April/July 2009 Volume 18 Issue 3
Published in the interest of fire protection and fire prevention in Ontario.
Comments, suggestions, questions and articles are welcome. Please send them to the attention of:
Carol Gravelle, Editor, Office of the Fire Marshal, 5775 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON M2M 4J1, Tel: 416-325-3138, Fax: 416-325-3162, Carol.Gravelle@ontario.ca.
Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions expressed in any material published herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of the Office of the Fire Marshal.
The reproduction of original articles appearing in this publication is permitted and encouraged, however permission to reproduce material for commercial purposes must be obtained from the Office of the Fire Marshal. Permission to use articles reprinted from other sources must be obtained from the original source.
ISSN 1188-7524
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue, particularly Bev Gilbert, Janice Johnstone, Ryan Betts, Chris Slosser, Denise Wallace, Gina Pontikas, Tony Pacheco, Andre Clafton, Jim Jessop, Harry Tackaberry, Trevor Bain, John Ayearst, Mary Prencipe, Bob Harpur, Martha Murphy, Ken Beckett, Shayne Mintz, Alex McKenna, Geoff Cutten and Michelle Foster-Chandler.
Sparky, Learn Not to Burn and Risk Watch are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02269, U.S.A. Used with permission.
Bev Gilbert
OFM Public Education & Media Relations Manager
All Ontarians were struck by the tragic deaths of OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins, her husband and two children from carbon monoxide poisoning in their Woodstock home this past winter. But from this tragedy has sprung a story that should be an inspiration to every member of the fire service across this province.
Since the deaths of Cst. Hawkins and her family, her uncle John Gignac, a Brantford Fire Captain, has been working tirelessly to raise public awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide. He has had many personal conversations and made many public presentations throughout his region about the importance of installing and maintaining carbon monoxide and smoke alarms. He continues to lobby politicians to get the Hawkins-Gignac CO bill passed in provincial parliament – all because he doesn’t want any other family to suffer the pain he’s experienced in losing loved ones. Already carried through second reading, the bill would make it mandatory to have carbon monoxide alarms in every Ontario home.
John’s commitment to prevent others from experiencing the suffering he’s endured should compel us all to action. Imagine if each of the 30,000 fire service members across this province followed John’s lead and ensured that every family member, every friend, every loved one was protected by smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Imagine if we all took responsibility for the safety of every neighbour, every acquaintance we know. Surely this is the example John has set and the lead we all should follow.
Recently my daughter Olivia was going to stay over at my sister’s home and as usual, I tested the smoke alarms before I left. Much to my sister’s surprise, the smoke alarm outside the sleeping area was not working. After an often-used lecture, the replacement of the alarm and discussion of their home fire escape plan, I was comfortable letting my daughter sleep over. What if I had not bothered to test the alarms and something happened? By reading John’s article on page 11, you’ll find that John had the very same thoughts after receiving one of his first telephone calls to install a CO alarm. It’s by educating our neighbours, friends and family one at a time that will create a ripple affect that will ultimately make every community safer.
As leaders in fire and life safety, every member of the fire service is compelled to work toward the protection of his or her community. This responsibility has to start at home: we cannot effectively meet the safety needs of our communities until we’ve done everything we can to ensure the safety of our loved ones.
Every year in Canada there are approximately 1,000 reported poisonings and 250 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning, while in Ontario about 100 people die in fires each year. This can be prevented. Don’t let someone you know join these statistics.
A partnership agreement between the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is improving the safety of fire, police and other emergency services personnel by addressing the health, safety and environmental dangers associated with marijuana grow-operations and clandestine drug labs in Ontario.
At a media conference in June, the Hon. Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services, OPP Deputy Commissioner Vince Hawkes, Provincial Commander responsible for Investigations and Organized Crime and Pat Burke, Fire Marshal of Ontario described the development of a cooperative partnership agreement.
“The Ontario government continues to provide our law enforcement partners with the resources needed to put clandestine drug labs, and the criminal organizations that run them, out of business while ensuring the health and safety of those whose job it is to dismantle these illegal operations and preserve the safety of our communities,” said Bartolucci.
Protocols have been developed to coordinate the training and response of emergency services to the dangerous conditions and toxic environment posed by clandestine drug labs and to restore the safety of the communities where these labs are located.
“On average, over the last six months, the OFM has been called to a fire involving a marijuana grow operation or illegal drug lab every 15 days. These types of fires are very dangerous to first responders and the entire community. The new partnership being developed with the OPP will minimize the health and safety risks for firefighters and others, through increased enforcement and training, ” said Burke.
The OPP Drug Enforcement Section (DES) also unveiled its latest asset for dismantling clandestine drug labs, a specially-designed provincial investigative response vehicle.
“Clandestine drug labs, and the drugs they manufacture, have a toxic and destructive impact on the lives of people, their communities and the environment. Therefore, the OPP will continue to target these labs as well as the criminal organizations that operate this scourge on society,” said Hawkes.
Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke speaks at the OPP/OFM news conference as the Hon. Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services and OPP Deputy Commissioner Vince Hawkes look on.
This year, the Office of the Fire Marshal has been seeing Fire Code violations lead to stricter penalties in structures where there have been illegal drug operations. Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service and Niagara Falls Fire Service are two communities of many where these penalties are taking place.
In early June, a man who tended a marijuana crop inside a Niagara Falls home was sentenced to nine months behind bars. His conviction came down while police conducted a manhunt for the “gardener.” In total, the man was convicted of four violations of the Ontario Fire Code, including creating fire and shock hazards by altering a fuel-fired appliance and electrical wires.
“This court and this justice of the peace has seen an increasing number of these operations and charges brought before us, especially in this region,” said Justice of the Peace Tom Froese. “The safety of the public and the safety of our firefighters and police are the paramount concern of this court.”
More than 300 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were found in several rooms of the home. Significant hazards were found inside the home including high levels of carbon monoxide, alterations to the furnace and hot water tanks and a large store of flammable and corrosive chemicals such as a full propane cylinder placed on top of the stove.
In early May, a Vaughan landlord plead guilty for not looking after property that had been turned into a marijuana grow-operation by the tenant. To get power for this operation, this tenant bypassed the main hydro source and illegally tapped into hydro. The landlord was fined $5,000 for failing to ensure that the temporary electrical wiring not be used where it presents a fire hazard, as per the Ontario Fire Code. These types of operations pose an electrical shock, fire and explosion hazard. Anyone either attending the house, working inside, or being in the area of the hydro meter outside of the house was at risk; including first responders, service personnel or anyone attending the house.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is actively providing advice and assistance in a number of Ontario communities for clandestine drug labs. To further assist Ontario fire departments in their Ontario Fire Code enforcement efforts, the OFM strongly encourages all fire departments to prepare and circulate news releases about convictions in their communities. Not only does communication with residents reinforce the importance of fire safety in municipalities, but it also enhances the value that fire departments bring to communities to keep them safe from fire, particularly in high risk occupancies.
With files from the June 6, 2009 issue of the Niagara Falls Review.
In April 2009, the Canadian Fire Safety Association (CFSA) held its annual education forum in Markham. A variety of stakeholders attended the forum including property owners/managers, interior designers/consultants and building and fire safety experts. In addition, a number of Seneca College students from the Fire Protection program attended to accept a variety of scholarships for their accomplishments and to watch the days proceedings.
The day’s speaking topics included something for everyone including the application of objective-based codes – architectural features and code requirements, a review of the various types, risk and code requirements for retirement facilities, how registered interior designers are firefighters too, a review of various Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) fire investigation cases, detection of moving fires, installation and services for fire signal receiving centres and systems and the recent Building Code amendments regarding residential sprinklering.
During the lunch break there was a tribute to founding CFSA member Rich Morris. Known as the father of fire detection in Canada, Morris has spent more than 55 years in the industry. Throughout the tribute speech, Morris was named as a “volunteer extraordinaire” who has demonstrated selfless love and devotion to keeping people safe from fire through many, many accomplishments. In his acceptance speech, Morris reflected on how he was able to be so successful in the industry.
“You have to have a vision, perseverance and good friends to support you. Most of all you have to have the support at home,” said Morris.
The forum provided the opportunity to bring industry members from different sectors together and have them demonstrate to each other how important each is to the rich fabric of fire safety in Canada.
If the students take anything away from this forum to share with others in their
classes, it will hopefully be a little of the inspiration to work together that
each of the attendees brought with them that day.
From left are Al Speed, Rich Morris and Leo Grellette, President of the CFSA.
BY HARRY TACKABERRY
FIRE CHIEF, BRIGHTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
In October 2008 Brighton’s Fire Department worked together with Cricklewood Farm to raise money for new firefighting equipment and promote fire safety. Since 2001, Cricklewood Farm has designed a different corn maze for each year. For 2008 the maze was in the shape of a firefighting dog.
During that particular October weekend, Cricklewood Farm donated 30 per cent of every dollar from maze sales toward the goals of raising money for new firefighting equipment and educating others about fire safety. It was estimated that about 300 people went through the maze over the weekend and $500 was raised. Fundraising by firefighters who barbecued and served hot dogs and hamburgers at the maze event raised approximately $300. In addition, significant donations were received from the Brighton Lions Club and an individual during the following week because of the publicity associated with this event.
At the event, a new fire safety house recently purchased by the fire department was demonstrated by the firefighters as informative and entertaining for adults and children. The fire trucks stationed in the orchard were also enjoyed by all. An actual fire call for assistance was received and answered during this time and added much to the importance of this vital department within our community.
Approximately 3,000 maze goers went through the maze during 2008. As a result of these high numbers, several safety measures are undertaken by Cricklewood Farm every year to ensure customer safety including:
The maze is six acres in size and has 3.2 kilometres of pathways. The shortest pathway through is just under 1.6 kilometres in length. Visitors to the maze try to solve puzzles while working their way through the field using clues found on signs throughout the maze. By solving the puzzles people learn about the history of firefighting, the roles of firefighters, fire safety and prevention.
The partnership between the Brighton Fire Department and Cricklewood Farm worked
through a mutual focus on learning about fire safety in a fun and informative way.
Overall, this particular week-end proved to be a great success and underlined the
importance of Brighton Fire Department within the community.
Editor’s Note: The 2007 Fire Code includes a number of specific provisions in Section 2.14 of Division B for fire safety of outdoor public amusement areas such as hay and corn mazes. Please refer to Communiqué 2008-08 for more information.
A picture of Sparky extinguishing water from a hose. Can you see him? Picture submitted by Brighton Fire Department.
In early March, Toronto Fire Services launched Project Zero, a new fire and life safety program that will help to protect people from residential fire deaths. Its aim is to reduce Toronto’s fire death rate to zero.
“The objective of this unique program is to reduce the number of fires, fire deaths and injuries in Toronto homes,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke. “It’s going to increase the number of working smoke alarms in Toronto. Not only is this a good idea, but it’s the law to have smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas of every Ontario home.”
This program will see fire inspectors going door to door in specific areas of Toronto to ensure there are working smoke alarms on every storey and at least one carbon monoxide alarm in every home visited. At this time, homeowners will be provided with information to help in keeping their homes and families safe. Fire inspectors will also stress the need to develop and practice home fire escape planning with seniors and families with young children.
“We should never accept that people should ever have to die in fires,” said Toronto Fire Services Chief Bill Stewart. “Today, we understand that a fire need not be a fact of life, and that deaths and injuries due to fire must be halted. In order to achieve this, it became clear that we needed to intensify our efforts. Through this concept Project Zero was born.”
The program sees fire inspectors visiting homes and testing smoke alarms in homes to ensure homeowners have complied with the smoke alarm law and to ensure these smoke alarms are working. For those who have not installed working smoke alarms, homeowners will be issued a notice of violation that must be complied with in seven days. To ensure home occupants are protected during that time, Toronto Fire Services staff will install working smoke alarms. Alarms will be donated to those citizens who due to various socioeconomic or physical challenges are unable to purchase and install their own. Where carbon monoxide alarms are not installed as required by the City bylaw, Toronto Fire Services will provide a combination carbon monoxide/smoke alarm.
Project Zero is being supported by Enbridge Gas Distribution, which donated $20,000 toward the purchase of 500 combination carbon monoxide/smoke alarms. Toronto is one of the few cities in Ontario that has a bylaw that requires all homes, where there is a fuel-fired appliance, to have at least one carbon monoxide alarm installed.
From left are Enbridge Gas Distribution President Janet Holder, Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke and Toronto Fire Services Fire Chief Bill Stewart.
The licensed operator of a Hamilton residential care facility pleaded guilty to violating the Ontario Fire Code and was fined $4,000 for locking a fire exit with a steel bar.
The individual who operated the facility plead guilty in provincial offences court on March 23, 2009 to a charge of obstructing an exit with an illegal locking device. The individual was charged last May after Hamilton fire prevention officers discovered the bar on a door during an inspection following a complaint.
Hamilton Chief Fire Prevention Officer Jim Winn said inspectors found U-bolts on either side of an exit doorframe and a steel bar laid across the door.
“Apparently the door had had some damage and this was seen as a quick way to lock it rather than fix the door,” he said.
The three-storey residence, which is licensed by the city, provides assisted living for 16 people, Winn said.
“Maintaining exits is important in all buildings, but it is especially relevant
in residential care facilities as they contain vulnerable residents,” Winn said
in a statement.
This article appeared in the March 26, 2009 issue of the Hamilton Spectator.
BY ERICA BAJER
THE DAILY NEWS
A local landlord was fined $4,000 in March 2009 after pleading guilty to four violations under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.
“We’re using enforcement, legal channels, in order to get these buildings compliant,” said Assistant Fire Chief Ray Stone.
The individual was charged in February 2008 after failing to remedy code violations discovered during a routine inspection of a property in January 2008, Stone said.
According to court documents, the four charges include failure to separate fuel-fired appliances from the remainder of the building; failure to separate public corridors from adjacent rooms and areas; failure to provide closures that open into stairways; and failure to provide a fire escape.
“The Fire Code allows us to lay charges and we’re going to continue to do this
where people resist meeting the requirements of the Fire Code,” Stone said. “These
are all life safety issues. We want to make sure these buildings are safe.”
As seen in the March 29, 2009 issue of The Daily News.
On March 12, 2009 tenants from two separate buildings located in St.Catharines were each fined $235 respectively for intentionally disabling smoke alarms in their units (Ontario Fire Code Div B 6.3.3.4).
Submitted by Duncan Rydall, Public Fire Safety Technician, St. Catharines Fire Services.
Two individuals were convicted in Pickering on March 2, 2009 for violating the Fire Code and fined $5,000 each, for a total of $10,000.
The two individuals owned a two-unit residential occupancy with the second unit located in the basement. An inspection showed that the owners had failed to install proper fire separations and closures, failed to ensure the furnace was operating safely, failed to install interconnected smoke alarms and had failed to have an electrical inspection. A pre-trial inspection showed the property had finally been brought into compliance.
This was a first offence for the owners. At sentencing, evidence was submitted to the court showing that in 2005 the owners had registered a basement apartment at another property with the City of Pickering and gone through the inspection process and had complied with all requirements.
This proved to the court that the owners were fully aware of the Code requirements
and the process for ensuring compliance. The owners argued they had bought the property
a year ago out of foreclosure from a bank with tenants present and had assumed the
bank had already ensured compliance.
Submitted by Steve Fowlds, Fire Inspector, Pickering Operation and Emergency Services Department.
A representative for the owner of a Burlington rental house appeared in an Ontario Court of Justice in February 2009 for two violations of the Ontario Fire Code. The charges were filed in connection with a Burlington Fire Department response to a house fire in the city in October 2008. When fire crews were dispatched to the fire in the home just after 10:00 p.m., they found a female occupant and an infant. Both had narrowly escaped with their lives through a main floor bedroom window after a fire had started in the living room. Crews quickly determined that there were no smoke alarms in the basement of the home and the alarm on the main floor had been intentionally disabled.
At the provincial court, a representative for the homeowner of the property entered a guilty plea for failing to install a smoke alarm in the basement and failing to maintain smoke alarms in operating condition. The homeowner was fined $15,000, plus a victim’s surcharge fee of $3,750. At the time of the fire, a ticket for $235 was issued to the tenant for intentionally disabling the main floor alarm.
“We continue to educate tenants of rental units, as they also have responsibilities to report problems with the smoke alarms in their units to the owner or property manager,” said Fire Prevention Officer, Ben Rotsma with Burlington Fire Department. “Tenants must also be aware that they can be ticketed or charged for contravention of the Ontario Fire Code if they intentionally remove or disable a smoke alarm in their unit.”
On March 18, 2009, the Hamilton-based owner of a retirement centre in the City of Orangeville plead guilty to 20 Ontario Fire Code violations and fined $10,000. The centre offers emergency accommodation and more permanent housing.
The charges included failure to maintain smoke alarms, failure to ensure a portable fire extinguisher was easily accessible, failure to ensure emergency lighting units were tested monthly and failure to provide commercial cooking equipment with an exhaust system.
Initially the Orangeville Fire Department laid 28 charges against the centre upon inspection in November 2008: an unprecedented number of charges laid by the Orangeville Fire Department at one address. The inspection had been the result of a complaint from a fire suppression crew member that had responded to a medical emergency at the centre.
“It’s the responsibility of building owners to comply with the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code,” says Orangeville Fire Chief Andy Macintosh. “By ensuring their buildings are in compliance, lives and property will be saved in the event of a fire.”
The Orangeville Fire Department makes an effort to work with the owners of buildings to achieve compliance with the Ontario Fire Code requirements. Contraventions of the Fire Code are chargeable upon discovery.
On March 27, 2009, an Ajax homeowner was found guilty of violating the Ontario Fire Code and fined $3,000.
The violation stemmed from the Ajax Fire and Emergency Services having been called to the residence due to a small kitchen fire in the basement apartment. At that time, it was discovered that the single family dwelling had been converted into a two unit dwelling, with the construction of a basement apartment. The basement apartment had been built without the required approvals from the fire service or the building department.
The homeowner was charged for conducting activities that create a hazard that
were not allowed for in the original design of the building (Article 2.1.2.2.).
Submitted by Greg DeMan, Ajax Fire Prevention Inspector with Ajax Fire and Emergency Services.
BY TREVOR BAIN
OFM COMMUNITY SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS
OPERATIONS MANAGER
The prevalence of marijuana grow-operations and clandestine drug laboratories in the province of Ontario pose a significant public fire safety threat to our communities. This threat must be handled forcefully as structures containing such illicit labs represent one of the most dangerous hazards that first responders will ever encounter. And they are very common; in fact a community in the province without one would be the exception.
The following article will focus on what the Office of the Fire Marshal’s (OFM’s) Community Safety Enhancements (CSE) unit is doing to combat these illicit drug labs and how the Ontario fire service can participate.
In June 2007, the Government of Ontario announced important anti-crime initiatives. These initiatives built upon the government’s $51 million support of a Guns and Gangs strategy announced in 2006. The initiatives enhanced the capacity of law enforcement including policing services, crown attorneys and the OFM. For its part, the OFM was able to increase its capacity to respond to fire investigations involving all illicit labs in the province of Ontario and created the CSE unit. CSE is involved in areas including health and safety hazards, inspections, investigations, enforcement and prosecution of Ontario Fire Code violations and inspections for remediation purposes of properties as per the Municipal Act.
In 2007 as part of the provincial government’s anti-crime initiatives a Provincial Advisory Group (PAG) was established. PAG continues to build upon the findings of the Greentide Action Group (GTAG) report that identified that the illicit drug lab threat in the province is well beyond a police problem. It identified that the solution to addressing the threat was contained in a multi-jurisdictional approach.
Based on participant recommendations from two PAG symposiums at the Ontario Fire College, PAG has established five task forces. The five task forces are composed of stakeholders with similar challenges and are mandated to make recommendations to PAG to create a safe and effective Ontario strategy for the eradication of illicit drug labs in the following areas:
Those in the fire service can attest that the illegal operations of marijuana grow-ops, ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine labs all pose a significant hazard to first responders. The use of toxic chemicals and gases to manufacture some drugs are capable of creating toxic fires and explosions. Electrical systems are re-routed and holes cut in floors and walls create additional firefighting risks. Irrigation systems and high humidity levels cause toxic mould growth. All of these operations increase the risk of electrocution, entanglement, entrapment and exposure to corrosive and toxic chemicals as firefighters respond to a scene to do their jobs.
One of the best ways to protect the lives of Ontarians and fellow responders is to actively enforce the Ontario Fire Code. Due to the nature of illicit drug labs, enforcement of the Fire Code requires the involvement of the police service of the jurisdiction. CSE recognizes that in some communities a joint police/fire enforcement program is not a traditional approach. In communities where both groups have recognized the value of the concurrent application of our collective law enforcement mandates, first responders and our communities win every time. CSE, as a result, is actively assisting to create partnerships in municipalities such as Niagara Region, Windsor, and Toronto.
Fire departments seeking to partner with a police service are encouraged to contact CSE who can facilitate the development of an effective joint law enforcement program based on established best practices. Together we can eliminate these hazards from our communities.
For further information, please contact CSE Operations Manager Trevor Bain at the OFM (705) 725-7616 or by email at trevor.bain@ontario.ca.
In early June, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) came together to host a news conference at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo (AIHce) in Toronto to highlight the health and safety risks of clandestine drug labs. The news conference included a realistic mock drug lab that exhibited how a variety of drugs are manufactured and demonstrated how industrial hygienists test illegal lab sites for contamination and why they recommend cleanup procedures.
“Illicit drug labs pose significant hazards to the health and safety of firefighters and communities-at-large,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke in remarks delivered at the news conference. “This is why the OFM is pressing for greater enforcement through the Ontario Fire Code to eliminate these operations from the province. Effective enforcement by all regulators, including the fire service, will make a difference.”
The mock lab included marijuana grow- and cannabis oil extraction- operations, in addition to other types of synthesis labs, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, and Rohypnol. As part of the display, videos, photographs, and other health and safety information relevant to personnel who respond to emergency situations at these illicit drug labs was included.
Industrial hygienists were on hand to explain the dangers. “The health and environmental concerns vary with the type of drug being manufactured and the production method used,” said Dave Durst, head of the AIHA’s Clandestine Lab Working Group. “But, regardless of the type of drug, clandestine labs can cause physical injury from explosions, fires, chemical burns, and toxic fumes as well as environmental hazards and, most devastating of all, child endangerment.”
In recent months, the OFM has been actively working with the AIHA Clandestine Lab Working Group on a guidance paper on indoor marijuana grow operations that would leverage both the expertise of AIHA and the practical experience and initiatives of the OFM in regard to illicit drug labs in Ontario.
On average, over the past six months, the OFM has been called to a structure fire involving an illicit drug lab every 15 days. To safely handle emergency situations in these increasingly common labs, first responders must be thoroughly and specifically trained to recognize signs that a structure may contain an illegal drug lab.
Special thanks for their participation at this event goes to Toronto Fire Services, Pickering Fire Department, Peel Regional Health, Municipal Health & Safety Association in the mock clan lab display and OFM EPSD (HAZMAT) and Community Safety Enhancement units.
Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke speaks at the AIHce about the dangerous hazards that clandestine drug labs pose to first responders. In the background, the OFM displayed materials that they use to investigate fires/explosions in these labs.
The mock clan lab had four rooms that attendees could explore to observe how structures could be altered to accommodate these labs.
Veteran Brantford firefighter John Gignac’s campaign to educate the public on the importance of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in the home stems not only from professional concern, but from personal tragedy.
He is the uncle of Laurie Hawkins, the Woodstock woman who died, along with her husband Richard, and children Cassandra, 14, and Jordan, 12, after succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning in their home about a month before last Christmas.
“We don’t want people to forget,” he said.
Although Gignac never thought it would be him who would be the face of the carbon monoxide alarm awareness program, his enthusiasm for the cause is inspiring and one can why he has been so successful. Having teamed up with a number of groups and organizations in the community, Gignac demonstrates that he is very set on stopping tragedy before it occurs. He has also worked with Kidde Canada to further educate himself on the carbon monoxide alarm technologies available. As a result he is seen as an expert in the community and gets telephone calls to ensure people’s homes are protected. He recalled one of the first such calls he received saying an elderly lady called his home one evening around 9 p.m. She told him that she did not have any carbon monoxide alarms in her home. At the time Gignac told her he did not have any to install for her at that time, but that he could install one the next day. After hanging up the phone, he began to think about “what if something happened and this lady died of CO poisoning?” He ended up taking an alarm from his home and going over to her house. After identifying himself, he went in and installed the alarm. She made him a cup of tea and he left around 9:30 p.m. The next day, at the fire station, the lady’s son came in with a box of donuts to thank Gignac. He said that he was responsible for looking after his mother, but that he was very appreciative of Gignac’s help.
And preventing tragedy before it occurs is the focus of Gignac’s work. The majority of the time, he speaks about the importance of CO alarms, but also ties in smoke alarms and their requirements under the Ontario Fire Code as he speaks at local companies, organizations and schools to prevent future deaths.
“By talking to neighbours, friends and students, it’s just like throwing a pebble into a pond – it’s bound to have a ripple affect,” he said.
Gignac said he is constantly shocked by the numbers of people who have not installed CO alarms in their homes.
Whenever he asks audience members how many don’t have CO alarms, between 30 to 40 per cent of them raise their hands, he said. Gignac is hoping to see the eventual establishment of a program that would oversee the distribution of carbon monoxide alarms to needy families.
As a result of the Woodstock tragedy, Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman introduced a private member’s bill, named the Hawkins-Gignac Act, which would make carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all Ontario homes. Recently, the bill unanimously passed first reading at Queen’s Park.
With files from the March 23, 2009 issue of the Brantford Expositor.
In April, community partners and sponsors gathered at Regent Park Public School in Orillia to celebrate the launch of a new portable children’s safety village that will serve the city and its surrounding areas. The village is the first of its kind in Canada and is intended to provide children with an interactive learning environment about safety.
“Innovation is the key in educating children today,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke.
The village, which can be set up in most school gymnasiums, consists of a 40’ by 50’ mat with depictions of streets, sidewalks and park areas. Child-sized signs, buildings, cars and trains can also be set up in the village to create an interactive learning environment. The objective of the village is to have children travel through the village and learn safety lessons from safety officers. The safety officers are volunteers who have policing and teaching backgrounds.
The elements of the safety village have been designed to fit into a 26-foot trailer that will travel from school to school within Simcoe County for one week at a time.
“Each school will benefit from the safety lessons that the safety village has to offer for one week at a time,” said Severn Fire Department Fire Prevention Officer Dianne Kyle. “The benefit to having the village attend at the school presents a theme week of safety in general to the schools in our area from Kindergarten to Grade 8. This will provide the education to the children to prevent injuries and the importance of individual responsibilities when travelling in a car, riding a bike, walking down the street, using the Internet, or encountering other hazards in and around the home and community.”
The community partners and sponsors also plan to set up parts of the village at upcoming community events to maximize its effectiveness in the community.
Community partners who were involved in developing the village include Kiwanis Club of Orillia, OPP Orillia Detachment, Rama Police Service, CN Police, Orillia, Ramara, Severn and Rama Fire Departments, First Student Bus Line, Orillia Power, Hydro One, EMS and Lafarge of Canada. There were also a number of community sponsors who were involved in this project.
A student in firefighting gear drives a passenger around in a mini Jeep.
A student rides a train on a mini track in the railway safety section of the village. In the background, informative boards stand against a wall. They are used to teach students important safety lessons over the course of a week at specific schools.
Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke speaks with representatives who sponsored the fire department safety section.
Students gather around the mini fire department.
BY JANICE JOHNSTONE
PROGRAM SPECIALIST, OFM PUBLIC
EDUCATION & MEDIA RELATIONS
When the Fire Protection and Prevention Act was enacted into law in 1997, it marked a new age for public fire safety education in Ontario. No longer was educating the public just a nice idea; it was a requirement for every community in the province.
With this new direction came a need for training and resources to support it. To meet that need, the Office of the Fire Marshal introduced the Public Fire and Life Safety Educator’s Certificate Program at the Ontario Fire College. This comprehensive, six-month program enables students to acquire the skills they need to effectively educate their communities about fire safety. Through a combination of in-class sessions and post-class assignments, students realize there is much more to public education than handing out pamphlets. The program leads students on a practical journey through modules that include assessing risk and identifying priorities, developing and evaluating programs, handling the media, establishing partnerships, fundraising, planning and conducting presentations and teaching high risk groups. Graduates emerge from this tough program confident in their abilities and strongly motivated to make a difference in their communities.
Over the years, the Public Fire and Life Safety Educator’s Program has undergone some changes, including a recent ‘refresh’ to ensure the content and methodology remain current. The program has also been accredited to a professional standard: NFPA 1035, Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I and II. Graduates of the program receive a certificate that includes a gold seal from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and are also eligible for a certificate from the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board). In addition, the program received accreditation by ProBoard for an additional level of the NFPA 1035 Standard: Public Information Officer. Accreditation by IFSAC for this level is expected in the fall of 2009. This means that future graduates of the Public Fire and Life Safety Educator’s Program and students who successfully complete FPO 603 will be certified as Public Information Officers and eligible for a separate certificate. Those who completed either program in 2007 or later will also receive Public Information Officer certification. For graduates prior to 2007, one-day courses are being offered so they may attain certification for this additional level.
The remaining component of NFPA 1035, Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Specialist, will be addressed separately. A program is being developed that will incorporate the standard’s required outcomes, as well as knowledge and skills specific to TAPP-C. Further details will be provided as the program nears completion.
More and more Ontario fire departments are hiring dedicated public educators, a marked contrast to their past practises of including those responsibilities in other positions. For many, it is definitely a career of choice. It’s true that public educators will probably never rescue someone from a burning building, nor be hailed as heroes in the media. But how many deaths and injuries have been avoided because people had the knowledge and skills to prevent them? Public fire safety educators are just as much in the business of saving lives as their colleagues on the trucks.
Certification is one way to ensure that the people entrusted with educating the
public about critical life safety issues have been trained to the highest standard.
Information about the Public Fire and Life Safety Educator’s Certificate Program is available in the Ontario Fire College Calendar.
If you have an item you would like to see published in Update Ontario, please send it to: The Editor, The Ontario Fire Service Messenger, Office of the Fire Marshal, Place Nouveau Building, 5775 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M2M 4J1. Tel: 416-325-3138, fax: 416-325-3162 or email Carol.Gravelle@ontario.ca.
BY JOHN AYEARST
FIREFIGHTER, SHUNIAH FIRE AND EMERGENCY
SERVICES
When Luis Smits’ cellphone rings in the middle of a meeting at the Santiago office where he works, no one complains. It’s a dispatcher calling and Smits is off and running – to a fire.
He’s one of Chile’s thousands of dedicated Bomberos – an all-volunteer fire and rescue corps that is divided into 1,100 private units (companias) run by more than 300 fire departments.
Not only are these bomberos all “voluntarios,” they must pay monthly dues to belong to this exclusive fire fraternity.
The companias are privately-held corporations, each with its own bylaws and fundraising. They’re co-ordinated by a national body known as Bomberos de Chile (Fire Chile) which lobbies government and sets standards.
Funding comes partly from national, regional and local government, but much of the money for operations and equipment comes from raffles, public appeals and monthly dues.
In Santiago, the Chilean capital of 5.6 million people, there are 22 bombero companies, each specializing in areas like pumper operations and heavy urban rescue – in a country with frequent earthquakes.
In small rural towns like Casablanca, which recently held a fish fry and lottery fundraiser, there is just one “compania de bomberos.” It has a stubby little all-wheel-drive fire truck uniquely suited to attacking brush fires in the nearby hilly terrain that resembles northern California.
During a recent tour of the Primera Compania de Bomberos Mapocho, in central Santiago, Luis Smits was glowing with pride as he talked about his fire company’s history – kept faithfully since 1863 in leather-bound volumes.
Primera Compania is housed in a three-storey building that naturally blends into the old-world streetscape. From the sidewalk, no one would guess at the function and grandeur inside: a main-floor garage workshop housing a pumper truck and rescue gear and a second-floor recreation room (and its 90-year-old pool table), a restaurant and casino.
The latter two ventures are privately run and the rent helps fund Primera Compania’s fire operations. Along with the impressive backyard gardens and pool, the restaurant and casino can be rented for weddings and parties.
Also guiding the tour with Smits, a second-generation bombero who is completing a post-graduate business degree, is Rafael Merino who recently graduated as a psychologist.
Both are members of the company’s esteemed Night Guard (La Guardia Nocturna), the youngest firefighters who take turns living at the hall and are first to respond to emergency calls before other bomberos are dispatched by cellphone.
Primera Compania has 30 active firefighters and 87 retired associates, the most senior being 86 years old. (Chilean bomberos volunteer for life.)
While living at the fire hall, the night guard members juggle work, family and school commitments. For university students, the hall features a study room equipped with computer work stations.
The hall’s most impressive feature is the ornate club room with its red velvet theatre seating and walls lined with gold-framed oil portraits of past compania directors and officers. There are also memorials to those who died in the line of duty.
It’s in the midst of such history and honour that each month Primera Compania’s
117 bomberos meet.
Writer John Ayearst is a “bombero” in the Municipality of Shuniah, just northeast of Thunder Bay. He was in Chile in January as a member of a Habitat for Humanity Global Village team of Canadians who were building urgent housing in the Casablanca Valley. He aims to lead another team of Habitat Global Village volunteers back to Chile in January.
Bomberos Luis Felipe Correa Smits, left, and Rafael Edwards Merino in the grand club room of Primera Compania (1st Company) in Santiago, Chile. The walls are adorned with ornately-framed oil portraits of past fire company directors and officers. Members of Primera Compania are known by the nickname “Mapocho” in reference to a fierce race of indigenous people who fought the Spanish Conquistadors.
Bomberos Rafael Edwards Merino, left, and Luis Felipe Correa Smits, right, with Ontario bombero John Ayearst in the plush back gardens of their Santiago, Chile, fire hall. The yard and adjoining privately-run casino and restaurant are all contained in the fire hall and are rented out to raise money for fire equipment and operations.
BY MARY PRENCIPE, P. ENG.
OFM FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER
The code development system in Canada is overseen by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC), a governing board made up of volunteer members from across Canada. Members are appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) based on their expertise and interest in the area of building, fire and plumbing codes.
The CCBFC develops six of Canada’s model codes through a committee-based process. Included in this list of six codes are the National Building Code and the National Fire Code. Technical Standing Committees (currently eight) are each responsible for maintaining and updating a code or sections of a code and related documents. Standing Committee members are volunteers whose appointment is based on a matrix that provides for balanced representation from various sectors and geographic regions.
The NRC Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) plays a large role in Canada’s code development system. The NRC-IRC provides ongoing technical and administrative support to the CCBFC throughout the code development process. Technical advisors from NRC-IRC undertake studies to assist Standing Committees in their decision-making. Administrative staff is involved in organizing Committee meetings. Various other NRC-IRC groups are responsible for editing, translating, producing and distributing codes and related documents. In addition, the CCBFC reports to the NRC through the VP responsible for NRC-IRC. Despite NRC-IRC’s involvement with the work of the Standing Committees, voting privileges belong to appointed volunteer members only. These Standing Committee members decide which changes are recommended to the CCBFC and the CCBFC ultimately decides which changes are approved.
The national model codes developed by CCBFC are not enforceable in provinces and territories unless specifically adopted by provincial/territorial jurisdictions through their legislative framework. As it stands, the majority of provincial building and fire codes are based on the national model codes. In many cases, however, the codes are revised to reflect regional differences, priorities and enforcement schemes. Provinces and territories channel policy advice to the CCBFC via the Provincial/Territorial Policy Advisory Committee on Codes (PTPACC) whose members are appointed by provincial/territorial governments. The exchange of information between PTPACC and CCBFC throughout the code development cycle facilitates the adoption of model codes and promotes the goal of code harmonization throughout Canada.
As illustrated in the diagram included above, a number of steps are involved in the development of code changes. Requests for code changes from jurisdictions, committees, and the public at large are gathered on an ongoing basis. These requests are forwarded to the appropriate CCFBC Standing Committee for review and potential development. Proposed changes are shared with CCBFC and PTPACC for consideration prior to being released for public review. Comments collected during public reviews are evaluated by Standing Committees and may lead to revisions or withdrawal of the proposed changes. Comments received during consultations may be provided to provincial/territorial jurisdictions upon request. Standing Committee decisions on public comments are shared with PTPACC and forwarded to CCBFC for approval. When approved, proposed changes are translated, verified and then published by the NRC. Every five years a new code edition is published, however, interim amendments may also be released at various intervals between editions as determined by the CCBFC. The development of national codes is a continuous process where concurrent projects progress through different stages during the course of the cycle.
Stay tuned for an Ontario Fire Service Messenger article in the future that will describe the Ontario Fire Code development process.
Illustration of the steps involved in the “National Codes Development Cycle.”
BY BOB HARPUR, P. ENG.
OFM FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER
Some members of the fire service have expressed concern over what they believe is the increasing use of particle board and/or vinyl siding on the exterior of buildings, particularly single family dwellings. They are concerned that this is resulting in more frequent spread of fires to adjacent buildings. There have been some suggestions that the Building Code should be revised to prohibit the use of these materials as exterior siding.
But is there really cause for concern?
Ontario statistics for the five years from 2000 to 2004 inclusive show an average of 9,300 structure fires a year. Of these, an average of 49 fires/year spread to an adjacent building by means of the exterior cladding. This means half of one percent of structure fires are spreading to adjacent buildings because of the exterior cladding. A trend line indicates that there is actually a very slight decrease in exposure fires over this five-year period.
These numbers would include buildings that had exterior cladding other than vinyl or particleboard. The number of buildings where vinyl or particleboard may have been a factor in the fire spreading would be even less.
These numbers also include some buildings that were still under construction. Buildings under construction are particularly vulnerable to fire since many of the fire protection features that would be present in the completed building have not yet been installed. It should be noted that no change to the Building Code would impact these since the Building Code is not intended to protect buildings under construction or to provide protection from buildings that are under construction.
Ontario statistics indicate that the use of vinyl or particleboard as exterior
cladding has not been causing any significant exposure fire problems in the past.
NBC Activity
The type of cladding used on building exteriors is regulated by the Building Code. According to Adaire Chown, senior technical adviser for the Canadian Codes Centre with the Research Council of Canada, the question of vinyl siding, the material that is under vinyl siding and the distance between buildings are all being considered as possible changes to the next National Building Code.
With the introduction of objective-based codes, it is no longer appropriate to regulate specific materials. Instead, the characteristics of the exterior cladding material that will have the most impact on whether or not a fire spreads from one building to another will have to be determined. The codes can then include requirements to regulate those characteristics.
But what about the future? Is the increased use of these products likely to cause
an increase in exposure fires?
Particleboard
The term “particleboard” can cover a broad range of materials, including a variety of forms including non-fire retardant, fire retardant and a cementitious version that is much more resistant to fire than regular wood. “Chipboard” and “oriented strand board” are other similar products that may be used in cladding on buildings. Particleboard is used as the core in some rated fire doors.
The ignition temperature of wood can vary significantly depending on the species,
moisture content and heat flux to which it is exposed. The Ignition Handbook by
Vytenis Babrauskas gives typical ignition temperatures for particleboard, oriented
strand board and plywood ranging from 270oC to 368oC. The United States Forest Products
Laboratory gives ignition temperatures for cedar and pine siding ranging from 287oC
to 367oC. The Supplementary Guidelines to the Building Code give the flame spread
rating of lumber, plywood and particleboard all as being 150. It would appear that
particleboard, oriented strand board, plywood and lumber all have ignition temperatures
and flame spread ratings within the same range and none present a significantly
greater fire hazard than the others.
Vinyl siding
The situation is similar with vinyl siding. The table below (published by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) compares the ignition temperature of various materials that could be used for siding. Vinyl has the highest ignition temperature of any of them. Several manufactures list their vinyl siding as having a flame spread rating of 20, which is very low. Again, the ignition temperature and flame spread rating of vinyl compares favourably with other siding materials.
| Material/Condition | Ignition Temperature oC |
| Cedar - oven-dried | 314 |
| Cedar- 50%RH - thin | 362 |
| Redwood - oven-dried | 287 |
| Redwood - 30%RH | 327 |
| Redwood - 50%RH | 358 |
| Pine | 288 |
| Pine - 30%RH | 348 |
| Pine - 50%RH | 367 |
| Rustic plywood - 50%RH | 361 |
| Painted plywood - 50%RH | 356 |
| Hardboard - oven-dried | 299 |
| Hardboard - 30%RH | 305 |
| Hardboard - 50%RH | 308 |
| Vinyl + polystyrene foam | 427 |
Vinyl does have one characteristic that most other exterior siding materials
do not have; it will shrink when exposed to temperatures that are still well below
its ignition temperature. This may expose underlying material such as building paper
or air barrier (e.g., plastic house wrap) that might be more combustible.
Conclusion
Vinyl siding or particleboard presents no more of a hazard than many other common materials used in building cladding. In fact, the higher ignition temperature of vinyl siding may make it slower to ignite than some of the traditional materials that are commonly used as siding.
BY CATHERINE WHITNALL
KAWARTHA LAKES THIS WEEK
Spreading safety messages is now much easier for those involved in the City of Kawartha Lakes’ Risk Watch program.
Recently the local coalition received $37,400 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The grant is being used to purchase resources and marketing materials to support the organization’s efforts to educate children, youth, teachers, parents and other caregivers about safety and injury prevention. The biggest investment, said founding member and chair Karen Cook, was the purchase of a new trailer to transport materials and the addition of an official mascot, Smart Alec, who helps emphasize the group’s message to young children.
The Risk Watch program was launched as a pilot project at Lady Eaton and Dunsford District elementary schools in November 1999. The program is now taught in every public and separate school in the city – which also incorporates the Swim to Survive program – as well as Bethany Hills and Heritage Christian schools.
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Rick Johnson was thrilled to congratulate the group on their progress, on behalf of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
“[The grant] means the program can continue its great work. It’s a validation
of the importance of what the Risk Watch group is doing in our community,” said
Johnson, who, as a former public school trustee, supported the inclusion of the
program in local schools since its inception.
This story was excerpted from the April 28, 2009 issue of Kawartha Lakes This Week.
Fatal Fire Summary
March 2009: 10 fatal fires resulting in 13 fire deaths
Age Group 0-15: Male - 1, Female - 0, Total - 1
Age Group 16-64: Male - 4, Female - 3, Total - 7
Age Group 65 and over: Male - 4, Female - 1, Total - 5
Total: Male - 9, Female - 4, Total - 13
Fire Cause - Accidental 3, Undetermined 0, Under Investigation 6, Incendiary 1
Time of Day - 0001-0800 - 3, 0801-1600 - 4, 1601-1800 - 1, 1801-0000 - 2
Locations of fatal fires: Mississauga (1), Adjala-Tosorontio (1), Brudenell, Lyndock and Ragian (1), Cambridge (1), London (1), Prince Edward (1), Ramara (1), St. Catharines (1), Toronto (1) and Lakeshore (1).
April 2009: 11 fatal fires resulting in 12 fire deaths
Age Group 0-15: Male - 1, Female - 0, Total - 1
Age Group 16-64: Male - 4, Female - 1, Total - 5
Age Group 65 and over: Male - 3, Female - 3, Total - 6
Total: Male - 8, Female - 4, Total - 12
Fire Cause - Accidental 7, Undetermined 2, Under Investigation 1, Incendiary 1
Time of Day - 0001-0800 - 2, 0801-1600 - 6, 1601-1800 - 1, 1801-0000 - 2
Locations of fatal fires: Whitchurch-Stouffville (1), Caledon (1), Central Frontenac (1), Laurentian Hills (1), Ottawa (1), Brantford City (1), Toronto (4) and Waterloo (1).
Check out our latest books and videos from the Fire Sciences Library & Audio-Visual Resource Centre. We provide current fire resources to support the Office of the Fire Marshal as well as fire departments, emergency services and fire related industries. The collection consists of 9,000+ books, standards, statue law, reports, 80+ journals, and over 1,300 audio-visual resources. A full listing of new resources is available on our website!
New Books
The Fire Chief’s Guide to Administration and Management by Richard Marinucci. Pearson Education, Inc. 2009.
Multicultural and Diversity Strategies for the Fire Service by Herbert Wong et.al. Pearson Education, Inc. 2009.
Public Information Officer by Philip Politano. Pearson Education, Inc. 2009.
Web Resources
Subscribe to the OFM newsletters!
Fire News – media monitoring of Ontario & Canadian newspapers and current
research from NRC, NFPA, NIST and NIOSH. Access at
www.ofm.gov.on.ca
Click on Resources =< Fire News
OFM e-Bulletin – electronic bulletin service offered by the Fire Safety Standards section on developments of interest to the fire safety community. Access at www.ofm.gov.on.ca Click on Legislation =< OFM e-Bulletin
New Videos and DVDs
The Art of Reading Smoke: Practice Sessions (2009)
In this companion to the “Art of Reading Smoke”, David Dodson presents seven real-world scenarios involving residential, commercial, and mixed structures to help hone your smoke- reading skills. By using the process taught in the original DVD, you are given the opportunity to read the incident, then walk through the scenario with Instructor Dodson.
The Art of Reading Smoke: Practice Sessions (2009)
Fire Safety: Operating Without Fires (2006)
Program provides information on the causes of fire in operating rooms, discusses how to prevent them and what to do in the event of a fire occurring. DVD includes English and Spanish versions, a customizable PowerPoint Presentation, an expanded leader’s guide and quiz.
From Buddy to Boss: Effective Fire Service Leadership (2006)
This audio book provides common sense on leadership within the fire service for company officers and managers. Includes tips on surviving politics, dealing with fringe employees, how to keep your cool, and other bits of veteran management advice.
From Buddy to Boss: Effective Fire Service Leadership (2006)
A funny thing happened when Fire Chief Ken Beckett of the Town of East Gwillimbury Fire Department and Fire Chief Shayne Mintz of Burlington Fire Department told the builders of their new homes they wanted to install sprinkler systems. Both builders thought they meant outdoor sprinkler systems for their gardens, not residential fire sprinkler systems. It goes to show that continued public education about residential sprinklers is needed in Ontario.
Chief Beckett has been in the fire service for 47 years and is set to retire in 2010. Although he works in East Gwillimbury, he built his retirement home in Uxbridge. His rationale for installing the sprinkler system was if he were going to promote sprinklers to residents, why not install a system himself.
“I’ve attended a lot of fires that have involved the deaths and injuries of young children and seniors,” said Beckett. “Now, we have our grandkids come and stay the night; the installation was basically about practicing what you preach. It’s the cost of safety for one’s family.”
Before the house was built, Beckett and his wife worked with the builder to choose paint colours for rooms, the type of cupboards for the kitchen and the type of brick for the outside of their home. Beckett also requested that a sprinkler system be installed. Once the misunderstanding of the lawn sprinkler was cleared up, Beckett was told that such an installation could not be done. Beckett spoke to the owner of the building company and convinced him that this request could be met. In the end, the builder agreed to install the residential sprinkler system, which is monitored by an alarm response company and includes a loud horn that can be heard by house occupants and by neighbours when activated.
Initially, it was the builder who provided a sprinkler installation system price to Beckett. The price was very expensive. It was at that time that Beckett called John Galt, president of the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association, to get assistance in finding a sprinkler company who could explain installation to the builder and install a system at a cost-effective price.
“It’s important to work with the builders and educate them on sprinkler systems,” said Beckett. “In addition to having my grandkids sleeping over, I wanted to install a sprinkler system because of the lightweight building materials that are now being used in new homes. They burn much faster, making it that much more difficult to get everyone out safely.”
The sprinkler company then laid out the design for the builder. A one-inch-diameter (2.5 centimetres) pipe was required from the street main to the house (and to each sprinkler head), which involved an inspection from the municipality costing $100. Once installed, the cost of the sprinkler system was estimated to be about $1.65 per square foot.
Chief Mintz similarly cited the quick response of the system to extinguish a fire and allow occupants to escape safely as one of his main reasons for commissioning a sprinkler system installation in his Blue Mountain home.
“We have a volunteer fire department about two or three minutes away, and in any reasonable situation, it does take a little time to muster everyone and their gear. The whole issue with sprinklers is their reaction time to extinguishing a fire,” said Mintz. “If something were to arise in a newly constructed house during sleeping hours where there wasn’t a sprinkler system, the occupants would have about one to one and a half minutes to escape.”
Mintz continued by saying “The building materials used in new home construction today means the window of escape is getting smaller and smaller. Sprinklers can expand that window.”
To ensure his new home was adequately protected, Mintz oversaw the installation of the system by Classic Fire Protection. A bigger water pipe was installed and water line testing was conducted throughout the installation to ensure that there was adequate water supply for the system. A dual system was installed, meaning once the sprinkler system activated, a water flow diverter would cut off domestic water and flow would be sent to all the sprinkler heads. To blend in with the design of Mintz’s home, the same colour of paint was used on the flat pan sprinkler heads in each room.
“There are a number of myths about sprinklers - like if one sprinkler head discharges during a fire, they all discharge,” says Mintz. “In reality, only the sprinkler head triggered by the rising heat in the room discharges during a fire. None of the others discharge - unless the temperature reaches that trigger point in the other rooms.” (Historical research (from jurisdictions where residential fire sprinklers have been mandated for over ten years) has shown that more than over 90 per cent of all fires in these sprinkler equipped occupancies are contained and controlled with one sprinkler head activation and that nearly 98 per cent are contained with no more than two heads activating.)
Another common myth, Mintz said, is that sprinklers are subject to false alarms and discharge when there is no fire. But evidence from jurisdictions where sprinklers are mandated reveal that this rarely occurs. Certainly, Mintz has never had this problem in his home.
Having not seen a home fire residential sprinkler system in place before, Mintz said it was necessary to educate the builder as to the system’s importance. In the future, Mintz would like to see builders provide home fire residential sprinkler systems as an option in new homes, just as they would with cabinetry and appliances.
“Sprinklers are no more expensive than most upgrades. In fact, they are less than some upgrades that are offered in new homes. These systems should be offered as an option for a fire-safe house.”
Both Chiefs have successfully installed sprinklers in their homes by raising awareness and educating their homebuilders. And their stories are important reminders that much work still must be done to change minds. Spreading the word that members of the fire service with longstanding fire experience are installing these systems is a good way to communicate that these systems are effective in keeping themselves and their families safe from fire. Pass the word along.
A photo of the concealed sprinkler heads along with some roughed in potlights in Chief Mintz’s home. Look closely and you may be able to see that the concealed sprinkler heads are less visible than the potlights.
A picture of Mintz’s sprinkler manifold riser.
A photo of the sprinkler piping system before it was concealed with wallboard at Chief Mintz’s home.
A photo of a ceiling in Chief Beckett’s home. Notice how inconspicuous the sprinkler plate is in comparison to the smoke alarm and lighting fixture.
This one-day course is offered to anyone who graduated from any of the following courses prior to 2007:
Courses are scheduled on the following dates at the Ontario Fire College (OFC):
Dates and course numbers are:
Fax an OFC registration form to the OFC Registrar: 705-687-4611
Note: Participants will be required to complete a post course assignment. Successful graduates of this course can acquire certification to NFPA 1035, Public Information Officer, from the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
For more information contact OFC Instructor Jana Gillis (705) 687-9687, Jana.Gillis@ontario.ca or OFM Program Specialist Janice Johnstone (416) 325-3151, Janice.Johnstone@ontario.ca.
BY ALEX MCKENNA, AdeC
May 5, 2009 marked the 65th anniversary of the ending of WWII in Europe. Most people are aware of the efforts and sacrifices made by Canadian men and women to bring the war to an end. However there is unique and virtually unknown story of the 406 volunteer members of the Corps Of Canadian Fire Fighters, which served in England between 1942 and 1945.
During a visit to the United Kingdom in 1941 our then Prime Minister McKenzie King was asked by Winston Churchill to provide a contingent of firefighters to assist the beleaguered National Fire Service in suppressing fires caused by air raids. By March of 1942, under the authority of the Minister of War Services, recruitment began for the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters with a total strength of 422. This number included support staff as well as firefighters. These volunteers were drawn from 107 communities from across Canada and completed their basic training in the City Of Ottawa. Once their training was completed 406 men under the command of G. E. Huff, former Chief of the Brantford Fire Department, left Canada in convoys travelling by way of the treacherous North Atlantic and arriving in England just before Christmas of 1942. The remaining five firefighters stayed behind in Ottawa at the Corps headquarters to complete the organization process. Once everything was organized two of the five remaining firefighters proceeded overseas.
Upon arrival in England, the Canadian firefighters were transported to the National Fire Service Training Center at Testwood just outside of the city of Southampton where they completed a four-week familiarization course dealing with British firefighting techniques, rescue work and first aid. Since the Canadians did not bring any fire fighting apparatus with them they also had to become proficient in the use of British Pumpers, Trailer Pumps and Aerial Apparatus.
Once the course had been completed the Canadians were posted to six fire stations, two in Southampton, two in Portsmouth and one each in Plymouth and Bristol with their headquarters in London. As soon as these units had become familiar with their fire areas the National Fire Service personnel were withdrawn and the stations thereafter manned entirely by Canadians and in fact became an integral part of the National Fire Service.
From December 1942 until May 1945, the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters responded to all fires both domestic and those caused by the German air raids in their respective cities. During this time, the Canadians suffered numerous injuries in the course of their duties, including three deaths where individuals were buried in England. The names of the dead including Fireman J.S. Coull from Winnipeg, Section Leader A. Lapierre from Montreal and Section Leader L.E. Woodhead from Saskatoon have been inscribed in the National Fire Fighters Memorial in Ottawa.
In recognition of their service in England during the war, the members of the Corps were awarded the Defence of Britain Medal, the War Medal and the Victory Medal. However, it took until 2001 for the Canadian Government to authorize the granting of the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal to members of the Corps. It should also be noted that the following Awards for Service were granted to Commanding Officer G.E. Huff, Brantford, the O.B.E. and to Senior Company Officer N. Torno, Toronto, the M.B.E. Senior Company Officer M.W. Dolman, Ottawa, and Leading Fireman C. J. Diwell, Toronto both were awarded the B.E.M. Several other members of the Corps were awarded the Royal Humane Society Testimonials for off duty actions including Leading Fireman C. J. Diwell, Toronto, Leading fireman I.F. Cam, Niagara Falls and Leading Fireman W. Bryce, Toronto.
After their demobilization in May of 1945 most of the members of the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters returned to their municipal fire departments across Canada and resumed their careers. Many would be promoted to Captains, District Chiefs, Platoon Chiefs and Chiefs of their respective departments including Chief Joe Miller of the Mississauga Fire Department. Column Officer Martin Hurst returned to the Toronto Fire Department and later joined the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and rose through the ranks to become the second Fire Marshal of Ontario.
As stated earlier the history of the Corps of Canadian Fire Fighters is virtually unknown in Canada except for a short film produced by the National Film Board of Canada titled Fireman Go To War. This film, in VHS format is still available from the film library of the OFM. Although their valour and sacrifice during the World War II goes unnoticed and unmentioned in the stories and written accounts of Canada’s war effort, this is not the case in England. There are plaques and memorials dedicated to the 406 volunteers from Canada who, when asked, left their homes and families and responded to the call from their brother firefighters in England’s National Fire Service. There is also a new book titled Under Fire, Britain’s Fire Service At War, by John Leete that includes the incredible story of the Corps Of Canadian Fire Fighters in England from 1942 to 1945.
As one who served 42 years in the Ontario fire service, including 19 years with the OFM and the son of one of the volunteer Corps Of Canadian Fire Fighters members (Leading Fireman S. A. Mckenna), I believe that it is time to tell their story.
Mckenna is a retired Assistant Chief of the OFM and presently serving as an Aide de Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, The Honourable David C. Onley.
A scroll from the National Association of Retired Firefighters of Great Britain commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the ending of World War II and the sacrifices of the Canadian firefighters who gave their lives in defence of England. The scroll was presented to the Ontario Fire College in 1995 and hangs in the main entrance of the Administration Building.
Did your municipality send any volunteers?
The following is a list of Ontario municipalities and the number of Corps Of Canadian Fire Fighters volunteers represented from each: Aurora 1, Carleton Place 1, Blenheim 1, Brampton 1, Brantford 7, Brinston 1, Britannia Bay 1, Brockville 1, Burlington 1, Dundas 1, Dunnville 3, Emsdale 1, Exeter 1, Fort Erie 2, Fort Francis 1, Fort William 1, Gant 1, Hamilton 3, Hespler 1, Huntsville 2, Kenora 3, Kingston 1, Kirkland Lake 2, Kitchener 4, Lefroy 1, London 6, Long Branch 1, Merritton 1, Mountan 1, Niagara Falls 2, Norwood 1, Oshawa 3, Ottawa 20, Peterborough 1, Port Colburne 10, Quarries P.O. 1, Renfrew 1, Sarnia 2, Schumacher 2, Smith Falls 3, St. Catherine’s 4, Stamford Center 2, Stratford 1, Strathroy 1, Streetsville 1, Sudbury 2, Timmins 1, Thorold 4, Toronto 48, Waterford 1, Welland 2, Windsor 9.
In early June, Kevin Ashfield was presented with an Appreciation Award for all of his contributions and commitment to the Burn Survivors Community (Camp BUCKO, The Canadian Burn Survivors Conference, HSC Burn Unit programs, Family Day) at the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association dinner on Tuesday. From left are OPFFA President Fred LeBlanc, Kevin Ashfield and Nancy Sinclair of Camp BUCKO.
The Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act was passed on June 18, 2008, and amended the Pesticides Act. This amendment came into force along with Ontario Regulation 63/09 (that revoked and replaced Ontario Regulation 914) on April 22, 2009.
Under Ontario Regulation 63/09 the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has introduced
fire department pesticide storage notification requirements for manufacturers in
addition to the already existing requirements for licensed operators (businesses
that operate pest control services including commercial lawn care companies) and
licensed vendors of pesticides. These requirements are intended to ensure that local
fire departments know where pesticides are stored to protect human health and the
environment.
Pesticide storage notices to fire departments
Fire departments will now receive a pesticide storage notification card every
year from licensed operators, licensed vendors and manufacturers indicating that
they are storing pesticides. This article provides an update to fire departments
about these pesticide storage notification cards and why they are important to fire
departments.
Who regulates pesticides?
Independently, provinces regulate the sale, storage, use, disposal and transportation of federally registered pesticides. Licensing and certification of pesticide users also falls under provincial legislation.
In Ontario, the MOE regulates pesticide sale and use under the Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09. Pesticides sold, or used in Ontario must be registered by Health Canada (i.e., have a valid Pest Control Products Act registration number) and be classified by Ontario and placed in an Ontario Class.
In Canada, pesticides are regulated by Health Canada through its Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA) under the Pest Control Products Act (Canada). Every product
sold in Canada must have a proper label with information that complies with the
Pest Control Products Act and its regulations. Products are labeled in one of four
categories: manufacturing, restricted, commercial or domestic. For more information
about Health Canada and the PMRA search their website at www.pmra-arla.gov.on.ca.
Why are annual pesticide storage notifications important to fire departments?
Section 112 of Ontario Regulation 63/09 is intended to provide fire department personnel with advance knowledge of major locations where pesticides are stored. (Note: farmers, golf courses, municipal or public utilities that might store pesticides may not be required to submit an annual fire department notification if they do not hold a vendor or operator licence issued by the MOE.) With this knowledge, the fire departments should take additional precautions in their firefighting pre-plans and actions to ensure public safety, and ensure that the environment is protected during firefighting efforts. The types of extra precautions required will be determined by the types and volumes of pesticides in storage.
The following is an actual excerpt of the new regulation. The excerpt is important because, in addition to telling fire departments who should be providing them with notifications (from a storage point of view), it also tells them who should be providing notifications from the manufacturing industry.
Section 112 of Ontario Regulation 63/09 states the following:112. (1) The following
persons shall annually give a written notice in accordance with subsection (2) to
the fire department responsible for the area in which the pesticide is stored:1.
A person who stores a Class 1 pesticide.2. A person required to hold a vendor’s
licence who stores a Class 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 pesticide.3. A person required
to hold an operator’s licence who stores a Class 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 pesticide.4.
A manufacturer who stores a Class 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 pesticide. O. Reg. 63/09,
s. 112 (1).(2) The notice required in subsection (1) shall be in the form approved
by the Director and shall identify the pesticide, describe its location and conditions
of storage and identify the person responsible for the pesticide. O. Reg. 63/09,
s. 112 (2).(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a pesticide that is temporarily
stored in a vehicle. O. Reg. 63/09, s. 112 (3).Section 1 of Ontario Regulation 63/09
defines a manufacturer as follows:“manufacturer” means a person who carries on business
respecting, (a) the formulation of a Class 1 pesticide into another pesticide, (b)
the manufacturing of a pesticide into a product, (c) the incorporation of a pesticide
into a product, or (d) the packaging or distribution of a pesticide or a product
containing a pesticide;
What information is contained in the fire department pesticide storage notification?
Information that is contained in the fire department pesticide storage notification
includes the address of the local fire department and the address, telephone number
and emergency telephone number of a person responsible for the storage of pesticides
at the facility. The notification of pesticide storage also provides information
as to whether or not the business has a fire pre-plan on file with the local fire
department under the CropLife Canada Certified Manufacturing Code or Agricultural
Warehousing Standards Association audit program. If not, the notification must provide
the specific location of pesticide storage and conditions of storage (e.g. separate
or attached facility, temporary or permanent structure, access to facility, location
of nearby buildings and water sources, etc.) on a diagram.
Reporting Pesticide Spills and Fires to MOE
Under the Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09, Section 113, when pesticides
are spilled or are involved in a fire, the person responsible for the pesticide
must report the spill or fire to the MOE when it causes or is likely to cause an
impact on a person or the environment. In the case of a pesticide vendor this could
be an employee or the storeowner. In the case of a pest control business it could
be the business owner or a designated employee. Under the Environmental Protection
Act Part X Section 29, every person who spills or causes a spill of a pollutant
that causes or is likely to cause an adverse effect shall notify the MOE. In this
case when pesticides are spilled as a result of firefighting activity, the fire
department should be reporting it to the MOE. The most effective way for anyone
to report a spill is by using the MOE’s Spills Action Centre 1-800-268-6060.
Where can I get more information?
For more information about the Ontario Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation
63/09, including how to identify the different classes of chemicals, contact a Regional
Pesticide Specialist at a MOE office.
Toronto, 1-800-810-8048
Hamilton, 1-800-668-4557
Kingston, 1-800-267-0974
London, 1-800-265-7672
Sudbury, 1-800-890-8516
Thunder Bay,1-800-875-7772
Paul Carolan, Captain/Acting Battalion Chief with Dublin Fire Brigade and writer with FireCall interviewed Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke while on vacation in Ontario. The magazine is distributed by the Dublin Fire Brigade Sports & Social Club to firefighters in Dublin and across Ireland. Burke’s interview appeared in the Spring 2009 issue.
A picture of FireCall magazine.
On June 3, an elderly couple was awakened by their smoke alarm after a fire started in a room of their one-storey home. The smoke alarm allowed this couple to exit the house rapidly with their dog and call the Casselman and St-Albert Fire Departments. Firefighters were able to effectively and rapidly extinguish the fire that was contained to the room of origin.
“Regardless of the damages caused by this fire, this story had a happy ending,” said Fire Chief Mario Villeneuve, Casselman Fire Department.
In a news release, Chief Villeneuve stated that since the department began their smoke alarm inspection program in 2007, they observed that 50 per cent of houses and apartments did not have an operational smoke alarm on each storey, and outside sleeping areas. They found that the most common infractions are; no smoke alarm present, inoperative smoke alarms and dead or missing batteries. House visits will continue this summer to ensure community residents have operational smoke alarms.
The objective of Climbing the Ladder is to keep you informed and up to date on issues related to education and training within the Ontario fire service, and to adequately address your questions and concerns. If there is a particular issue you want covered, send the topic to the Editor of The Messenger and it will be passed on to the appropriate person in the OFM Academic Standards and Evaluation section.
BY MICHELLE FOSTER-CHANDLER
ACADEMIC STANDARDS &
EVALUATION SECTION
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), through its Ontario Fire College (OFC) and Academic Standards and Evaluation (ASE) Section, administers provincial training and certification of Company Officers (COs) and Fire Prevention Officers (FPOs) in Ontario. Each January and March candidates enrolled in the OFC Company Officer (CO) and Fire Prevention Officer (FPO) diploma programs write their end of course comprehensive tests. These tests are administered by the ASE and confirm if the candidate has met all requirements for the CO or FPO diploma.
This year there were 53 CO and 39 FPO candidates who wrote the tests. These numbers are up from previous years and perhaps reflect the sentiment held by some officers that this testing process ‘…plays a part in honouring the profession that we are proud to belong to.’
Feedback from fire departments is that these OFC courses provide graduates with a good foundation and confidence to perform their jobs. ASE testing provides an objective, ‘arms length approach’ to evaluating graduates from the programs. It is said that this testing enhances ‘the professionalization’ of these disciplines and adds validity and creditability to the programs. The testing allows candidates to demonstrate they have achieved the acceptable level of knowledge required to meet the FPO and CO Standards.
These tests are drawn from a test bank created by the ASE section in consultation with COs and FPOs. Test questions are developed ‘by consensus of committee’ and are primarily scenario based. They focus on a ‘Day in the Life’ of a typical Company Officer or Fire Prevention Officer in communities across Ontario. To answer the test questions candidates must apply problem solving skills. Developing questions is a challenging process and care is taken to ensure questions are relevant, unambiguous and realistic. Questions that fall short of this goal are edited and/or replaced as required. Recognizing that no test can cover every aspect of the discipline; the goal is to test the key competencies.
Marking teams are made up of current, experienced practitioners who have completed the OFC Company Officer or Fire Prevention Officer diploma program. They also include individuals who have completed certification. Attending this year’s Company Officer Marking Team were Tom Brillinger, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Chris Brown, Cobourg, Mark Middleton, Hamilton, Jeremy Parkin and James Simcoe, Rama, Don Patterson, Belleville and Bill Toronchuk, Waterloo.
In the spring, the Company Officer and Fire Prevention Officer Marking teams meet to evaluate the comprehensive test candidates. The ASE marking philosophy is one which emphasizes fairness, consistency and objectivity. Marking is carried out in an educationally sound fashion. Measures used to enhance the rigour of the process include: maintaining the anonymity of candidates and their departments; ensuring two or more markers evaluate each candidate’s paper; ensuring each candidate’s answers are assessed using a marking grid; ensuring markers evaluate answers based on an answer template; and discussing answers among markers as required.
Current and past marking teams have shown commitment and dedication to maintaining a fair and meaningful marking process. To be considered for marking team participation requires completion of the OFC diploma program and nomination by a Fire Chief. Marking team members say that in addition to having relevant experience and knowledge of the subject matter, additional qualities required by individuals interested in being part of the teams include: compassion, integrity, motivation, understanding, good communication skills, open-mindedness, an ability to work well in a group, a willingness to compromise, an ability to debate/discuss various perspectives, objectivity and respect for the opinions of others.
The ASE comprehensive testing promotes a fire service where members are more knowledgeable and better equipped to perform as Company Officers and Fire Prevention Officers. Another purpose of the provincial tests is that, for graduates who decide to seek voluntary certification, they confirm who has met all requirements for the academic component of certification. Not everyone decides to pursue certification but those who do say they find the certification process to be both challenging and rewarding.
Note: The ASE section wishes to acknowledge the generous contributions of its CO and FPO Marking Team members in writing this article. For more information on these and other certification programs, visit www.ofm.gov.on.ca. To learn more about joining a Marking Team, contact the ASE Section at 416-325-3273.
A photo of the Fire Prevention Officer marking team. In back from left are Glenn Barwell (Oakville), Peter DeBoer (Hamilton FD), Michelle Foster-Chandler (ASE), Karen Bauman (ASE) and Jeff McCormick (Brantford). In front are Steve Denn (Brampton) and Lindsay Matthews (Georgian Bay). Missing from picture are Susan King (Oshawa), Geoff Hayman (Brant County) and Armando Cabral (Halton Hills).
Derick Dodd was the successful candidate in the competition for fire investigator and began April 6, 2009.
Michelle Foster-Chandler started a secondment on April 6 with Academic Standards and Evaluation to manage the testing unit.
Tawnya Roberts joined the OFM in Fire Protection Services on March 30 as a fire protection adviser. Tawnya was with the Lanark Highlands Fire Service since 1998 where she most recently served as a fire prevention/inspection officer and a district Fire Chief.
Alex Sambas began a secondment on April 27 with Corporate Services as the fleet coordinator.
Kevin Schooler was the successful candidate in the competition for a fire protection adviser in the northwest region for Fire Protection Services and began April 20.
Dennis Gannon was the successful applicant for the developmental opportunity as acting southwest manager with Fire Protection Services, effective from April 14 to September 4.
Carol Jones-Simmons was successful in the competition for the position of librarian at the Ontario Fire College’s resource centre and began on April 1.
Steve Klimpel was identified as a successful candidate for the position of fire investigator for Fire Investigation Services and began April 27.
Aug. 1-3 Fire Fighters Association of Ontario Convention, Beeton, ON
Sept. 18-19 Fire Con, Thunder Bay, ON
Sept. 20-23 Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs 2009 Conference, Winnipeg, MB
Oct. 4 Ontario Firefighter’s Memorial Ceremony Toronto, ON
Oct. 4-10 Fire Prevention Week - ‘Stay Fire Safe: Don’t Get Burned’, Ontario
Nov. 4-6 17th annual Public Fire & Life Safety Educators’ Conference, Niagara Falls, ON
On June 3, 2009, twenty Ontario recipients received Fire Safety Awards at the 21st annual Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council’s award ceremony.
“All the award recipients were honoured for taking the responsibility in their communities to prevent tragic fires, injuries and deaths,” said Fire Marshal of Ontario Pat Burke. “Thanks to the efforts of these recipients, Ontario is a safer place to live.”
The diverse group of award winners included business leaders, organizations and media outlets that made significant contributions to fire safety and injury prevention in their communities. Among the award recipients were seven children whose quick actions helped to avert potentially life-threatening situations. The names of the recipients are:
Zachary Machado, age 5, Brampton
Acelyne Bailie, age 8, Barrie
Bradley Vincent, age 9, Windsor
Kyle Roberts, age 9, Bowmanville
Tatiana Day, age 9, Walpole Island First Nations Territory
Zachary Pregent, age 12, Birch Island in Whitefish River First Nation
Michael Jenson, age 14, Cornwall
Colleen and Peter Buckley, McDonald’s Sarnia
Detective Marco DelConte, Hamilton Police Service
John Holmberg, Devil’s Elbow ski area, Bethany
Gary McMahon, Associate Producer, Rogers TV, Richmond Hill
Patty and John Mock, Home Hardware, Harriston
Donna Naylor, teacher, Gravenhurst High School
Llora and Wayne Weismiller, Weismiller Lumber Ltd., Bala
Staff and students of Beavercrest Community Elementary School, Markdale
Buttercup Pre-School, Brampton
Rogers Broadcasting Limited, North Bay
Southland Insurance, Leamington
Sutton Legion Branch 356, Royal Canadian Legion
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto
A picture of Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke and Parliamentary Assistant Dave Levac with Fire Safety Action Award recipients.
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