Fire Watch (Winter 2007)

NEAR-MISS “HELPING OUR OWN” VOLUME 3

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ISSUE 4 | WINTER 2007

TFS Future?

Designated Holiday Rules Explained Publications Agreement No: 41203011

FIREHALL SHOWCASE: Fire Station 424

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TORONTO PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 3

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ISSUE 4

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WINTER 2007

IN THIS ISSUE 34

24

40

32

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

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President’s Message

9

Secretary Treasurer’s Message

13

Vice President’s Message

15

Chaplain’s Corner

16

Letters to the Editor

19

Fire Fighter Survival & Rescue

20

Member Profile on Brian Beauchamp

22

Firehall Showcase—Station 424

24

Local 3888 Children’s Christmas Party

26

Future TFS

29

Labour Education Seminar

30

A Look at the Fire Prevention Division

32

Fire Fighter Near-Miss

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A History of the Scarborough Fire Department

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In Memoriam

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A Brief History of Fire Fighter Toy Drives

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Collective Agreement

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

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Variety—the Children’s Charily

CHIEF EDITOR Scott Marks

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How Water Works

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

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3888 Recent Happenings

51

Fit to Survive

ASSISTANT EDITORS Rayanne Dubkov, Marla Friebe, Rodney Johnston, Seonaid Lennox, Neil McKinnon

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Beyond the Technical—Emergency Response

58

Upcoming Events

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Xentel DM Incorporated

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Never Shall We Forget

FIRE WATCH PHOTOGRAPHER Keith Hamilton

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Husar

CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL Agreement No: 41203011

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Ad Index

ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Alyssa Petrillo & Marcel Ramagnano

PRINTED IN CANADA Copyright © 2007 Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association ADVERTISING Latoya Davis, Project Manager Tel: 416.646.3128 Ext. 104 Fax: 416.646.3135 Email: latoyad@xentel.com

Merchant Card Acceptance

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

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

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

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On The Cover Photo by Keith Hamilton Full article on page 32

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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ou are all familiar with opinions expressed by me that we must be active at political levels if we are to be treated fairly and have our concerns addressed. This applies on many levels.

During budget time we must be able to access the ears of politician’s to ensure that they understand the direct effect their decisions have on our service levels. We must also ensure that municipal politicians understand the landscape of current fire fighter and police settlements in the province, so they can properly assess our negotiated settlements prior to ratification.

The labour movement, which includes fire fighters and police officers, have come to realize that sitting back and expecting governments to apply fair settlements and/or labour laws on their own accord, is simply an unrealistic expectation. We live in aggressive times.

You have to be heard in order to receive attention, even when the attention you seek is simply to address your specific needs and be treated fairly.

But the question our members ask is, why? Why do we have to be politically active or involved to simply get “what’s fair?” The implication by the media is that, by being politically active we have become a special interest group seeking more than our fair share. Our members do not want to be seen as such. But the media are forgetful and ignore the fact that they too are a special interest group. They are corporate giants that stand a lot to gain by keeping property taxes unrealistically low, getting government out of supplying public services and most importantly, keeping the expectation of workers, in every occupation low—very low.

Have we become a special interest group that has to lobby and seek special deals? The answer is yes. When you look at the mortality tables and rates of occupational disease and death that face our

members, there is no question that we are a unique and special group of workers. We have special needs, hence special interests. If we are not going to advocate for those needs, who is? Certainly not the people that only worry about keeping their expenses low and maintaining the highest profit margins. So, indeed, we are a special interest group.

We work in one of the most expensive cities in Canada. The risks faced by both fire and police in this city surpass other cities in the country. Toronto has one of the lowest residential tax mill rates in the country. Under Mel Lastman, they had a three year tax freeze, and since

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Scott Marks

does a city receive less outside funding for public transit than in Toronto.

When the pressure of the TTC funding comes to budget, it has a direct impact on the ability of the fire services to get our necessary funding.

The media has somehow come to focus that the root of the problem is unrealistic wage agreements of city workers. Yet, we are not making more than the workers in other GTA cities. In fact,

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MORTALITY TABLES AND RATES OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE AND DEATH THAT FACE OUR MEMBERS, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT WE ARE A UNIQUE AND SPECIAL GROUP OF WORKERS.

that time, their tax increases have been amongst the lowest in the Province.

Add to this the provincial downloading of ten years ago, the lack of federal funding (and the recent snub of Finance Minister Flaherty) and you have a City in crisis. Toronto has become a special interest. Yet, even though the media are now starting to agree that provincial and federal funding must increase, they still inexplicably focus on any increase in the cities residential taxes.

For many of you that live in the surrounding GTA, you know how much your taxes have increased in the last ten years; yet to read the mainstream media in Toronto, you would believe that only the City of Toronto was raising taxes.

There needs to be sustainable funding for the unique and special interests of this city. Nowhere in North America

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the City of Toronto has some of the highest efficiency ratings in delivering public services while at the same time having the highest percentage of unionized workers of any of the GTA cities.

Yet, the City collects less in taxes. This truth flies in the face of media suggestions; always blaming the unions and their workers. They selectively forget that the truth suggests just the opposite of what they maintain. Why? Because they do not want to have to pay their own workers fair and appropriate wages, so the more they can drive down other workers, the better it is for them.

This was evident in the last round of negotiations which netted us our current Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that takes us through 2009. We negotiated a fair deal. It was not lucrative, it was not frugal. In relation to WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH

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Awards

OFF DUTY M

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

Award THE BEN BONSER Award

THE AL PEARSALL

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

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

Award BOX 12 ASSOCIATION Award THE ROY SILVER

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

This award will be presented annually to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in a voluntary capacity for the direct betterment of Local 3888 members. This may be exemplified by a single significant contribution, or by continued extraordinary work by an individual that reflects positively both on the winning candidate and Local 3888.

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

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

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

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

Please contact Kevin Ashfield, Awards Coordinator if you require further information.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE - FEBRUARY 16, 2008 (For deeds occurring on or before December 31, 2007)

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President’s Message ... Continued from page 5

current settlements across the province, it is a fair agreement.

Yet, the media was more concerned with yellow ribbons on fire trucks and ignored the passing of our contract at council. There was no secrecy, no collusion; the vast majority of Council saw it as a fair and reasonable negotiated settlement. The reason it went through without fanfare in June was exactly for these reasons. My understanding is that even some of the councillors that usually cause a fuss over union contracts, saw this agreement as responsible negotiations by both sides

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Yes, we are a special interest group and we will be aggressive in getting our needs heard and addressed. This label will be used by those that want to discredit us. But they want to discredit us for a reason, and that is because they too are a special interest group.

This is a battle of ideology we cannot shrink from. If we move off of our agenda to make sure fire fighter and public safety issues are heard at council, we will not be treated better by the media.

They will believe we can be intimidated and bullied and they will attack us even more. If we shy away, who will

pursue our agenda?

The next time you read about the powerful union lobby groups, remember who is writing and publishing those opinions; a powerful lobby group that buys its paper by the ton and ink by the barrel.

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

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

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

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SECRETARY TREASURER’S MESSAGE

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his past October, I had the pleasure to attend the IAFF John P. Redmond Foundation’s 19th Symposium on the Occupational Health and Safety in Chicago, Illinois.

I have had the opportunity to attend in the past but unfortunately have missed the last few of them. I have always found them to be very educational and inspiring. This year’s symposium certainly held true to what I have come to expect and, in fact, actually surpassed my expectations.

One of the first speakers was none other than the General President of the IAFF, Harold A. Schaitberger. If you have ever had the opportunity to hear the General President address a crowd, then you are aware of the dynamic and inspirational speaker that he is; as always, he did not disappoint.

I would strongly suggest that all members take the time to go to the IAFF website (www.iaff.org) and view the video of the General President’s address, as well as the keynote presentation by United States Astronaut, Colonel Mike Mullane. They will both serve you as valuable a tool for Health and Safety training as anything else you may do.

Colonel Mullane was a graduate from West Point Military Academy, commissioned in the United States Air Force as a Weapon Systems Operator aboard Phantom aircraft. He completed 134 combat missions in Vietnam and holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the Air Force Flight Test Engineer School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Colonel Mullane was selected as a Mission Specialist in 1978, in the first group of Space Shuttle Astronauts. He completed three space missions aboard the Shuttles before retiring from NASA and the Air Force in 1990.

Colonel Mullane focused his address on Teamwork and Leadership.

He asked the question, “When your life is on the line, what kind of team do you want backing your life?” You know that as an astronaut his life was on the line on every mission, as your

life is when operating and responding to an emergency call.

Colonel Mullane explained that he had several opportunities to ponder the many team members he had entrusted with his life and what characteristics he wanted in those team members. He wanted members who: 1 Were willing to protect from normalization of deviation.

2 Understood responsibility.

3 Were courageous self-leaders.

He used his life experiences and his knowledge of NASA to illustrate why the three items he mentioned were important for his team members to possess. I had never heard of the term ‘normalization of deviation’ until his speech. Once he described and provided examples, it

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Frank Ramagnano

Let’s relate this to our job. How many times do you respond to a call without seatbelts on and nothing happens? How many times do you work a shift with less then all vehicles in service and nothing happens? How many times do you respond to a call with only three fire fighters on a vehicle and nothing happens?

How many times do you respond to a false alarm and either yourself or others

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became very clear to me that I have experienced it every day I go to work. He defined it as human nature wanting to take short cuts in pressure situations and the willingness to accept lower standards to accomplish the task. He further explained that the more times you get away with the deviation, the more normal it becomes. He used the Challenger disaster as an illustration that when normalization of deviation is allowed to occur, it leads to predictable surprises. The Challenger disaster was forecast some two years earlier, when scientists and engineers wrote about the damage they were observing with the booster rockets’ O-Rings. Yet, NASA rationalized the damage as acceptable and felt the ORings would not lead to failure of the rockets, even though, when designed, they were never meant to see any damage. A dozen space shuttles flew after the initial concern with the O-Rings, which reinforced the normalization.

are not fully attired in PPE as it is the forth or fifth time you have responded to that address and nothing happens? As you can see, we are not only guilty of normalization of deviation as individuals but we are also guilty of it as an organization. Why is it, that with the population of Toronto at its highest point in history, we have the fewest number of fire fighters as we ever had prior to amalgamation? Yet, our emergency counterparts have all increased their staffing by the hundreds since amalgamation. We need to address this normalization of deviation as it will lead to a predictable surprise, the death of fire fighters and the citizens we protect.

He illustrated his second point of understanding responsibility by describing his very first Phantom flight. It was a routine flight to test weapons. They had one test remaining when the fuel level reached a point where they needed to return to base in order to accomplish WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH

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Secretary Treasurer’s Message ... Continued from page 9

that safely. His pilot stated that they could get the last test done; he said nothing as it was his first flight. He knew it was wrong and suddenly became a passenger instead of a team member. Well, you guessed it; they bailed out of the jet and it crashed as it ran out of fuel.

How many times do you surpass your fuel level (air in your SCBA) and do not have adequate supply to return to safety because you want to complete one more task or push a little further? How many times have you been in a situation that is far too risky for the reward, yet you have said nothing, as that is what the group is doing. We have a responsibility to the team to voice our opinions, and our leaders have a responsibility to hear our concerns and give consideration to them. This is what makes an effective leader and that may be something that we need to start to change within our fi re fighting culture. I have heard too many times that an order must be obeyed and should not be questioned. How many fi re fighters would be alive today if they asked their leaders why they were risking their lives to save no one? If you want evidence of this then please go to the NIOSH site

175 Bloor St. East N. Tower, 15th fl.

Toronto, Ontario Canada, M4w 3R8

and see how many fi re fighter deaths occurred where they knew beforehand that no one was at risk.

His last point was, ‘courageous selfleaders.’ He used himself to describe how he became an astronaut. He illustrated that he was not the smartest; he was not the most athletic; nor did he have friends in high places. What he did was to set a goal and stay focused on that goal to accomplish the task. Through the years, he was presented with obstacles that required reevaluation and sometimes an alteration to the plan, but the focus always remained. Members who want to take leadership roles can learn from Colonel Mullane. We can all strive to ensure we train hard and we challenge ourselves to be better fire fighters, in order to be courageous self-leaders.

In closing, the Colonel focused on methods to achieve success as a team: 1 Plan the work and work the plan.

2 Consider your instincts.

3 Achieve and review.

In assisting with the third point, the Local 3888 Membership Communications Committee has partnered with The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System. We have an article de-

scribing what it is as well as a near-miss example, and we will be placing a link on our website and providing the ‘report of the week.’ We encourage all members to frequently visit their website and to also provide information to the site if they see fit. The Local 3888 Health and Safety committee would also like you to make them aware of any incident you feel could be listed as a ‘near-miss’, to ensure that precautions are in place to avoid a repeat incident.

If you make New Years resolutions, may I suggest that you make one that, you will endeavour to do your job in a safer manner and not fall victim to normalization of deviation.

Allow me to take this opportunity to wish all Local 3888 members and your families a safe and joyous holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2008.

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

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VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Minutes and Seconds Really Count

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uring this past year, two reports have been released commenting on the delivery of Emergency Medical Services; one by the E.M.S. Chiefs of Canada and the other a white paper endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters.

The report initiated by the EMS Chiefs of Canada does not even consider the role played by fire fighters in this important service. They deal with numerous issues such as operations, funding, personnel development and leadership but completely ignore fire fighter participation. The other report is entitled, ‘Pre-hospital 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Response: The Role of the United States Fire Service in Delivery and Coordination’ and it calls for enhanced fire fighter participation. The panel that wrote this report was not made up of employees of the I.A.F.F. but included, among others, a Medical Director of the Los Angeles Fire Department, a professor of a School of Medicine, the President of the National Paramedic Institute, the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine in a hospital in Florida and a Director of Emergency Services for Public Health, Public Safety and Homeland Security in Dallas, Texas.

According to the White Paper, fire based EMS provides a public safety service which also allows for responder safety, competent and compassionate workers and cost effective co-ordinated operations in emergency situations.

They note that the most likely time for a medical error is when a patient is transferred from one provider to another and go on to state with regards to patient care that, “....quality assurance is most effective when the fire department, as a public agency, administers and monitors the performance requirements on-scene.....”

Fire fighters are especially skilled and well equipped when a patient requiring

medical care is also involved in a rescue situation, such as someone trapped in a burning vehicle. With a simple mandate to save lives and protect property, there are no other conflicting agendas to get in the way of effective patient care.

In the conclusion to their report they state, “Fire service-based EMS systems are strategically positioned to deliver time critical response and effective patient care and scene safety.”

The Winnipeg Fire Department is in the process of putting advanced life support (ALS) in effect with paramedics on the fire apparatus and their approach is very much aligned with what the White Paper recommends. In a nutshell, the concept is something that we have all known for years; it advocates the importance of getting to the emergency scene quickly, stabilizing the patient and transporting to an appropriate medical facility as soon as possible.

Winnipeg plans, after eight months of training, to assign 17 paramedics to their fire trucks this year and a further 17 next year. It is important to note here that these ‘cross trained fire/paramedics’ will never be assigned to ambulance duty.

Perhaps a bit of history is in order here: The Maltese Cross was adopted during the Middle Ages by the Knights of Malta, the forerunners of the fire service. They tended to travellers coming back from various battles and for the next two hundred years, they assisted people and established hospitals across Europe. They eventually added fire fighting to their duties when these conflicts led to the burning down of

Ed Kennedy

their medical facilities. After rescuing someone from a fire, a member of the Knights of Malta would be awarded a medal shaped like the Maltese Cross.

Thus, fire fighters have a long and storied history of being ‘all hazard responders,’ which is still the case today.

In the United States, 97% of the two hundred largest cities employ fire based Pre-hospital 9-1-1 emergency medical responses.

On July 3, 2007, Scott Marks, Frank Ramagnano and I attended a meeting at Fire Department Headquarters for a presentation by the Sunnybrook EMS Medical Directors. It dealt with trying to measure tiered response using a risk vs. benefit assessment. We had some concerns about the tone of this presentation and met with the doctors to make sure that they understood our position and the fact that we will be monitoring this matter to ensure that our voice is heard, loud and clear. The paper, produced by the Emergency Medical Services Chiefs of Canada, simply ignores hundreds of years of fire fighter involvement in Advanced Life Support service.

Local 3888 will fight long and hard to ensure that this vital public service continues.

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

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 13

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CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

BY HUGH DONNELLY, EAST COMMAND CHAPLAIN

I

t was the first time I had ever had to make a 9-1-1 call. At 3:00AM, the carbon monoxide alarm in our home went off, jolting me awake.

I raced to the unit to see the figure “725” flashing in my face. I didn’t know exactly what that meant at the time but I knew it wasn’t good. By this time, my wife was out of bed, as were our houseguests who were spending the weekend with us. We quickly got ourselves outside and I called 9-1-1 from a cell phone.

We must have been quite a sight, huddled in the cold in our pajamas as the fire truck rolled up to the house a few minutes later. The crew looked a little tired—I’d look tired, too, if I had to go to work at 3:00AM—but they were goodnatured and pleasant. In no time at all they had alleviated any fears we may have had about our own safety; we had been awakened by a faulty detector.

The crew checked the CO levels in every room, and even spent some time trying to determine what might have gone wrong with the detector. At the time, I remember feeling embarrassed that we had been the source of a false alarm. I apologized to the crew for getting them out of bed. “Not a problem,” one of the fire fighters replied, “Your safety is worth it.” I was mightily impressed by his response. It let me know that this crew took my concerns seriously. It didn’t matter if my false alarm call had disrupted their slumber; they were prepared to help me and my family and, more to the point, not make me feel bad about it. All of a sudden, I didn’t feel embarrassed anymore. They reassured me that I had done the right thing and bid us good night. As the fire truck

pulled away, I thought about what that fire fighter said to me, “Your safety is worth it.” I remember thinking, “These men and women do amazing work for our city.”

This event occurred about six years ago, before I ever became associated with Toronto Fire Services as a Chaplain. I suspect the crew that came to our home has no memory of that call whatsoever, having attended thousands of calls since, but I remember that night vividly. In fact, it made such an impression on me that the following year, when Chaplain Ron Nickle invited me to become a Chaplain, I said “Yes.” My memory of that compassionate and helpful crew inspired me to want to be a part of the TFS team and to give something back to them to thank them for their faithful service. Perhaps that crew would be surprised that such a mundane call would make such a difference in someone’s life.

If I knew which crew it was that came to our home that night, I would thank them personally. But since I don’t know who it was, I guess I’ll have to thank all of you! Thank you for serving the people of this city through calls, both dramatic and ordinary. Thank you on behalf of the people whose fear you have helped alleviate, whether through dragging them from a burning building or saying a few simple and encouraging words to them when they were feeling distressed.

Thank you on behalf of all the people who have been touched by your faithful

Rev. Hugh Donnelly

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

service but didn’t think to thank you at the time.

Your profession is one which permits you to touch the lives of people in profound ways. The people you meet are often feeling fearful, and this makes them vulnerable. Every interaction you have with someone, therefore, has the capacity to make a huge impression on them, whether or not it seems like a big deal to you. It’s good for us to be reminded of this because sometimes we lose sight of the big picture when we feel caught in the day-to-day grind of our work; and believe it or not, it’s this way in my chosen profession as well!

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that this is “just a job.” We become tired of the routine runs, the false alarms, the calls which don’t seem to make much of a difference to people. We can become jaded and cynical. When this happens, perhaps it means we have forgotten just how important our work is and just how much power we have to affect the life of another person.

Every call you attend is important to someone. Remember this and you are living out the Credo of Toronto Fire Services: “Courage, Compassion, Service.”

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 15

 e  Le TO THE EDITOR

IN MEMORY OF CARALYN

To The Membership, On October 26, 2006 in Dublin Ireland a marathon was run in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. The Toronto Fire Fighters’ Association kindly donated to the cause in memory of our daughter, Caralyn. Caralyn’s friend Cortney Anderson took on the challenge on October 26, her 26th birthday and completed the marathon raising over $11, 000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Caralyn had completed her first year at Brock University in 2000 and she & 3 good friends had just signed a lease for a home in St. Catherines for year two at university.

Cortney was one of those friends. Caralyn didn’t return to classes at Brock, she did live off and on with the girls at “32” during her treatment for leukemia, Together family and friends supported Caralyn to conquer and recover. Always positive in her attitude and outlook Caralyn never gave up. Caralyn was born on November 11 and I always told her she was here to do something special. Her life was far too short but her sun shining attitude and zest for life lives in the hearts of so many. Cortney in turn touched our hearts.

Cortney’s care, strength and persistence in running the marathon for our daughter is a testament that Caralyn is remembered.

Thank you once again for the kindness of your donation.

With Sincerity, Glen & Sandy Ross

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART Dear Rayanne, How very grateful I am for all the union and you have done for me! The memories of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial for Bob and others I will carry forever. I was so happy with my flag presenter (Kevin). What a warm young man! It was great to meet and spend a bit of time with you also. From the bottom of my heart thanks very much to all and a special thanks to Paul Atkinson also.

16

For a truly Wonderful and warm experience to be treasured always!

Sincerely Carolyn Wannamaker (Simpson)

A GREAT SUCCESS

I would like to thank you very much for your wonderful participation at my 16th Annual Community Picnic & BBQ. Your very kind and generous assistance with the children’s bouncer and popcorn machine was very well appreciated by all in attendance. As always, the children’s bouncer was wildly enjoyed by all the children and it just seems they can never get enough of it as lineups are constant throughout any event it is present. Nothing quite symbolizes a healthy community like the squeal and laughter of children playing.

It was a bright and beautiful day for the special event. It was a great success and everyone enjoyed the wonderful variety of food, entertainment and information booths.

However, it would not have been so without the inclusion of your kind assistance. With caring organizations such as yours we know that this community will continue to become stronger and better for everyone.

Thank you for all that you do and I look forward to working with you again in the very near future.

Sincerely, Raymond Cho Toronto City Councillor Ward 42 — Scarborough Rouge River

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

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

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

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

[

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

GRATEFUL FOR AWARD My name is Natasha Khan, a receiver of The John Wilde Memorial Award at West Hill Colligate Institute. I would like to extend my greatest apologies for not being able to attend the ceremony in which I was to be presented with this award, but I write this letter in thanks and with gratefulness. I am honoured to accept this award.

“MARATON OF HOME” KEPT ALIVE

On behalf of the 1st Toronto Fire Ventures I would like to thank you and the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters Local 3888 for supporting our Venturer Company with a very generous donation of five hundred dollars.

This donation means a great deal to our company as it will help us fund our fire service programs and our Scouting events.

Once again we can’t thank you enough for taking interest in our Venture Company and supporting us.

Thank you for supporting the 2007 Terry Fox Run at Wilket Creek Park. Participants of all ages again took part in this year’s run for Cancer Research. We expect to have raised over $350,000 bringing our Wilket Creek Park total to $6.8 million since 1981.

Because of your contributions, we are one of the most efficient charities in Ontario where 91 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to cancer research.

Your generously contributed resources and time to the run is the reason for our success. Without your support, we would not be able to provide the activities and services that make our run site the largest and most successful in Canada. In recognition of your contribution, your company’s name was placed on the contributor’s board next to the Start/Finish line for everyone to see.

Your support helps keep the “Marathon of Hope” alive to fund cancer research, bringing us closer to making Terry’s dream a reality.

Sincerely, Daniel Pagliaroli Sec, 1st Toronto Fire Venturers

Thank you and best regards, Jonathan Selman Wilket Creek Site Coordinator

Thank you, Natasha Khan, A Former Student of class 06’-07’of West Hill C.I.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

]

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

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

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

[

]

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

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

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

FIRE WATCH does not offer payment for submissions.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 17

18

&

FIRE FIGHTER

SURVIVAL & RESCUE &

Size-Up for Your Fireground Survival

BY TORONTO FIRE FIGHTERS GEOFF BOISSEAU and JOHN MCGILL

UPON ARRIVAL AT ANY INCIDENT, ONE OF THE FIRST PRIORITIES OF THE OFFICER IN CHARGE IS SIZE-UP. SIZE-UP IS THE GATHERING OF AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN ORDER TO FORMULATE AN ACTION PLAN. THIS INFORMATION INCLUDES SUCH THINGS AS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, SMOKE CONDITIONS, FIRE ADVANCEMENT, REPORTS OF PERSONS TRAPPED, ETC. ALL OF THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY, TACTICS AND TASKS NEEDED FOR THE INCIDENT.

N

ow, what about at the individual level? How do you develop your plan for your personal safety?

The Incident Commander’s role in sizeup is crucial for developing a fireground strategy that will expedite the resolution of the incident. This will include considerations for the fireground safety for all fire fighters on the scene, BUT, this is a general strategy. You as the fire fighter, arriving on scene, must consider strategies to minimize your own risk at the scene. It is up to you to determine what factors are important for your own fireground survival.

INDIVIDUAL SIZE-UP: PPE Wear the appropriate PPE for the hazard you are exposed to. If you do not have it, request it. It seems simple, but because of factors such as complacency, many times proper PPE is not worn or is poorly maintained. It is up to YOU as an individual to ensure this doesn’t happen.

INDIVIDUAL SIZE-UP: STRUCTURE Having knowledge of the structure that you are responding to will help you in your fireground survival. If you are not familiar with the structure prior to arrival, take a moment to size-up building construction (i.e. light weight truss) and building construction materials if possible. Also, try to determine what the possible contents of this structure are. There

may be clues to assist you at the scene.

What is the smoke telling you? What is burning?

Then you have to ask yourself the following, prior to entry: • How long would a structure of this type be safe to enter under these fire conditions?

• How advanced is the fire?

• Where is it seated?

• What are my secondary means of egress from this structure if I have to make an emergency exit?

• Are the windows big enough for me to get out?

• Are there security bars on the windows?

• Are there other doors?

• What is the footprint of the building?

• How many stories if I had to jump?

• What is the possible floor plan?

INDIVIDUAL SIZE-UP: FIRE BEHAVIOR If you are dispatched to a kitchen fire and it takes you four minutes to get there, you have to ask yourself, where has the fire spread to during my response time?

Where has the fire advanced to? Will this advancement impede your ability for fire attack? What are the smoke conditions?

Do I see the signs of possible flash over or back draft? What effect has this fire

had on this structure? How will that endanger me? What is the survivability of any victims in that structure? Is it a rescue attempt at all costs or do I put my own survival first?

All of these questions have to be answered by you prior to taking action.

It won’t take long to accomplish, and if done correctly will significantly increase your fireground safety.

Often we are guilty of relying solely upon the size-up of the IC for our own personal safety. This must change. We need to be proactive and conduct our own size-up on the fireground. The hazards that we are faced with will be continually changing; therefore individual fireground size-up has to be a continuous process, not just conducted upon arrival.

By continually re-evaluating the hazards we are faced with on the fireground, we are taking the necessary steps to maximize our personal safety.

The fireground is a dynamic place with environments and conditions changing constantly. There is a need to learn how the fireground reacts in certain conditions, in order to minimize risk.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your fireground safety. It is vital that before entering a hot zone, you take that minute to do your personal size-up. It may just save your life.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 19

Member Profile on

BY TONY MACDONALD, TORONTO FIRE CAPTAIN, STATION 445A

I

n 1993, the North York Fire Department hired a new recruit with some unique talents.

Brian Beauchamp grew up in Ajax, Ontario. His mother had her hands full raising four rambunctious boys. She felt they were getting a little out of control, so, when Brian was 12 years old, he and his brothers began taking judo lessons at the Whitby YMCA. Looking back, Brian says, “There was some direction, self discipline, and leadership missing in our lives, so Judo gave us that discipline and taught us that hard work and perseverance will pay off.”

All four boys learned quickly and competed well, winning many local competitions. By the time he was 19 years old, Brian and two of his brothers, Glenn and Brad, had been promoted to black belt. In the late 1970’s, all three of them became members of the Ontario Provincial Judo Team. By 1980, they made the Canadian National Judo Team.

Since the National team was centered in Montreal, the boys moved to the Province of Quebec. Their goal was for one of them to move up to the Canadian Olympic team. They trained five days a week, with little money and no French language skills. All three brothers, plus another fighter, shared a small apartment and slept on mattresses on the floor.

Although they had to suffer to scrape by, their training flourished. They competed for Canada in many countries including Britain, France, Hungary, Spain, Holland, USA, and Japan.

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Since they all competed in the same weight class, the boys knew that only one of them could realize the ultimate dream of making the Canadian Olympic Team. Glenn learned from his older brothers, and became Canada’s National Champion in 1983. In 1984 Glenn was named to our Olympic Team. It is with obvious pride that Brian talks about Glenn’s accomplishments. Glenn represented Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, finishing fourth, and in Seoul, Korea in 1988, with another top ten finish.

After his ten year stint on the National Team, Brian moved back to Ajax, and in 1990 he got a job as a volunteer fire fighter.

Brian was hired by the Durham Regional Police in 1992 as a wiretap monitor. Due to the nature of his work, he was required to be sworn in under the Official Secrets Act, and today is still bound by that oath. His duties included operational support for real time audio intercepts. He monitored conversations of a suspect that the police were watching in regard to a homicide of a young girl. Brian says, “There is a morbid fascination in listening to the phone calls and other conversations of a killer.”

Shortly after he finished his contract with the police, and with some of the knowledge gained while he was there, Brian started his own security consulting business. His company conducts technical security audits, GPS tracking, and covert camera installations for commercial customers. One of his jobs was for a major Canadian bank, where he set up covert video cameras with microwave links. This surveillance was successful in catching six people in a credit card skimming scam. Due to the strength of the video evidence, the six were arrested, four of them at gunpoint in a takedown in Durham Region.

Brian continued with his business and sports pursuits during his career at Toronto Fire. He has competed and won several medals at both the World Fire Fighter Games and the World Police and Fire Fighter Games.

Brian also competed with fellow Toronto Fire Fighters Rob Lethbridge, Brent Brooks, and Brian Whittaker in the 1996 World Fire Fighter Games in Edmonton.

They earned a gold medal in the World’s Toughest Fire Fighter event.

Brian’s first love has always been martial arts, and he has continued with Judo and wrestling, always honing his fight-

Brian Beauchamp

ing skills both on his feet and on the ground. In 2005, he went on a vacation for a month in Fort Myers, Florida with his family. He was looking for a way to exercise. He joined a club that teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which grew from roots in judo. Before he left, he entered a jiu jitsu competition and won the Miami Open. He was subsequently promoted to a blue belt, then a purple belt within a year, which is virtually unheard of.

In 2003, Brian also joined the Canadian Military Reserves Electronics Branch.

He learned about weapons, cold weather living, urban warfare, and more electronics. From his years of competition, Brian was used to discipline. Since he was older than a lot of the other soldiers, he sometimes found the form of discipline to be difficult. He found that, “in your mid forties, with a lot of life’s lessons already learned, it is hard to have a 20 year old leader with no life experience taking you to task.” Sleeping on the ground in the rain, endless marching with 75 pound rucksacks, and eating cold food squeezed out of a bag, rein-

forced in Brian, how good we have it in the fire service and life in general.

Brian transferred to West Command in 2003 due to him buying a home in Mississauga. He and his Wife Lili, whom he met at a 9-1-1 dance, have an 18 month old son named Brandon. Lili is due to deliver their second child in December 2007.

Due to the commitment of Brian’s family, job, and his training schedule, he recently decided to resign from the Military.

After interviewing Brian for this article, he traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the East Coast Submission Grappling Championships, where he returned home with two gold medals. He then went to the West Coast Championships in Las Vegas, where he got a gold medal in his weight division and a silver medal in the open division. Next, he will be competing at the World Championships in Los Angeles.

Brian only began learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu two years ago. Drawing on his 30 years of judo experience, his learning curve has been tremendous. In April of 2006, he traveled to New Jersey for the NAGA Submission Grappling World Championships and in October of 2007, he won the Grapplers Quest North American Championships. Brian states, “I have been fortunate to meet and work out with some of the best grapplers in the world, including many who are presently fighting in the UFC. I have trained with current UFC Champion Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, and many others.”

Brian recently found out that he had been nominated for a place in the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame for 2008. He presently trains and teaches at Kombat Arts in Mississauga, which is the largest martial arts club in Canada.

SOME OF BRIAN’S MAJOR JUDO ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE: • 2 Time New York Open Champion • 5 Time US National Judo Champion (Masters) • 3 Time Canada Open Judo Champion (Masters) • 2 Time Quebec Open Champion • 3 Time Ontario Open Champion • Chicago Open Judo Champion –156 lbs • Pacific International Judo Champion • Chicago Open Judo Championships (Best Technique Award) • 1994 World Fire fighter Games Judo Champion • 2001 World Police and Fire Games Judo Champion • 2004 US National Judo Championships (Masters-Most Outstanding Athlete) • 2005 Canadian Open Judo Champion (Masters Open Division Grand Champion) • 2006 Hatashita International Champion • 2006 US Open Judo Champion (Masters) • 2007 Canadian Open Masters Judo Championships Middleweight Gold

SOME OF BRIAN’S MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU GRAPPLING COMPETITIONS ARE: • 2004 Joslins Canadian Open Submission Grappling Championships Gi –184 lbs Bronze Medal • 2004 Joslins Canadian Open Submission Grappling Championships No-Gi –184 Gold Medal • 2005 Can-Am Police and Fire Games Submission Grappling Silver Medal • 2007 NAGA Miami Open Grappling Championships Masters Middle Weight No-Gi Bronze Medal • 2007 NAGA Miami Open Grappling Chamnpionships Masters No-Gi Champion • 2007 NAGA World Championships Gi Division Gold Medal • 2007 NAGA World Championships No-Gi Division Gold Medal • 2007 Grapplers Quest North American Championships –179.9 lbs No-Gi Gold Medal • 2007 Grapplers Quest Copa Atlantica BJJ & Grappling Championships –Over 40 Absolute –Gold • 2007 Grapplers Quest Copa Atlantica BJJ & Grappling Championships – BJJ Blue Belt –Gold

W I N T E R 2 0 0 7 | F I R E WATCH 21

STATION 424

BY JON LASIUK, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER

T

hroughout the years, the City of Toronto has designed and built its fire halls to fit in with not only the communities in which they serve, but also with the prevailing architectural flavour of the times. The stark, box-like forms of the downtown stations constructed in the 1960’s and 1970’s complemented the designs and ideals of the many commercial high rises built in the core during that period. Further out, the city’s quiet residential communities benefited from softer, smaller designs that blended in well with the houses on their streets.

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Driving up Runnymede Road, one can easily miss an example of a Toronto fire hall that blends in well with its neighbours. Constructed 79 years ago, Toronto Fire Station 424 sits at the north-west corner of MacGregor Avenue and Runnymede Road, near both Bloor West Village and the community of High Park.

This area, originally a part of the Town of West Toronto Junction—and later the City of West Toronto, was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1909. Fire protection during this time was provided from Fire Hall # 20, located on Keele Street, in what had been the headquarters of the West Toronto Fire Department.

As the rural area near Runnymede Road slowly developed, residents became concerned about the lengthy running times for the horse-drawn apparatus. In January of 1923, city council passed a motion to initiate the construction of a fire hall somewhere in the Runnymede district.

Hampered by a lack of political will, the process stalled until 1926 when two potential sites were chosen. On August 30th of that year the site at Runnymede Road and MacGregor Avenue was chosen and purchased for $6,300.

On June 13th, 1927 construction commenced on a two-bay, two-storey station designed by the city architect’s office.

The design was almost a mirror image of the one used in the construction of the Grosvenor Street fire hall the previous year. It proved so successful that the design was used again in 1930 to build the Wanless Avenue fire hall in North Toronto and to a lesser extent the Montgomery Avenue hall in 1932. The brick and stucco exterior provides a “Tudor” look to the building and compliments many houses that were being built in the nearby Baby Point and Swansea areas during this era by the famous developer Home Smith.

Opened in 1928, the station at 462 Runnymede Road was the third station on the Toronto Fire Department to be given the number 31 (This number was originally assigned to the new station at the C.N.E. in 1922 and later to the Island fire hall in 1923). It was originally staffed with both a pumper and a city-service hook & ladder truck, both reassigned from other stations. This would start a long tradition of hand-me-down apparatus for this

hall, which would not receive its first brand-new rig until 1955 when a new LaFrance 700-series pumper was assigned to the station. As for the aerial company assigned to the hall, there is no record of it ever receiving a brand-new rig from its first day of service until it was disbanded by the Toronto Fire Services on January 5th, 2002.

For a relatively quiet station—Aerial 31 was running around 60 calls per year in the 1950’s (including fill-ins!)—the Runnymede fire hall nonetheless was home to an interesting list of one-off, unique apparatus found nowhere else on the T.F.D. Possibly the most unique rig was the 1960 Thibault 85’ quint that was acquired by the T.F.D. in 1967 after the annexation of the Village of Swansea. This rig was the only true quint ever operated by the T.F.D. Although standing orders forbade the use of the pump on this aerial, it was witnessed pumping at least once at a fire in the stockyards in the 1970’s. It was also the only rig on the T.F.D. with a true Federal “Q” siren. This rig, in turn had been a replacement for a very rare 1952 85’ opencab Bickle-Seagrave aerial—of which only two were purchased by the T.F.D. For almost two decades the Thibault quint shared quarters with a unique 1966 Ford/King-Seagrave pumper that was acquired from the Village of Forest Hill when that municipality was also annexed

by Toronto in 1967. This rig had no crew seating and was one of the last T.F.D. rigs (along with # 5 Aerial Tower and Pumper 33) to require the crew to ride the back step. Moreover, this hall was the only one in the T.F.D. to operate, at the same time, two separate rigs purchased by two other departments.

For 39 years, Station 31 was the western-most station of the Toronto Fire Department. The annexation of the Village

of Swansea in 1967 brought an end to this and created a situation of having two relatively close fire halls in the same area. A political decision was made to keep both stations open and this arrangement continues to this day.

The fire service amalgamation of 1998 brought around many changes for the Runnymede Road fire hall. Renumbered as Station 424, and losing their aerial company soon after, the station saw their call volume increase substantially as they now responded across the seamless borders into the former Cities of York and Etobicoke.

Although a planned consolidation of the Runnymede Road and Swansea fire halls into a new facility has been shelved due to a lack of available land in the area, Station 424’s days appear to be numbered.

The removal of the old municipal borders places Station 424 quite close to two nearby stations, and the crew assigned to Pumper 424 is slated to staff one of several new stations proposed for other, under-serviced areas of the city.

Whatever the fate of the old Runnymede Road fire hall, the architectural uniqueness of the building will most certainly ensure its redevelopment in one of the hottest real estate areas in the city.

Apparatus Assigned to Station 424 Pumper 424 has recently been assigned a 2007 Spartan/Seagrave pumper, shop # 24133. This is the first “brand-new” rig assigned to the company in 52 years.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 23

CHRISTMAS

CHEER, SPIRIT and SANTA

CLAUS LOCAL 3888 CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY

24

S

cott, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the members of the Entertainment Committee, the many volunteers, and everybody else who helped out with the Christmas Party this year. My Family including, Mason (2) and Marty (5), thoroughly enjoyed the entire day.

Marty’s favourite part was the huge slide, while Mason loved the powered motorcycles. My wife and I really appreciated how well everything was put together. I can understand that a production such as the annual Christmas party is the result of a confluence of efforts by dozens of people. We were able to enjoy all of the rides, the activities, and the food. Although hundreds of people (or was it thousands) were able to enjoy the party, the experience was very enjoyable, with little time wasted in long lines. The quality of the gifts was great. My Family has already spent hours playing with them.

The Christmas party was a great experience again this year. It is another example of 1% of our team making things work well for the other 99%. For this I would like to personally, and on the behalf of my family, thank all those involved.

Josh Kramer 444, B

I

just wanted to thank you for The Children’s Christmas Party. It was the first time I have taken my son; he had just turned 4, 2 weeks before the party date.

To say that I was impressed is grossly understating my feelings when I arrived and saw for the first time, how large of an affair the Christmas party was!

I cannot even imagine the hours and days of preparation that went into hosting such an event. I also cannot believe how low the entrance cost was for everything that we received! There was unlimited food, beverages and snacks, free games, climbing toys, a visit and photo with Santa, a goody bag (that I enjoyed as well!) and to top it all off, an absolutely FABULOUS gift that my son was completely THRILLED with.

I can’t believe how great his gift was. It has an honoured spot on my coffee table and the little car gets raced everywhere.

I will not be able to express in words my gratitude for you and everything you did to hold such an extremely fun filled and wonderful event.

Thank you, Tracey LambCommunications Steward

I

’ve frequently heard many positive comments from my fire hall colleagues about how much their kids enjoyed the Fire Fighter’s Annual Christmas Party experience. This year, with my daughter approaching 3 years of age, we registered to attend with her 4 year old friend for our first time. The whole event was a cornucopia of fun and delight. All the participants were having such a good time taking in all the activities. I’m not sure who was having a better time, the kids or their chaperones. I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the event’s planners and volunteers for their tremendous efforts in making this year’s event so successful. We will all look forward to attending next year’s Christmas party.

Yours fraternally, Jim McEachran Stn 334

M

y family and I have been going to the X-mas parties for 15 years now and we have always had a great time. I can only imagine the headache it must be to organize.

Just wanted to say Thank You! Job Well Done!

Also, thanks for letting my son Sean get some community hours.

Sincerely Al Meyers (Stn 313)

T

hanks very much for letting my son work your children’s X-mas party. What a great day you put on. You sure put a lot of work into it.

Many people, when leaving, said thanks and what a good time their kids had.

Darlene Winner of the X-Box 360 for donating un-wrapped gift was 7 month old Mikayla Pittarelli-Bucks, daughter of Joshua Bucks Station 145 B. Thank you to all for bringing a gift and helping the less fortunate.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 25

Toronto Fire 2008-2012: Years of Turbulence

BY ADRIAN HOWELL, TFS COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

J

anuary 1st, 2013: looking back, the TFS went through a lot of changes over the last 5 years.

The amalgamated City of Toronto commissioned several reports as how to best restructure and allocate trucks and stations so that the city would have adequate coverage. Adequate coverage was defined as the TFS being able to respond to any call, in 4 minutes, 90% of the time (first truck in). All of these studies provided the basis for the Fire Master Plan of 2007. This plan determined how the TFS would proceed in a number of areas in the short, medium and long term. All commands were affected.

Station 116, located at Leslie and Sheppard was fully completed by 2008. As per the Fire Plan, the two crews from Station 125 would be affected as follows: P125 crew would move to 116 and be known as P116. A125 crew would staff a pumper, and would then be known as P125. As for the actual aerial truck, it would be moved to Station 321 and be known as A321.

The new subway to York University and beyond had a huge impact in North Command. The plans for Finch West Subway Station placed it right on the land occupied by Station 141. So, after several studies, Station 141 was moved 26

two hundred and fifty meters north. Additionally, the development of Downsview Park into thousands of housing units meant that the city could justify building Station 144 at the intersection of Sheppard and Keele (staffed by the relocated A411 crew, now known as P144). Finally, to improve the response time in District 12, Station 124 was built at Sunnybrook Hospital.

The other commands had their fair share of construction as well. Station 414 was built at the intersection of Highway 27 and Rexdale and was staffed by a relocated Pumper 413. Station 221 at Eglinton and Midland provided some badly needed coverage in East Command and was staffed by a relocated Pumper 224. Aerial 231 would eventually be replaced by a platform device (PL231).

South Command also had changes under the Master Plan. P312, P315, and P331 were all converted to Rescues when the trucks needed replacement.

Architectural limits of Station 311 forced the aerial crew to be moved to Station 321 and be known as A321. The development of the Portlands and surrounding area convinced council to build a station there. Station 327 was just as functional and elegant as Station

334, and like that station, was built to house a fireboat. As well, all of the aerial devices in the downtown core now had a minimum of 4 crew members.

The Fire Master Plan was not all about construction, unfortunately.

The study recommended that Station 424 be closed and the truck move to the newly constructed Station 124 at Sunnybrook.

2009

It was a typical fall day in downtown Toronto. People were leaving work and heading home. Our troops were in Afghanistan but it was a commonplace thought; besides, they were due to come home soon.

Canada’s intelligence community had always warned that we could be a target for terrorist attacks but the warnings were dismissed as scaremongering.

Those thoughts and the lives of the citizens of Toronto were about to be changed forever, however:

OCTOBER 20, 2009, 1715 HOURS, THE HEIGHT OF RUSH HOUR

The Bloor-Yonge Subway Station is the busiest subway station in Canada.

Suddenly, the TFS Communications Centre receives frantic reports and calls of an explosion of some sort from transit users and passersby. Initially, these reports are chalked up to people panicking but as the number of calls and eyewitness reports increase, Communications realizes that it has a major disaster on its hands. Rescue 312 is the first on scene and immediately calls a third alarm due to the hundreds of walking wounded fleeing the exits, as well as the incredible amount of smoke.

Five minutes after that, a fourth alarm is struck based on the huge amount of flame R312 finds as they make initial entry.

OCTOBER 20, 2009, 1721 HOURS

The Sheppard-Yonge Subway Station, much like the Bloor-Yonge Station, is a major transfer point between two subway lines. To the horror of TFS call-takers, distraught and frantic members of the public are reporting heavy smoke and flames at track level, following, in the words of one member of the public, “one hell of a bang!!” The Communications Captain decides to send a full fire

response. The first truck on scene gives an initial report of heavy smoke, flames and debris. The captain of the truck, her voice quavering at the war zone scene in front of her, immediately calls for a second alarm at her location.

OCTOBER 20, 2009, 1724 HOURS, UNION STATION

This is a hub of regional, local, and national rail traffic, as well as a subway station for the TTC. Hundreds of thousands of people pass through here during the rush hour. Callers on the higher floors of the bank towers reported seeing a large semi-trailer, just seconds before the blast. Alas, many people on the ground had no warning as to the devastation that was about to befall them. The explosion was massive—so massive that seismographs pick up the earth shaking kilometres away. The ball of flame which erupted from the blast, reached more than 40 feet in the air. Everything and everybody within 183 metres, or 600 feet were dead; caught in the lethal air blast range.

The above ground portion of Union Station was completed in 1927 and although built with the best building practices at the time, it could not withstand an explosion of that magnitude. As a result, the massive structure quickly collapsed, its structural support now non-existent. Alas, a good portion of that grand old hotel across the street experienced the same fate. The four bank towers closest to Union Station had a large number of their windows blown out; killing, maiming, or blinding hundreds of occupants. Falling glass and shrapnel rained from the sky more than 2 kilometers away in the immediate aftermath of the explosion, injuring people as far away as Harbourfront and Dundas Square. Ruptured gas lines fueled the blaze in many places, adding to the inferno.

All of this carnage is what faced the first arriving truck. The captain’s report is terse and concise. As the magnitude of the destruction hits him, his voice halts and breaks as he requests an initial fourth alarm response.

The pressures on the TFS were immense. At the height of the terrorist attacks, protesting our involvement in

“foreign and imperialistic wars”, more than 18 alarms were operating simultaneously at 3 different locations, using over 60% of Toronto Fire’s pumpers and aerial devices.

The Fire Chief used all the power at her disposal to deal with this threat to life and property. HUSAR teams across the country were activated and used to search through the rubble and destruction of the collapsed subway tunnels and buildings. Operations were placed on a 24 on/24 off schedule, with TWO platoons working simultaneously. Thus, half the department was on the job at any one time. Mechanical Division had their staff recalled, and every spare and reserve vehicle was brought into service. Mutual aid requests to the TFS were instituted. Our brothers and sisters in Vaughan, Markham, and Mississauga were fighting fires along side us and filling in some of our stations.

The attacks left a terrible legacy on the City of Toronto. Notably, the casualties were the first and foremost in people’s minds. Some were killed as a result of being caught in the explosion, while others were killed from the resulting fires, and still others were crushed to death by the incredible amount of debris. In the subway system, asphyxiation was the main killer. Thousands were killed as smoke filled the tunnels, cutting off breathable air. The explosions knocked out the massive ventilation fans designed to prevent that very thing from happening. Being rush hour, most trains were carrying their full capacity of 1800 people.

In the vicinity of Union Station, death was indiscriminate in choosing how to claim its victims. Some were crushed to death, buried alive under tonnes of rubble, while others were consumed by the actual blast or the fires that resulted from them. Others were filleted like fish by glass and metal fragments, propelled at lethal speeds by the shock wave of the explosion.

The final reckoning? Just fewer than 7000 people dead, with property damage estimated at more than 4 billion dollars.

By 2010, a city budget crunch was finally taking its toll on the emergency

services it provided. Obviously, the city had learned nothing of the budget crisis of 2008.

Seizing on the statistics that indicated that Toronto Fire was responding mostly to medical calls, City Council decided to follow the move made by most major cities in the USA and merge Toronto EMS into Toronto Fire. In the words of the mayor, “due to the increasing success of fire prevention efforts (building codes, code enforcement, etc), fire departments everywhere have been declining in manpower productivity, particularly among personnel assigned to fire suppression duties. Given the availability of fire fighting equipment and personnel, and the declining frequency of demand of fire suppression services, a role in the EMS system is being sought as a way to utilize surplus capacity.”

After a bitter debate by both Locals, followed by a wildcat strike by some of the city’s paramedics, July 1, 2012 was a day dreaded by most and anticipated by few. On that day, the newly appointed Fire Commissioner and the Chief of Department of a unified Toronto Fire were present at Toryork. There, the first ambulance and ERU in Toronto Fire colours were driven off the flag, while Rescue 411 became the first apparatus to be staffed with firefighter/paramedics.

Author’s Note: Some have said that this is a particularly grim and gruesome view of the TFS and its place in the City of Toronto. However, with the exception of Station 327, all of the new stations, relocated stations, and closed stations are in reports officially submitted to the City for its consideration. Additionally, the reasons to merge EMS and Toronto Fire, as well as the reasons NOT to merge the two emergency services, are found in various studies. We can consider ourselves lucky that we have not yet had any mass casualty attacks directed against us, but it is a dangerous world, and as we know, it can happen anywhere; we are not immune.

So how do we prevent this future from happening? We need to be aware and use the influence of Local 3888 on our councillors, politicians, stakeholders, and citizens. As for the more disturbing aspects, we can only hope and demand that we have the training, equipment and facilities so that when it happens, we will be prepared to the best of our ability.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 27

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28

A Vital Sharing of Knowledge and EXPERIENCE

BY JANOS CSEPREGHI, TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER AND TPFFA STEWARD

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s individual fire fighters, we have always treated each other with respect as brothers and sisters.

Collectively, within the OPFFA family, the TPFFA has likened itself to an older sibling. The amalgamated city has made Toronto the largest Local in Ontario.

The size of our membership, magnitude of our budget, and the experience of its representatives gives Toronto a strong presence within the OPFFA. This power is also tempered by its responsibility to smaller Locals within Ontario and in fact, across the country.

Toronto Fire has always been in the spotlight. Its policies and practices have always been scrutinized, putting Toronto under the microscope for its bargaining and settlements. The beneficiaries of Toronto’s trail breaking efforts have always been the smaller municipalities who are able to piggyback on the hard work and tactical negotiations undertaken by the Toronto bargaining representatives. The TPFFA does hold a lot of power within the OPFFA —but with great power comes great responsibility.

During the first week of October, I was witness to the shared responsibility undertaken by our Toronto Local representatives, alongside representatives from other Locals all over Ontario, as they shared their knowledge and experience at the Dr. Eric G. Taylor Fall 2007 Labour Education Seminar.

The seminar is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Eric G. Taylor, a professional economist who served as a mediator during labour disputes in Ontario. He was recruited by William T. Sanders, former president of Local 113, to teach collective bargaining to Ontario Fire Fighter union representatives. In all, Dr. Taylor served 32 years as a teacher and discussion leader to fire fighter repre-

sentatives all over Ontario.

The seminar gathers OPFFA Locals from all over the province for four days of informative discussion, debate, and practical role-playing. Locals, though differing widely in terms of membership and budget, are united in their desire to learn from one another.

This is where the members of the TPFFA have become a valuable asset to the OPFFA. It only serves to reason that Toronto, Local 3888, with over three thousand members, would have more experience with WSIB issues than someone from Kapuskasing Local 1237 with only 9 members. Hence, Members of the TPFFA are usually front and center throughout the seminar.

Ed Kennedy is the chair of the OPFFA Education Committee and is responsible for organizing much of the seminar. Bob McWhinnie, a retired Scarborough Fire Fighter, lead the Basic Stewardship workshop. Ernie Thorne, OPFFA District 1 Vice President, lead the Grievance workshop. Paul Atkinson, OPFFA Occupational Disease Committee Chair, lead the WSIB workshop. Paul Mogavero, IAFF Human Relations Representative, hosted discussions on human rights. Dan McMurray, a retired Toronto Fire Fighter, gave a presentation on Camp Bucko. Jim Lee, Assistant to the IAFF General President, in charge of Canadian Operations, and former Local 3888 President, taught advanced leadership training.

Though the experience of the Toronto contingent is evident, it is not condescending. Many jokes about stolen fire trucks are shot in our direction but they are made without malice, and are in good humor. The prevailing attitude is light hearted, yet everyone takes the seminar seriously. From beginning to end, every classroom is full, with questions and answers being discussed well into the evening. By coming together like this, fire fighter helping fire fighter, the collective unit is able to benefit from the experience of the few. Together, we are only as strong as our weakest link. If the smaller Locals become endangered through privatization and other cost cutting measures, it is only a matter of time before these issues visit us in Toronto.

Dr. Taylor summarized, “The purpose of this seminar is to develop the individual fire fighter so that he may develop himself. To add a little experience, by discussion in and out of the classroom, and to go home, a little richer in terms of ideas, a little broader in experience, with a little more confidence than he came with and to inspire you to radiate sincerity, to decide what you believe and to make other people know you believe it and make them believe it.”

From my point of view, the 2007 Fall Labour Education Seminar was an educational experience. Educational from the wisdom bestowed upon me in Bob McWhinnie’s workshop on Basic Stewardship. However, beyond the lectures, there was an enlightening experience because, as a Toronto Fire Fighter, it put me along side numerous brothers and sisters from Locals across Ontario, and I was able to see the value that we have in our own union executives and committee members.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 29

Seats could not be placed in aisles, and theatres were required to have their fire hoses continuously plugged in.

A Look at The

Fire Prevention Dvision

BY MARLA FRIEBE, TFS PUBLIC EDUCATION, SOUTH COMMAND

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n the early 1800’s, there were few fire prevention measures to protect its citizens—keeping two leather buckets available for carrying water in the event of a fire was about the extent to which the town actively enforced fire and life safety regulations. This primitive bucket brigade style of protecting one’s home and family was the only means of fire fighting available, and would continue to be the only form of fire protection until later that century.

By 1845, the Fire Protection Act was formed and drew together a number of scattered regulations into a single code.

Simple measures like the prohibition of smoking in stables and carpenter shops were enacted to protect both the public and property. The act addressed the maintenance of stoves and chimneys, ladders were required to be fixed to roofs leading up to chimneys, hot ashes were ordered to be directly disposed of, and bonfires, discharging firearms, and the use of firecrackers were also permitted, but only under very specific conditions.

30

Later on in the history of Toronto, regulations addressing fire prevention were incorporated directly into city bylaws. By 1890 these by-laws addressed building construction and mandated that assembly occupancies such as churches, hospitals, colleges, schools, halls and theatres must have a minimal number of stairs and doors. Seats could not be placed in aisles, and theatres were required to have their fire hoses continuously plugged in. Compared with regulations that are enforced today, these measures seem insignificant. For Toronto, though, it was the beginning of a new phase of fire protection for a city that sought a cure to its devastating fire problem. It was also an attempt by the fire department to cease being a reactionary agency, responding to minimize the effect of fires after they had already occurred.

The city furthered their efforts towards protecting its citizens and property when in 1917, Toronto formed it’s first Fire Prevention Bureau. One Inspector was responsible for the entire city, which he navigated by bicycle. He would be assisted by two more Inspectors later that year. Like the other municipalities that Toronto would join with in 1998 to form one department, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, York and North York all went through periods of growth and change in their fire prevention divisions.

Then, in 1981, the Ontario Fire Code was enacted, and subsequently provided a standard for fire safety regulations right across the province.

Fire Prevention Division Toronto Fire Services’ Fire Prevention Division is overseen by Division Chief Mike Gerrard and is divided into two separate but ultimately connected sections: Inspections and Public Education. Both of these sections are overseen by District Chiefs (one per command in Inspections, and one other for all of the Public Education Section). In total, Fire Prevention consists of 108

staff, including Training and Legal, and 20 in Public Education. Command boundaries do not match Operations Commands—instead they are based on the city’s ward boundary systems.

Many of our Fire Inspectors and Public Educators have come to Toronto Fire Services from various backgrounds: some were hired first and trained as Fire fighters (as was the practise in the old city of Toronto) and some were from other city departments and private industries (alarm and sprinkler companies). Many were hired after graduating from colleges specializing in fire prevention technology programs geared towards both prevention and fire suppression.

What is the Role of the Fire Inspector?

Simply put, the role of both the Fire Inspector and Public Educator is to protect the safety of Toronto’s citizens from the occurrence of fire. Inspectors fulfill this role through a tireless schedule of property inspections. When infractions are found, a Notice of Violation is issued to the owner. Owners may face immediate charges depending on the severity of the violation. Typically, Inspectors shall conduct a re-inspection within 30 days to ensure compliance. If at that time the violation remains outstanding, the file will be submitted for court action with fines pending.

During an inspection, careful attention is paid to the lack of and/or mainte-

nance of life safety systems within the building (i.e. smoke alarms, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems), means of egress, rental properties, fire separations, emergency planning (i.e. fire safety plans), and any other potential fire hazards.

They respond to requests from other city departments, as well as complaints taken directly from the public and from fire crews. Inspectors do not have the means to remedy problems in one day —it can take many months for files to finally be heard in court, whereupon building owners could risk imprisonment in addition to fines if compliance is not achieved in a timely fashion.

A Retrofit Task Force consisting of seven Inspectors are also responsible for inspecting a large majority of the city’s rental properties such as highrise and lowrise apartment buildings, multi-unit houses, and rooming houses, with the ability to lay same day charges. Buildings that fall under the scope of Retrofit were required to be in compliance by July 1998, therefore there is no tolerance for non-compliance.

What is the Fire Code?

For those members of the department that don’t work with the Fire Code every day, the importance of the document may be minimal or misunderstood. The Fire Code provides for the safety of occupants in existing buildings through the elimination or control of fire hazards in and around buildings. It also provides for the maintenance of life safety systems in buildings, the establishing of a fire safety plan in those buildings (where necessary) and the retrofitting of certain occupancies. The Fire Code is enforced by the local fire department, as the authority having jurisdiction. The owner of a building, however, is responsible for carrying out the provisions of the code.

For owners not in compliance, the penalty can be quite severe: the fine for individuals can be up to $50,000, and for corporations up to $100,000. These fines may be in addition to imprisonment. Fire Inspectors can only charge individuals for infractions that occur within the scope of the Fire Code.

The Ontario Fire Code can now be found online at the Ontario Fire Mar-

shall’s website: www.ofm.gov.on.ca/english/legislation/firecode/Default.asp How to Notify Fire Prevention of a Problem?

If fire fighters have noticed potential problems that fall within the scope of the Ontario Fire Code at any incident they have responded to, the problem can be documented on their Incident Report forms (indicate that Fire Prevention should be notified by submitting an ‘X’ in the Fire Prevention box). Each morning, Fire Prevention Captains review the reports submitted. In addition, complaints can be reported to Fire Prevention by calling the complaints hotline in each command: Fire Prevention North: 338-9150 Fire Prevention East: 338-9250 Fire Prevention South: 338-9350 Fire Prevention West: 338-9450 Prior to a submission, fire crews can check with their Fire Prevention Office to identify whether their concerns can be addressed under the Fire Code—this will ensure that problems are valid prior to assigning an Inspector to the complaint.

Who are Public Educators?

Public Educators are Inspectors who are tasked with educating the public about fire and life safety and are mandated under the Fire Prevention and Protection Act 1997. The passage of this act added impetus to the prevention and education movement as a primary tool in modern fire protection. The idea is, that it makes more sense to change people’s attitudes toward fire and life safety through education than it is to take legal action against them.

Twenty Public Educators divided by Command respond to any public request for education; they attend to lectures in schools, daycares, apartments and condominiums, businesses, churches, group homes, special interest groups and seniors educational centres. Programs are geared towards every aspect of the community, and range from Older and Wiser for seniors, to the Riskwatch Program currently being delivered to over 500 schools within the Toronto District School Board. One of the most interesting programs within the public educator’s arsenal is TAPP- C (The Arson Prevention Pro-

gram for Children). This program works in conjunction with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to treat youthful fire setters. Public Educators work oneon-one with these children over three sessions, to educate the children on basic fire and life safety skills—the first session includes a home inspection, the second session also occurs in the child home environment, and the final visit occurs in a local station, complete with a station tour and graduation.

For more information on these programs, feel free to contact the appropriate Captain: Public Education North: 338-9185 Public Education East: 338-9272 Public Education South: 338-9418 Public Education West: 338-9470 In addition to program delivery, the Public Education Section is involved with the development of promotional materials, public and media relations, special events planning, public displays, and the planning of numerous annual events, from Fire Prevention and Public Safety Weeks, to three weeks of events at the Canadian National Exhibition during the month of August.

Since 1997, the number of fire deaths in the province has declined by 43%.

The efforts of Fire Prevention and Public Education combined, along with new provincial legislation requiring smoke alarms on every storey, as well as outside all sleeping areas of every home, continue to help reduce the numbers of needless deaths dramatically. Clearly, fire prevention has come a long way since mandating the bucket brigade style of fire protection!

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 31

www.firefighternearmiss.com

LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER WITHOUT BORDERS

BY JOHN B. TIPPETT JR., MEMBER, IAFF LOCAL 1664 • MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MD) PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS • BATTALION CHIEF, MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MD) FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE • PROJECT MANAGER, IAFC

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n just under three years, the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System, www.firefighternearmiss.com, has gained recognition, notoriety and accomplishment. The anonymous, confidential, secure, web based, free reporting system capitalizes on one successful 30 year old program—the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), and one 250 year old fire service tradition—helping our own.

The firehouse kitchen table has been the focal point of passing on experiences in the American and Canadian fire services since their inception. Experienced fire fighters have passed along years of survival knowledge to newer members of the company over countless cups of hot coffee and many great meals. The limited reach of these informal classrooms has been a serious drawback to getting this information to the fire service at large. www.firefighternearmiss.com is changing that limitation. The system has two

nication, command, education, operations and training.

The system is open for report submissions from Canadian and U.S. fire fighters. Any fire fighter can access the site from an internet capable computer. Users are encouraged to save the web address to a Desk Top or My Favorites for faster access. Since the national launch in 2005, the system has posted over 1500 near-miss reports in six general categories. The categories reflect where most fire service fatalities and injuries are occurring in the United States. Users can click on the ‘Search Reports’ tab and instantly begin reviewing reports already submitted and reviewed. The reports range from reminders of how routine activities can interrupt service delivery, to near death experiences that are predictable and preventable.

Fire fighters wishing to submit a report are greeted by a user friendly format that includes five sections: ‘reporter in-

EXPERIENCED FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE PASSED ALONG YEARS OF SURVIVAL KNOWLEDGE...OVER COUNTLESS CUPS OF HOT COFFEE... goals: 1) Improve fire fighter safety through passing knowledge along; 2) Compiling data that can be used for analysis of fire fighter injury producing behaviors. These two goals are accomplished using an anonymous and confidential format. By collecting and analyzing information on near-miss events, the effect of errors can be reduced and improvements can be made in decision making, commu32

formation’, ‘event information’, ‘event description’, ‘lessons learned’ and ‘optional contact information’. The first two sections are primarily drop down menus.

The third and fourth sections provide open text fields for the reporter to provide a narrative about the event and help other fire fighters by describing the lessons learned from the event. The reporter can either submit the report anony-

mously or provide contact information.

Reports are reviewed by a team of fire service professionals whose role it is to strip the report of any identifying information, draw data from the report, follow up with the reporter, if the reporter provided contact information (an option the reporter controls), and post the report for other fire fighters to learn from.

There is no statute of limitations on reports. Multiple reports from those involved or witnessing an event are encouraged due to the different perspectives people bring to an incident. Canadian Fire Fighters may submit reports to the system through a cooperative agreement brokered by the IAFF and Canadian representatives of the IAFC. The system offers a free, weekly e-training bulletin known as Report of the Week (ROTW). ROTW provides fire fighters with a ready made drill that focuses on a report selected by the reviewers. A brief analysis of the report is provided, along with three to five discussion questions and references to similar reports. Since its inception, ROTW has grown from a mailing list of 35 recipients to over 5,000, with a forward to over 50,000 fire fighters.

Fire fighters wishing to receive ROTW should contact nearmiss@iafc.org and type “Subscribe-IAFF Canada” in the subject line. ROTW comes out on Fridays.

Implementing the system for the fire service is based on a belief that additional strategies are needed to break the chain of fire fighter fatalities and injuries in the United States. The rate for these tragedies

has averaged over 100 fatalities and nearly 100,000 lost time injuries each year for the last 15 to 20 years. This rate of occurrence has remained relatively stable despite significant advances in PPE, equipment and apparatus. The commercial aviation industry noted that it had significantly improved its technology from the 1950’s to 1970’s, yet continued to suffer an unacceptable number of catastrophes.

Near-miss reporting was initiated by this industry in the mid 1970’s. Its system has been gaining momentum as a means of reducing deaths, injuries and property damage ever since. Researchers and behaviorists theorized that if the industry focused more on analyzing nearmisses and shared those experiences and lessons learned, they would see a reduction in mishaps. Their theory was correct in an exponential way; aviation accidents and injury rates in the United States have fallen significantly over the last 30 years.

Near-miss reporting is considered one of the cornerstones in the improved safety record. The United States military, petroleum industry, nuclear power industry and several hospital systems have implemented near miss reporting with the same results. www.fire fighternearmiss.com is funded by grants from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant Program.

Start-up funding was also provided by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company.

The project is supported by FirefighterCloseCalls.com in mutual dedication to fire fighter safety and survival.

The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, the IAFC, the Volunteer & Combination Officers’ Section of the IAFC, the United States Fire Administration, the Safety Health and Survival Section of the IAFC and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association and the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.

For more information on the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System, please contact nearmiss@iafc.org or check out the FAQ section at www. fire fighternearmiss.com.

Near-Miss Report Report Number: 07-0000731 Report Date: 02/17/2007 1040

Demographics Department type: Paid Municipal Job or rank: Captain Department shift: 24 hours on - 48 hours off Age: 25 - 33 Years of fire service experience: 7 - 10 Region: FEMA Region IX Event Information Event type: Fire emergency event: structure fire, vehicle fire, wildland fire, etc.

Event date and time: 07/01/1989 1300 Hours into the shift: 24+ Event participation: Involved in the event Do you think this will happen again?

Yes What do you believe caused the event?

• Procedure • Decision Making • Human Error • SOP / SOG • Situational Awareness What do you believe is the loss potential?

• Lost time injury • Property damage Event Description We responded to a working residential house fire that was caused by children playing with fireworks that are illegal in this state. Fire quickly spread to the attic of this 3,000 square foot semicustom home with a tile roof. Occupants were on vacation as this was the 4th of July weekend.

The first engine company to arrive assumed command and reported a working fire. Upon arrival of my unit, a ladder company, we were instructed to provide vertical ventilation. Time in the incident was about 20 minutes. I completed the cut with a power saw and was preparing to exit the roof when I saw 2 members of my crew (the captain and other driver) fall through the roof sheathing and into the well involved attic. I attempted to rescue both, as my side of the roof was still intact. While en-route to their location, I too, fell into the well involved attic. I became trapped for approximately 7 seconds in heat and

fire that was approximately 2000 degrees. For reasons unknown, I was able to jump out of the hole I had fallen into, andself extricated my self off of the roof. I received 1st and 2nd degree burns to my left hand and left leg. The only reason that I am able to share this story is because I was wearing full protective clothing with my SCBA face piece on. This would not have been a survivable incident if we had not been wearing full protective clothing.

Lessons Learned #1 Lesson learned. The wearing of full protective clothing with the SCBA face piece on saved our lives. #2 Residential light weight truss construction with tile roofs is a killer for firefighters. #3 Our department policy is not to vertical ventilate these roofs any longer.

Discussion Questions Roof ventilation is a much discussed and much misunderstood task in today’s fire service. The flood of new building materials and building techniques that have hit the industry are a call for us to take a long look at the traditional approaches to opening the roof. Professor Brannigan’s mantra, “Beware the truss,” continues to serve as a call for us to study how buildings are built so we better understand how they can kill and injure us. After reviewing 07-731 and several of the other reports of your choice, consider the following questions for this week’s discussion: 1. How many different type of roofs (materials and construction) can be found in your service area?

2. Are your department’s roof operations detailed in a written SOP/SOG, or “passed on by word of mouth” operations?

3. What are the criteria you use to decide when to conduct vertical ventilation?

4. Where does risk vs. reward enter the equation?

5. What is on your comprehensive list of tools and equipment needed for roof ventilation of a tar and chip, plywood sheathing over wood rafter, commercial strip mall roof?

Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports.

What is a near-miss?

For the purpose of the National Fire Fighter Near Miss Reporting System a near miss (or close call) is defined as an unintentional unsafe occurrence that could have resulted in an injury, fatality or property damage. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or damage. Situations that qualify as near misses are essentially in the eyes of the reporter. If a reporter is involved in or witnesses an event and believes it is a near miss, then a report should be filed.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 33

In the next six issues of Toronto Fire Watch, we will be highlighting some history of the former Associations and Departments that make up the new Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, Local 3888.

We begin this series with a look at the former Scarborough.

A History of the Scarborough Fire Department Scarborough is the area which now forms the eastern part of the City of Toronto, Ontario. It was a separate city for over 200 years but has been part of the ‘East District’ of Toronto since 1998.

THE BEGINNING ioneers of early Scarborough (population 3,821) realized that, without a carefully planned and trained fire fighting force, their township could be crippled or partially destroyed by fire.

Therefore, in the 1850’s, to assist in diminishing this danger; bucket brigades were organized and used to fight the fires. Volunteer brigades were established in 1922 to ensure a greater measure of improved fire fighting capability and the Borough undertook to erect a water tower and pumping station. Water mains and sewers were also laid, in addition to hydrants being located in populated districts.

The first volunteer fire brigades were established for each of the communities of Kitchener Park, Regent’s Park, Courcelette, Scarborough Junction, Oakridge, Birchcliff and Birchcliff Heights. The fire apparatus used by these energetic and enthusiastic brigades was a very simple piece of equip-

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ment—a two wheeled hand pulled cart complete with a hose reel. Attached to the long handle were buckets, axes and nozzles. The apparatus was housed in a small garage style fire station.

A FULL-TIME FIRE DEPARTMENT On November 2nd, 1925, the first full-time Fire Department was formed.

Fire and Police Chief W.F. Scott, Deputy Chief Tom Love and First Lieutenant William Bath attended the official opening of the new fire hall, still in use today, located at the corner of Birchmount Road and Highview Avenue. With the opening of this Fire Hall and the purchase of a 1925 Gotfredson fire truck, these three men were the beginning of our present day fire department.

Upon the death of Chief Scott on March 18, 1926, Deputy Chief Tom Love, who for many years gave his time and efforts with the Oakridge Volunteers was appointed Fire Chief and re-

mained in this position until his retirement in January 1956. Under Chief Love’s capable leadership, further advances were made to enhance the department’s fire fighting capabilities. The addition of four new men brought the permanent staff to seven and a second fire truck, a 1930 Rugby, was purchased on December 30, 1930. Aided by volunteers, this small department was effective in quenching many a blaze in the south west area of the township, but no effective protection was available for the rest of the township who were far beyond the reach of water mains and the Birchmount hall.

In 1943, the Canadian Government turned over to the Township, two used A.R.P. (portable) pumpers which were placed into service in the West Hill and Agincourt communities. As a result, these two communities formed their own volunteer Fire Brigades under the direction of Fire Chief, Tom Love.

In July of 1945, after a two year cam-

paign by the local Ratepayers Fire Committee—led by Mr. Carl Walker—the citizens of the West Hill and Highland Creek area voted to spend $10,000.00 to build and equip a new fire hall, which would be identified as Hall #2. Land was acquired on Morish Road, near Highland Creek, and Fire Hall #2 was completed in 1946.

A Volunteer Brigade of fifteen members was organized with Villiers Durnford as Chairman. For several years, the volunteers were valiant in subduing the occasional house or barn fire and using brooms to sweep out the many grass fires which swept over the many vacant lots and fields every spring.

In May 1955, the West Hill Highland Creek Volunteer Fire Brigade was terminated and Hall #2 was fully manned with permanent fire fighters.

During the Second World War, the General Electric Company built a huge munitions factory on Warden Avenue, in an area bordered by Birchmount Road, the south side of Eglinton Avenue, and Hymus Road. To protect the project, they maintained their own fire fighting force. In December 1951 when General Engineering closed the plant, Scarborough hired the fire fighters as part of their permanent staff.

The building boom, which developed after the war and caused water mains to be extended, made it possible to give better protection with full-time professional fire fighters and modern equipment. Fire Hall #3 was established at G.E. Co.; #4 Hall at Dorset and Kingston Roads; #5 Hall on Midland Avenue. in Agincourt; and #6 Hall at Birchmount and Ellesmere Roads. In 1960, the G.E. Co. Fire Hall was replaced with a new #3 Hall on Warden Ave. A seventh station was opened on Markham Road, near the old

village of Woburn site, which happened to be the geographical center of the township. This modern building would function as headquarters. In 1963, Fire Hall #8 was opened on Midland Avenue, north of Lawrence Ave. This would see the Department grow to 204 fire fighters with all the modern fire fighting equipment, resuscitation and vehicles that could be had.

Fire Prevention initiatives were carried out by uniformed personnel who would bring possible hazards to the attention of home owners. As well, prevention was conducted amongst schools,

ferent Fire Chiefs; Thomas Love, 19251956; George Collins, 1956-1968; Dave Forgie, 1968-1976, William Wreatham, 1976-1987 and Thomas Powell 19871998.

Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, through the showing of films and fire hall tours.

Scarborough continued to see rapid growth and evolved from a Township to a Borough to a City. By 1998, it had a population of 550,000, over an area of some 72 square miles. There were 478 full-time paid professional fire service employees located in 15 Fire Halls.

This growth was seen under five dif-

New Brunswick where he was the Fire Chief. He remained as Chief until January 1, 1998 when the Provincial Government, through legislation, forced an Amalgamation of the six Municipalities which comprised Metropolitan Toronto.

Today, the six amalgamated municipalities (East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Toronto and York) make up the new City of Toronto.

THE FINAL CHANGING OF THE GUARD When Chief Wreatham retired, the City conducted a search for his replacement and hired Fire Chief Thomas Powell. Chief Powell came to the Scarborough Fire Department from Fredricton,

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 35

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

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

Thank You for supporting our advertisers!

36

Scarborough ... Continued from page 33

IAFF LOCAL 626 MAY 8, 1939 to OCTOBER 31, 1998

O

n May 8 1939, the township of Scarborough’s 7 full time fire fighters, Thomas Love, George Collins, William Crates, Gordon Ranson, James Bernard, Fredrick Rate and John Wormington were granted a Charter under the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the Scarborough Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 626 was born.

As Scarborough grew so did the Fire Department from those first seven to a high at one time of 504. By 1998 the Scarborough Professional Fire Fighters Association represented 487 full time paid professional fire fighters, fire prevention officers, and technicians in the City of Scarborough. The City had a population of 550,000 and was approximately 72 sq. miles in size.

This growth saw the Association with 9 executive officers which included the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Locals Executive Board worked hard at representing the 487 full time paid professional fire service employees. In 1988 the Association moved into a permanent office located at 695 Markham Rd. in Scarborough.

When the Association received it’s Charter in 1939, Thomas Love not only became the first President but was also fire chief, in checking past records and talking to many of our retired brothers, it’s believed he was president for about 5 years. Other past presidents include Harry Tredway 1952-1954, Earl Strong

1956-1958, Bud Wallace 1959-1960, William MacFarlane 1961-1970, Ron Merriman 1971-1972 & 1979, Ted Barnes 1973-1978, and Barry Papaleo 1979 until 1998. After 59 years the Scarborough Professional Fire Fighters Association office closed October 31, 1998 AFFILIATION The Scarborough Fire Fighters were affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters: the Provincial Federation of Ontario Fire Fighters (PFOFF); the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress.

In October 1997 the Provincial Federation of Ontario Fire Fighters (PFOFF) and the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) merged after having been separate for about 15 years.

The Scarborough Fire fighters were proud to be a part of the new Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. The OPFFA represents approximately 9,000 Professional Fire Fighters across the Province of Ontario.

IAFF Locals—Toronto 113, York 411, East York 418, Scarborough 626, North York 752, and Etobicoke 1137. This merger was the result of the forced amalgamation of the former cities by the Provincial Government. The Scarborough Professional Fire Fighters’ Association were proud to be a part of this new beginning, as a united group, the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association will forge ahead and prosper together.

The Local 626 logo was designed by fire fighter Moe Zabatiuk. Moe also designed the Scarborough Fire Department crest, which was chosen from a design competition put on by Chief Powell around 1988. Moe retired from fire fighting on June 30, 1992, with 29 years of service.

LOCAL 3888 IS FORMED On October 5, 1998 the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association—IAFF Local 3888 was established this was a result of a merger of the former six Metropolitan Toronto Fire Fighter

A short pull quote needs to go here.

A short pull quote goes here WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 37

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

By Laurence Binyon

LODD

Local

Rank

D.O.D.

Gary Wilson

Active

Toronto 3888

Captain

March 16 2007

John Chappelle

Active

Toronto 3888

Captain

Sept 5 2007

Don Booth

Retired

North York

Captain

Oct 14 2007

Local

Rank

D.O.D.

Retirees Donald Lane

Retired

York

FF

Jan 13, 2007

John Paul Travis

Retired

Toronto

Captain

Feb 3, 2007

Greg Facteau

Retired

Toronto

FF

Feb 13, 2007

Stan Dutka

Retired

Toronto

D.C.

March 9, 2007

John H. Barben

Retired

Toronto

Director of Training

March 8, 2007

Robert Bond

Retired

Etobicoke

FF

March 23, 2007

Ted Nelson

Retired

York

Training OfďŹ cer

April 4, 2007

Bruce Lee Brady

Retired

Toronto

James Wilson

38

April 29, 2007 D.C.

Veith Neilson

Retired

Toronto

April 19, 2007

Ralph Cook

Retired

Scarborough

Deputy Chief

May 7, 2007

Ron Adams

Retired

Etobicoke

FF

May 3, 2007

William Thomas Sproule

Retired

Toronto

Assistant Deputy Chief

May 19, 2007

Donald Barrett

Retired

D.C.

July 14, 2007

Paul Fregeau

Retired

Toronto

D.C.

July 17, 2007

Moe Garland

Retired

Toronto

Captain

July 24, 2007

Jim Montgomery

Retired

York

Captain

August 5, 2007

David Mawhinney

Retired

Toronto

FF

Oct 17, 2007

Donald Brooks

Retired

Scarborough

D.C.

Oct 27, 2007

Garry Terrell

Retired

York

FF

Nov 7, 2007

Ron Bawtinheimer

Retired

North York

D.C.

Nov 11, 2007

Harry Stubbs

Retired

North York

D.C.

Nov 16, 2007

Roy Pollard

Retired

Toronto

FF

Nov 4, 2007

Keith Kiddell

Retired

Toronto/Etobicoke

Chaplain

Nov 15, 2007

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 39

BY MIKE STRAPKO, TFS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

T A brief

HISTORY of fire fighter TOY DRIVES 40

o today’s Toronto Fire Fighters’ Toy Drive likely goes back 150 years, before towns and villages joined expanding municipalities. Back then, fire halls also served as community centres.

When locals suffered a fire loss or were having trouble making ends meet, it was often at the fire hall where do-gooders met to initiate ways to help those who were down on their luck.

The fire fighter tradition of helping the needy during the holiday season took a giant leap forward when ‘Operation Christmas Tree’ was born in 1961. Santa greeted 1,200 disadvantaged children in 14 fire stations across the City of Toronto that year. It was a tremendous success, never to be forgotten by the youngsters, and a very rewarding day for fire fighters as well. It was their first venture of this kind on such a large scale.

Subsequently, Operation Christmas Tree grew in size and scope. It became a registered Canadian charity in 1963 by founding members Herb Penfound, Bill

Borthwick and John Trotter as part of the Toronto Fire Fighters War Veterans’ Association.

In 1964, Operation Christmas Tree, Inc. was another huge success with more than 3,500 underprivileged children receiving gifts and entertainment in Toronto, York Township, East York and Scarborough. These children enjoyed Christmas parties in 29 different fire stations. Within four years, this grassroots initiative had already brought hope and joy to 12,000 less fortunate children.

Operation Christmas Tree continues today, managing the Toronto Fire Fighters’ Toy Drive Around 1980, the North York Professional Fire Fighters’ Association was approached by CFTR and McDonald’s to launch the ‘Gift of Christmas’ program.

Irving Stone and John Campbell were founding members of this initiative and later Doug (Sarge) Sargent picked up the lead. Sarge held the reins of the Gift of Christmas which became the biggest toy

drive and eventually transformed into the ChumCity Christmas Wish.

York Fire Fighters were delivering Toronto Star boxes in the 1950’s. Etobicoke Fire Fighters hosted magic shows and gave gifts to children. Scarborough and East York Fire Fighters delivered gifts to hospitals, which has become an annual tradition with Local 3888, expanding to many hospitals across the City on Christmas Day. From a personal perspective, while working nights at Fire Station 26 (323) just before Christmas in 1994, my Captain, Dan McMurray, called all district 42 fire stations; 12 (324), 30 (326), 17 (227), and 26 (226) to ask how many toys they had in their food drive barrels. He then called some media, donned his red and white Santa hat and took the Bronto out to collect the toys from our district and deliver them to a couple of emergency shelters. After returning to our station, we watched it on the evening news.

The following holiday season, Dan called me at City Hall explaining that he had $3,000 in wrapped toys from a Local 113 charity haircutting stint, held on the Danforth, that he wanted to deliver to the Hospital for Sick Children. I suggest-

ed loading them on HAZ 1 and then I notified the media. Sick Kids accepted the gifts but were already overwhelmed. The next day, I helped a social worker distribute their overflow to many shelters and community centres downtown. It was an eye-opening experience to see the amount of need. Thus, in 1996, the Toronto Fire Fighters’ Toy drive was launched where we collected toys in fire halls.

On December 23, 1997, Al Harris responded with Air Supply to a High Park home on Grenadier Rd. and tactfully asked Communications to radio Box 12 to respond to the fire, since children lost everything in the blaze. At the time, Marla Friebe, her sons and I were out picking up toys in Box 12 from fire stations and were at a media event on Coxwell Avenue where we were accepting a significant donation from a store. Box 12 was filled with gifts and I told the media that we were responding to a fire to deliver toys. Upon arriving at the fire scene, fire fighters grabbed loads of gifts to give to the children. It made headline news, “Family loses everything in blaze,

but firefighters’ save boys’ Christmas.”

This incident set the precedent for the toy drive and the Association to help victims after a fire and other tragedies ever since.

When amalgamation came in 1998, the key players from the various holiday season charitable initiatives formed under the umbrella of Operation Christmas Tree with Jeff Penfound taking over from his dad and Sarge still spearheading the toy drive. Each year, the logistics are challenging to secure donated warehouse space and cargo trucks, but that is insignificant when you consider that during the past half-century or more, fire fighters have provided hundreds of thousands of gifts, worth millions of dollars, to children who are underprivileged by no fault of their own.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 41

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT REVIEW Article 13 – Designated Holidays THE RECENT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) CONTAINED CHANGES TO ARTICLE 13, DESIGNATED HOLIDAYS. THESE CHANGES APPLY TO FIRE SUPPRESSION AND COMMUNICATIONS STAFF THAT ARE REQUIRED TO WORK ON THESE DAYS. There are eleven designated holidays.

The terms of the changes apply to all of these days except Remembrance Day. The simplest way to understand the changes is to recognize that each of these ten days constitutes a 24 hour period. Rather than generate pay at your regular rate of pay, each of these days generates 24 hours of pay at 1.3 times your normal rate of pay.

In the negotiation of this article, it was recognized that the impact of these days applies to platoons in a way that is not necessarily reflected in who is actually working on the designated holiday.

Therefore, the payment of time at the 1.3 times your regular rate of pay is applied to the platoons impacted over the course of the designate holiday. This is done in a prescribed manner that is set out below and in all cases, 24 hours are paid at the extra rate for each and every day. The prescribed manner is different for suppression (on the 24 hour shift schedule) than it is for communications (on the day/night schedule).

Employees who are off on unscheduled absence on their scheduled shift immediately prior to the shift generating the 1.3 rate will be paid at their normal rate of pay. For purposes of this article unscheduled absence includes, sickness, ill dependent leave, WSIB and bereavement leave.

42

For the Suppression Division, the hours generated by the designated holiday will be applied to the platoons working as follows:

For Communications Staff, the hours generated by the designated holiday will be applied to the platoons working as follows:

NEW YEARS DAY

NEW YEARS DAY

December 31st – 12 hours; January 1st – 12 hours

December 31st night shift – 12 hours; January 1st day shift – 6 hours, night shift – 6 hours

GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER MONDAY Thursday – 6 hours; Friday – 12 hours; Saturday – 6 hours; Sunday – 12 hours, Monday – 12 hours Victoria Day/Civic Holiday/Labour Day/ Thanksgiving Day: Friday – 6 hours; Saturday – 6 hours, Sunday – 6 hours; Monday – 6 hours

GOOD FRIDAY/EASTER MONDAY

CANADA DAY

VICTORIA DAY/CIVIC HOLIDAY/ LABOUR DAY/THANKSGIVING DAY

• When the holiday falls or is designated on a Monday—see “Victoria Day/Civic Holiday/Labour Day/Thanksgiving Day” • When the holiday falls on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; June 30th – 7 hours; July 1st – 17 hours • When the holiday falls on Friday: Friday – 12 hours; Saturday – 6 hours; Sunday – 6 hours

CHRISTMAS DAY/BOXING DAY Christmas Eve – 7 hours; Christmas Day – 24 hours; Boxing Day – 17 hours

Thursday night shift – 6 hours; Friday day shift - 6 hours, night shift – 6 hours; Saturday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours; Sunday day shift – 6 hours, night shift – 6 hours; Monday day shift – 6 hours, night shift – 6 hours

Friday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours; Saturday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours, Sunday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours; Monday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours

CANADA DAY • When the holiday falls or is designated on a Monday – see “Victoria Day/Civic Holiday/Labour Day/Thanksgiving Day” • When the holiday falls on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: June 30th night shift – 7 hours, July 1st day shift – 10

hours, night shift – 7 hours • When the holiday falls on Friday: Friday day shift – 6 hours, night shift – 6 hours; Saturday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours, Sunday day shift – 3 hours, night shift – 3 hours

CHRISTMAS DAY/BOXING DAY Christmas Eve night shift – 7 hours; Christmas day shift – 10 hours, night shift – 14 hours; Boxing Day day shift – 10 hours, night shift – 7 hours.

This article becomes effective on January 1, 2008. Therefore it will apply to the employees working on December 31, 2007 that meet the criteria to receive hours at the new rate.

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WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 43

MISSION: We will be the leading charity for young people of all abilities and their families. We remain committed to improving their quality of life and integration into society.

“The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has a long list of charities that we support. On occasion, we will profile one of these charities in order to give the membership a better understanding of what the charity does and why it is that we support them. With the recent completion of the Children’s Christmas party, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight the work of Variety The Children’s Charity.”

Variety International t began simply, as many stories do, and has become a source of inspiration and education for charitable men and women around the globe. On October 10, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, eleven young men affiliated with show business met at the William Penn Hotel to form a social club. The gentlemen decided to name their group “The Variety Club” because they represented all the facets of this business. The men of the Variety Club helped their friends in show business and made contributions to many different civic organizations. After a year, the Variety Club hosted its first banquet on November 11, 1928, “under the big top” in the grand ballroom of the Will Penn Hotel complete with circus acts, sideshows, popcorn and cotton candy.

The insignia for the affair was a mustached “barker” wearing a high silk hat.

This enormously successful event was the beginning of Variety’s circus tradition: the Barker was the Club’s officiallogo, the Club was called a “Tent,” its members were “Barkers” or “the Crew,” the president, the “Chief Barker,” the treasurer, “Dough Boy” and the secretary, “Property Master.” Variety’s focus

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on helping children began on Christmas Eve 1928, when the manager of the Sheridan Square Theatre in Pittsburgh found an infant abandoned in the theatre with a note saying: “Please take care of my baby. Her name is Catherine. I can no longer take care of her. I have eight others. My husband is out of work. She was born on Thanksgiving Day. I have always heard of the goodness of show business people and I pray to God that you will look out for her.”

Taking Care of Catherine A thorough search by the police with the help of the local media found no trace of the mother, so the Variety Club members agreed to act as her godfathers and underwrite her support and education. In honor of the Variety Club and the Sheridan Theatre, the baby was named “Catherine Variety Sheridan.” After five years they came to the conclusion that Catherine should have a permanent home with loving parents. After considering over 300 applications for adoption, Catherine was given to a couple living away from the Pittsburgh area, and her anonymity was preserved throughout the years.

The publicity from her story, which was front-page news across the United

States, motivated other men in show business to help the needy children in their communities and was responsible for the development of this small group into a multi-national children’s charity with 52 chapters in 14 countries around the world. Today, Variety International is actively providing assistance to countless children of all ages regardless of race, creed or colour in Australia, Barbados, Canada, Channel Islands, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. With over 14,000 members and volunteers, Variety International has raised over US$ 1.5 billion to benefit children.

Variety Comes to Ontario Here in Ontario, the Variety Club, Tent 28, Toronto, came into being through the energetic enthusiasm of an American, the late John J. Fitzgibbons, who came to Canada as president of Famous Players Theatres. He brought the inspiring Variety story and, along with it, the strong sense of personal values for which it stood. Ten men joined him to form an initial Toronto eleven similar to the Pittsburgh group. Their names: W.P. Covert, L.M. Delaney, B. Freedman,

O.R. Hanson, G. Lightstone, H.L. Nathanson, P.L. Nathanson, B.D. Okun, E. Rawley, and N.A. Taylor. Swift recognition of their fledging activities came when they received a charter from the Variety Clubs of America, recognizing an organizational date of July 11, 1945.

This was followed by official sanctioning on September 5, 1945.

Back in 1948 in Toronto, Canada’s only Variety Club at that time undertook, among its many works, the building, equipping and maintenance of a vocational guidance and training school and residence for youth. It was a project designed to provide an open door to a new life and more abundant opportunities for boys with physical disabilities between 16 and 18 years of age. Naturally, along with Variety, there were other valued participants involved in launching and making this dream a reality. The Ontario Society for Crippled Children and the Provincial and Federal governments both gave with expertise, land and grants. As a result, in December of 1948 the cornerstone was laid on land donated by the province of Ontario by Premier George Drew. In the fall of 1949, Variety Village opened its doors, situated in Scarborough, near the junction of Kinston Road

and Danforth Avenue, on a site of high land on the rim of a valley overlooking Lake Ontario.

With the co-operation of field nurses from the Ontario Society for Crippled Children, the students were chosen from applications received from all over the province. Each student was selected on the basis of being considered most capable of benefiting from the courses. To look after the initial 40 students the school required a staff of fifteen people including a school principal, two trade instructors, a commercial teacher, an academic teacher, a matron, two house mothers, a recreation director, a caretaker, a secretary, a bookkeeper, a cook and an assistant cook and a kitchen maid.

The training school began with three main areas of endeavor: shop, watchmaking, and the commercial departments. The shop courses included mechanical drafting, heating and air conditioning designing, blue-printing, electric and oxy-acetylene welding, sheet metal work, small electric appliance repair, and other related work. The watchmaking course was as its name implies.

The commercial course offered specialization in office training, typing, bookkeeping, handling of business machines

ties, noted international and Canadian men and women, and members of royalty were constant assurance to the students of the importance of their journey toward their goal of graduation.

Over the years, hundreds of young people graduated from Variety Village and proudly set forth to become valued and leading citizens in their communities. Their pride and satisfaction was matched only by the dedicated staff and volunteers at Variety Village, and the Variety Club Executive, Crew and members who had watched the school grow.

But as time passed, the need for such a vocational school was to diminish as provincial health care came into being and inclusion and integration became more important. So the format of Variety Village needed to change and new projects became the focus of the club’s activities in the late 1970s.

In 1978 the Variety Club of Ontario accepted the unique challenge of creating a centre where “every youngster would have the opportunity to be physically fit and the chance to participate in competitive sports.” In 1981, Variety Village, a world class indoor sports facility, opened its doors. Since then, athletes, instructors and coaches have focused on devel-

“Every youngster would have the opportunity to be physically fit and the chance to participate in competitive sports.” and other related subjects.

Hobbies too played a major role in the student’s life at the Village, with photography, leather crafting, etching, plastic crafting and stamp collecting high on the list of leisure-time favourites. Recreation needs were filled with arts, physical education, swimming, and target practise at the local police rifle range. Right from the start, frequent visits from show business and sports celebri-

oping skills, strategies and attitudes that reflect a competitive spirit.

Right from the start, there was adapted physical education, swim classes, track and field, archery, fencing, basketball, and a three-tiered Children in Motion activity program. Over the years, other sports such as rhythmic gymnastics, sledge hockey, synchronized swimming, kayaking, rock wall climbing and tae kwon do were added to the extensive list of programs offered at the Village.

Variety Village also became a strong supporter of reverse integration. It is one of the few facilities where fathers, WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 45

Congratulations The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters

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An entire school will get a chance to try specialized equipment, feel a braille book, use a sports wheelchair and learn a little about communicating with a person who is deaf. mothers, siblings and friends who are able-bodied can borrow a wheelchair and get involved in a game of wheelchair basketball. There are also the many Outreach activities that promote access, diversity in ability and inclusive environments. An entire school will get a chance to try specialized equipment, feel a braille book, use a sports wheelchair and learn a little about communicating with a person who is deaf.

Variety Facts • Today, Variety—The Children’s Charity, known as the “Heart of Show Business,” has grown into a multi-million dollar philanthropic organization that spans the globe in 14 countries with 52 chapters (known in the Variety ranks as “Tents”).

• The facility, as it remains today, contains a 76,000-square-foot Fieldhouse.

• Three indoor pools for lessons, swimming, family swim and competitive swimming; • A 200-metre indoor track; • Three full-sized basketball courts; • A rock climbing wall; • A 3,000-square-foot conditioning and weight area with the latest weight, circuit training and cardio equipment • Today, with six acres of accessible indoor facilities, Variety Village remains the largest sports training and fitness complex for children with special needs in North America.

• 50 full-time and 70 part-time staff at the Village serve more than 3,000 children and their families per week.

• An Adapted Physical Education program was created to support and encourage children with special needs to par-

ticipate in sports and recreational activities. Hundreds of children with varied abilities now participate each week from Boards of Education in the Greater Toronto Area and the Metro Toronto community at large and get a chance to be physically active.

• To ensure that Variety’s message is heard outside the Village, a successful Outreach program is in place. Variety Village staff goes to the communities and demonstrates to children and their parents, care-givers and teachers the importance of integration in sport and recreational activities.

• Each year over 6,000 people and 250 groups participate in one of our 2-hour Outreach workshops, either at Variety Village or at their school, university campus, or place of work.

• Every summer, Summer Camps cater to 400 to 500 children. They give children and youth of all abilities, with an interest in recreational sports, the opportunity to become involved in physical activity. All camps promote integration and encourage inclusive activities.

• Student on exchange programs and groups from all over the country and overseas come to participate in sporting events, camps, the Village’s unique programs, and other specialized activities.

there is always a way—it simply takes imagination and determination.

• Variety Village is a place where the challenges that set the disabled apart in an able-bodied world can be forgotten.

Variety has created an environment that is supportive, positive and welcoming, an environment that is inclusive and celebrates diversity.

• Variety Village is the only facility in Ontario, and one of only a handful worldwide, where all ability levels are integrated.

• It’s the Village’s mandate that all programs and services are integrated and open to all abilities. All members, both with special needs and able-bodied, fully support this and wouldn’t want it any other way. They understand that integration is vital to create the right and supportive environment young children need to develop confidence and leadership skills.

The Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association has and will continue to support Variety the Children’s Charity.

To date we have financially contributed $134,125. We have also provided many volunteers for Variety’s various events throughout the years and we provide material and planning for the Village’s Community Christmas Party.

Reasons to support Variety • Variety is changing lives. Variety Village allows children to see that they have the ability to do things they thought they could never do. By seeking solutions, rather than focusing on problems, Variety sends children a strong message:

Thank You for supporting our advertisers!

FALL 2007 | FIRE WATCH 47

HOW

WATER

WORKS

BY SHANNA FREEMAN, RE-PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM WWW.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

INTRODUCTION TO HOW WATER WORKS n its purest form, it’s odorless, nearly colourless and tasteless. It’s in your body, the food you eat and the beverages you drink. You use it to clean yourself, your clothes, your dishes, your car and everything else around you. You can travel on it or jump in it to cool off on hot summer days. Many of the products that you use every day contain it or were manufactured using it. All forms of life need it, and if they don’t get enough of it, they die. Political disputes have centered around it. In some places, it’s treasured and incredibly difficult to get. In others, it’s incredibly easy to get and then squandered. What substance is more necessary to our existence than any other? Water.

At its most basic, water is a molecule with one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, bonded together by shared electrons. It is a V-shaped polar molecule, which means that it’s charged positively near the hydrogen atoms and negatively near the oxygen atom. Water molecules are naturally attracted and stick to each other because of this polarity, forming a

I

48

hydrogen bond. This hydrogen bond is the reason behind many of water’s special properties, such as the fact that it’s denser in its liquid state than in its solid state (ice floats on water).

Water is the only substance that occurs naturally as a solid (ice), a liquid and a gas (water vapor). It covers about 70 percent of the Earth for a total of approximately 332.5 million cubic miles (1,386 million cubic kilometers) [source: U.S. Geological Survey]. If you’re familiar with the lines “Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink” from the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” you’ll understand that most of this water—97 percent of it—is undrinkable because it’s saltwater.

Only 3 percent of the world’s water supply is freshwater, and 77 percent of that is frozen. Of the 23 percent that is not frozen, only a half a percent is available to supply every plant, animal and person on Earth with all the water they need to survive [source: National Geographic].

So water is pretty simple, right? Actually, there are a lot of things about it that scientists still don’t fully understand.

And the problem of making sure that

enough clean, drinkable water is available to everyone and everything that needs it is anything but simple. In this article, we’ll look at some of these problems. We’ll also explore exactly what people do with water and learn more about what makes water so special.

THE WORLD’S WATER SUPPLY There’s often discussion in the news of the world’s dwindling water supply, but this isn’t entirely accurate. The amount of water isn’t diminishing, but the demand for it is steadily increasing. Some scientists believe that the world’s population, currently at 6 billion, will double by 2050 [source: Cossi]. In addition, the amount of water that is clean and drinkable is steadily decreasing because of pollution.

For many people in industrialized countries, getting water is as easy as turning on a faucet, and it’s rather inexpensive. But freshwater isn’t evenly distributed throughout the world. More than half of the world’s water supply is contained in just nine countries: the United States, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, India, China and Indonesia [source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development]. Urban areas, obviously,

have a greater need for water beyond the basics for drinking and sanitation. But overpopulation in undeveloped countries means that many people don’t even get the basics.

Most of the world’s freshwater—about 2.4 million cubic miles (10 million cubic kilometers) of it—is contained in underground aquifers. The rest comes from: • Rainfall (after accounting for evaporation): 28,500 cubic miles (119,000 cubic kilometers) • Man-made reservoirs: 1,200 cubic miles (5,000 cubic km) • Lakes: 21,830 cubic miles (91,000 cubic km) • Rivers: 509 cubic miles (2,120 cubic km) [source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development] Water distribution has everything to do with political boundaries, economic development and wealth. In Mexico City, for example, 9 percent of the population uses 75 percent of the available water, and a crumbling infrastructure means that up to half of the water supply is lost through pipe leaks and evaporation [source: Cossi].

Some countries don’t have enough clean water for their rapidly growing populations, and they can’t afford the infrastructure necessary to clean and transport it. For example, most people in China’s cities suffer from water shortages, and most of China’s groundwater, lakes and rivers are polluted. About 700 million Chinese people have access only to drinking water that does not meet standards set by the World Health Organization [source: WHO].

Countries in the Middle East use the least amount of water per person because there are so few natural sources of freshwater. In contrast, the usage of water is higher in the United States than in any other country, with around 60,000 cubic feet (1,700 cubic meters) of water used per person in 2002 [source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development]. But even within the United States, there are some states and regions

that don’t contain enough water to supply their populations. Coastal regions of Florida have so much saltwater that they must have freshwater piped in from inland areas, which has led to political disputes over control of the water supply.

WATER REGULATION In many areas, water is regulated and distributed by governments. In the United States, it’s regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, government control isn’t always in the best interests of all people. In the 1930s, to irrigate cotton fields, the Soviet government created canals to divert the rivers that fed the Aral Sea (located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). As a result, the surface area of the sea has shrunk by more than 50 percent and its volume by 80 percent over the past 50 years [source: Swanson].

Its salinity increased and it became polluted with pesticides, fertilizer runoff and industrial waste. The loss of the sea meant the decline of the commercial fishing industry, which helped to send the region into poverty. The pollutants from the exposed seabed have been found in the blood of Antarctic penguins [source: Swanson].

Some regions have privatized their water distribution, which has often led to conflict. In the late 1980s, the United Kingdom sold its water boards (governmental water-supply organizations) to private companies, which improved the infrastructure. Many people were outraged that companies could profit off such a basic need, especially when people who could not pay their bills suffered harsh penalties. The problem was later remedied with legislation.

In 2000 and 2005, demonstrators took to the streets in Bolivia to protest the privatization of the water supply. When foreign companies took over Bolivia’s water system, the cost of water became too expensive for the poor. In the city of El Alto, “the cost of getting a water and sewage hook-up exceeded a half-year’s income at the minimum wage” [source: Shultz]. The 2000 revolt, called the “Bolivian Water Wars,” led to martial law

WATER SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES • If your water becomes contaminated and you don’t have bottled water, you can purify it in a few different ways. If it is cloudy, first filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle and then pour off the clear water. Then, you can boil the water for one minute to kill most disease-causing organisms.

• You can also add one-eighth of a teaspoon of household chlorine bleach per gallon of water (or follow directions on the label). You should double the amount if the water is discolored or murky. Stir and let it stand for 30 minutes. Chlorine bleach tablets are sold at camping supply stores to purify water for drinking. You can also use five drops of iodine per gallon to disinfect water.

• Store boiled or disinfected water in clean, covered containers. If the boiled water tastes too flat or the chlorine taste is too strong, pour it from one container into another.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 49

Nexus Holidays Toronto Inc. 416.222.8989

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and 100 injuries. After both incidents, the Bolivian government cancelled the private company contracts.

Currently, more than a billion people, about 17 percent of the world’s population, don’t have access to clean water [source: World Health Organization]. There are several governmental and nongovernmental organizations, including UNICEF and Water Aid, working to help poor communities in Asia and Africa obtain sustainable supplies of drinking water and sanitation facilities. Water shortages happen in the United States, too —many states have programs to assist the disadvantaged with obtaining enough water and paying their water and sewer bills.

Obviously, lack of water is a big problem. But why is that, exactly? In the next section, we’ll look at the part that water plays in the human body.

HUMAN WATER CONSUMPTION Our bodies are about 60 percent water [source: Mayo Clinic]. Water regulates our body temperature, moves nutrients through our cells, keeps our mucous membranes moist and flushes waste from our bodies. Our lungs are 90 percent water, our brains are 70 percent water and our blood is more than 80 percent water.

Simply put, we can’t function without it.

Most people sweat out about two cups of water per day (0.5 liters). Each day, we also lose a little more than a cup of water (237 ml) when we exhale it, and we eliminate about six cups (1.4 l) of it. We also lose electrolytes—minerals like sodium and potassium that regulate the body’s fluids. So how do we replace it?

We can get about 20 percent of the water we need through the food we eat.

Some foods, like watermelon, are nearly 100 percent water. Although the amount of water that we need each day varies, it’s usually about eight cups (2 l). But instead of worrying about getting in those eight cups, you should just drink when you start to feel thirsty. You can get your water by drinking other beverages—but some beverages, like alcohol, can make you more dehydrated.

HOW WATER WORKS

Carries nutrients & oxygen to cells

Dehydration caused by diarrhea is a major cause of death in undeveloped countries. Nearly 2 million people, mostly children, die from it each year [source: WHO]. Consuming water polluted with biological contaminants and not having access to adequate sanitary facilities can lead to diseases like malaria and cholera and parasites like cryptosporidiosis and schistosomiasis. Water can also be contaminated with chemicals, pesticides and other naturally occurring substances.

WATER PURIFICATION Water that is safe to drink is called potable water, or drinking water, in contrast to safe water, which can be used for bathing or cleaning. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency sets maximum levels for the 90 most commonly occurring contaminants. If something happens to your water supply, your supplier has to contact you to let you know what precautions you should take.

If your urine is dark yellow, you might not be drinking enough water. Of course, you need more water when you’re exercising; ill with diarrhea, vomiting or fever; or in a hot environment for a long time. Most people can survive only a few days without water, although it depends on a number of factors, including their health and environment. Some have gone as long as two weeks. Followers of a Buddhist boy meditating in Nepal claim that he has gone two years without food or water, but doctors have not been able to substantiate this [source: All Headline News].

When you don’t get enough water, or lose too much water, you become dehydrated. Signs of mild dehydration include dry mouth, excessive thirst, dizziness, lightheadedness and weakness. If people don’t get fluids at this point, they can experience severe dehydration, which can cause convulsions, rapid breathing, a weak pulse, loose skin and sunken eyes. Ultimately, dehydration can lead to heart failure and death.

WATER TREATMENT REQUIRES SIX BASIC STEPS • In coagulation, coagulants like lime and alum are added to the water, which causes particulates to clump together.

• Next, the water is shaken into larger clumps, called flocs.

• The sedimentation process requires that the water stand for 24 hours, which allows the clumps to settle to the bottom.

• The water is then filtered, disinfected (usually with chlorine) and aerated.

• Aeration helps to remove certain contaminants like radon.

Moistens tissues for mouth, eyes & ears

Regulates body temperature

Lubricates joints

Protects body organs & tissues Helps prevent constipation

Helps dissolve minerals & other nutrients to make them accessible to the body

Reduces burden on kidneys & liver by flushing out waste

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 51

3888 RECENT HAPPENINGS

Frank Ramagnano and Kevin Ashfield are accompanied by Councillor Shelley Carroll on October 15th as they present Enid Stewart with a cheque for $500.00 after suffering a devastating fire at her home in North Command.

Crews from District 31 & 34 “B”, along with Haz 332 and Pump 332, raised $6504.41 in approximately 2 hours of canvassing during the MD Boot Drive, held on October 12th.

52

President Scott Marks presents IAFF Media Awards to freelance photographer, John Hanley, CFRB Reporter, Bob Komsic and Tracy Moore and the CITY-TV Team for their winning entries into the 2007 competition.

Jim Morache, John Tuffner, Kevin Ashfield and Scott Eyers present Ken Thompson (wearing kilt) and Rick Mills (far right), both MD Regional Directors, with a cheque for $30,000.

This money was raised by Toronto Fire Fighters during three separate boot drives held in 2007.

Members of the Local 3888 Executive and TFS Management attend the annual Toronto Fire Fighters Media Trivia Challenge, held at the roundhouse in Toronto on November 20th. (l to r) Mike Chan, Jamie Flaherty, Mike Walker, Steve Lummiss, Tony Bellavance, Scott Edwards (in chair), Mike Harper, Jim May and Gord Connery from Station 114 “A”, pose after participating in the Toronto Wheelchair Relay Challenge to support the Canadian Paraplegic Association of Ontario on September 16th.

Toronto Fire recruit graduates present a fundraising cheque, made out to Camp Bucko, for $8000.00 to Retired Toronto Fire Fighter and Camp Bucko Volunteer and Advocate, Dan McMurray.

Toronto Fire Fighters Ron Malcom, Kevin Sebastian, Carlos Gonzales, Chris Bemis and John Martin placed second in the Toronto Marathon Relay held on October 14th. (Missing from the photo are team members Mark McGee and John Dooreleyers.)

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 53

54

Fit to SURVIVE

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

Foods for a Healthier Heart Heart disease is the number-one killer for fire fighters and the second leading cause of death in North America. A healthy lifestyle and heart health go hand-in-hand. You can lower your risk of heart disease by eating right and maintaining a healthy weight.

FOODS TO FILL YOUR PLATE What you eat is very important for heart health.

A good diet really makes a difference.

Pile your plate with fruits and vegetables.

They have more vitamins, minerals and health-enhancing compounds like antioxidants than any other food group. In fact, nutrition and heart health expert Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University says, “We are at the tip of the iceberg in terms of identifying all of these bioactive compounds and how they work.”

Whole grains are another winner. They are low in calories and fat and a great source of complex carbohydrates, the primary fuel for our bodies. Research shows eating three servings of this powerful food each day can lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Some examples of whole grains are whole wheat, barley, brown rice, oats and corn (including popcorn).

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are all rich in fiber. Studies have shown that fiber lowers cholesterol. It also makes you feel full, which can help in controlling your weight. You should aim to eat 25 to 38 grams of fiber each day, depending on your age and your sex.

Experts recommend eating at least two servings of baked or grilled fish each week because it’s high in

heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Good, fresh fish to consider are salmon, mackerel, flounder, tuna and halibut.

FOODS TO WATCH Keep tabs on your fat intake. Saturated fat is the main food culprit for high cholesterol. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Saturated fats are mostly found in marbled meats like steak, poultry with skin and dairy products like butter, cheese and ice cream.

At the same time, studies show that unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats, defend against heart disease, winning them the nickname “good” fats. Unsaturated fats are found in nuts, olives, avocados and canola and olive oils. A low-fat diet rich in good fats may increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood while keeping your total cholesterol low.

STAYING TRIM Losing excess weight is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease. Extra weight puts more strain on your heart. It can raise your blood pressure and contribute to high cholesterol, two conditions that can predispose you to heart disease.

A lot of fire fighters say they put on more weight as they put in more time on the job.

Changing your eating habits can help you win the battle of the bulge.

For example, the empty calories in certain beverages and snack foods can really add up. Satisfy your snack attacks with low-calorie, nutritious fruit instead of chips and other nibbles and drink iced tea or water in place of soda.

Yule Log This holiday favourite got a nutrition facelift from Executive Chef Bonnie Moore. She was able to cut the calories by more than half and slashed over 80 percent of the fat with the following Makeover Techniques:

• Flavour the sponge cake with almond extract instead of butter.

• Use raspberry jam thinned with Cassis (a liqueur) or water instead of pastry cream for the filling.

• Replace the buttercream (made with eggs, butter and sugar) with chocolate glaze (made with chocolate and skim milk).

Befo

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Sponge Cake with Butter Rum Syrup Pastry Cream Filling Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Calories: 917 Fat: 43 g Saturated Fat: 31 g Cholesterol: 435 mg

Aer

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Almond Sponge Cake Rum Syrup Raspberry Jam with Cassis Chocolate Glaze Calories: 389 Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 6 g Cholesterol: 81 mg

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 55

BEYOND THE TECHNICAL Quality in Emergency Medical Response

BY SUSAN BRAEDLEY, MSW PHD (ABD)

E

mergency medical calls have been the largest category of fire service responses for many years. Their dominance is growing; not only at Toronto Fire Services but for fire services across Canada and the United States as well, whether or not fire services have gone to a fire-based emergency medical services model. However, many fire fighters express frustration with this part of their work.

First of all, many calls are obviously not emergencies, in the usual understanding of that term. Second, many fire fighters feel they aren’t doing anything effective on these calls. Third, when fire fighters do provide emergency first aid, they sometimes find their work un-done and re-done by paramedics, making fire fighters question why they were needed in the first place. As a researcher in health care and public services work who has been examining fire fighting at Toronto Fire Services, I have another perspective.

Over the past seven months, I have completed interviews and work observation at 11 halls; interviewed 37 fire fighters and spoken with several union officials. The generosity and good natured participation of these fire fighters has been outstanding! This article reflects some preliminary findings from this research.

Fire fighters can and do make major contributions to public safety and health care on these calls. In this article, I briefly describe these contributions, as observed in my research. Further, I will suggest a few reasons why this contribution is difficult for fire fighters to acknowledge. Finally, I will argue that emergency medical calls need service benchmarks that take the “human” dimension into account. These benchmarks 56

could provide important information for fire fighters, other workers in the public sector, and for the general public.

HUMAN SERVICES CONTRIBUTIONS Fire fighters make important contributions to public health care, safetyw and well-being, while creating and maintaining their position of public trust. Yet, these aspects of the job are incredibly challenging to measure. Here are some of these contributions, which I call “human services.”

Being there

When fire fighters arrive at a medical call within minutes, patients and those who are worried about them experience relief. A trusted public service has arrived and they are assured that they are no longer alone with their distress and worry.

Fire fighters enter with calm and organize the initial aspects of response through asking questions and making interventions as required. Nursing research has recognized that health care is not just about what you do for and to people; good health care requires professionals to listen, to acknowledge and attend to people when they are in distress.

Fire fighters need to recognize their contribution to this kind of health care.

Currently, this service aspect is measured through response times alone.

However, service is not solely about how fast you get there. Attitudinal research shows that fire fighting is the most trusted occupation. When a trusted public servant arrives to help, people calm down, take stock, get facts, and make decisions. This is a contribution to people’s well-being.

Treating the person, not just the problem

In work observation, I noted that Toronto fire fighters usually treat both patients, and concerned others as people first and

problems second. Fire fighters ask people their names, look at people’s faces and listen to them, taking in their level of distress. When workers treat people as problems to be solved, the people in distress get left out. They get treated as if they were cars that needed repair, rather than human beings who have opinions, wishes and abilities. Their distress then goes up because they do not feel understood.

Emotional distress complicates recovery from physical illness and injury. In my experience, fire fighters generally assist people by paying attention to them, not just their condition. Here is one of over fifty examples from my study, where fire fighters attended to a person rather than just the problem, in rapid fire fashion.

A crew moved a quadriplegic, diabetic man, in what appeared to be the early stages of kidney shutdown onto an ambulance gurney. One fire fighter did the talking, maintaining constant eye contact, getting the young man’s name, consulting him on the process, cuing him to each move, attending to his moans of pain, praising him at each painful step in the process. The other fire fighters moved in skillful concert, to ensure that the IV attachment remained secure. The young man responded by co-operating with the transfer well. He became more verbal and alert with the attention, and, because he was included in the orchestration of his move, he likely experienced less pain. The fire fighters allowed this man, who cannot walk or feed himself, some control. I wonder how often that happens for him?

The call was over in minutes. From my perspective, quality service delivery was provided in a way that not only improved the situation for this young man but likely improved the chances of successful medical treatment. This service quality dimension is difficult to measure quantitatively but it can be described qualitatively.

Ensuring dignity

In my work observations, I know that fire fighters attend to people when they are at their worst: sick, dirty, scared, drunk or high, lonely, anxious and angry. Fire fighters provide an important service when they respond to people with respect, and ensure that their dignity is maintained. I have often observed fire fighters help preserve dignity by making sure patients are appropriately clothed or covered. Fire fighters routinely remember to toss footwear and a coat onto the end of the ambulance gurney, so that a patient isn’t stranded at a hospital or detox centre without outerwear.

Fire fighters do basic clean-up, so that the worst of the dirt and mess are removed. These small gestures make big differences to those you serve. Again, these aspects are tough to measure.

Some fire fighters would say its only common sense and common decency.

However, we have all witnessed people in hospital who were inadequately covered in a public area. This difference goes unrecognized by occupations that focus on cure instead of care.

“The regulars”

Repeatedly, I have observed and heard about the phenomenon of the “regular”: a community member to whom a hall responds routinely. Frequently these people have complex health and social problems. Their calls are related to longstanding and potentially life-threatening chronic difficulties. The increase in these kinds of calls has been noted by many of the fire fighters I have interviewed.

Often, fire fighters have expressed a lot of frustration about these calls. I don’t blame them. Here, fire fighters seem to be picking up the slack for services that have been down-sized or re-structured, leaving big service gaps behind. Yet, fire services are not designed to meet these people’s complex needs. These calls don’t look any different than other calls in current statistical data collection. However,

this information has the potential to make important contributions to discussions about social services and healthcare services provision in Toronto. Fire fighters can make an important contribution to public discussions about service cutbacks and public service job cuts.

When services are inadequate, the burden of care does not disappear, it just moves. Measuring these services is important, so that fire fighters’ current work with this population is made visible. Yet this measurement is, obviously, difficult.

Why this work may be hard to acknowledge

Fire fighters frequently discount or minimize these kinds of contributions in their work. Yet, I suggest that these contributions are extremely important to those whom you serve.

Why do fire fighters ignore these contributions? I suggest several reasons.

First, formal fire fighter training tends to be technical, rather than human service oriented. Fire fighters learn the skills necessary to human services provision through observing more experienced colleagues and through their human interaction skills learned off the job.

This means that workers tend to take these skills for granted, yet in every hall, workers could easily identify those coworkers who were highly skilled, semiskilled or unskilled in these capacities.

Further, fire fighters are not rewarded or recognized for this kind of work. Confronting danger in performing rescue work is considered heroic. From my perspective, dealing respectfully and firmly with a dirty, abusive and difficult individual who desperately needs medical attention but is uncooperative and violent takes a special determination, courage and high levels of interpersonal skills.

Sometimes, it seemed to me that fire fighters measure work contributions in relation to whether or not someone has risked their life. This leaves out a lot of the daily work!

Finally, as discussed above, this work is not reflected in routine statistical data collection or in benchmarks. Because these service aspects are more about how service is provided than what service is provided, fire fighters and fire services tend to give them little formal attention. However, it’s right there, on the side of every vehicle. “Courage, Compassion, Service”.

Measurement and benchmarking

Nobody likes doing more documentation or collecting more stats. Yet, without documentation, significant service provision remains in a “black box,” invisible, not only to the general public but to employers, policy makers and even to workers themselves.

I hope my research provides a discussion point for fire fighters, in thinking through how the human services aspects of emergency medical response can be made visible. Performance management and benchmarking projects should include measurement of human services work undertaken by fire fighters, as well as all other aspects of the job.

This measurement can: 1 Assist fire fighters in understanding and advocating for the value of this part of their work.

2 Inform policy makers about services gaps and mismatches.

3 Assist trainers to develop courses that address the full range of skill acquisition needed on the job.

If you are interested in contributing to this research project, please contact me at braedley@yorku.ca.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 57

2008 UPCOMING EVENTS LOCATION

January 15, Tuesday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

January 16, Wednesday Day meeting only (1000 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

January 20 - 25, 2008

IAFF HR & ALTS Conference

New Orleans, Louisiana

January 30, Wednesday 2008

Stewards Meeting

Toronto

February 4 - 7, 2008

OPFFA H&S Conference

Toronto, Marriott Courtyard

February 20, Wednesday Night (1900 hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

February 25 to 29, 2008

SOFFHL Tournament

Etobicoke, Ontario

March 18, Tuesday Night meeting only (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

Wednesday, December 12

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

March 26, Wednesday, 2008

Stewards Meeting

Toronto

April 6 - 10 2008

OPFFA Spring Seminar

Niagara Falls, Renaissance Fallsview

April 23, Wednesday Night (1900 Hrs)

3888 General Union Meeting

RCL Br. 527 948 Sheppard Ave. W.

April 20- 23, 2008

IAFF Leg Conference

Ottawa

AD WILL GO HERE

Thank You 58

for supporting our advertisers!

AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

EVENT

*DATES

April

March

February

January

DATE*

Thomas Everist d. April 24th, 1890 A patrolling police officer on his beat discovered smoke coming from the roof of 527 Yonge Street, at Maitland Street, in the northern part of Toronto shortly after midnight on April 24, 1890, and sounded the alarm.

Apparatus from Yonge, Lombard and Yorkville Street halls responded to a fire in the top floor of a four-storey barrel factory. Shavings and wood materials burned fiercely on the top floor but crews had the fire extinguished quickly before a major portion of the building was involved.

After the fire was extinguished, crews began to perform salvage and overhaul. One task was to remove a large quantity of water that had been applied inside the building.

Captain Thompson ordered the trap doors opened on each floor, making a hole straight through to the basement, to allow firefighters to sweep water into the basement. The

building was dimly lit and still contained a light haze of smoke, so a lantern was placed at the hole to warn of the hazard.

Firefighter Thomas Everist, while hurrying to assist firefighters on the top floor, slipped and somehow fell through the open trap door all the way to the basement, striking his head on the concrete floor. He never regained consciousness and died within thirty minutes with his comrades by his side.

Thomas Everist, the eleventh Toronto firefighter to die in the line of duty, was thirtythree years old, married and had five children. He had been a firefighter for eight years and was interred in St. James Cemetery.

One of his brothers, Arthur, became a Toronto firefighter in 1891 and might have been killed at the McIntosh Fire in 1902 if he hadn’t switched shifts with Walter Collard, who was killed. Arthur retired as a captain in 1935.

The family of Thomas Everist, including five young children, was in financial trouble after his death. Council and fire officials discussed issuing a grant to his widow while

citizens contributed to a fund for the late firefighter’s family at all Toronto fire halls.

From the death of firefighter Thomas Everist came the firefighter death benefit fund, a first in Ontario. The city decided to pass a bylaw to establish the Toronto Superannuation and Benefit Fund. This fund would ensure that the families of firefighters would be looked after if they were killed, or injured on duty and could not work. This type of benefit fund had been discussed previously after firefighter deaths, but it took this incident to finally get it into operation.

The city contributed $10,000 to start the fund off and the firefighters would contribute 2% of their pay. This percentage would increase in later years. All firefighters’ fines and donations from citizens and corporations also went into this fund.

All future Toronto firefighters after 1890 would be compensated if seriously injured, or if they made the ultimate sacrifice for their community. * Re-printed with permission from the book Their Last Alarm by Robert B. Kirkpatrick.

the boiler room door ajar. He ran north a block to King and Yonge, where he pulled Box 21. Just after 2 A.M. the bells started to ring on Lombard Street.

Deputy Chief Thompson (later Chief of the department) was one of the first to arrive.

Doing a quick size-up he realized he had a 6 storey stone façade building with heavy smoke pushing from the lower floors. Quick action would be needed to save the building.

Unbeknown to him, the fire had already taken hold of the elevator shaft and was spreading upward at a deadly speed. As Aerial 1 arrived, Thompson ordered it raised to get firemen above the fire to cut off vertical extension. With the situation devolving and his men sapped from the cold, Thompson ordered his aide to run to the box and transmit the General Alarm. It was 2:48 A.M. Fire Chief Ardagh arrived on scene at about that time and quickly conferred with Thompson.

Just then, a terrible sound erupted as the top floors of the Globe building flashed over. The Chief quickly realized it would be a defensive attack and ordered everyone out of the building and away from the collapse zone. “Get

that aerial out of there!” he was heard to yell as he ran down the street to check on extension into the buildings on Jordan Street.

Capt. Frank Smith, in charge of the aerial quickly mustered all hands, including Bowery, to disconnect the ladder pipe, lower the manual aerial ladder and hopefully push the rig down the block (the horses already having been unhitched and taken out of harms way as was policy).

The firemen ran out of time though. As the aerial was being readied to move, the stone façade gave way to the heat and high wind and came tumbling down. Some of the men saw it coming and dove under the truck. Robert Bowery was not so lucky. He and several others were hit by the falling stones. Dug out by the lesser injured, he was rushed to the General Hospital where he succumbed to internal injuries at 5:40 A.M. He had been engaged to be married. A full department funeral would later pass his house at 264 Parliament Street, on the way to his final resting place at St. James Cemetery. Unfortunately, the Globe Fire had not finished killing firemen.

BY JON LASIUK – TORONTO FIRE FIGHTER

Robert Bowery d. January 6th, 1895 Robert Bowery loved the fire department. At the age of 15, too young to be a fireman, he pestered the Chief enough that the older man finally hired him on to tend the horses and sweep the floors at the Lombard Street hall. After four years of this apprenticeship, the young Bowery was promoted to fireman on #1 Hose. Bowery would continue to proudly serve at the Lombard hall for the next five years, finally getting to eat smoke next to the men that had taken him under their wing. Then came the Globe Fire.

The morning of January 6th was a terrible one, as a heavy blizzard was blanketing Toronto with several inches of snow. As the city slept, the night watchman at the Globe Newspaper building was making his rounds. A whiff of smoke caught his attention as he made his way through the basement. As he opened the boiler room door a blast of heat and smoke pushed him off of his feet. Startled, he raced up the stairs, possibly leaving

FALL 2007 | FIRE WATCH 59

BY MIKE STRAPKO, TFS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

HUSAR Goes Live In A Big Way!

“

Bravo-Zulu” to Tony Comella for spearheading the largest ever structural collapse exercise with mass casualties in Canadian history. ‘Exercise Cohesive Response’ attracted substantial local and national media coverage, which helped to reinforce public confidence, that the five Canada Task Force Heavy Urban Search and Rescue teams (HUSAR) are prepared to deploy anywhere in Canada or internationally in order to save lives.

From November 22-24, this high profile exercise occurred in a fictitious community called Constellation, Ontario, which was described as the financial centre of Canada. The realistic scenario took place at a demolition site at the former Constellation Hotel, located at 900 Dixon Rd. The backgrounder of the incident involved a simulated massive explosion in a busy high-rise office complex that was linked by a pedestrian walkway.

60

Local fire fighters, police and paramedics responded to rescue all surface casualties, extinguish fires and treat injuries.

The incident was recognized as a possible terrorist attack with an estimated 2,500 civilians missing. Outside assistance was needed to support efforts to stabilize damaged buildings, rescue trapped casualties and provide immediate medical aid.

Constellation City officials declare a, “State of Emergency.”

The Ontario Emergency Operations Centre activated the Toronto Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response Team (CBRN), consisting of Toronto Fire, Police, Public Health and EMS personnel. The OPP Provincial Emergency Response (PERT) canine casualty search team was also deployed.

It is important to mention that researchers from the University of Guelph and Ryerson University have been devel-

oping new technologies, namely wireless cameras, tracking devices, and the delivery of emergency aid, by strapping these items around the torso of search-and-rescue dogs. K9 quickly climb over rubble; they are agile and can get into smaller spaces, and their exceptional sense of smell effectively locates victims.

Next, the Canada Task Force 3 (CANTF3), the Toronto HUSAR team, was deployed to rescue casualties trapped in the severely damaged structure. The Toronto HUSAR team has members from Toronto Fire, Police, EMS, Water, Sunnybrook Hospital’s medical staff and several police service K9 units.

Due to the scope of the incident, other HUSAR teams were requested from Calgary (CAN-TF2), Manitoba (CAN-TF4), and Halifax (CAN-TF5).

From a historical perspective, the Canadian ingenuity exercised was akin to how Canadian soldiers won the battle of Ortona, Italy, in World War II. Back then,

our brave soldiers invented a new technique called “mouse-holing” which involved blasting through walls to avoid sniper fire.

Today, instead of using explosives, Canada’s HUSAR teams used drills and hydraulic chainsaws to cut through concrete, twisted steel, furniture and pancaked cars, in order to tunnel through rubble and rescue casualties after the explosion.

Scores of students wore make-up to feign various bloody and bruised injures that prompted the four Canadian HUSAR teams to forge through rubble to provide immediate life-saving treatment and deliver them to advanced medical attention at a huge mobile tent hospital complex that was set up and staffed by provincial and federal teams.

Many politicians showed their support by visiting the exercise.

“Canada Task Force 3 is managed by Toronto Fire Services,” said Toronto

Mayor, David Miller. “I welcome the Calgary, Manitoba and Halifax teams and other partners from all orders of government who are participating in this major structural collapse exercise.”

“The Government of Canada must commit ongoing funding to maintain the five Canada Task Force teams if they expect to deploy them for national and international emergencies,” said Fire Chief Bill Stewart. “These advanced HUSAR teams require extensive specialized training and high-tech search and rescue equipment.”

The Government of Canada provided 75% funding for the new Toronto HUSAR building at 21 Old Eglinton Avenue, behind the Bermondsey Fire Station, which had its Grand Opening on November 23, 2007.

“Ontario is better prepared than ever before to respond to a major emergency, whether natural or man-made,” said Community Safety and Correctional

Services Minister Rick Bartolucci. “Specialized teams such as HUSAR and CBRN are the best of the best and we will continue to support their training and development.”

The Honourable Tony Clement, Federal Minister of Health, was mentioned in the Globe & Mail website on November 24, 2007: “Mr. Clement said he hoped the next mock-disaster effort will involve emergency personnel from the United States and Mexico, in a joint exercise, perhaps about 18 months from now.”

“Some of these disasters can have international implications,” Mr. Clement said.Emergency preparedness, and the safety and security of Canadians, is a high priority for all levels of Government.

This exercise demonstrated how municipal, provincial and federal governments are committed to providing rapid emergency response to support, where and when it is required.

WINTER 2007 | FIRE WATCH 61

ADVERTISERS INDEX ALARMFORCE ................................... 12

GTA TRUCK & TRAILER REPAIR .......... 7

PHYSIO F/X LTD ................................ 12

SNS PAINTING & CONTRACTING .... 34

APACHE BURGERS............................. 54

JIFFY LUBE ................... OUTSIDE BACK

RE/MAX SPIRIT INC .......................... 27

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES

CANADIAN ASSOC OF MOVERS........ 7

MR PITA............................................. 54

ROYAL LEPAGE–BLAIR BUGGE ........... 8

DANIEL DRAGAN GAVRILOVIC ........ 54

NORTH CITY ..................................... 12

SABANTINI’S GOURMET FOODS .... 27

DUTTON BROCK LLP ........................ 54

ORTHOTICARE.................................. 27

SCARBORO SUZUKI .......................... 10

GREEN WAY NATURAL THERAPY..... 34

PHARMA MEDICA RESEARCH ............ 8

SEAGHER MEDICAL GROUP ............. 34

CREDIT UNION ............. INSIDE FRONT TRAVEL SOURCE NETWORK .............. 8 WIRELESS/BELL MOBILITY .............. 10

Classified Advertising in the Toronto Fire Watch Magazine Name:

Division:

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Ad (20 words max – please print clearly):

# of issues: Signature:

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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 second Tuesday of the month. Send to Toronto Fire Watch, Box 157, 253 College St., Toronto ON M5T1R5 or email: publications@xentel.com

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS TO COME ON MONDAY

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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).

2008 Mar 31, ires on p x E r e This Off