Features
The OAFC: A look back and ahead

With 2023 at an end, I want to reflect on the great year that the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) had and look forward to an exciting 2024.

From Nov. 20 to 24, over 200 OAFC members came together in Niagara Falls for the OAFC Health & Safety Workshop and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The busy week included an all-day seminar by the Fire Department Safety Officers Association; four half-day roundtable sessions on important and emerging issues, and presentations on preparing for active attacker incidents, community risk assessments, preventing human trafficking, fire underwriters survey and an update from the Ontario Mental Health Secretariat and the Ontario Fire Marshal. There was an incredible keynote presentation by Lionel Crowther and several networking events. 

The AGM week concluded the OAFC Board of Director elections, resulting in the 2024 board being comprised of myself as president, vice-president Jeremy Parkin, treasurer Jeremy Inglis, secretary Brian Arnold and directors Chad Brown, Mark Berney, Andrea DeJong, Jason Whiteley, Brent Thomas, Kent Readman, Paul Boissonneault and Gene Thompson. Mark MacDonald has since been chosen as our new executive director. 

Members took an opportunity during the AGM to recognize the recent passing of long-time OAFC director Warren Brinkman, who was posthumously given the President’s Award and recognized with a moment of silence. Another long-time director, recently retired Fire Chief Rick Arnel, was recognized with a President’s Award, along with the traditional bugle presented to recognize out-going board members. 

Looking ahead, OAFC members continue to tackle include the increased prevalence of wildland fires, the dangers of urban/wildland interface and how Ontario fire departments are impacted; preparing to be able to effectively respond to active attacker events; modern fires and fire science and the need to adapt changes in tactics to match modern risks; tiered response programs and the impact of the implementation of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS); the hazards of lithium-ion battery fires; the fire and life safety impacts of rapid building and population growth; challenges related to volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention and safety considerations associated with unsheltered encampments.

The OAFC’s 2024 line-up of events includes: the Northeastern Fire Education Conference & Trade Show in Huntsville from March 21 to 24; the OAFC Conference & Trade Show at the International Centre in Mississauga from May 1 to 4; the Queen’s Park Advocacy Day in Toronto on May 29; FireCon in Thunder Bay from Sept. 4 to 7 and the OAFC Health & Safety Workshop and Annual General Meeting in Niagara Falls from Nov. 18 to 22. 

Additional OAFC happenings encompass: 

• An exciting announcement by the Ontario Chief Coroner’s office regarding the development of a process whereby all fire ground line of duty deaths and firefighter suicides will be investigated with the goal of developing recommendations to prevent future deaths.
• Attending Queen’s Park on Nov. 30 where the government enacted the Enhancing Access to Justice Act which proposes changes to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA) to enhance enforcement and compliance by enabling the future development of an Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) framework.
• I attended the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Chief’s Forum in Boston where fire chief association presidents from all states, provinces and territories met for two days to discuss topics covering fire data analytics, NFPA 3000 and preparing for active shooter and hostile event responses, energy storage systems and electric vehicles, wildfires, construction site fire safety, NFPA codes and standards, fire protection research and more.
• The release of the second round of $206 million dollars in provincial funding towards the implementation of Next Generation 911 for emergency service dispatch centres.
• Participating in the Health Canada and International Association of Fire Fighters Workshop on Fire Fighter Occupational Exposure Reduction: Best Practices and Intervention in Ottawa.
• Participating in the Health Canada and Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs Building out the Firefighter Cancer Awareness, Prevention, and Access to Care Puzzle workshop.

The OAFC appreciates all its strong partnerships with stakeholders and looks forward to an amazing 2024!

Rob Grimwood is a deputy chief with Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services, where he oversees the Professional Development & Accreditation and Communications Divisions.