 14 District and Runners-Up – 23 District. This year’s tournament proceeds - $1,625, went to support fellow brothers Rich Eldon and Dan Millar. Thanks to all participants and special thanks to Paul Manning from Stn. 331 for helping to organize the fund raising.

Local 3888 members on May 29th, assisting at the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association sponsored Watering Station during the Women’s Half Marathon, in benefit of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario.

Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association team wins the first “ALS Ontario Plane Pull” over 11 other teams.

Local 3888 members raise over $3,000 to assist MDC during a boot drive, held at Sherway Gardens Mall on April 30th.

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 53

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS

CLASSIFIEDS RENT: Furnished Bsmt. 1 bedroom apt. for rent for single quiet person; East Oakville; Share front entrance and laundry with homeowner; Utilities included; No pets or smoking. $950/mos. Please call Sheila 416-452-2832 Waterfront Cottage for rent on Echo Lake in Baysville, 2hrs north of TO along Hwy 11.

The cottage is approx, 1000 sf, recently renovated, very secluded and is situated on an acre of land, with 4 bedrooms and a queen bed in each. There is a DVD and VHS as well as a selection of movies. Pillows, and blankets will be provided (please bring Queen size bed sheets). The kitchen has pots, pans, utensils, coffee maker, mircrowave, stove, fridge, toaster, etc..

There is a bbq with propane tanks, fire pit, 2 canoes, life jackets, bicycles, basket ball net, dart board, private kids playground, lawn furniture and great fishing. The nearest attractions include: Lake of Bays, a watch tower which you can climb in Dorset, Deerhurst, a waterfall in Baysville, Huntsville and Bracebridge are both 30 min away. The snowmobile trail is 5 min. away, and Hidden Valley downhill ski resort is 30 min away.

We charge $1200 per week or $750 for a long weekend (Friday to Monday). Please e-mail for pictures t.kopman@ hotmail.com or call 416 631 6885.

MISC: Your Badge Number Pendant or Keyring. Designed by serving York Police officer. Stainless Steel with free necklace - $25 www.go.to/policependants, or info from gslinger@rogers.com. Great gift for loved ones.

Classified Advertising in the Toronto Fire Watch Magazine Name Work Phone

Division Home Phone

Ad (20 words max – please print clearly) # of issues Signature

Payment: Cheque

Credit Card #

Price: $25/issue + GST=

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 1st of the month. Send to Toronto Fire Watch, #600, 20 Huhgson St. S., Hamilton, ON L8N 2A1 or email: publications@xentel.com

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EVENT

LOCATION

August 14-18, 2011

IAFF EMS/Redmond Conference

New York, New York

August 21 -24, 2011

IAFF Canadian Conference

Markham, Ontario

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Canadian Fallen FF Memorial

Ottawa, Ontario

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial

Colorado Springs, CO

September 27, Tuesday, Night meeting 1900 HRS

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br.527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

September 28, Wednesday, Day meeting 900 HRS

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br.527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Ontario Fallen Fighters Memorial Tribute

Queens Park, Toronto

October 24 - 26, 2011

IAFF Legislative Conference

Ottawa, Ontario

October 6th Provincial Election C Shift working, A Shift must stay.

Advertisers Index ADAM WEISBERG-CRIMINAL LAWYER................. 54

FIREMEN MOVERS INC......................................... 48

ALARMFORCE.......................................................... 6

FRASER FORD.......................................................... 7

AUTO GENICS TOTAL AUTO SERVICE.................... 7

FRIENDLY TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL................... 50

CANADIAN BRASS & COPPER CO......................... 40

ISAGENIX............................................................... 48

CANADIAN MORTGAGE TRAIN.............................. 4

LAW FIRM OF MICHAEL WOLFISH....................... 40

CASSEN TESTING LABORATORIES........................18

M. LUKIC ASSOC INS. BROKERS........................... 40

CATERERS YORK LTD............................................. 54

PAUL LOVE/CENTURY 21 REAL ESTATE.................. 4

CITY SAVINGS FINANCIAL SERVICES CREDIT UNION...................................................................IFC

PEDERSEN INSURANCE COMPANY...................... 40

COFFEE CULTURE................................................. 40 CONSUMERS CHOICE........................................ OBC CUPE....................................................................... 40 ENVY EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE................................. 40 EVEREADY AUTO SALES & SERVICE LTD................ 7 EXPEDIA CRUISE SHIP CENTERS............................18 FAMOUS PEOPLE PLAYERS.....................................18 FIRE SERVICES CREDIT UNION............................... 8

PURE AUDIOLOGY & HEARING AID SERVICES....... 6 RE/MAX-MS PAULETTE ZANDER........................... 40 ROSEHAVEN HOMES............................................. 50 SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHY................................ 40 STAINTON-MURRAY-LAM..................................... 54 STOUFFVILLE TOYOTA.......................................... 50 SUPPORT PROUD TO SUPPORT............................. 54 TILAKA DE ZOYSA (LAW FIRM)............................. 40 TLC LASER EYE CENTERS.......................................18

S U M M E R 2 0 1 1 | F I R E WATCH 55

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

DATE

*DATES AND TIMES

OCT.

SEPT

AUG

2011 UPCOMING EVENTS

DISCOUNT CODE 022

DISCOUNT CODE 022