August/September 2007 Volume 16 Issue 4
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, Gina Pontikas, Tony Pacheco, Robert Harpur, Susan Shannon, Martha Murphy, Travis Moffatt, Rose Barg, Rob Steele, William Reid, Melissa Bailey and Brenda Stonehouse.
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.
Barry McKinnon
Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal
Over the past few months there have been a number of developments that have enhanced the ability of the Office of the Fire Marshal’s Fire Protection Services (FPS) to work collaboratively with a number of internal and external stakeholders. These developments have enhanced the capabilities of FPS to deliver high quality and value-added programs and services to the Ontario fire service.
One of the developments was the creation of a vision statement and a set of core values to help guide the work of the FPS team, both in terms of program and service delivery. FPS supports the vision of the OFM by assisting communities to reach the goal of self-determination of quality fire protection services.
The vision of assisting communities to reach their goal of self-determination is a significant element in the work that FPS does, particularly because the development of so many programs has relied on the input and needs of community stakeholders. With the program Essentials of Fire Protection for Municipal Decision-Makers, the OFM tapped into expertise from the fire service, municipal health and safety, and other experts for their insights and knowledge to create an effective introductory program for municipal leaders. To date, ten training sessions have been delivered and the feedback has been very positive.
The program Shaping Fire-Safe Communities was launched in November 2006 and is being used by a number of municipalities and their fire services to create master fire plans. The development of this unique program relied on strong technical input from experienced fire service leaders and other experts.
Another recent development was the announcement of further resources from the Ontario government to combat methamphetamine labs and marijuana grow-operations throughout the province. With the new funding, the OFM is working closely with its fire investigations unit and the Niagara Falls Fire Department to create a model protocol for municipalities. A team will be educating others about the model, which will help expedite the process of property remediation with police, fire and municipal building officials across the province. Specifically, the model will help get everyone on the same page to deal with organized gangs, the guns and other crimes that are all too often associated with these illegal drug activities.
The FPS remains committed to working as a team to develop and lead key programs and initiatives throughout the province. Teamwork has helped to create successful partnerships with a variety of stakeholders and will continue to be an important part of helping to enhance public safety in Ontario.
To take action and reduce the number of injuries and fatalities related to these types of fires in Oakville, representatives from the Oakville Fire Department and the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) held a media event on August 20.
Town of Oakville Fire Chief Richard Boyes said “There are many distractions that can keep us from paying close attention when cooking.” He urged residents to always turn off stoves before leaving a room.
In 2005, the OFM developed a one-of-a-kind stovetop fire survey to collect information that would assist in developing safe cooking practices and strategies to reduce stovetop fires in Ontario.
“These survey results provide an in-depth look into how and why stovetop fires occur,” said Ed Gulbinas, OFM Manager, Applied Research. “While every community’s fire loss profile is different, these survey results provide a foundation for future fire department public education activities within municipalities. Stovetop fires can occur in any community.”
Ed Gulbinas, OFM Manager, Applied Research and Oakville Fire Chief Richard Boyes answer questions from the media about how to prevent stovetop fires.
In September, Dale Shippam, career firefighter with Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service, will be traveling to Spain and France. He will complete the famous Way of St. James ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela over a five-week span in September and October.
“Dale continues to be a fantastic example of how far organ transplantation in Canada has come,” said Frank Markel, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network. “He had a transplant over eight years ago and now he’s setting off on another exciting pilgrimage requiring both endurance and strength.”
In previous pilgrimages, Shippam has traveled to Antarctica and Vancouver Island, where he hiked the West Coast Trail.
The Way of St. James, often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. His journey will begin in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France and will cover 800 kilometres.
“If I hadn’t had my heart transplant I wouldn’t be on this pilgrimage,” said Shippam. “I’m so grateful to my donor family, and I want to honour them by living every single day to its fullest.
To read Shippam’s blog, visit www.giftoflife.on.ca.
Excerpted from an August 30, 2007 Trillium Gift of Life news release.
BY COURTNEY WHALEN
ORILLIA PACKET AND TIMES
At the end of July, Orillia residents in the north end of the city welcomed a new neighbour when Orillia’s Fire Station No. 2 officially went into service.
“I think opening this new fire station is a proud moment for the fire services and a proud moment for the community,” said Ontario Fire Marshal Patrick Burke.
“A fire hall adds to an area, it gives people a sense of security,” said Orillia Fire Chief Trent Elyea after the opening ceremony.
The 6,400-square-foot (1,950 square metre) facility was constructed for a price tag of about $1.7 million after studies were done to determine the need and best location for an additional station. The department has made its home at the West Street South facility since 1972.
Chief Elyea said the new facility is energy efficient with features such as in-floor heating and specially designed windows. Also new for the station is an automated exhaust system. The system hooks directly onto fire trucks when they’re inside the station, taking any exhaust fumes and piping them out of the bays.
Fire Station No. 2 also has the ability to control the traffic light in front of the department, helping with traffic control when a call comes in. These are all important features for a station that will house firefighters at the very active department.
Excerpted from the July 31, 2007 issue of the Orillia Packet and Times.
A picture of the new fire station.
In this picture Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke, Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens, Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe-North and Bruce Stanton, MP for Simcoe-North officially ‘uncouple the hose’ while Orillia Fire Chief Trent Elyea and regional councillors look on. Photo submitted by Deborah Cross, Orillia Fire Department.
BY RYAN BETTS
PROGRAM SPECIALIST, OFM PUBLIC EDUCATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION
Chapleau Fire Chief Graham Bertrand is breathing a sigh of relief now that his new fire truck has finally arrived. Originally scheduled for April of this year, the delivery was postponed due to workload issues at the factory.
The new American Lafrance Liberty model on a Freightliner M2 four door chassis with a 1050 pump with a 1000-gallon (3785 litre) tank will bring the fire department fleet to six vehicles. The 330 horsepower Mercedes Benz engine will be put to the test as a first response unit for the community. With close to 400 kilometres of highway and lots of wildland to cover, the new unit will be equipped with auto extrication tools and light wildfire capabilities.
Originally chosen as a division point along the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, the town of Chapleau lies on the shores of the Chapleau River, approximately 300 kilometres northeast of Sault Ste. Marie. Approximately 2,350 people live there.
Graham Bertrand has been a member of the Chapleau Fire Department for 33 years, with the last two of those years in the position of Fire Chief. He retired from the Ontario Clean Water Agency in 2002 and in addition to his role as Fire Chief, he now works part time at the Chapleau Municipal Airport refueling aircraft in the summer months. His two sons, Tyler and Bryce, are both on the fire department, following in their father’s footsteps.
The Chapleau Fire Department responds to approximately 40 emergency calls a year and Chief Bertrand says that the new pumper will assist the fire department in faster responses to emergencies within the township and outlying areas.
Chapleau firefighter Rick Smith, Captain Murray Midkiff, stand beside Chapleau Mayor Earle Freeborn as he presents the keys to Chapleau Fire Chief Graham C. Bertrand. Regional councillors Bud Swanson and Doug Greig look on. Photo submitted.
Understanding what to do when a fire starts is important for every Ontario family to learn about and to practice. To further educate about this important fire protection measure, this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Practise Your Escape Plan.” The following are some home fire escape planning tips for families:
A safe escape is only eight steps away
Public service announcements
In addition to these steps, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and the OFM have prepared and distributed the following two public service announcements to community newspapers.
The Ontario fire service is urged to contact their local newspapers and request that these PSAs be printed.
Pictures of the PSAs
An Orangeville landlord was fined $4,400 in March after pleading guilty to 11 violations of the Ontario Fire Code. The owner of a Hamilton-based contracting company was charged following an inspection.
The inspection, spurred by a complaint, showed the fire alarm was not operational. Orangeville firefighters temporarily installed working smoke alarms, which were later replaced by the owner, as part of the department’s smoke alarm program.
Failure to maintain working smoke alarms and failure to submit a fire safety plan were among the charges to which the owner pleaded guilty to in an Orangeville courtroom in March.
“It’s the responsibility of building owners to comply with the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code and that, by ensuring their buildings are in compliance, lives and property will be saved in the event of a fire,” said Orangeville Fire Chief Andy Macintosh.
Excerpted from the April 10, 2007 issue of The Era-Banner.
On June 11, 2007 an Owen Sound owner of an East side duplex was convicted and fined $5,000 for failing to maintain working smoke alarms in the building. On a recent inspection of the property by the fire prevention office, it was noted that no working smoke alarms were present in either of the units. At that time the homeowner was issued two tickets for failing to maintain working smoke alarms for a total of $470. Several weeks later during a follow up inspection of the same building, it was noted that the smoke alarms were still not functioning so the owner was subsequently charged under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.
“Smoke alarms are a requirement in every residential setting and we have a zero tolerance for non-compliance for building owners who do not meet the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code,” said Fire Chief Ed Nowak, Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services.
In April, a landlord of a four-plex apartment in Bobcaygeon was convicted under the Ontario Fire Code for failing to provide an approved fire safety plan. A fine of $3,000 was imposed, in addition to a stern warning from the court.
The charge was brought to light after Fire Prevention Inspector Karl Gleason conducted a regular inspection of the multi-residential building and identified that a fire safety plan was required under Section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code.
“Several attempts were made to bring the building into compliance, however the owner still failed to provide an approved fire safety plan,” said Gleason.
Since the conviction, the building has been brought into compliance.
In July 2006, the owners of a four storey residential walk-up with 32 units were fined $11,500 after pleading guilty to four violations of the Ontario Fire Code.
An inspection was conducted after a fire occurred in one of the units in April 2006. At that time, St. Catharines Fire Services found a number of infractions including failure to maintain smoke alarms, failure to maintain portable fire extinguishers, failure to maintain written records and failure to implement an approved fire safety plan.
In late June, two owners of a two-unit occupancy with four bedrooms in each unit were each convicted of four Fire Code violations, in addition to one Building Code violation and one Waterloo bylaw violation. Together they were fined $14,000 excluding victim’s surcharge. The decision sent a strong message to other owners of student accommodations in the city.
In this occupancy, university students used the side entrance to the basement, which was shared by both the first floor and basement units. On inspection of the occupancy, Pat Lago, Fire Prevention Officer, Waterloo Fire Rescue, laid the following charges:
1. 6.3.3.2.(1) - Smoke alarm on the first floor storey was not maintained in operating condition by the owner(s). Smoke alarm was disconnected and missing on first floor storey.
2. 9.8.3.3.(1)(b) – Flame-spread rating of the interior wall finish within the shared means of escape exceeded 150. Wood paneling was installed on the walls in the exit stairs leading from the basement. This staircase was also accessed from the first floor unit.
3. 9.8.6.1.(2) – A general inspection by the Electrical Safety Authority was not undertaken by the owner. Open wiring was located in two locations.
4. 9.8.6.1.(3) – A letter of compliance from the Electrical Safety Authority was not obtained or made available as per request.
In late May, a Simcoe landlord/owner was convicted of 14 Fire Code violations and fined $5,000. The charges included four counts of failing to provide self-closing devices on apartment suite doors, four counts of failing to repair damaged closures (doors) in a fire separation, two counts of failing to install smoke alarms, one count of failing to repair fire separations, one count of failing to maintain access to exits free of obstructions, one count of failing to maintain lighting in an access to exit and one count of failing to provide a portable fire extinguisher.
“Although fire suppression is often seen by the public as our primary role, fire education and code enforcement are necessary and legislated components to fire protection in any community,” said Fire Chief Terry Dicks. “Enforcing the Ontario Fire Code and laying charges is, at times, necessary to achieve that end.”
In late May, the owner of a North Bay apartment building (35 units) was charged with four violations of the Ontario Fire Code and fined $9,970 after a routine inspection of the building was conducted. Randy Vezina, Chief Fire Prevention Officer with North Bay Fire Services charged the owner with failing to install a fire alarm system in the building, failing to install emergency lighting in the building, failing to have portable extinguishers tested annually by a qualified service technician and failing to install a latching device on a fire door. The owner lived in Toronto.
On August 13, 50 volunteer firefighters from the Quinte West Fire Department received their Firefighter Certification Renewals.
A special presentation ceremony was conducted at a council meeting. Doug Goodings, Executive Coordinator of the OFM Academic Standards & Evaluation section attended to present the certificates.
From left in the front row are Division Commander Grant Reid, Firefighter Cordell Deck, Chief Cliff Jeffrey, Deputy Chief John Whelan and OFM Doug Goodings. Second row are Captain Lance Searles, Captain Pete Cunningham, Captain Mike Williams and Division Commander Mike Boyd. In back row are Firefighter Ryan McNaught, Captain Perry Holland, Firefighter Mike Bathurst, Captain Jamie Dick and Captain Ron Phillips.
BY ROBERT HARPUR, P. ENG.
OFM FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER
There have been a number of reports lately about fires occurring in planters or flowerpots in which potting soil has been used. The fires are of a smouldering nature and, if the planter or flowerpot is plastic, can also result in melting the container. If other combustible material is in close proximity to the planter or flowerpot it may become involved resulting in a flaming fire. In some cases dead plants have contributed to the fuel load.
Commercially prepared potting soil may contain little or no actual soil. It is frequently a mixture of peat moss, shredded wood and bark and non-organic material such as vermiculite or perlite. Some potting soil has fertilizer added that can act as an oxidizing agent making the fire more intense.
The Consumer Protection Office for the state of Wisconsin tested the combustibility of potting soil by laying a cigarette on top of the potting soil in a flowerpot. It started smouldering and eventually burned down through the potting soil to the bottom of the pot.
In most of the incidents it has been determined that the actual ignition source was discarded smoking material. People have butted out their cigarette in the potting soil thinking that it was earth and would extinguish the cigarette. It is worth noting that the delay between discarding the smoking material and the ignition of the potting soil can be considerable, in some cases several hours.
Some of these fires have been attributed to spontaneous combustion. However, this is extremely unlikely. Although peat moss can spontaneously ignite, to create the conditions under which this is possible would require a much larger quantity of material than would normally be found in even a large planter or flower pot. A depth of several feet is usually necessary to allow sufficient heat build up to result in ignition. Fire departments should not attribute the fire cause to spontaneous combustion just because no evidence of smoking materials was found. Any such evidence may be destroyed by the fire.
Planter Fire Safety Tips
A picture of the homes that were affected by fire when the pot below caught fire. Photo submitted.
A picture of a pot that contained potting soil. A fire occurred when the occupant attempted to extinguish a cigarette butt in the soil. Photo submitted.
In late May, the registered company that owned a three-storey apartment building in Hamilton was found guilty in Provincial Offences court of three violations of the Ontario Fire Code and fined a total of $8,800.
The company was convicted of three counts that included failure to repair openings in a fire separation, failure to repair or replace door hardware to ensure that fire separation doors would close properly and failure to submit a Fire Safety Plan for approval. Each count resulted in a fine of $2,200. An officer of the company was also convicted on one count and fined $2,200. Since the convictions, all of the Fire Code violations have subsequently been complied with.
In a separate matter, the registered company that owned a three-storey apartment building in Hamilton has been found guilty in Provincial Offences court of eight violations of the Ontario Fire Code and fined a total of $15,600. The company was convicted on eight counts and fined a total of $9,500 and a company officer, was fined a total of $6,100. Violations included failure to maintain fire separation doors in proper working condition, failure to provide and maintain portable fire extinguishers in the building, failure to provide proper illumination in exits, failure to maintain emergency lighting in working condition, failure to maintain the building’s fire alarm system in working order and failure to maintain smoke alarms in individual apartment units in working order.
“Building owners have a legal responsibility to ensure that their buildings are in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code,” said Chief Fire Prevention Officer Jim Winn with Hamilton Emergency Services. “In both of these matters, the building owners have shown a complete disregard for the safety of their tenants and it is anticipated that the substantial fines levied against both the numbered companies and their officers will serve as a general deterrent for owners of similar properties and remind all building owners of their obligations concerning fire safety.”
BY SUSAN SHANNON
OFM FIRE PROTECTION SPECIALIST, ISSUES MANAGEMENT
On June 27 2007, an appreciation luncheon was held at the Toronto Airport Hilton Hotel, to recognize the contributors to the launch of the Office of the Fire Marshal’s (OFM’s) new Essentials of Fire Protection for Municipal Decision Makers program, an important initiative for the Ontario fire service.
In 2006, the Office of the Fire Marshal struck a project working group to revamp and modernize an existing program designed to assist with decision-making made by municipal leaders with respect to fire protection and prevention strategies. The Project Working Group consisted of OFM staff and stakeholder representatives from a range of disciplines and organizations, including elected officials, senior administrators, Fire Chiefs, Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario), MHSA (Municipal Health and Safety Association) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. This diverse group provided valuable insight to help this program hit the mark with target audiences.
At the recognition luncheon, Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke thanked all members of the Project Working Group and presented each member with a token of appreciation for their dedication to the Essentials revamp project. Several presentations were also made locally for members who were unable to attend the luncheon.
Since January 2007 there have been 10 Essentials seminars delivered by OFM Fire Protection Services staff to municipalities throughout the province, to enhance their understanding of fire protection needs, obligations and legislated requirements.
Seminars have been delivered in Fort Frances, Marathon, North Bay, York Region, Thunder Bay, Temiskaming Shores, Welland, Blind River, Petawawa and Madoc Township. To request an Essentials seminar for your area, contact the Office of the Fire Marshal at (705) 725-7258, 1-800-565-1842, or contact your local OFM Fire Protection Adviser.
The OFM gratefully acknowledges the representatives of the following organizations for their active participation and contribution towards making the Essentials program such a success:
Dave Carruthers - Fire Chief, Township of Clearview - representing the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
Tim Beckett – Deputy Fire Chief, City of Kitchener – representing the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs
Ken MacArthur - Fire Chief, Municipality of Grey Highlands (Markdale Fire Department)
Donna MacDougall – Clerk, Municipality of Kincardine – representing the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
Donald Donaldson – Fire Chief, Greater Sudbury Fire Department
Malcolm McIntosh – Chief Administrative Officer, Town of South Bruce Peninsula
Ken Fisher – Municipal Health and Safety Association
Bill Blackborow – CEO of the Municipal Health and Safety Association
Bob Parsons – Fire Chief, Tillsonburg Fire Department
Jim Pine – Chief Administrative Officer, Hastings County
Scott Vokey – Senior Policy Advisor, Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Dan Mathieson – Mayor, City of Stratford
Robert Haller – Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Prescott
Susan Potter – Project Manager, City of Brampton
Lynn McCoy – Fire Chief, Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services
Andrea Neal – Municipal Advisor, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Alison Fath-York – Senior Financial Advisor, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Jim Fisher – Supervisor, Fire Investigations Services, OFM
DJ Kembel – Program Specialist, Fire Protection Services, OFM
Andy Glynn – Deputy Fire Chief, Oakville Fire Department
Laura Newton – Administration Assistant, Fire Protection Services, OFM
Susan Shannon – Fire Protection Specialist, Issues Management, Fire Protection Services - Project Lead, OFM
Kirk Parsons – Operations Manager, Southeast, OFM
Carol-Lynn Chambers – Operations Manager, Emergency Planning and Strategic Development Unit - Project Manager, OFM
Pictured from left at the appreciation luncheon are Dave Carruthers, Fire Chief, Township of Clearview (Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs), Ken MacArthur, Markdale Fire Department, Susan Shannon, OFM, Carol-Lynn Chambers, OFM, Pat Burke, Ontario Fire Marshal, Kirk Parsons, OFM, Ken Fisher, Municipal Health and Safety Association, Bill Blackborow, Municipal Health and Safety Association and Barry McKinnon, OFM.
Fire Protection Adviser Clair Rouse (left) presents Fire Chief Donald Donaldson, Greater Sudbury Fire Department with the Essentials of Municipal Fire Protection recognition award. The Chief was unable to attend the stakeholder's luncheon.
New Books
Building Construction for the Fire Service by Francis Brannigan and Glenn Corbett. 4th ed. NFPA, 2008.
Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities NFPA, 2007.
Engine Company Fireground Operations by Harold Richman and Steve Persson, 3rd ed. Jones & Bartlett, 2008.
Firefighting Operations in High-rise and Standpipe-equipped Buildings by David McGrail. PennWell, 2007.
Ladder Company Fireground Operations by Harold Richman and Steve Persson, 3rd ed. Jones & Bartlett, 2008.
Pumping Apparatus Driver/Operator Handbook IFSTA, 2006.
National Fire Alarm Code Handbook by Wayne Moore and Lee Richardson. NFPA, 2002.
Ladder Company Fireground Operations
Mask up!...and Live
Engine Company Fireground Operations
Building Construction for the Fire Service
New Videos and DVDs
The Art of Reading Smoke (2007)
Addressed to first-arriving officers, incident commanders and safety officers; explains why they need to read smoke; the basics of reading smoke; hostile fire events and warning signs; and the process of reading smoke.
Mask up!...and Live (2007)
Program features documentary style interviews with the Fire Marshal of Ontario, firefighters currently battling cancer, along with new recruits who are learning to recognize the dangers and potential diseases that may arise in the firefighting profession. Stresses the need for training and the use of personal protective gear.
Move Over...Protect Us All! (2007)
Examines how traffic flow affects the response times of vehicles responding to 9-1-1 calls. Explains Ontario’s “Move Over Law” which was enacted after the tragic death of OPP Sergeant Margaret Eve who was killed when a truck ploughed into three cruisers on the side of Highway 401 in southern Ontario in 2000.
Web Resources
Beds are burning! Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has been burning mattresses 24/7 this summer to verify compliance with the new open flame ignition regulation for mattresses, which took effect July 1, 2007. The new regulation now requires mattresses to meet a 30-minute fire test where the burning mattress cannot give off energy in excess of 200 kilowatts during that time (http://www.ul.com/newsroom/mattress/index.html).
The Fire Sciences Library & Audio-Visual Resource Centre are located in the Office of the Fire Marshal serving staff and residents of Ontario. We welcome visitors to come to the library and borrow from our collection. We will also courier material directly to clients. Hours are Monday – Friday 8:30am to 4:15pm. Visit our website by clicking on Resource Centre at www.ofm.gov.on.ca Phone: (Library) 416-325-3235/3236, (Audio-Visual) 416-325-3121, Email: firesciences.information@ofm.ca.
Fire safety trailers and houses have become the latest item in public education for a number of communities across Ontario. Used at schools and public events, these versatile public education tools not only demonstrate the creativity that lies within the Ontario fire service to get important messages to children, but also are a reflection of fire departments’ strong partnerships within their communities.
Nowadays, recreational trailers can be extremely expensive to purchase. And when the trailer needs to be revamped to promote fire safety, it is not cost effective. To combat this, Russell Fire Department firefighters renovated a trailer on a volunteer basis.
“It is estimated that over 4,000 hours were spent in the construction and managing of this project,” said David Scott, Public Education Officer of the Russell Fire Department. “The trailer was built for $40,000 and a majority of the funds were raised locally through service clubs, businesses and the Russell Volunteer Firefighters Association. To date, we have valued the trailer at over $100,000.”
Locally designed with a graphic display that incorporates fire education messages, the trailer has many features such as controlled smoke that can be directed to each room separately; a heated door; a public announcement system that can also be used for fire sounds (the sound system can be directed to each of the four rooms and outside separately); a fireplace; a simulated 9-1-1 call to the control room; a flaming pot on the stove, video presentations both inside and outside the trailer; the capability to transmit an image through a thermal imaging camera; digital recording capabilities; individually controlled smoke alarms; heating for the cold months and air conditioning for the summer, to name a few.
In southern Ontario, Sarnia Fire Rescue Services’ also has a fire safety trailer. Containing many of the same features, it too is premised on teaching fire safety messages to children. In fact, the similarities between the trailers are an advantage because it ensures consistent fire safety messaging throughout the province. When the trailer is at schools and special events, tours of the trailer are given to help people learn about:
In northern Ontario, fire safety trailers are not as numerous and fire departments have had to share the house that is owned by North Bay Fire Department. It is evidence of how important fire departments believe these tools are to their community public education efforts.
In 1999, North Bay Fire purchased the fire safety house for $35,000 from a company in Pennsylvania. The money was raised through fundraising and in partnership with local groups and community organizations: at the time there was nothing comparable in Canada to purchase. Since then, North Bay Fire has visited every school with Grade 2 classes in North Bay during the months of May and June. Each community uses the house differently to suit their needs. In North Bay, Sheri Korn, Public Education Officer, often brings a fire crew with her to the schools. This way she can set up stations and have the children rotate through it. For example, if there is a class of 24, they will be divided into two or three groups: one group in the house with a presentation, another with a firefighter in bunker gear and a third group with fire safety video outside the house. The two-storey house has travelled to at least 10 northern communities as far away as Timmins.
On one occasion in May, the house was at Englehart Public School and Holy Family School to educate children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 about fire safety.
Englehart & Area Fire Department Fire Chief Greg Johnson believes the house is a good way to make the community of Englehart safer. “We can’t inspect every home in Englehart, but this is a good way of teaching children, when they are young enough, proper fire safety and then have them pass that on to their parents.”
In the future, Chief Johnson would like to raise enough funds to purchase a fire safety house for Englehart so that the children from the whole District of Temiskaming can learn the valuable lessons about fire safety that the tour of the house teaches them.
As fire departments look at ways to enhance their public education efforts in their communities, it is likely more fire safety trailers and houses will be built. Providing an interactive component to teaching children in classrooms, these tools can easily get children and parents thinking about what they would do in their own homes if a fire occurred. In fact, the fire safety messages that are taught in the trailers and houses really ‘hit home’ with the public.
With files from the Temiskaming Speaker newspaper.
Before the Russell Fire Department revamped the trailer. Photo submitted by David Scott, Russell Fire Department.
Firefighters of Russell Fire proudly stand in front of the finished trailer. Photo submitted by David Scott, Russell Fire Department.
Using the knowledge they learned, Sarnia children get low and go under the smoke to safety in Sarnia’s fire safety trailer. Photo submitted by Tom Marshall, Sarnia Fire Rescue Services.
A picture of Sarnia Fire Rescue Services’ fire safety trailer and towing truck. Photo submitted by Tom Marshall, Sarnia Fire Rescue Services.
Englehart Fire Chief Greg Johnson stands in front of the fire safety trailer that they used to educate children in their community. Photo by Sue Nielsen of the Temiskaming Speaker newspaper.
BY TRAVIS MOFFATT
ZONE PREVENTION OFFICER, AVIATION FOREST FIRE MANAGEMENT, NORTHWEST REGION
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation and Forest Fire Management program is testing night vision technology to measure how it can benefit effective forest fire management and emergency response in the province.
Night vision goggles (NVG) have a number of potential applications for the Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation and Forest Fire Management Program. They include: night detection of forest fires, precise mapping of active fires at night, night extractions of fire fighters in emergency situations, and Natural Resource enforcement patrols.
The technology has been in evaluation since the Fall 2005 in conjunction with the National Research Council of Canada. In June of 2007 the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) received Transport Canada approval and operations specification to allow the integration and use of night vision technology in MNR aircraft.
The technology being used is military grade and issue. The goggles are manufactured by ITT technologies and are known as model F4949 Image Intensifiers. The F4949 series is the standard night flying system for the air crews of the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
To facilitate the use of the goggles in MNR aircraft a number of modifications were required in the cockpit and external lighting to ensure compatibility with NVG flight. Two helicopters in the MNR fleet have been modified; they are an Astar and an EC130. The aircraft are strategically located in Sudbury and Dryden in order to provide access to the technology across the province.
There is special training required for pilots in making use of this technology. The training consists of an intensive ground school component and a flight training component, which was completed on the MNR’s own aircraft, by instructor pilots who have a very extensive military and police backgrounds using NVG.
At the beginning of August the conditions in the forests of Northwestern Ontario presented an excellent opportunity to conduct field evaluation exercises of the night vision technology. Dry conditions, over 16,000 fresh lightning strikes and a large active fire southeast of Kenora meant that a number of operational applications of the technology could be evaluated and tested at the same time.
Over the nights of August 3 to 5 a broad evaluation was conducted that included a total of six participants from the Aviation and Forest Fire Management program and the enforcement branch. Each participant was responsible for completing a detailed report on their observations and impressions of the technology, as well as outlining how the technology functioned during each component of the operation.
The flights started at 2200 hrs and were concluded by 0100 hrs. A patrol route was planned for each flight and was designed to include areas that had experienced new lightning occurrences and to take participants over active fire areas. This allowed participants the opportunity to test the goggles in a number of different operational scenarios.
Aerial operations staff reported that “the view through the goggles was unbelievable at first. Crisp resolution and clear imagery allowed for the detection of even the smallest light source.” During the flights a number of campfires were detected and investigated to ensure they were in compliance and not unreported forest fires. During the component of the flight over Kenora Fire 41, a 150 hectare fire southeast of Kenora, clear identification of the fire perimeter and interior fire hot spots was possible.
In mid August the conditions in the forests of Northeastern Ontario presented an equally excellent opportunity to conduct very similar field evaluation exercises of the night vision technology to those done in Northwestern Ontario at the beginning of August. Dry conditions, over 1,680 fresh lightning strikes in the targeted detection area and a number of active fires meant that many operational applications of the technology could be evaluated and tested all at the same time.
Over the nights of August 12 and 13, a broad evaluation was conducted. The first night a planned detection route was in place with fixed turning points. Throughout the first night’s patrol, two fires, started by lightning, were located. The first fire was a small 0.1 hectare fire that detection was able to see from eight to 10 miles from their patrol route. The second fire was in a couple of trees and was able to be detected from four to five miles from the patrol route. Fires are much easier to detect from a distance using the night vision goggles.
The second night, there was a focus on using the goggles to see the fires from a fire behaviour and fire intelligence perspective. Pat Payette, Fire Intelligence Officer, was able to easily identify the size of fires, the location of the perimeter and the more active areas, among many other things.
The night vision technology test project currently being conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation and Forest Fire Management program is another example of innovative thinking and the adoption of cutting edge technology in effective forest fire protection and resource management in Ontario.
The application of night vision technology in firefighting is just beginning to be tested. Its application to municipal departments and forest fire response in the urban interface is another area this technology could prove to be useful.
Apparatus for the night vision includes the aviation helmet and night vision googles. Photo submitted by Travis Moffatt, MNR.
BY KAREN COOK
CO-CHAIR, KAWARTHA LAKES RISK WATCH COALITION
Despite entering into the equine spirit of Lindsay’s 150th Parade, the Kawartha Lakes Risk Watch (KLRW) Coalition really doesn’t “horse around” when it comes to promoting injury prevention in our community!
Our coalition, which was formed in January 1999, has been a trendsetter in the province, achieving many objectives the seven short years of our existence. Originally we set ourselves a goal to have the NFPA’s original Risk Watch program in all 26 of our county’s elementary schools within five years. We achieved that goal in half the time! Presently we are in the process of distributing the new Canadian Risk Watch program and have already in-serviced half of the schools, and have provided them with one set of binders and one set of CDs each. Along with this each school received 30 KLRW-branded mouse pads, an interactive home safety CD for kids, two primary Franklin bike safety storybooks and a pair of bike safety reflective bands.
We take advantage of every opportunity that we can to market ourselves (KLRW) and the Risk Watch program. We have participated in local fall fairs, Police and Fire Prevention Week activities as well as at local events such as Trailfest, Riverfest, and Canada Day Celebrations. We always contact members of the local media to inform them about any special events or activities that we are planning. To facilitate their involvement, we often provide them with a news release.
We regularly use Risk Watch merchandise to thank our supporters, and to reward educators and our own committee. This serves the double purpose of not only garnering goodwill, but also marketing Risk Watch.
The end of September we will host our second annual Breakfast of Champions whereby we invite every Risk Watch Champion (school liaison) and their principal, the media, local politicians and our coalition’s ‘head honchos.’ We utilize this breakfast to showcase any new resources and to highlight our goals and related activities/events for the upcoming year.
Last year we obtained sufficient funding to pilot the Swim to Survive program in four of our elementary schools. This year we have been successful in obtaining grant support through the Lifesaving Society, so every Grade 3 student in the City of Kawartha Lakes will receive “drown-proofing” lessons.
We are also in the process of arranging for injury prevention video clips to be shown in the emergency waiting room of our local hospital.
One of our goals this year is to obtain a Trillium Grant, so as to allow us to provide the Canadian Risk Watch program to the remaining elementary schools and to purchase a display trailer and promotional materials in order to market ourselves more efficiently.
We don’t plan on galloping off into the sunset anytime soon, although you may see us horsing around again in the Lindsay Central Exhibition parade.
Karen Cook rides to promote Risk Watch in the 150th Lindsay Central Exhibition parade.
One topic that has been the subject of great interest at numerous Fire Chiefs’ conferences for the last few years is that of residential fire sprinkler systems. After hearing about the systems and their effectiveness, one Ontario Fire Chief decided he wanted to conduct some of his own research about the systems. In 2005, his findings led him to install a system in his new rural home. He hasn’t looked back since.
For his entire life, Walkerton Fire Chief Ken Freiburger has lived on a rural property. When he and his wife chose to build a new 2,800 square foot home, Chief Freiburger again voted for a rural setting, only this time he wanted to include one innovative feature; a residential fire sprinkler system.
“I wanted to try it to see if it could be done successfully in a rural area,” said Chief Freiburger. “If my family and I had the protection, then it could be offered to anyone living in a rural area.”
After conducting Internet research and interviewing people in the fire service, he and his family decided to ‘rough in’ a system. He contacted Wirsbro, an American company that has a good reputation for its AQUAPEX piping and plumbing products. Now known as Uponor, the fire protection systems have a 25-year warranty, if installed by an Uponor-trained plumbing contractor. The installation took a little more than two days to complete and even included sprinkler heads in the garage. Each sprinkler head is fitted with a cap that blends in with the ceilings of the home. In terms of operability, the cap will release from the ceiling at 135°F and at 155°F the sprinkler head will activate.
“When I look at firefighter training in flashover situations and think about what’s happening now with new building materials for homes or hear about homes that have burned to the ground in less than five minutes, it makes firefighting look scary,” says Chief Freiburger. “For all these reasons, I also had my home set up with interconnected smoke alarms on every storey and outside all sleeping areas, a carbon monoxide alarm in the basement, in addition to the sprinkler system to give my family the earliest possible warning to escape if a fire occurs. You may get some water damage, but certainly not the fatalities or injuries you may have had without them.”
Given this installation was completed on a rural home, there was no municipal water pressure. But not even this hurdle proved too difficult to overcome. Chief Freiburger had a 4,000-gallon cistern with a 300-gallon sprinkler system capacity built on his new property. Collecting rainwater off the roof, the cistern pump always operates at a variable speed and can speed up as needed (i.e., fire situation). Understandably, this pump is much bigger than most other homes because of its specific role in fire suppression. Also, given the size of the cistern, there is never any stagnant water. Fresh water constantly runs through the system and whenever someone flushes a toilet or turns on a tap, Chief Freiburger is assured his sprinkler system is working. The solution has created a maintenance-free system.
Another issue that arose from installing the system in 2005 was that residential sprinkler systems were not widely recognized by insurance companies. Chief Freiburger went back to his research, calling insurance brokers before settling on a price.
“When we built the home, I called a few insurance companies and told them I had a sprinkler system,” said Chief Freiburger. “I had to rattle their chain a little bit to get a quote but in the end, compared to what the quote would have been without sprinklers, the price I paid was very reasonable.”
Generally, residential fire sprinkler systems can cost homeowners about one to one and half per cent of the cost of their home’s value. Although Chief Freiburger may have paid a bit more for a sprinkler system off municipal water, he still maintains that it compares reasonably with other options such as installing a hot tub or granite countertops.
“If someone spends $400,000 on their home and then wishes to invest another $6,000 to $8,000, why not install a sprinkler system. Compared with the other home improvement options, sprinkler systems can save you money on your insurance premium and provide you with added security and protection from fire in your home.”
Since the sprinkler system’s installation, Chief Freiburger has not had a single problem with it, nor has it ever activated. He believes it is one of the best investments that he has ever made for the safety and protection of his family. It’s just like he and a crew are physically at the house 24/7.
A picture of the piping headers that supply the water to the system. The system requires a flow rate of 30 gallons per minute and it is through these tubes that the water is distributed.
A picture of the sprinkler head and piping in the ceiling before the drywall was installed in the Chief’s mechanical room.
A picture of how the finished product looks in all the ceilings. If a fire were to occur, the cap on the sprinkler head would separate at 135°F and allow the sprinkler head to activate at 155°F.
This year’s ALSTAR Charity Ride “Ride With Us Tour...3” raised more than $8,766 for The War Amps.
Since its inception, The War Amps has had as its hallmark the unique philosophy of “amputees helping amputees.” This year the Ride took place on August 4 in Sauble Beach and was coordinated by Keith Hepburn.
“There are so many people, organizations and supporters to thank but I must say “A Huge Thank You” to Joe and Sue Chisholm, owners of Sauble Speedway who not only donated their facilities for this event but also assisted behind the scenes tremendously,” said Hepburn.
Other groups that made the event possible included Solway’s IGA in Wiarton and the Red Knights Firefighter Motorcycle Club, Ontario Chapter # 3.
Hepburn also thanked The War Amps for all their work in providing “so much goodness” to so many people.
September is back to school month. It is a time when many young adults will be attending colleges and universities and will be discovering life away from their parents and guardians for the first time.
As safety experts, we have a role to play in ensuring that Ontario’s future bright minds find a safe place to live and have basic safety knowledge in their homes away from home.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) has developed a fact sheet entitled Student Accommodation: A parent’s guide to finding fire-safe accommodation for students attending college or university. To share this important resource with parents and guardians of students in your community, download it from the OFM website at www.ofm.gov.on.ca.
BY WILLIAM REID
FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTOR, CLARINGTON EMERGENCY AND FIRE SERVICES
Every year Clarington Emergency and Fire Services hosts their Junior Firefighter camp for children aged 10 and 11 years with the support of Ontario Power Generation (Darlington). And this year was no exception.
In operation for four consecutive weeks over the summer, 40 children attended the camp each week. In the end, a total of 160 children had attended. Each week, the children learned different aspects of firefighting and fire safety education through fun and interactive games. The camp was facilitated by post-secondary students and was supervised by Clarington’s Fire Prevention Division.
In addition to their lessons at fire station #1 in Bowmanville, the children had the opportunity to visit the Canadian Fire Fighter Museum located in Port Hope, Ontario. The museum took the children back in time to when firefighting was done without big fire trucks, but with horses and hand-pumps. Children also visited the Ontario Power Generation training facility in Wesleyville where they learned the proper use of fire extinguishers. As many of the children live in rural areas, this skill is often considered very important.
On Friday of each week, the children were divided into teams and competed in a firefighter challenge competition designed to demonstrate the information they had learned to their families. After the challenge, the children were presented with certificates.
Students at Clarington Emergency and Fire Services firefighter camp inspect an antique hose reel at the Canadian Fire Fighter Museum in Port Hope. Photo submitted by William Reid, Clarington Emergency and Fire Services.
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 ROSE BARG
ACADEMIC MANAGER, OFM ACADEMIC STANDARDS & EVALUATION (AS&E)
In May, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) hosted a visit from a Korean professor. Dr. Sang-Tae Chung, a chemical engineer, is an Associate Professor at Inje University in Kimhae, South Korea, where he operates the Chemical Emergency Information Center (CEIC).
Dr. Chung had read the article entitled Breaking down Barriers: Collaborative Education Drives Collective Change, published by the OFM in 2004, in the Journal of Emergency Management, as well as on the OFM website www.ofm.gov.on.ca. He indicated that this article sparked his interest in contacting the OFM. The article is still available on the OFM website under the title: OFM-led multi-agency initiative recognized internationally! The article outlines how the Province of Ontario developed a two-part approach to emergency preparedness, so that an integrated approach would ensure collaboration between multi-agency first response agencies and the training and education that is offered to responders.
Multi-Agency Emergency Preparedness/Response Core Planning Committee
Much of the collaboration that the article addresses is based on the Multi-Agency Emergency Preparedness / Response Core Planning Committee. Lynne Lofquist, Section Manager, Academic Standards and Evaluation chairs this committee. Committee members represent various first response agencies, various ministries, all levels of government as well as related agencies and associations who have an interest in first response and public safety. The goal of the committee is to share information and discuss related issues that contribute to the project goal. This is “to ensure that a competent, multi-disciplinary team is available on a province-wide basis to respond to large-scale and/or complex natural or human-caused emergencies in a planned, coordinated and timely manner.”
Significance of Ontario’s strategy to South Korea
In 2004, CEIC was established by the Inje University along with other stakeholders of the chemical industry to operate a 24-hour-a-day call centre to provide information regarding chemicals. Additionally, CEIC developed HazMat emergency response education and training for emergency response, based on NFPA 472.
As in many western countries, Korea had also been alerted and was preparing a counter-terrorism strategy. By 2007, the Korean government had commissioned CEIC to develop a unified (multi-agency) education and training program especially for fire and environmental professionals. Dr. Chung believes that one of the key factors in making the strategy work was to develop a multi-agency advisory group that would provide a foundation for multi-agency cooperation in major emergencies. Further, this cooperative group could contribute to the development of the required education and training that would support CEIC’s goals. By visiting overseas counterparts, Dr. Chung also hoped to learn from the experiences of others who were working on similar initiatives in order to share information and as well as to learn.
A tour with the Office of the Fire Marshal
After reading about the OFM, Dr. Chung contacted this author at the OFM to arrange a meeting. As a result, Dr. Chung visited the OFM on May 3, 2007. Doug Goodings, Manager of Accreditation and Certification, Academic Standards & Evaluation Section, drove him to the Ontario Fire College where they met with the Multi-Agency Emergency Preparedness Operational Committee. This Committee is comprised of Ed Godden, OFC Academic Manager, Carol-Lynn Chambers, Chief - Emergency Management, Emergency Planning & Strategic Development (EPSD) and Rose Barg, Manager, Academic Unit, Academic Standards and Evaluation. This committee is responsible for coordinating the development and delivery of training, as well as operations of the Emergency Preparedness Program within the OFM. The Committee and Dr. Chung shared valuable information about multi-agency response in their jurisdictions. Following a lunch, Greg Way, Program Specialist (EPSD), provided Dr. Chung with a tour of the facilities at the OFC, including the training props that have been obtained to support HazMat training.
Further sharing of information
Dr. Chung returned to the OFM on a subsequent visit, and met with Deputy Fire Marshal Doug Crawford, Lynne Lofquist and Rose Barg. During this visit, and in the spirit of ongoing cooperation, Barg provided him with course materials for the HazMat Ops and Tech courses and other relevant resources that will be used by the Inje University to assist in the development of curricula for delivery in Korea. We trust that continued cooperation between the OFM and Inje University, South Korea will be of mutual benefit to both organizations and that through our work we will continue to break down barriers and promote collective and positive change.
From left are Rose Barg, OFM Academic Manager, Lynne Lofquist, OFM Manager, Academic Standards & Evaluation, Dr. Sang-Tae Chung, Korean professor, his daughter Eunhae and Doug Crawford, Deputy Fire Marshal, OFM.
BY ROB STEELE
FIREFIGHTER, STRATFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT
A picture of Rob Steele, firefighter with Stratford Fire Department. Photo submitted.
In keeping with the Stratford tradition for recruits, I was enrolled in the Recruit Training Program for three weeks at the Ontario Fire College in June. It was coordinator George Sesto, along with his highly skilled team of instructors, who took on the challenge of moulding myself and the 23 other recruits into steady, dependable firefighters.
My journey to becoming a firefighter is similar to many of today’s generation: many applications and very few spots. I completed the three-year Fire Protection Engineering program at Seneca College in 2003. After chalking up my first firefighting interview as a learning experience I took a job at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge and continued my search to be a firefighter while working there. It was a well-paying job that allowed me financially to continue taking courses that I needed for firefighting. Finally, with the strong support of my wife and family, my fourth interview for a firefighting position was successful and I received the call from Stratford in the summer of 2006, for which I was very grateful.
If you are contemplating enrolling yourself or enrolling new recruits in the program, let me tell you a bit more about it. On day one at the OFC, we introduced ourselves one by one until all 24 recruits were heard. By the end of that day it was clear to see the kind of group we had; we were a united front, carrying on as friends. Often we shared stories, networked and most importantly laughed together…laughed a lot! Days two to 15 came and went very quickly. While performing search and rescue in the four-storey burn tower, we acquired many skills through training that we will be able to rely on throughout our careers. Training such as maintaining an open doorway to prevent being trapped, feeling for a corner, a railing, visualizing the layout of a building in the dark were all skills that we learned that might help us find our way in a real situation. A good deal of our time was spent crawling through the burn house and pulling hose up stairs and ladders, ventilating in the proper sequence to ensure the safety of fellow firefighters in the house, and becoming familiar with the voices in our head when put to such a test. The exercises certainly demonstrated our abilities to trust a friend who had been a total stranger just days earlier.
One of the definite highlights of the course was the flashover training. For those who haven’t had the opportunity, I recommend that you seek out this training. To be in the flashover unit and physically observe and identify the signs of a fire behaviour that has taken the lives of many good firefighters can only be of benefit. I was convinced the moment that I stepped foot in the training room that this training would save lives.
For our last live burn, the OFC provided us with the experience of a lifetime: a day at the Bruce Nuclear plant. It was likely the biggest fire most of us will see in our careers. The 900 square foot (274 square metre) pan fire was one of the most impressive sights.
The training we had during those three weeks has prepared us for the unknown and helped every one of us in developing the characteristics that all good firefighters have: composure. The lessons that our class learned at the OFC will be with us for the rest of our careers and the friends and memories will be with us for a lifetime. Thanks to the OFC and in the words of our fearless leader, “Flame on!”
The Stratford Fire Department consists of 52 full-time personnel and services the city of 32,000 citizens. Operating two fire stations, Stratford has a fleet of three pumper trucks, one aerial truck, one rescue truck, one mini-pumper truck and a rescue boat. The Stratford Fire Department provides coverage to 27 km2 and responds to approximately 1,800 calls per year.
Ontario Fire Watch: Fatal Fire Summary
The OFM compiles statistics on all fatal fires that occur in Ontario. These statistics can assist the fire service to determine fire trends, plan fire prevention initiatives and target public education activities. Due to the methods and criteria used in reporting fire deaths, statistics are subject to change.
June 2007: 5 fatal fires resulting in 5 fire deaths
Age Group 0-15: Male - 1, Female - 0, Total - 1
Age Group 16-64: Male - 3, Female - 0, Total - 3
Age Group 65 and over: Male - 1, Female - 0, Total - 1
Total: Male - 5, Female - 0, Total - 5
Fire Cause - Accidental 2, Undetermined 0, Under Investigation 3, Incendiary 0
Time of Day - 0001-0800 - 2, 0801-1600 - 2, 1601-1800 - 1, 1801-0000 - 0
Locations of fatal fires: Markham (1), Manitouwadge (1), London (1), Leeds and the Thousand Islands (1) and Adjala-Tosorontio (1).
July 2007: 3 fatal fires resulting in 5 fire deaths
Age Group 0-15: Male - 0, Female - 1, Total - 1
Age Group 16-64: Male - 1, Female - 2, Total - 3
Age Group 65 and over: Male - 0, Female - 1, Total - 1
Total: Male - 1, Female - 4, Total - 5
Fire Cause - Accidental 2, Undetermined 1, Under Investigation 0, Incendiary 0
Time of Day - 0001-0800 - 2, 0801-1600 - 0, 1601-1800 - 0, 1801-0000 - 1
Locations of fatal fires: Newmarket (1), Kingston (1) and Bonnechere Valley (3).
For most Ontario fire departments, videos, computers and a visit from Sparky are the mainstream avenues for educating children about fire safety. In Woolwich Township, one of the last areas in the province to be settled by Mennonites, the fire safety messages are just as important, but are relayed in different ways to respect the culture and traditions of the Mennonite community.
“There are about 20 different sects of Mennonites in the Waterloo region,” says Bill Cronin, Chief Fire Prevention Officer with the Township of Woolwich Fire Department. “Though every sect has different customs, a good part of each is built on trust and relationships with others. Trust has been the most important element in helping us to get fire safety messages to young Mennonite children and their parents.”
Del Gingrich of the visitor’s centre in St. Jacobs estimates there are approximately 15,000 Mennonites in the Waterloo region. They represent about one and one quarter per cent of the world’s Mennonite population. The province of Ontario represents the greatest concentration in Canada.
To earn their trust Cronin worked with Fire Chief Dennis Frey and James Martin, Fire Prevention Officer with the Floradale Fire Station. Both are Mennonites with strong ties to their communities. Having worked at the fire department for 26 and 21 years respectively, they explained how going door to door and talking to people about their family connections was a way for people to be able to sort their ancestry through family lines. By having this connection, Frey and Martin believe they have been more effective than most at getting community residents to practice the fire safety messages they have been taught. An added bonus, both Frey and Martin are fluent in German, a language still used by many of the residents in the community.
“Mennonite families are not opposed to fire safety in their homes,” says Chief Frey. “They understand that it saves lives and is a way to prevent the amount of damage fires can cause to their properties. Many do not have insurance.”
“Whenever there is a fire, people take up a collection at church,” he continued. “Then everyone helps rebuild. In this respect, fire safety education saves a lot of money and a lot of heartache. These farms have had so many hours put into them…they are people’s livelihoods and their homes.”
One way the Floradale Fire Station respects Mennonite customs is by educating young children with a hazard house. Videos, colouring books or a visit from Sparky are not part of their culture. Alternatively, education in Mennonite culture focuses on person-to-person contact so as not to take away from the important information. They believe puppets and cartoons take away from the key messages. The hazard house is completely portable and consists of rooms where fire hazards can occur. Though many rooms exhibit modern hazards than can occur from faulty appliances, the messages can be revised for children in different Mennonite sects. The house is such an important educational tool that it has been used by seven other departments in the area.
“In most cases it is the child’s job to clean the ashes out of the woodstove,” says Martin. “We use a picture of where cigarette butts have been extinguished in sand in a tin can to educate children about the importance of putting the ashes in a tin pail, rather than a plastic one, for example. We also teach them the importance of rolling up long sleeved shirts when putting wood into woodstoves.”
In addition to the hazard house, the fire department plans annual Farm Safety Days throughout the summer. During these days, children learn how to dial 9-1-1 and fill out information cards with their township, property number, road name, doctor’s name and closest fire department. This is a relatively new component of the safety days: it has only been the last four years when most Mennonite families installed telephones in their homes. Other issues that children learn about is large animal safety, equipment safety (taught by representatives from equipment dealers), the dangers of augers and for the older children, how to use a fire extinguisher. And these safety days are paying off.
Martin spoke of a young girl who came to a safety day and learned about the importance of calling 9-1-1 in an emergency. A few years later, when she was 16, her brothers were driving a tractor when one of the boys fell off and was critically injured. Thanks to her having attended the fire safety day, she knew exactly what to do and called 9-1-1. Martin believes that call saved the boy’s life. Without the telephone and the knowledge of how to place a 9-1-1 call, the only other way to have attained medical assistance for the boy would have been to run to a neighbour’s house.
“With our fire safety messages, we tell people how to properly get help,” continued Martin. “Now they understand that it’s alright to call us; they aren’t going to get a bill. We’re here to help them.”
The safety days also provide an opportunity to talk to children’s parents. And often parents ask questions about the materials their children have learned. Frey and Martin find it’s a good way to reinforce some of the fire safety messages they have taught the children, particularly when it comes to changing the batteries in smoke alarms and in planning and practicing a home fire escape plan.
“On average each year, 10 to 12 per cent of all calls are fire calls,” says Chief Frey. “We don’t have any more fires than anyone else. If there is a fire on a Mennonite property, it is predominately because of the woodstove in the house. And of course we’ve had some barn fires but really we’ve seen a change of attitude toward fire safety. This is the leading reason why we do not have many fire calls.”
While it is has only been in recent years that the majority of Mennonite families have allowed telephones in their homes, there are still many customs and traditions that must be considered and respected by fire safety professionals. Perhaps the most important part of providing fire safety in this region is trust. An integral part of Mennonite culture, it is this trust that will continue to provide long-lasting relationships and safer homes in Woolwich Township for years to come: plain and simple.
James Martin, Fire Prevention Officer with the Floradale Fire Station in Woolwich Township stands beside their hazard house. The house has been used by seven other departments to educate children about fire safety in their homes.
Martin shows one of the cards that is used to demonstrate fire safety with woodstoves.
Two Mennonite boys fish for their lunch at an old fishing hole in Woolwich Township.
From left, Floradale Fire Chief Dennis Frey, James Martin, Fire Prevention Officer and Bill Cronin, Fire Prevention Officer, St. Jacobs Fire Department stand in front of Floradale’s truck bays.
Mennonite Del Gingrich works in the St. Jacobs visitor’s centre to inform visitors about Mennonite traditions, customs and their history. The centre is also home to a number of pamphlets about activities and attractions in Woolwich Township.
Joel Bauman, a Mennonite farmer, shows Bill Cronin, St. Jacobs Fire Department, that he has a smoke alarm outside all sleeping areas in his home.
BY MELISSA BAILEY
RICHMOND HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT
Planning has already begun for next year’s 52nd annual OMFPOA (Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association) Training and Education Seminar. It will once again be held in Richmond Hill at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel from June 9 to 12.
This year’s symposium was a huge success, with more than 200 people attending the event. The Richmond Hill Fire Department thanks everyone who attended and looks forward to seeing everyone again next year.
Ontario Fire Prevention Officers on a tour of the York Region Safety Village. Photo submitted by Melissa Bailey, Richmond Hill Fire Department.
Attendees at the 51 annual OMFPOA Training and Education Seminar. Photo submitted by Melissa Bailey, Richmond Hill Fire Department.
BY RYAN BETTS
PROGRAM SPECIALIST, OFM PUBLIC EDUCATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION
Guides Ontario is hoping that Sparks will light up fire stations all across Ontario this November. These kinds of sparks won’t be the kind that firefighters are used to battling; they will be five and six-year-old Girl Guides in the Sparks program.
Fire departments can expect to be contacted by the leaders of their local Sparks troops to schedule a visit to the fire station this November in support of the Sparks Ablaze program. Sparks Ablaze is a three-week program designed to educate Girl Guides in the Sparks age group about fire safety. In Week One, Sparks will learn about fire safety at a scheduled meeting. In Week Two, the Sparks hope to visit a local fire station where they will learn more about fire safety and tour the station. In Week Three, the lessons learned from Week One and Week Two will be summarized and reviewed.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is pleased to work with Guides Ontario to implement Sparks Ablaze and has prepared a lesson guide to assist fire departments in conducting a fire safety lesson that supports the learning outcomes of the program. The lesson guide will be distributed to the fire service as an attachment to an OFM Communiqué outlining details of the program.
For more information about the Sparks Ablaze program or the prepared lesson guide, fire departments can contact OFM Program Specialist Ryan Betts at (705) 897-1191, or Ryan.Betts@ontario.ca.
Sept. 23-26 - Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Conference-Niagara Falls, ON
Sept. 30 - Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial at Queen’s Park-Toronto, ON
Oct. 4 - Hamilton, Haldimand, Norfolk, Niagara Investiture Awards-Hamilton, ON
Oct. 7 - Ontario Fire College Firefighter's Memorial Service-Gravenhurst, ON
Oct. 7-13 - Fire Prevention Week - “Practise Your Escape Plan”-Ontario
Nov. 14 - 16 - 15th annual Public Fire & Life Safety Educators’ Conference-Midland, ON
There’s a new rescue boat patrolling the Kawartha Lakes thanks to a new partnership between Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service, Kawartha Lakes Emergency Medical Services and City of Kawartha Lakes Police Services.
The 22-foot (6.7 metre) Doral Bowrider, stationed at Centre Point Landing near Bobcaygeon, Ontario has been on the water since mid-July and is the latest addition to the emergency services’ fleet. The boat belonged to the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service but was sitting in storage at headquarters. Police Chief John Hagarty offered the boat as part of a partnership with the Fire Rescue Service. “We were looking for ways to improve our efficiency and thought it might be better utilized by sharing it with the other emergency services,” says Chief Hagarty.
Fire Chief Dave Guilbault was thrilled with the offer. “I jumped at the opportunity. We have a lot of waterfront residents and the boat will allow us to respond to them more quickly.”
The boat, known in the department as 3-17, will also be used for fire prevention education when they’re out on the water. “We have been pulling up to cottages and asking if they have a working smoke [alarm],” says Chief Guilbault.
Highly visible, featuring each service’s logo and bright orange flames licking up the sides, the boat has already been used in a number of on-water calls this summer. An agreement has been made with the Trent-Severn waterway as well to ensure the boat can get through Bobcaygeon’s Lock 32 if there is an emergency on Pigeon Lake to the east.
Centre Point Landing is also a significant partner in the venture. “They are providing training, maintenance and the closest slip to the entrance to its docks,” says Chief Guilbault.
Although based out of Centre Point Landing in Bobcaygeon, the boat can be brought back for use on the Scugog River in the Lindsay area when needed for policing. “It will help us to target speeders and impaired boaters,” says Chief Hagarty. “Having it in use by all services increases the visibility and let’s people know that there is enforcement activity.”
In a promotional ‘launch’ of the boat, Sparky the Fire Dog joined City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Ric McGee in waterskiing on Pigeon Lake. The event was coordinated in partnership with the Red Cross and was designed to promote water safety.
Mayor Ric McGee and Sparky the Fire Dog enjoy the sunshine while waterskiing on Pigeon Lake. The message for the day was “Be smart on the water and always wear a life jacket.”
From top left Fire Chief Dave Guilbault, Assistant Fire Chief Ron Raymer, Kawartha Lakes Police Chief John Hagarty and EMS Manager Paul Robson take the new Emergency Services boat out from its slip at Centre Point Landing in Bobcaygeon. All photos submitted.
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