Off-duty firefighter carries dog from burning home

Every animal should be lucky enough to have a person like firefighter Ryan Cody living next door.

On Tuesday, the off-duty firefighter risked his own life to rescue Maya, a three-year-old Labrador retriever, from a neighbour's home when it caught fire at about 11:30 a.m. CT in St. Andrews, Manitoba.

Read full story here.

by James Turner, CBC News

Becky Harmata
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Photographer honoured with the IAFF Media Award

Story contributed by www.dailygleaner.com


A picture of a Fredericton firefighter checking his equipment before heading back to fight a major house fire last year has earned The Daily Gleaner staff photographer Stephen MacGillivray an international award.

The veteran news photographer was honoured Monday night with the International Association of Fire Fighters' media award for best news photo at a newspaper with a circulation of fewer than 100,000 copies.

MacGillivray's photo shows a Fredericton firefighter checking his oxygen regulator while a colleague changes the air bottle strapped to his back. In the background, smoke billowing out of a Springhill Road home is lit up by flames coming out of the roof.

Firefighters had to contend with frigid temperatures as they battled the Boxing Day 2008 blaze that destroyed the home.

Members of IAFF Local 1053, which represents Fredericton's firefighters, submitted MacGillivray's photo for the award.

MacGillivray said having his work recognized in a category that includes his peers from across North America is an honour.

He said he's happy to be able to give newspaper readers a regular glimpse of the dangers firefighters face.

"It's important to show what they do and what they will put on the line to save people and their homes," said MacGillivray, who sometimes shows up on the scene of a fire shortly after the first fire truck.

"I've seen (firefighters) rush into a burning house because a neighbour wasn't sure if anyone was inside," he said.

"I have the highest respect for all of the first responders - firefighters, police officers and paramedics - because of what they do and because of how they do it. We all hope we never have to call on their services, but they are there for us 24 hours a day."

Doug LeBlanc, president of IAFF Local 1053 and president of the Atlantic Provinces Professional Firefighters Association, said members have long recognized MacGillivray's professionalism as he chronicles firefighters' work.

"Steve has always showcased the profession as a very honourable one," LeBlanc said Monday.

"We recognize how professional his photography is; the pictures are incredible."

LeBlanc, who was called to the Boxing Day fire, said it was a particularly tough fire.

"It was cold and damp that night. It took a long time to put the fire out and make sure all the hot spots were extinguished," LeBlanc said.

"The house was totalled, but our crews did a phenomenal job stopping the fire. A lot of personal effects belonging to the residents were salvageable."



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Christmas Safety Messages from Firefighters

Candle Safety

Candles are a traditional and beautiful part of the holiday season. They can also be a source of fire in your home, so be cautious with them. Place candles in non-tip candle holders and ensure they are well away from the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations. Never leave lit candles unattended and ensure that they are out of reach of children. Enjoy the festive season by putting safety first.

Christmas Tree Safety

Most Christmas fires can be prevented. That's just one of the messages Delta Fire & Emergency Services wants you to remember this holiday season. Before buying your Christmas tree, test it for freshness by tapping the base of the tree on the ground. If needles fall or can be pulled off easily the tree is too dry. At home, find a cool spot for your tree, away from heater vents and the fireplace. Keep your tree as fresh as possible by watering it often. This year enjoy a fire safe holiday season!

Smoke Alarms

This Christmas give your family and friends a gift that saves lives...a smoke alarm. Most fatal fires take place at night, while you and your family are asleep - when seconds can make the difference between life and death. If you have one or more working smoke alarms in your home you double your chances of surviving a fire. Smoke alarms are inexpensive and easy to install. Smoke alarms - they're protectors.

Information courtesay of Delta Fire & Emergency Services.

Becky Harmata
The Fire Emporium
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HUGE Firefighter Gift Sale at FireEmporium.com

It is that time of year again! Don't miss out on a wide selection of Firefighter Gifts just right for gift giving this holiday season!

20 - 40% off apparel for the whole family. All Men's, Ladies, Youth and Kids clothing on sale! Still lots of time for Christmas shipping.

Great stocking stuffer ideas as well! Firefighter keychains, firefighter Christmas ornaments, firefighter mugs and glasses, firefighter knives plus much more....

Visit us online at www.fireemporium.com and shop 24/7 from the comfort of your home or office. You can also call us at toll free 1-866-832-1468.

Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!

Becky Harmata
The Fire Emporium
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Weymouth Fire Department hands out Firefighter Awards

Story by Karla Kelly, The Digby Courier

Two Weymouth volunteer firefighters and the village commissioner received special recognition at the fire department’s annual Christmas banquet at the Weymouth fire hall Saturday night.

In presenting the awards, fire chief Roy Mullen expressed appreciation for the ongoing support of the volunteer members of the department. “Not every firefighter is able to respond to all the calls the department receives, but there is always more than adequate support for any emergency,” Mullen said. “We have a dedicated group of firefighters and I am appreciative of the support they not only give me as chief but the community they serve as well.”

Weymouth village commissioner Barry Faulkner was recognized for outstanding and continuous support to the Weymouth Fire Department.

Paul Raymond received the Firefighter of the Year award, while the First Responder of the Year award went to Norman Penny.

Need Firefighter Awards for your department? We offer a wide selection of Firefighter Plaques, Firefighter Trophies and other Firefighter Presentation Awards. Visit us at www.fireemporium.com.


Becky Harmata
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"They (Firefighters) Saved My Wife's Life"

A pair of off-duty Kingston firefighters are being credited with saving a woman's life after a car wreck in a northern Ontario snowstorm last weekend.

The man driving the minivan involved in the accident with a loaded tractor-trailer says Craig Rundle and Tim Restoule, who work on the same crew at the Brock Street fire hall, saved his wife's life after the crash near Ignace last Saturday afternoon.

The two firefighters were returning from their annual elk-hunting trip in Alberta when they happened upon an accident between a jackknifed transport truck and a minivan on a desolate stretch of the Trans-Canada near Ignace, Ontario, just minutes after it occurred.

Dunk's wife was trapped in the car with injuries including a large gash on her leg and was going into shock.

Dunk wasn't seriously hurt, but says the two firefighters calmed him down at the scene.

"One of the biggest things they did was stop me from pulling my wife out of the car and making her injuries worse," he said.

The two firefighters carried a first aid kit in their truck-"a little bigger kit than most people would carry" Restoule acknowledged -- and treated Dunk's wife while still trapped in the car, covering her with jackets and blankets to stop her going further into shock and stopping her bleeding.

They did the same to Dunk when they noticed him starting to shake as the adrenaline from the accident wore off.

It took nearly an hour for help to reach the scene, owing to the worsening weather and confusion about where the accident occurred, and the two kept the trapped woman stable.

The firefighters play down their contribution, saying any other first responder would have done the same, and didn't make a big deal out of the incident. It was Dunk who contacted the media to publicly express his thanks.

"These two guys were totally professional and I can't say how grateful I am that they were there, because there's no question in my mind that they saved my wife's life."

Story courtesay of The Kingston Whig Standard. Click here to read the full article.


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Waterloo Firefighter Best in the World

He’s the strongest firefighter in the world. He’s Dwayne Drover, a Waterloo firefighter who won the World’s Firefighter Combat Challenge in Las Vegas last weekend.

“I won the world championship,” Drover said Monday. “It is still surreal. I still don’t believe it.”

He beat 100 other teams from around the world and beat the American firefighter who has held the world’s title for the past three years.

“This is the race that is going to go down in the books,” Drover said of beating the previous three-time champion.

“I was considered the underdog going into it and I came out on top,” said the 34-year-old firefighter.

The competition involves a gruelling obstacle course.

Firefighters, dressed in their uniforms, complete with helmets and oxygen tanks, drag about 20 kilograms of hose up more than six flights of stairs.

They haul another 19 kilograms of hose up by rope and then must run down the stairs without missing a step.

They tackle a “forcible entry machine,” where competitors must move a 63-kilogram pressured device 1.5 metre by hitting it with a rubber sledgehammer.

Firefighters drag a 153-kilogram running hose 22.5 metres and then hit a target before navigating a series of pylons.

Then there’s Rescue Randy, the 79-kilogram dummy that competitors drag backward 30 metres.

They must finish in less than two minutes.

Drover did it in one minute, 26 seconds.

“It is what they call the toughest two minutes in sports,” said the five-year firefighter.

And what’s the attraction of putting yourself through this ordeal.

“I just love challenging myself,” Drover said.

He takes the sport so seriously that he trains up to 30 hours a week and works with a personal trainer.

And he plans to defend the title next year.

“Getting there is hard enough, but keeping it is ever harder.”

Article courtesay of The Record.


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Presumptive Health Initiative

A presumptive disability law links a particular occupation with a disease or condition that has been shown to be a hazard associated with that occupation. As a result of this linkage, if an individual employed in the occupation covered by the presumption contracts a disease or condition that is specified in the presumptive law, then that disease or condition is presumed to have come from that occupation. In this case, the burden of proof shifts from the employee to the employer to demonstrate that the condition was not in fact associated with the occupation but with another cause.

For fire fighters and emergency medical responders, scientific evidence has demonstrated an increased risk for heart disease, lung disease, cancer, and infectious diseases. At this time, most of the United States and Canadian provinces have some form of presumptive law that applies to fire fighters and emergency response personnel. These laws vary greatly between states and provinces.

The IAFF Division of Occupational Health, Safety & Medicine has developed an information database of the current presumptive disability provisions in the United States and Canada.

Click here to view Presumptive Health Menu from IAFF.org website.

Information linked from IAFF Offical Website.


Becky Harmata
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Climbing the ladder while watching the rear-view mirror

Written by Lou Wilde, Assistant Chief, Kelowna BC

Sometimes, with the busy lives we all lead, we forget where we’ve come from. It happens to all of us to some extent in our personal lives and our careers. I hope as a chief officer I haven’t lost too much perspective about what it’s like in the trenches. I’m sure I could still charge a hand line and set a relief valve correctly but I don’t get out of bed nine times on a night shift anymore. I do my best to keep in touch with those who are still doing the job out there every day and night.

Talking with a fellow chief about this recently, we discussed the newer junior officers (lieutenants and captains). We remarked that every now and then these newly minted officers forget that they used to be grunts doing the dirty jobs, or how when they were firefighters they were the smart alecs who often challenged officers on their decisions. Now, these new officers have no tolerance for the firefighters they used to be – the shoe’s on the other foot. The same goes for training. Before, as firefighters, these guys perhaps thought that repetitive drills on basic skills were pointless but now, as officers, they realize that the onus is on them to keep their people safe.

To read full article, click here.

Article published on Firefightingincanada.com.

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West Kelowna Wildfire T-Shirts

"As a community, you really pulled together. I'm proud to be your mayor," stated West Kelowna Mayor, Doug Findlater. This statement is taken from a speech given at the appreciation night at Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna held to say thank you to fire fighters and all first responders following the wildfires of 2009.

West Kelowna Fire Rescue is selling commemorative t-shirts of the 2009 Wildfires and net proceeds are being donated to the local community food bank.

T-shirts are available through West Kelowna Fire Rescue at 250-769-1640 ext 4 or email Laura.MacLeod@districtofwestkelowna.ca. Men's, Ladies and Youth sizes available for $20.00/each.

Men's navy t-shirt picture shown, ladies available on brown or navy Bella ladies cut shirt and youth is available on red or camoflague t-shirts.


Becky Harmata
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