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NEWS 
 

Over 80 per cent of basement fires in Brampton over past 2 years in unregistered units

The majority of fires in Brampton, Ont., basements over the past three years have occurred in unregistered units, the City of Brampton says.


Wildfire burns in northwestern B.C. day after fire ban introduced

A wildfire is burning in northern B.C. shortly after a fire ban went into effect in the region. A helicopter and multiple crews were needed to bring a grass fire under control near the village of Kitwanga, about 90 kilometres northeast of Terrace, on Saturday. The fire led to a brief closure of Highway 37.


Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs commends federal budget for its ‘smart, clear investments’ in fire, emergency, and affordable housing

The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is commending the federal budget for its "commitments on firefighter training and equipment", said Fire Chief John McKearney, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), in a news release. "These are smart, clear investments which Canada's fire chiefs and firefighters can help maximize". The recently released federal budget contained commitments to both Natural Resources Canada and Indigenous Services Canada


174 more lives lost to illicit drug toxicity in February, coroner reports

More than 170 people died from illicit drug toxicity across B.C. during the month of February, marking a small drop from the month of January but pushing the total number of deaths over the past six years past 9,400.
 
 
SPONSORED SPOTLIGHT 
 
FFIC|Globe Manufacturing Company, LLC|102552|SS1

For the health & safety of what's most important—you.

The Globe Guard™ Hood offers head and neck particulate-protective barrier coverage that is both durable and comfortable. It uses DuPontTM Nomex® Nano Flex, a thinner, lighter, breathable, and flame-resistant material with exceptional elasticity and superior particulate barrier performance. It helps to protect against airborne particulates that can include toxic substances on the fireground. The Globe Guard™ head-to-toe system is designed for the health and safety of what's really most important underneath - you. » Learn more
 
Current Issue 
 
F1

NFPA Impact: The importance of being (fire) smart

Back in 2011, after a spring wildfire swept through Slave Lake, I interviewed Fire Chief Jamie Coutts for a story for this magazine. It’s been 11 years since that wind driven, weather- and climate-change affected fire roared through a community that was aware of and alert to wildfire. Nothing could have stopped that fire. If you are in the wildland urban interface, or if your municipality is at risk of wildfire, it’s critical that your residents embrace FireSmart principles, and that neighbours work together to build FireSmart communities. By Laura King » Read more...
 
F2

Guest Column: The miracle

There is a story inspired by the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 winter Olympics that stands out above many others. Regardless of what nation you belong to, this story and its outcome will always be remembered as the miracle on ice. By James R. Rychard » Read more...
 
SPONSORED SPOTLIGHT 
 

Preventing Firefighter Disorientation: Enclosed Structure Tactics for the Fire Service

William Mora, a 30-year fire service veteran and firefighter safety advocate, discusses how to prevent traumatic structural firefighter fatalities. Firefighter disorientation can be defined as “the loss of direction due to the lack of vision in a structure fire.”

To combat this problem, Mora outlines a multipronged approach to effectively address the components that contribute to disorientation and structural firefighter fatalities. Preventing Firefighter Disorientation includes many case studies and guidelines for size-up factors and is an important resource for all firefighters.

» Our April feature, now 20% off.  Order your copy!
 
FEATURED CONTENT 
 

Branding for the modern fire service

The life cycle of a fire department is one marked with benchmarks, such as anniversaries, and the people that make them up change over time. The vehicles, training and tools need to adapt and grow to remain viable and relevant as benchmarks go by. These events make up the history of the department, which in turn forms the “culture” or the “soul” of a service. When a fire department moves towards the future, it has a lot of transitional components in play, from leadership movement, acceptance of new technology and forming a new sense of self-identity. When that time comes to contemplate what the department stands for — being mindful of the past, but striving forward towards the future – that is the time to think about branding. By Kirk Hughes » Learn more

Lingo and logistics

Current interagency communication techniques are like a step stool in your tool kit, infrequently used, but important and helpful when the time comes. While there are workarounds to it, like standing on your toes, and stretching to reach, nothing quite beats the real thing. Equipment and strategies of interagency communication are currently “only used in moments of need, rather than a system that is ingrained into the public safety space,” said Michael Akpata, applied solutions manager at Mutualink and former first responder. It should be “something that people automatically expect it to be there, as opposed to being surprised when it is.” By Kaitlin Secord » Learn more
 
FIRE FIGHTING IN CANADA: THE PODCAST 
 

The evolution and future of mass notification systems

Tune in to April’s podcast for a conversation on how public alerts have evolved, why radio is still a key player, what the research shows about public reaction to emergency notifications, best practices for crafting your message, why it’s important to know and address your policy hurdles and how GPS plays a role in the next generation of population targeting. Podcast host Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy talks all this and more with Jacob Westfall, chief technology officer with Public Emergency Alerting Services Incorporated (PEASI), a mass notification software company based in Calgary who is the developer of Alertable software. » Listen now
 
Events 
 

OAFC 2022 Conference and Trade Show

May 5-7, 2022
Location: The International Centre, Mississauga, ON
» Learn more

Security • Police • Fire Career Expo

May 10, 2022
Location: Universal EventSpace, Vaughan, ON
» Learn more

BCFTOA Conference

May 14-19, 2022
Location: Salmon Arm, B.C.
» Learn more