burning issues - Province of Manitoba

Winter Issue 2000
Summer/Fall
Issue 2000
BURNING
ISSUES
PREVENTION • PROTECTION • PUBLIC EDUCATION
Message from the Fire Commissioner
OFC Provides Logistical Support to Mallard Search
Douglas M. Popowich
n July 15, 2000 at approximately
9:00 p.m. our Office received a
request to assist in the search for
a missing boy approximately 15 km north
of the Community of Mallard. Mallard
is a small Northern Affairs Community
about 125 km north of Dauphin.
We were told that an 8-year-old boy had
been out with his stepfather hunting.
After having shot a deer the stepfather
left the boy with the deer and went to
get help from the rest of the hunting
group. Upon their return, the boy was
missing. No one knew at that time the
magnitude that this search would reach.
Each year in the Province there are,
approximately 30 reported cases of lost
O
persons. In our Province, the policing
authority is responsible for lost person
search and rescue and therefore in
Manitoba most searches fall under the
jurisdiction of the RCMP. The Office of
the Fire Commissioner is responsible to
provide logistical support with this
being done through the provision of
equipment, staff, and coordination of the
response of the many trained search
teams that have been developed
throughout the Provincial Mutual Aid
system.
The search for young Marcus McKay
turned out to be the largest mobilization
of resources on a search incident in the
history of this Province. Organizations
involved in the search were the RCMP,
Office of the Fire Commissioner,
Bytown Fire Brigade Visits Manitoba
Canadian Armed Forces, CASARA,
Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba
Health, Manitoba Hydro, Parks Canada,
(Continued on Page 2)
Message from Fire
Commissioner ....Pages 1,2
Bytown Fire Brigade
.....................................Pages 1, 11
The Pas Firefighters
Vehicle Extrication Team
................................................Page 2
Statistics
........................Page
7
News from MB Emergency
Services .......Pages 4, 5, 6, 7
Education .............Pages 3, 8
Medical ................Pages 9, 10
Retirement .................Page 11
T
he Bytown Fire Brigade arrived at
the Manitoba-Ontario border on
Friday, July 28th. The Brigade
was met by the West Hawk Lake Fire
Department and Ray Pearson from the
Office of the Fire Commissioner. Ray
and Jean-Paul Lebel escorted the
Brigade across the Province. The
Brigade was treated to Manitoba
hospitality – coffee, doughnuts, BBQ’s,
parades, etc. as they traveled across our
Province. While in Winnipeg, the
(Continued on Page 11)
Staff Updates ..........Page 10
Recalls/Advisories
...............................Page 12
BURNING ISSUES
Message from the
Fire Commissioner
(Cont’d)
The Pas Firefighters Vehicle Extrication
Team - 1st Place Overall in Western Canada
(Continued from Page 1)
Salvation Army, Parkland Regional
Health Authority, Waterhen
Ambulance, Canadian Red Cross,
Department of Northern Affairs,
Manitoba Emergency Management
Organization, countless numbers of
Volunteers from the community of
Mallard and many other communities
across Manitoba and 16 trained teams
from the Mutual Aid System.
The search teams and other personnel,
in extremely difficult conditions, spent
a countless number of hours searching.
I cannot speak highly enough about the
commitment and professionalism that
was demonstrated at this search. The
Province has come to rely on the
response of these trained Hasty Teams
for these rescue situations. There is no
greater rescue situation than that of a
lost child.
The search continues to go on at the
time of the printing of this article by
family members and community
volunteers but it does appear that the
chances of ever finding Marcus are
extremely remote. This is indeed tragic
and not the outcome that any of us
involved in search and rescue ever
want to see.
On behalf of the Search Management
Team, I want to express my sincere
appreciation to all those individuals
who were involved in this search. I am
well aware of the hours you put in, the
conditions that you operated under,
and the commitment you made in your
attempt to help find this little boy.
Although the circumstances that
brought us together were tragic, it was
a pleasure working with you during
this emergency. We can be proud in
this Province of the response capability
that has been developed throughout the
Mutual Aid system. This system brings
together such a vast array of resources
at the time of an emergency. This is
another example of why Manitoba is a
leader in the emergency response field.
We can all be proud!
The Pas’ own “Vehicle Extrication Team” trained by Deputy Fire Chief Claude Gervais competed in
the Western Canadian Auto Extrication Championship held in Cold Lake, Alberta August 9-12, 2000.
Members of the team are: Don Didychuk – Captain; Warren Johnson – Tools; Darren Baker – Tools;
Stuart Carruthers – Tools and Jeff Landels – Medic
T
he competition was held for the
teams to rescue “victims” from
scenarios of crash scenes. The teams
are given 20 minutes to complete this task
and are judged on safety, strategy, tool
use, and victim care/rescue during their
scenario.
There were 14 qualifying teams from
Professional and Volunteer Fire
Departments competing from Western
Canada, the Yukon and North West
Territories. Each team competed in two
evolutions – one called a “limited pit”
which is the use of all tools except power
hydraulics, and an “unlimited pit” where
hydraulic spreaders and cutters could be
used.
A Captain’s meeting was held Wednesday
night where the teams’ competition times
were determined by a random draw. The
Pas’ first evolution was the unlimited pit
at 3:00 p.m. Thursday. Prior to the
scenario (accident scene) being set up, the
teams are placed in lock up. Time begins
when the team members exit the building
and view the scenario for the first time.
This adds realism, as it resembles arriving
at an accident scene. No preplanning is
possible and decisions must be made
quickly regarding the best way to perform
the rescue. This scenario involved a van
and an overturned car. There was a victim
in each vehicle and both were extricated in
approximately 14 minutes.
On Thursday night, The Pas was asked to
perform a “live victim” extrication. This
was a demo and was not judged for
competition. This scenario involved a
single vehicle with one victim.
The team’s “limited pit” evolution was at
9:00 Friday morning. This scenario
involved a single vehicle on its side
against a concrete barrier. The first victim
was the driver of the car and the second
victim was a cyclist trapped under the car.
The driver was removed but time was
called before the second victim could be
extricated.
The Awards Banquet was held Saturday
night. The awards were for 1st, 2nd and
3rd in Limited and Unlimited Pits as well
as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Overall. Overall scores
were reached by combining the scores of
both pits. The Pas placed 1st in the
Unlimited Pit, and also took 1st Place
Overall!
Other Manitoba teams competing were
from Glenboro and Winkler. Glenboro
recently placed 1st at the Manitoba
Competition held in Carberry in July and
also claimed 3rd Overall in Cold Lake.
The Pas team winning 1st Overall entitles
the team to compete in the North
American Competition in Kentucky in
October 2000 as well as the International
Competition that will be held in South
Africa in May 2001.
The team members would like to thank
Deputy Fire Chief Claude Gervais for his
time and effort devoted to training.
Without his dedication to the team,
achieving this level would not have been
possible.
Submitted by Don Didychuk, The Pas Fire Department
2
BURNING ISSUES
EDUCATION
Upcoming Course Dates
September 5, 2000
Fire Inspector Level I & II Distance Education
Brandon
(Orientation Day September 6th, 2000)
(Fire Protection Systems Lab Week October 30 – November 3, 2000)
September 4 – 9, 2000
Emergency Services Instructor Level I
Winnipeg
September 18 – 22, 2000
Fire Investigation Level I
Winnipeg
September 22, 23
& 24, 2000
Aircraft Crash and Rescue Seminar
Dauphin
September 25 – 29, 2000
Hazardous Materials Operations
Brandon
September 29 – 31
Vehicle Extrication Instructor
Steinbach
September 30 –
October 1, 2000
Critical Incident Stress Management – Basic
Winnipeg
October 3 – 5, 2000
Hazardous Materials Incidents Command
Brandon
October 11, 2000
Instructor Continuing Education Seminar
Brandon
October 30 –
November 3, 2000
Fire Investigation Level I
Brandon
Please note: The MESC
College 2000-2001 Course
Catalogue should have
indicated that the
Prerequisite for the
Emergency Services
Instructor - Medical is CPR
Instructor.
Instructor
Information Update
I
nstructor information can be
found as an insert in Burning
Issues to make it easier to use the
materials. Try your hand at this
brain teaser. The answer can be
found somewhere in Burning Issues.
Brainteaser
Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, 2000
HazardousMaterials Technician
and November 6 – 10, 2000
Brandon
Nov. 3 – 5, 2000 and
Nov. 17 – 19, 2000
Emergency Services Instructor Level I
Brandon
Nov. 6 – 10, 2000
Emergency Services Instructor Level II
Brandon
Nov. 13 – 17, 2000
Fire Investigation Level II
Winnipeg
Nov. 13 – 17, 2000
Municipal Building Bylaw Administration
Brandon
Nov. 17, 18 & 19, 2000
Fire Ground Management
Ste. Anne
Nov. 20 – 24, 2000
Managing Emergency Services
Brandon
Nov. 20 – 24, 2000
Part 9 – Building Plumbing Inspection
Brandon
Brainteasers help get students’
minds back in gear after a break.
Place these numbers on a
whiteboard: 8, 11, 15, 5, 14, 1, 7, 6,
10, 13, 3, 12, 2. Tell the students
that they are seeing all the
numbers from one to fifteen with
the exception of four and nine.
They must decide why the
numbers are arranged in this order
then then put the missing numbers
in their proper places.
Nov. 20 – 24, 2000
Fire Protection and Emergency Planning
Winnipeg
Submitted by Carole Lupkowski
November 24, 25 – 26
Vehicle Extrication Instructor
Beausejour
Nov. 25 – 26, 2000
Critical Incident Stress Management – Basic
Brandon
November 27 –
December 1, 2000
Part 9 – The House – Building Structures
Brandon
Dec. 1, 2 & 3, 2000
Fire Ground Management
Sanford
December 1 – 3, 2000 and Emergency Services Instructor Level I
December 15 – 17, 2000
Thompson
December 11 – 15, 2000
Part 9 – The House – Health & Safety
Brandon
Part 9 – Buildings – Structural Requirements
Brandon
2001
January 8 – 12, 2001
January 12 – 14, 2001 and Emergency Services Instructor Level I
January 26 – 28, 2001
Winnipeg
January 15 – 17, 2001
EMS Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents Level I Brandon
January 15 – 19, 2001
Fire Investigation Level I
Thompson
3
Sparky®
T
he Sparky® Activity Sheets
are NO longer available
from the Canadian Tire
Child Protection Association. The
direction of the Child Protection
Association has been re-focussed.
Fire Prevention Canada has some
of these sheets available for the
cost of shipping but only as long
as supplies last. The Office of the
Fire Commissioner has some of
these sheets in stock as well. Just
give Marilyn a call at 1-888-2531488 if you would like some
Activity Sheets.
BURNING ISSUES
NEWS & VIEWS FROM MANI
St. Andrews and West St. Paul Fire Departments
T
he St. Andrews and West St. Paul
Fire Departments with the joint
co-operation of Mandak Metal
Processors of Selkirk Manitoba trained
an additional twelve members in
Vehicle Extrication. It is with the cooperation between Mandak Metal
Processors and the fire departments
that such well-needed training occurs.
The fire departments would like to
extend a thank you to the South
Interlake Mutual Aid District for
supplying the instructors and Mandak
Metal Processor (Gerdau MRM) for
supplying the much needed vehicles
and the area to hold the course.
Submitted by Deputy Chief Ron Bridges,
St. Andrews Fire Department
Notre Dame Fire Brigade
T
he Notre Dame Fire Brigade and
the Mountain Ambulance Service
held an Open House on Sunday,
June 4th, giving the public an
opportunity to meet the members of the
Services. The Brigade, in co-operation
with ABC Fire and Safety, held a free
fire extinguisher clinic. The public was
invited to have their fire extinguishers
checked and to participate in fighting
actual fires. Sparky® greeted the kids to
pass along fire safety messages and the
Brigade held draws for adults as well as
a draw for two plush Sparky® dogs for
the kids. The Mountain Ambulance
Service held car seat safety inspections
and allowed the public the opportunity
to try out some of the equipment.
Draws were held for first-aid kits.
Submitted by Chief Marcel Densereau,
Notre Dame Fire Brigade.
4
BURNING ISSUES
TOBA EMERGENCY SERVICES
St. Claude Fire Department
T
he St. Claude Fire Department moved into their new 4000 square foot building this spring despite delays when high winds
toppled the entire frame on October 31, 1999. The building features 3 bays, an office, a meeting/training room and washroom
and showers. The Department has twenty volunteer fire fighters who are under the direction of Fire Chief Gil Pineau.
Submitted by Fire Chief Gil Pineau.
Killarney Fire Department
K
illarney Fire Department held a
Community Involvement Day on
May 6th. During the lunch hour,
free hot dogs, hamburgers and BBQ
sausages were provided by Killarney
Meats. This event was an opportunity
to showcase the Department’s
commitment to the community, to
demonstrate equipment and to provide
fire safety education to the public. The
kids had the chance to ride in one of
Killarney’s green fire engines. For the
kids, the Department had a fire hose
contest – the kids received a certificate if
they knocked down the pylons. For the
adults, the Department had displays
that highlighted various firefighter
training courses, viewed fire safety
videos and they watched
demonstrations of the ‘jaws of life’ and
air lifting bags. People with fire
extinguishers took advantage of a free
check and re-charge.
To promote this event, fire fighters
visited the day cares and K-3 classrooms
the previous day. Every child received
an invitation to the Community
Involvement Day. Accompanied by
‘Sparky®’, the Department also visited
Bayside, a Personal Care Home and
visited residents room-by-room. The
Department hopes the Community
Involvement Day will be a regular event.
Submitted by Chief Mike Bellew, Killarney Fire Dept.
Members of the fire department unload and reload eager children into one of Killarney’s fire
trucks.
5
BURNING
ISSUES
BURNING
ISSUES
NEWS & VIEWS FROM MANIT
Selkirk and District Fire Department
H
ere are the representatives of the
Riverboat Restaurant Wildlife
Burn Fund Dinner turning over
another $11,000.00 to Martin Johnson,
chairman of the Firefighters Burn Fund
bringing their total funds raised to
$71,000.00 over 8 years. The Burn Fund
and the Riverboat Committee would like
to thank all the patrons, sponsors and
volunteers that keep this the great event
that it is in support of victims of the
tragedy of fire. The Firefighters Burn
Fund works year round raising funds for
the care of victims, research for more
effective treatments for burn injuries and
education to prevent burn injuries from
happening.
Submitted by Chief Dan Thorsteinson,
Selkirk and District Fire Department.
Pictured above are the organizing committee members from left to right are Roger Myall, Rick Hook,
Selkirk Deputy Fire Chief Lorne Hokanson, Riverboat Restaurant owner Doug Poirier, Manitoba
Firefighters Burn Fund Chairman Martin Johnson and Selkirk Fire Chief Danny Thorsteinson.
Carman-Dufferin Fire Department
M
artin Dewit uses
Characterization in his
approach for fire safety
presentations. Martin dresses as a
clown and uses a variety of props. He
has “BARBIE QUE” – a barbecue made
from cardboard, foam rubber and
plywood. BARBIE QUE has a neat pair
of eyes that watches the crowd and sits
there quietly. Martin uses notes to keep
him on track. Remember a BBQ sees
everything that goes on in human life –
think about what a BBQ sees and how
you can use this information in your
presentation. Martin has also added
K.E.N. (Kinetic Energy Nothing).
K.E.N. is a rectangular plywood box
with a cottage style roof, flat topped,
with lights front and sides and an old
vacuum cleaner motor inside. The back
end is open to give access to switches
that control the lights and motor.
Dimmer switches provide a pulsing
effect. He is Martin’s mentality
analyzer – telling him how smart the
group is and how much they know
about fire safety. Martin also uses a
monkey as a greeter. Using his notes,
Martin proceeds with his fire safety
lesson – teaching about 911, Matches
and Lighters, fire drills, home escape
plans, smoke alarms, crawl low in
smoke, meeting places, stop, drop and
roll and cool a burn. Martin always
reviews what he has taught. If you are
interested in learning more about
Martin’s fire safety program, call him at
745-3839 - he is willing to share.
Thanks Martin for sharing your
programs with us. Marilyn
Have you every tried Characterization to enhance your Fire Safety Education Program?
6
BURNING
ISSUES
BURNING
ISSUES
TOBA EMERGENCY SERVICES
Letellier & District
Volunteer Fire Department
The Pas Fire Department
Pro-active role in a small town
(Left to Right) Robert Cadieux, Gerald Houle, Russell Calder, Marc LeMay,
Deputy Chief Murray Calder, Fire Chief Marcel Bissonnette and Robert Gallant
S
even members of the
Letellier and District
Volunteer Fire Department
were honoured at an awards
banquet on November 13, 1999.
Mr. Jean-Paul Lebel from the
Office of the Fire Commissioner
presented these seven members
with 20-year meritorious medals.
Chief Bissonnette also presented
Mr. Rick Gallant and Mr. Al St.
Godard with an award for 10
years of service.
One additional member of the
department, Mr. Mike Chouinard
was presented with a
commendation for bravery for
his part in the drowning rescue
of a 1 1/2 year old girl. Letellier
Department has a complement of
18 firefighters and is one of two
Departments in the rural
municipality of Montcalm that is
situated in south eastern
Manitoba.
T
he Wright Home Atmosphere Family Day
Care participated in the Play Safe, Be Safe
program again this year. Trudy Wright in coordination with Deputy Chief Claude Gervais
ensures that every two years her kids actively
participate in the program. The main focus of the
program is to show the kids what is dangerous,
demonstrated through a video and finally have the
kids “do fire safety.” The program includes Fire
Fighter is Your Friend - Crawl Low Under the
Smoke - Stop, Drop and Roll and finally Tools and
Toys ( matches/lighters ). All 4 presentations last
about 20-25 minutes and all kids have fun doing it.
Submitted by Deputy Chief Claude Gervais
STATISTICS
EMERGENCY SERVICE CONFERENCE FIRE LOSS REPORTING
A
re you interested in attending a 1/2 day Early Bird Session on Thursday October 12, 2000 at the Emergency Services
College on Fire Loss Reporting?
Here are the two options:
• Use of the Computerized Fire Loss System.
or
•Proper Completion of Fire Loss Reports.
We would appreciate hearing from you – will you attend and which session would be most beneficial to your departments?
Either session is dependent on your input. Please contact Louise Hornbeck at 945-3327 or e-mail [email protected].
Submitted by Louise Hornbeck, Statistician and Lisa Morhun, Clerk.
7
BURNING ISSUES
EDUCATION
School of the Year Award
Learn Not to
Burn® Save
O
V
alleyview School in Brandon won
the first “School of the Year
Award” for its participation in the
Province-wide Learn Not to Burn® fire
safety program. M.L.A. for Brandon
West, Scott Smith, presented the $1,000
cheque to Bill Gordon, the President of
the Parent Council.
In August, the OFC sent letters to all
the Principals in Manitoba encouraging
their participation in the Learn Not to
Burn® program and thereby the School
of the Year Award. To date the Learn
Not to Burn® program is credited with
saving 461 lives in Canada and the
United States.
As the Manitoba Fire Service, please
encourage the principals in your
communities to use this life-saving
program. If your principals would like
more information, please have them
contact Marilyn Lamb 1-888-253-1488.
Risk Watch® Champion Award 2001
NFPA is committed to helping reduce the number of unintentional childhood injuries.
In the year 2001, NFPA will select up to 15 states and provinces to receive an NFPA
Champion Award. A “management team” from each state or province will receive free
training, educational materials and technical support to plan, evaluate and manage the
implementation of NFPA’s Risk Watch curriculum in local communities.
The goal of the NFPA’s Champion Award program is to establish co-ordinated, multiagency coalitions at the provincial levels to support the introduction and expansion of
Risk Watch in local communities over a three-year period. Each coalition must select a
four-person management team that includes provincial representatives from an
appropriate fire, law enforcement, health and department/board of education. Team
members must have the authority and ability to oversee a provincial implementation
effort and provide leadership in the areas of fundraising, alliance-building,
communication, training and evaluation. NFPA will assign a trained local Champion
from within the Province.
The NFPA Champion Award Management Team will be required to:
• Select five communities to undertake a pilot implementation of Risk Watch and host a
workshop. Each community must send a coalition of five representatives to the
workshop and conduct a nine-week pilot implementation of Risk Watch.
• Use the NFPA stipend to fund the workshop.
• Purchase a minimum of nine additional sets of Risk Watch - one for each team
member and one for each of the five community coalitions.
• Develop a funding plan to raise at least $10,000 per year for three years. These funds
should be used to implement Risk Watch in at least 10 new communities each year
• Evaluate its Risk Watch implementation effort with NFPA’s official evaluation forms.
Deadline for entries is November 15, 2000. If you are interested in applying for this
Award, please contact Marilyn Lamb at 1-888-253-1488 for more information and a copy
of the application form.
8
n June 9, Katrina Elliott became
a hero. That morning Elliott’s
house started on fire. Katrina, a
Grade 4 student at Riverview School,
was unable to wake her mother and
rushed over to her neighbour’s house
with her little brother and got the
neighbours to call 911. The fire
department responded and Katrina’s
mother was rescued. How did Katrina
know what to do? “I learned it in
school,” she said. Katrina was one of
the students who have taken part in
the Learn Not to Burn® program, a
program developed by the National
Fire Protection Association to help
teach fire safety to children. Katrina
was honoured for her heroic act by the
Brandon Fire Department and by the
Office of the Fire Commissioner.
If you know of “Saves” or “Successes”
in your communities, please let
Marilyn Lamb know. The Learn Not to
Burn® program has been accepted in
all rural school divisions in Manitoba.
The reports on these “Saves” and
“Successes” are one way of knowing
how well the program is working.
New Videos in the
Lending Library
The Detectors Protectors
This video dares kids who are devoted to
fire safety to track down homes with
faulty detectors and no detectors at all.
Viewers learn why detectors are so
important, how to maintain them and
what to do when the alarm sounds. The
target audience is Grades 3 – 6 with the
video being 15 minutes in length. This
video supports the Learn Not to Burn®
program.
Not a Moment to Spare: Day Care Fire
Safety and Prevention
This video provides day care centre staff
members with an overview of fire safety
procedures, including prevention, the use
and maintenance of fire safety equipment
and evacuation procedures. Viewers also
learn basic fire chemistry and the
importance of remaining calm during
evacuation. The video features a realistic
simulation of a fire in a day care centre to
get its message across. This video makes
it plain that fire safety is every child-care
professionals’ responsibility. The target
audience is Day Care Operators with the
video being 15 minutes in length.
To rent videos from the Lending Library,
please call Lori at 1-888-253-1488.
BURNING ISSUES
Other Helpful
Materials
MEDICAL
A
Emergency Medical Services
lthough the following resources
are not required, you may find
them helpful as you complete the
course and later when you are working as
an emergency medical technician.
AAOS Emergency Care and Transportation
of the Sick and Injured, Student Workbook,
Seventh Edition, Jones & Bartlett
Publishers, 1999. ISBN: 0-7637-0804-6
AAOS Sick Not Sick, A Guide to Rapid
Patient Assessment, Jones & Bartlett
Publishers, 2000 ISBN: 0-7637-1191-8
Medical Terminology A Short Course,
Second Edition, W.B. Saunders Company,
1999 ISBN: 0-7216-8124-7
Structure & Function of the Body,
Thibodeau ( Patton, Eleventh Edition,
Mosby Inc., 2000 ISBN: 0-323-01081-4
Study Guide to Accompany Structure &
Function of the Body, Thibodeau ( Patton,
Eleventh Edition, Mosby Inc., 2000 ISBN:
0-323-01080-6
Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health
Dictionary, Fifth Edition, Mosby Inc., 1998
ISBN: 0-8151-4800-3
If you need assistance obtaining any of
the above resources, contact your
instructor.
Emergency Medical
Technician Course
I
n order to complete this course
successfully, you will need to have
the following materials:
Study Guide: This guide is designed to
emphasize the important areas of the
course. It also helps you organize your
information and study materials.
AAOS Emergency Care and
Transportation of the Sick and Injured,
Seventh Edition by Jones and Bartlett
Publishers, 1999 ISBN: 0-7637-0796-1
These resources are available from:
Assiniboine Community College
Bookstore
1430 Victoria Avenue, East
Brandon MB R7A 5Z9
Telephone: (204) 726-6627
The University of Manitoba
Bookstore
140 Brodie Center
727 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg MB R3E 3P5
Telephone: (204) 789-3601 or 1-800980-0301
Fax: (204) 789-3901 or 1-800-361-2005
Prices on textbooks are subject to
change without notice and may vary
slightly depending on the exchange
rate of the Canadian dollar.
All textbooks ordered must be
accompanied by the full payment for
the books.
No provincial sales tax is charged for
EMS textbooks, however, G.S.T. may be
applicable. Cheques are payable to the
bookstore where you purchase your
books.
Fire Prevention Week
“Fire Drills … The
Great Escape” is the
theme for Fire
Prevention Week
- October 8th 14th. You
should have
received your
Fire Prevention
Canada kits via
your Emergency
Services Officer. The National Fire
Protection kits are being sent to you
directly from Annex Publishing. The
date for your Community-wide “Great
Escape” is Wednesday, October 11, 2000
at 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget the NFPA
“Great Escape” contest - a trip to
Disney World. There are TWO trips one for children whose parents are
members of the fire service and one for
the public. Please check the NFPA web
site under Education for more details
www.nfpa.org.
McDonald’s are
again our
partners in
fire safety
and are
providing
fire safety
worksheets
AND a trip to
Disney World for a family of four.
Included in the trip draw will be entries
received from Manitoba, Alberta and
9
BC. The entry forms and worksheets
are available from the OFC and in June,
the Fire Chiefs were sent order forms
for both pamphlets and the McDonald’s
worksheets. The entry forms can be
submitted in two ways: a. the entry
form can be dropped off at any local
McDonald’s Restaurants during Fire
Prevention Week - October 8 - 14, 2000.
OR b. the fire department can mail
ONE completed entry form directly to
McDonald’s Head Office to: Michele
Mackie, McDonald’s Restaurant,
Marketing Department, 4400 Still Creek
Drive, Burnaby BC, V5C 6C6. If you
have not ordered your worksheets,
please fax your order form to me at
(204) 726-6847.
BURNING ISSUES
Staff Update
MEDICAL
When God Made Paramedics...
W
hen the Lord made
Paramedics, he was into his
sixth day of overtime when an
angel appeared and said, “You’re doing
a lot of fiddling around on this one.”
And the Lord said, “Have you read the
specs on this order? A paramedic has to
be able to carry an injured person up a
wet, grassy hill in the dark, dodge stray
bullets to reach a dying child unarmed,
enter homes the health inspector
wouldn’t touch, and not wrinkle his
uniform.
He has to be able to lift three times his
own weight, crawl into wrecked cars
with barely enough room to move, and
console a grieving mother as he is doing
CPR on a baby he knows will never
breath again. He has to be in top
mental condition at all times, running
on no sleep, black coffee and half-eaten
meals. And he has to have six pairs of
hands.”
The angel shook her head slowly and
said, “Six pairs of hands...no way.”
“It’s not the hands that are causing me
problems,” said the Lord,”It’s the three
pairs of eyes a medic has to have.”
“That’s on the standard model?” asked
the angel.
The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees
open sores as he’s drawing blood and
asks the patient if they may be HIV
positive; (When he already knows and
wishes he’d taken that accounting job.)
another pair here in the side of his head
for his partners’ safety; and another
pair of eyes here in front that can look
reassuringly at a bleeding victim and
say, ‘You’ll be all right ma’am’ when he
knows it isn’t so.”
The angel circled the model of the
paramedic very slowly, “Can it think?”
she asked.
“You bet,” said the Lord. “It can tell you
the symptoms of 100 illnesses; recite
drug calculations in it’s sleep; incubate,
defibrillate, medicate, and continue
CPR nonstop over terrain that any
doctor would fear...and still it keeps it’s
sense of humor. This medic also has
phenomenal personal control. He can
deal with a multi-victim trauma, coax a
frightened elderly person to unlock
their door, comfort a murder victim’s
family, and then read in the daily paper
how paramedics were unable to locate a
house quickly enough, allowing the
person to die. A house that had no
street sign, no house numbers, no
phone to call back.”
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her
finger across the cheek of the
paramedic. “There’s a leak,” she
pronounced. “I told you that you were
trying to put too much into this model.
“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a
tear.”
“It’s for bottled-up emotions, for
patients they’ve tried in vain to save,
for commitment to that hope that they
will make a difference in a person’s
chance to survive, for life.”
“You’re a genius,” said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it
there,” He said. Author unknown
W
elcome to Lori Sagert,
Administrative Secretary at
the Manitoba Emergency
Services College. Lori is responsible
for all administrative duties and for
sending out the medical equipment
and videos.
Welcome to Jeff Nazimek, from St.
Andrews Fire Department. Jeff will be
assisting in the Public Fire Protection
Program.
Congratulations to
Darren Brick, Assistant
Instructor on his
marriage to Rhonda
Arndt on August 12,
2000.
Congratulations to
Rob Pike, Lead
Instructor and his
wife Tammy on
the birth of their
son, Gregory
Robert. Gregory
was born April
23rd.
Farewell to Arnie Guminey, Assistant
Instructor in the Medical Program.
Arnie will be starting his career with
the Winnipeg Emergency Response
Service on September 18th. Good luck
Arnie!
Farewell to Rick Negrich, Emergency
Services Officer in Eastern Manitoba.
Rick has accepted a position with the
Winnipeg Emergency Response
Service. Good luck, Rick!
Congratulations to Allan Gray,
Emergency Services Officer for
Dauphin, Winnipegosis and Swan
Valley Mutual Aid Districts on
receiving his 20 year Fire Services
Exemplary Service Medal. GovernorGeneral Adrienne Clarkson presented
the medal in Brandon at a ceremony
on August 2nd.
“Lord,” said the angel, touching his
sleeve, “rest and work on this
tomorrow.”
“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I already have
a model that can talk a 250 pound
drunk out from behind a steering wheel
without incident and feed a family of
five on a private service paycheck.”
10
BURNING ISSUES
Retirement
Chief Ted Thomas retires from Grand Marais
Fire Department
Codes and
Standards
Do You Have the Most
Recent FIRE and
BUILDING Codes????
I
t is not uncommon for our office to
find that local fire authorities are
using outdated codes - some as far
back as 1980!!
The most recent Fire and Building
Codes are the 1995 Edition of the
National Building and Fire Code, with
Manitoba amendments to these codes
that were passed in 1998.
Fire Chief Clive Rennie, East Selkirk Fire Department is pictured presenting
Fire Chief Ted Thomas with a plaque in appreciation for his many years of
service to the North East Mutual Aid District. Ted has retired from the Grand
Marais Fire Department after 25 years of service. Good luck in your
retirement Chief Thomas!
Emergency Services Conference
H
ave you sent in your application
for the courses you want to take
at the Conference? If not, do so
now - courses are filling up very
quickly - Ground Search and Rescue,
Farm Accident Rescue, Water Rescue
and Foam Fire Control are already full.
Marla would like to remind everyone
that if you are taking a course that has
pre-requisites, please send a copy of the
documentation with your application
form. The Manitoba Emergency Services
Conference will be held at the Keystone
Centre, the College and the Practical
Training Site from October 12th to
October 15th, 2000. Opening and
Closing Ceremonies will be held at the
Westman Auditorium. Keynote Speaker
for Opening Ceremonies is Richard
Gonzalez from Denver, Colorado.
Keynote Speaker for Closing
Ceremonies is Captain Tim
Vandenbrink from the Edmonton
Emergency Response Department. The
Conference will be offering 2 1/2 and 2
day certificate courses, 1 and 1/2 day
seminars.
Any questions regarding the courses
please call Marla at 726-6556. Any
questions regarding the Conference please
call Trish at 726-7195.
You can order the National Codes by
calling the National Research Council
direct on their toll free line at 1-800672-7990. They are available in
different cover types or in CD ROM
format. The National Fire Code costs
approximately $70.00 plus GST plus
$12 shipping and handling. The
National Building Code costs
approximately $100.00 plus GST plus
shipping and handling.
The Manitoba amendments to these
codes are available free of charge by
either downloading them from the
Office of the Fire Commissioner
Internet Web site which is
firecomm.gov.mb.ca or calling our
Winnipeg office to request a copy at
945-3328 or toll free at 1-800-282-8069.
Current, up-to-date codes are essential
tools for authorities within
municipalities to have and use.
ByTown Fire Brigade (Cont’d)
(Continued from Page 1)
Brigade were guests of the Winnipeg
Emergency Services, in Portage they
were guests of the Portage Fire
Department and in Brandon, they were
guests of the Brandon Fire/Emergency
Services Department and the Office of
the Fire Commissioner.
The Bytown Fire Brigade is a non-profit
organization and began their crossCanada tour in St. John’s,
Newfoundland. They traveled across
Canada, promoting fire safety and fire
prevention, driving a 1939 Bickle
11
SeaGrave pumper, a 1928 American
LaFrance pumper and a 1927 Sanford.
These vehicles were not made for crosscountry travel and the Brigade had two
break-downs while in Manitoba.
Travelling speed was approximately 50
kilometers per hour. In addition to
being accompanied by personnel from
the OFC, most fire departments along
#1 highway escorted the Brigade on the
highway and also toured them through
their towns. The OFC would like to
thank all departments that participated
in making the Brigade’s tour through
Manitoba memorable.
BURNING ISSUES
Recalls/Advisories
T
here is a voluntarily recall of
about 34,000 Universal smoke
alarms. The smoke alarms can fail
to alarm when smoke or fire is present.
A capacitor in the alarm can burn out,
releasing smoke and melting the cover.
Universal has received three reports of
alarms failing, releasing smoke. There
has been one report of minor smoke
damage to the wall of a mobile home.
No injuries have been reported.
Consumers can identify the recalled
models by removing the alarm cover
from its base and looking for the
manufacture date code and model
number. The smoke alarms are made of
white plastic and have the manufacture
date code and model number imprinted
on the back of the alarm.
BRAND MODEL NUMBER
DESCRIPTION DATE CODE
Safe T Alert SA-785 AC only unit BCSR
Universal SS-785 AC unit only BCSR
Universal SS-795 AC/DC unit w/
battery BESS backup
USI Electric USI-1203 AC/DC unit w/
battery BESS backup
Electrical distributors, housing
suppliers, and hardware stores sold
these smoke alarms nationwide from
April 1998 through June 1999 for
between $10 and $15. Most of these
smoke alarms were pre-installed in
homes during construction. Consumers
should call Universal Security
Instruments Inc. toll- free at (800) 3904321 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET
Monday through Friday to receive a
free, replacement alarm.
Voluntary Recall of Cadet
Manufacturing Company IN-Wall
Electric Heaters Models FW, FX, LX, TK,
ZA, Z, RA, RK, RLX, RW, RX and ZC.
These heaters were sold under the
brand names Cadet and Encore. Under
certain conditions these heaters could
fail, causing the units to overheat, catch
fire and spew flames and molten
particles. The heaters may also become
energized, creating a potential electrical
shock hazard. Consumers should call
Cadet Recall Hotline at 10800-567-2613
for further information or visit the
website at www.cadetco.com.
Safety Recall Old “STAR” Brand Fire
Sprinklers - These fire sprinklers may
not operate properly in a fire, thereby
placing residents and property at risk.
These units have been used in nursing
homes and other health care facilities
and schools, warehouses and
supermarkets. The sprinklers are used
in dry sprinkler systems only. The
models affected are Star D-1, RD-1, RE1, E-1 and ME-1 produced from 1961 to
1976. For further information, please
call 1-800-866-7807 or visit the website
at www.star-recall.com.
CPSC, Bissell® Homecare Inc. recall
Upright Vacuum Cleaners - Bissell
Homecare Inc is recalling about 207,000
PowerCleanTM and PureAirTM
upright vacuum cleaners. The power
cord insulation can tear where the cord
attaches to the vacuum, exposing bare
wires. This poses a risk of shock and
burns to consumers. The models
included in the recall are: Bissell
PowerCleanTM model number 3540-1
and is black. The PureAirTM vacuum
model number is 3540-2 and is blue.
The PureAirTM Deluxe vacuum model
number is 3541 and is purple. The
PureAirTM Platinum vacuum model
number is 3541-P and is purple. Please
call 1-888-445-6688 for further
information.
CPSC, Toymax Inc. recall Skeet Shoot
Game Cartridges - Toymax Inc., is
recalling the Arcadia Electronic Skeet
Employment Wanted
The Pine Falls District
Ambulance is looking for
motivated individuals who
are interested in a career in
EMS. We are accepting
applications for provincially
Leech Printing, Brandon 84334
Shoot games to replace the game
cartridges. These cartridges can cause
the projector to overheat, melt and
smoke, presenting a risk of burns to
consumers. For further information,
call 1-800-477-6215 or visit the website
at www.toymax.com.
CPSC, Kmart Corp recall Children’s
Lamps - Kmart Corp. is recalling the
children’s decorative lamps. These
lamps can short circuit posing a fire
hazard. The “Little Ones” accent lamps
come in six different styles - an
airplane, alphabet letters, numbers,
baseball with bat, train and sailboat
lamp. Please call Kmart for further
information - 1-800-635-6278.
Answer to Brainteaser: The numbers are
listed alphabetically. Therefore, four goes
after five and nine follows fourteen.
UL Warns Consumers, Restaurant
Owners and Retailers about
Potentially Hazardous Gas-Fired
Stoves - Portable, gas-fired cook stoves
manufactured by RaNee Industrial Co.
of Korea may pose a fire hazard and
may release elevated levels of carbon
monoxide (CO). Consumers and
restaurant owners are encouraged to
immediately discontinue use of these
portable cook stoves. These models are
identified as Model No. RE-2100SV by
Ra Nee Industrial Co.; Model No. 40066
by Mr. Bar-B-Q under the Chef Master
name; Model No. GM-1300 by
Glowmater Corp. For further
information contact 1-847-272-8800.
Voluntary Corrective Action program
for 40BF Series Residential Oil
Burners - The burners affected bear the
model designation 40BF and are
equipped with an ET-25 Post Purge
Control. The burners are primarily
used with residential boilers or
furnaces. Please call 1-800-474-3556 for
The Office of the Fire Commissioner produces
the Burning Issues newsletter.
certified EMT candidates.
For further information,
please contact Ken Gunter,
Ambulance Coordinator or
Drew Fisher at 204-367-9112
or by fax at 204-367-9037.
12
The Burning Issues are updates from the Office
of the Fire Commissioner, news and views from
the Manitoba Fire Service and information on
public safety.
EDITOR: Marilyn Lamb
Deadline for submissions for the Spring edition
of Burning Issues is December 1st, 2000.
Contributions and suggestions are welcome. If
you have news items, please send or fax them to
Marilyn at (204) 726-6847 or e-mail
[email protected].