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Training
Tim-Bits: January 2012
Many fire departments encounter a problem after the call is over – while firefighters are taking up the hose.
Fit for Duty: January 2012
Each of us has an obligation – to ourselves, our crews and our families – to take a serious look at the roles we take on in our departments.
Back to Basics: January 2012
Removing the mayday firefighter from a hostile environment is a top priority for the rapid intervention team (RIT) operation.
FitSmart: January 2012
The emphasis on core strength and health seems to increase with each visit to the doctor.
Back to Basics: November 2011
In the last couple of issues we looked at ventilation. One tactic for quick ventilation of structures is vent, enter and search, or VES.
Volunteer Vision: November 2011
Growing up in this profession (and in the public eye in general, through my previous work in media), I’ve become well aware of optics and the way people perceive things.
Straight Talk: November 2011
I am writing this at the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs conference in Calgary, where former Toronto Argonauts coach Mike “Pinball” Clemons has just finished talking about playing the game and playing it for the team
Trainer’s Corner: November 2011
This month, we will look at forcible egress as we continue to focus on firefighter assist and survival tactics (FAST).
Back to Basics: October 2011
A mayday firefighter’s air supply is an important area of concern. While conducting a nine-step assessment, one RIT member checks the air-cylinder gauge on the back.
Dual Duty: October 2011
Summer holidays present a great opportunity to recharge, reflect and catch up on long-awaited vacation opportunities. No phones, no pagers, no emergencies . . . paradise.
Functionally fit
In the world of strength and conditioning training, firefighters are considered to be on the same level as extreme-sport and elite athletes.
Due diligence
Last fall my roof needed to be re-shingled. I had a few options: I could do it myself, hire a buddy, or go with a contractor.
Trainer’s Corner: September 2011
Sept. 11, 2001, is a date most people will never forget. Thousands of innocent lives were lost that day, and millions more were changed forever.
Volunteer Vision: September 2011
As firefighters, we tend to see in our own circles, but we also have a greater understanding, awareness of, and respect for the dedication of all our uniformed services.
The status of training
Has the fire service standardized training since 9-11? In my opinion, if we are honest with ourselves, the answer would be no – at least, not because of 9-11.
The status of federal support
What has, or hasn’t, changed in the Canadian fire service since Sept. 11, 2001?
Back to basics: July 2011
When a mayday firefighter requires the rapid intervention team, there is a nine-step process that must be followed once contact has been made. The process helps the RIT to quickly assess the situation and the mayday firefighter. The nine steps are as follows:
FitSmart: July 2011
One of the most common fitness obstacles the average person faces is finding the time to adequately train. This is just as true for volunteer (or part-time or paid, on-call firefighters) as it is for busy, working parents or 80-hour-a-week CEOs. Essentially, most part-time firefighters try to balance two dedicated careers with family life and everything that comes with busy lives ruled by BlackBerrys and iPhones. Too often, the workout is entirely cut out of a busy day. Many readers have expressed interest in learning how to stay fit on a tight timeline. I’m here to tell you that it is possible to do so. I truly believe that in spite of a busy lifestyle you can achieve the fitness level you desire.
Getting fit in the fire hall
A fire-hall gym, whether it’s in a volunteer department or a career hall, must meet the needs of its users. The equipment must handle a variety of exercises and be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate the intensity and complexity of the exercises. Versatility is key; portable equipment that can be set up and used almost anywhere is ideal. And, of course, budget is an issue.
Dual Duty: July 2011
As I write this, I am helping to train eight new paramedic/firefighter recruits. The challenge is enormous because the training encompasses both fire and EMS procedures. However, the greatest challenge is breeding a culture of dual-role service to new recruits from various backgrounds. These new hires are very enthusiastic and proud of their decisions to choose careers as firemedics.
Trainer's Corner: June 2011
This month we continue to focus on firefighter assist and survival tactics, specifically SCBA entanglement. Entanglement in wires, cables or other hazards can be a major challenge for firefighters. An entanglement emergency occurs when a firefighter becomes tangled in debris that prevents his/her freedom of movement, thus creating a potentially life-threatening situation.
Trainer’s Corner: May 2011
If your department deals with hazardous material, a copy of the Emergency Response Guidebook, or ERG, is an invaluable resource.
Back to Basics: May 2011
Vertical ventilation is an effective way to remove the products of combustion quickly and efficiently. Going to the roof to make a vertical vent is dangerous but the payoff is the quick removal of hot gases and smoke, and the injection of fresh air. Firefighters can make many types of vents; the roof style will help firefighters decide which type of vent is appropriate.
Truck Tech: May 2011
According to Wikipedia, cryogenics is the study of the production of temperature below -150 C (-238 F) and the behaviour of materials at those temperatures.
High-tech tools
Sometimes technological breakthroughs are revolutionary – such as the development of the Internet and the personal computer.
FitSmart: April 2011
I appreciate reading questions and emails from readers; it’s a pleasure to get feedback from you and I encourage more of it. Your questions make this column possible, and my goal with FitSmart is to write about things you want to read.
Back to Basics: April 2011
During rapid intervention team (RIT) operations, it’s important to consider ways to increase the mayday firefighter’s chances of survival.
Live fire
When Steve Sorensen took a level 2 fire investigation course in 1999, all of the analyzing, scrutinizing and theorizing were done among specially built drywall and plywood cubicles – a rather clinical, not-too-realistic setting.
Between Alarms: April 2011
If someone were to compare the fire service of today with the fire service of 20 years ago, the drastic changes in almost all regards would be obvious.
Heart of the matter
The day of the Sunrise Propane explosion in Toronto in August 2008, Acting District Chief Bob Leek delivered an all-terrain vehicle to onsite colleagues and stayed to help with the evacuation of thousands of residents of the north Toronto neighbourhood where the incident occurred.
Integration issues
First responders play a vital role in the communities they serve but the way they interact with each other needs work.
Becoming a firefighter
Fire fighting is a challenging and rewarding career. If you’re thinking about becoming a firefighter, here are some things to consider.
FitSmart: January 2011
It’s hard to flip through a magazine or watch much TV without an energy booster ad or endorsement popping up. Our society is fast paced and it’s tough to keep up at the best of times. Now, companies have started to target those of us with occasional energy deficiencies and the market is huge. Energy supplements have become a billion-dollar industry, and you can get your energy any way you choose – through drinks, pills, patches and almost any other way you’d like it. The problem with this is that we’ve forgotten where energy is supposed to come from – a healthy and efficient lifestyle through proper diet, exercise and natural supplementation. Before diving into the energy boosting bottles, try controlling your energy the natural way.
Back to Basics: January 2011
During rapid intervention team (RIT) operations, it’s important to consider ways to increase the mayday firefighter’s chances of survival. This can be done by applying the AWARE acronym to every rescue of a mayday firefighter: Air, Water, A Radio and Extrication. This acronym helps the incident commander with the RIT operation and it will help RIT members remember what to address first, second, third and last with respect to the rescue. We have already looked at air, water and radio. Now we’ll look at extrication.
Between Alarms: January 2011
Most of you are probably familiar with the 2-20 factor, a rather negative reference reserved for members who have been on the job for two years but act like they’ve been on for 20 (or some variation of this timeline).
Extrication Tips: January 2011
Side-impact crashes account for almost 30 per cent of collisions in North America and are the second-leading cause of death and injury to vehicle occupants. More than 10,000 people on North American roadways are killed annually from these types of crashes (1,000 in Canada; 9,000 in the United States).
Live burn - part 2
In the July 2010 issue of Canadian Firefigher and EMS Quarterly we discussed important factors to consider when setting up a live fire training exercise, including an acquired structure versus a fixed facility.
Trainer’s Corner: December 2010
This issue of Trainer’s Corner looks at the danger that hoarding poses to first responders. The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding on its website as “the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. “Hoarding,” it says, “often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.”
Back to Basics: December 2010
One of the functions of a truck company is to conduct reconnaissance on the fire ground. Whether conducted by an official truck company, a rescue company or an engine company, reconnaissance is important. Incident commanders are often frustrated because they don’t know what is going on inside and around the structure during the first minutes of the situation.
Well-Being: December 2010
Bedbugs were once all but eradicated in Canada but these pests have made an unwelcome comeback. Bedbugs are reddish-brown, oval-shaped insects that look like apple seeds with six legs. It can be difficult to tell if you have bedbugs because they hide well, are pretty small and, generally, they come out only when it’s dark.
Flashpoint: December 2010
Elsewhere in this issue, Chief Bill Stewart describes the tactical problems encountered and overcome by Toronto Fire Services at a wind-driven fire on an upper floor of a downtown highrise. Our industry has come up with various methods over time for calculating the required flow of water for fire protection.
Truck know-how
In September’s Truck Tech column we discussed the fact the cost of fire trucks has increased by about $46,000 since 2006 due to new emissions standards and other criteria.
Trainer's Corner: November 2010
I have been a longtime advocate of hands-on training but there are times when a review of firefighting theory is of benefit.
Back to Basics: November 2010
In September we looked at the challenge of getting a fire victim from the floor to the window sill and out onto the ladder.
Trainer’s Corner: September 2010
As I write this on a much-appreciated break between wildfires, there are just under 400 wildfires burning in British Columbia. This has turned out to be one of the province’s busiest fire seasons since 2003.
Flashpoint: August 2010
It occurred to me that many of the topics I have covered in FlashPoint columns are manifestations of the larger issue of risk management and control.
Well Being: August 2010
With the advent of new health monitoring technology, researchers are better able to explain why firefighters are more susceptible to heart attack than the general public.
Trainer's Corner: August 2010
This Trainer’s Corner column is a collection of training drills that we at Canwest Fire have used to get firefighters more comfortable while wearing SCBA in immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) environments. You are welcome to change them to fit your department’s training guidelines.
Back to Basics: August 2010
We have been looking at several aspects of ground ladders and how they are effective on the fire ground. In June we reviewed ladder placement angles and how we can ladder a building quickly for rescue without having to check for a proper angle.
Back to Basics July 2010
Among the tactical considerations during a rapid intervention team operation is making sure we increase the mayday firefighter’s chances of survival. We can do this by applying the acronym AWARE to every rescue of a mayday firefighter. AWARE stands for air, water, a radio and extrication. This acronym helps the incident commander and it helps the RIT members remember what to address first, second, third and last with respect to the rescue. We will explore each of these important and crucial ingredients in the next few issues. For starters, let’s look at the letter A – for air. |