Fire Fighting in Canada

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Firefighter falls through floor while battling blaze

Jan. 22, 2016, Regina - A Regina firefighter had a close call when he fell from the second floor to the ground floor of a building while fighting the blaze.

Officials say he wasn't seriously hurt but the city's fire chief is irate because Thursday morning's fire was the second time this week they were called to the boarded-up home.

Chief Ernie Polsom says firefighters were following proper procedures but the incident will be analyzed to see if they could have done anything differently.

He says Thursday's fire is still being investigated but the fire at the home on Monday has been determined to be arson.

He says the "negligence and bad behaviour'' of some people in the community are putting his firefighters at risk.

He says the kind of fall his man took on Thursday can contribute to PTSD and critical incident stress, which are concerns in his industry.

"He could very easily have fallen and suffered life, or career-ending injuries,'' says Polsom.

He said there are two problems they're dealing with – property owners who don't take the proper steps to secure their properties, and people who commit arson.

"Both are illegal activities, and both are activities that put my staff, our professionals at risk every single day,'' he says.

"It's only a matter of time before one of these set fires, one of these crimes of opportunity, is going to result in the death of somebody – a civilian or a firefighter.''

January 22, 2016 
By The Canadian Press



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