Responder - Well-trained And Ready-Northern Sunrise County Protective Services Fire Stations To Go You Can Help Eat An Elephant!
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Spring 2021
Responder
THE
W E S T E R N C A N A D A’ S F I R E C H I E F S
Well-trained And
Ready—Northern Sunrise
County Protective
Services
Fire Stations To Go
You Can Help Eat An
Elephant!
Spring 2021 | 1
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2 | The Responder
Responder
THE
W E S T E R N C A N A D A’ S F I R E C H I E F S
The Responder is the official publication of
the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association and the
Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs. The
CONTENTS
magazine is published twice a year.
The publication is distributed free of charge to
emergency services personnel throughout Alberta, ■ AFCA, SAFC, AND PROVINCIAL NEWS
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. In
addition, The Responder is distributed to urban and
4 From The Publisher
rural municipalities, industry partners and other 4 From AFCA President Randy Schroeder
organizations with an interest in fire and related
emergency services.
■ FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
Publication Mail Agreement: 40065432
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 8 Well-trained and Ready—
Northern Sunrise County Protective
The Responder Services
#2 51221 Range Rd 265
Spruce Grove, Alberta
Canada T7Y 1E7 ■ FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Phone: 1.780.953.0111
14 Fire Stations To Go
Email: bstecyk@theresponder.ca 20 Looking To The Future
The Future Requirements Of Today’s
Publisher/Editor Fire Services
Brian Stecyk
Email: bstecyk@theresponder.ca
■ HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Advertising Executive 24 Book Review: Not My Emergency
Lance Gore The (Double) Life Of A Volunteer
Email: lancegore999@gmail.com Firefighter
Creative Director 26 You Can Help Eat An Elephant!
Margaret Horton
Email: art@theresponder.ca
Copyright 2021, AFCA and SAFC. All rights
reserved. The contents of this publication may not
Cover Photo: Julien Bergeron enjoyed a run just before posing next
be reproduced by any means in whole or in part to the Canadian Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Ottawa.
without the expressed written consent of
the publisher.
Spring 2021 | 3
FROM THE
PUBLISHER
What a year it’s been! This magazine is considerably
late because of the pandemic. Getting in touch with
people working from home and making arrangements
to visit fire halls has been difficult—but we made it.
Thank you for your patience.
A special thanks is owed to those who took a chance
to meet with me. An infection in a fire hall could have
necessitated quarantine of an entire fire department
with the resulting negative effect upon their community.
Thank you to Regional Fire Chief David Leblanc and
Deputy Chief Julien Bergeron of Northern Sunrise County
and Fire Chief Tim Harris of Peace River and Northern
Lights County. The article about Peace River and
Northern Lights County will be in the next issue.
Please stay safe and healthy—we need you!
Brian Stecyk
Publisher/Editor
FROM AFCA
PRESIDENT
RANDY
SCHROEDER
All our members and their respective services
have had to deal with the most unimaginable year with
the onset of COVID-19. Some of our communities have
born the burden of a tremendous impact. Firefighters in
isolation, stations, or crews in isolation. Communities in
isolation. We all grappled with the tightening restrictions,
unable to train, to drill, to keep ourselves sharp. All the
norms out the window, now competing on a scale we
never truly contemplated for the bare necessities – PPE
to protect ourselves in service. Most of us made truly
remarkable, and responsible decisions to stand down from
some of the services we provided, to allow time to try and
4 | The Responder
AFCA, SAFC, AND PROVINCIAL NEWS
understand the risk, to acquire what we needed to protect across the province provide emergency medical first
our firefighters and to preserve the integrity of responding. response care to Albertans. Often, especially in rural
Going against what we as firefighters hold most dear. Alberta, it is the fire department that arrives first on
Answering the Call. scene before other emergency services where there is no
advanced warning that COVID-19 virus may be present.
So much of our ideals are built on Trust, Honour, Duty, The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association is concerned that
Community, Commitment, Volunteer, Strength, and members of the Alberta fire service who are not part of the
Dedication to be of service when we are called. COVID-19 government’s emergency medical community are being
has tested the strength and spirit of many and perhaps expected to provide the same services but without the
changed the very core of us as members of the vaccine protection. The AFCA, this time in collaboration
fire service. with the Alberta Fire Firefighters Association on March
19, 2021 again issued a press release, as firefighters to
The very idea of not being able to conduct training, this point still were not prioritized. Why did the province
conduct public education, or to get together as stations, not listen? The risk potential for small communities in this
our family in real time, not movie time, was for me surreal. province to be without fire services simply due to isolation
I kept asking myself in the beginning is this all necessary. has been a reality from the outset of the pandemic. Some
From my desk, my truck cab, my small town, it seemed of our communities are remote without the cushion of
the danger for a time was not in my backyard. Then at the realistic mutual aid. The AFCA echoed and directed your
end of April our first COVID presumptive response, then concerns to the Rural Municipalities Association, and the
a second, a third, the first death in our community, then Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, along with many
eight. Then on February 7, 2021 I lost my Uncle Wayne
who lived in Calgary. The reality of the pandemic for me
and my family is absolute.
ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION
The light at the end of the tunnel to many is the roll
Safe Communities. Safe Alberta.
out of vaccine. We have watched the world react and
come together, with all the greatest scientific minds to
produce and approve vaccines on a scale of epic time
and proportions. It seems though that our country was
STAY TOP
A great leader keeps his team
not prepared. All citizens learned Canada was not able
well educated and well trained.
to produce any vaccine, forcing our country to source
Get the resources you need
abroad like so many. There simply was not enough vaccine
at the AFCA Bookstore
on the first role out, forcing every province to determine Distributors for all
a vaccination priority queue with dribbles of supply in the top publishers:
comparison to need. By now all citizens are aware of the IFSTA, Jones & Bartlett,
Fire Engineering,
queue and the advocation by many for their respective
Action Training, Brady and
working groups has been active on the outset. more. Also carrying fire
safety educational materials
In December 2020, the AFCA issued a media release to from Alert-all and smoke and
encourage government leaders to designate members of CO alarms from First Alert.
the fire service who are at risk as eligible recipients of the
AFCA, SAFC, MAFC and FCABC members receive a 10% discount and
vaccine during the Phase1A rollout. Letters went to every
25% of net proceeds go to your local association.
MLA in the province, seven ministries and the Premier. No
direct response was provided or afforded our Association. It’s time to visit the bookstore: afca.ca or contact Allen Mercier
While every day municipal fire/medical response agencies 1.866.457.9011 ajmercy@telus.net
Spring 2021 | 5
AFCA, SAFC, AND PROVINCIAL NEWS
municipalities each of whom demanded their respective in the country. The Committee selected Encore to build
services be vaccinated. The AFCA will continue to advocate our virtual platform, and it promises to be an awesome
on behalf of all firefighters to be included in priority environment that the AFCA hopes to continue to use in
vaccination roll out. the future!
The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed our world and The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association will be hosting the
the AFCA like so many organizations, had to get creative 74th Annual Conference and Trade Show, virtually on May
to continue our ability to connect with our partners across 18th and 19th. The theme of our conference is “Together
Canada and the U.S. who share expertise on a wide variety Apart.” Our Board is looking forward to reconnecting with
of fire service-related issues. Over the past year, your board Fire Chiefs across the province – along with your Officers.
has met monthly, each working committee continues to The line up of speakers and sessions is geared towards Fire
meet, and like so many the virtual world has become our Chiefs, and Officers of every rank. Considering the cost
reality. savings for travel, accommodations, meals, and regular
conference fees, this year’s conference fees are priced
The AFCA has continued to be responsive to our members. low. Offering you as Chiefs the ability to offer professional
The Book Store saw a small drop in sales, attributed to development to your Officers, that in normal years –
the lack of trade shows and the slow down in training budget, Officer availability and coverage considerations
across Western Canada, however, due to the great may have been limited. I know I will be encouraging this
support from you, and the hard work of Allen Mercier, it kind of access of value going forward. All my Officers this
continues to shine. There were changes to staff this year. year are attending as part of their training and professional
Our Board thanks Val Carmody for her hard work and development.
support on behalf of the Association, and we wish her all
the best in her retirement. While we welcome our new Not included for the first time within the conference will
Board Services Coordinator Lisa Maclean. Lisa started in be our Annual General Meeting. The AGM 2021 will
January 2021 as part of a new staffing model, and she be held virtually this year where the nominations will be
has been a wonderful addition to support our Board discussed, and selected candidates will be ratified. If you
and our Committees. Our Executive Director, Fred Tyrrell, are interested in serving on our Board, please contact your
continues to work hard with the transition of the day-to- Regional Director.
day management of the AFCA. The start of the transition
has been a bit tumultuous, but with the help of Allen We have several Regional Director and a Director-At-Large
Mercier, and Truepenny Consulting we have navigated the terms expiring this year. I encourage all eligible members
first three months of 2021 and should see success in our to consider running in their respective regions, and join
new Financial Services Coordinator position and Member the board!
Services Coordinator positions. For the same administrative
costs, our members will enjoy sustainability and efficiencies The AFCA has recently heard from Municipal Affairs
in service. The board is excited to see what 2021 brings. through Fire Commissioner James Orr, that the Wildland
Urban Interface program has been transitioned to Alberta
I am so proud of the work of our Conference Committee. Agriculture and Forestry. The AFCA is excited to work
Faced with the challenges of COVID and having to cancel with AgFor to take the WUI program to new heights, to
our show in Calgary in 2020. They have worked so hard support training and response capabilities to municipalities
this year to plan the 2021 conference. Never has the threatened by Wildland. 2021 spring weather forecasts
committee brought so many interested Chiefs to the table, promise a busy fire season. Even through the COVID
all bringing great ideas to work with Kelly Legris – our crises, our contracted municipal crews developed a
Conference Coordinator, to bring to you what we know great curriculum, helped shape the Structural Protection
is the going to be the best virtual conference of its kind Guidelines, and did their part to train well over 300
6 | The Responder
AFCA, SAFC, AND PROVINCIAL NEWS
municipal firefighters. The AFCA wants to see that beginning to emerge from members of our Association
continue, AgFor wants to see that continue and we as an to bring great minds together to see how we can foster
Association are working hard to foster a relationship in growth in this area. I expect hard work in this area in
this new environment long term, to support training and 2021/2022.
response effectiveness for years to come.
Our largest key success with respect to our Association,
The Alberta Core Competencies Framework Committee and the one I am perhaps most proud of is that your
continues to work in 2021 with our contractor to Board and staff continue to be as passionate and hard-
continue to support this community risk assessment working as they are in what has been a very challenging
tool. Work in 2021 will be done on the reports the tool year. For some personally as a group, we are committed
produces, council packages, and a review of the existing and accountable to be an advocate and strong voice on
competencies against new revisions, and editions in behalf of our members. Each and everyone of us are open
standards. A work plan is being generated to grow the to hearing from you and bringing your concerns forward.
tool into expanded services to improve the outputs to
support levels of service suggestions to aid in planning. May your 2021 be better than 2020!
While work continues on our website, the two websites
have finally been linked together! Yours in Service,
The Board plans to have a Strategic Plan Review, Randy Schroeder
September 21 and 22. The AFCA is continually exploring President – Alberta Fire Chiefs Association
ways to improve our efficiency, to deliver programs
and services to our members. We plan to enhance our
governance policy and develop a robust communication
plan, along with continuing to foster new relationships,
networking and talking with stakeholder groups. Affiliate
groups like the CAFC, AFFA, and AFTOA are important
to our members directly for networking support. Internal
networking with our Urban Chiefs under the leadership
of our Urban Services Director – Chief Walter Gahler has
brought better communication, understanding of need,
and an education in issues that affect all Alberta Fire
Services eventually, what we learn from our Urban Chiefs
now will pay dividends in the future for Rural Chiefs,
grappling with community growth in development,
delivery of services, and planning. I have learned so much
in the last few months especially.
The AFCA membership is broad based. We have an
ever-growing culture of inclusion and diversity, as the
demographics of our fire service has changed over the
past three decades, we have seen the emergence of
outstanding leadership from fire officers for gender
equality and issues that face our female firefighters to
insuring we are supporting the needs of all who consider
- Answering the Call - for our citizens. Strong ideas are
Spring 2021 | 7
FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
WELL-TRAINED AND READY—
NORTHERN SUNRISE COUNTY
PROTECTIVE SERVICES
By Brian Stecyk
Regular training is critical to keep the team ready to respond when the call comes in.
Like many rural fire departments, Northern Sunrise Northern Sunrise County is home to a large agricultural
County serves a vast area of farmland and forest. The 2.2 community; one of Alberta’s major lumber companies,
million hectares includes one urban community; several Boucher Bros. Lumber, and many oilfield service
rural communities and three First Nations settlements. companies. Unfortunately Shell terminated its large-scale
Carmen Creek insitu oil project and sold all regional assets
Except for the isolated hamlets of Cadotte Lake and Little to CNRL. The cancellation of this project resulted in a
Buffalo most of the residents live within 20 km of a fire negative impact on the regional economy. Whether the
hall. Fire halls are located at St. Isidore, Harmon Valley Carmen Creek project will ever be re-activated is unknown.
and in the Village of Nampa.
Fire Chief and Director of Protective Services David LeBlanc
8 | The Responder
FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
“ We are very proud to be
members of Alberta Task
Force 1, the All-Hazard
Incident Management Team
spearheaded by Rodney
Schmidt Fire Chief of High
Level and Vice-President
of the Alberta Fire Chiefs
Association. I am honoured
to be the alternate team
leader for this elite
“
Task Force.
and Deputy Chief Julien Bergeron work out of the St. Isidore Rapid response to wildland fires can minimize damage. With little winter snow and a
dry weather this spring could be a real challenge in northern Alberta.
fire hall which interestingly won the “Environment Award”
from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators
90 km from St. Isidore. Little Buffalo may soon have its
for the installation of an 88 panel, 23kW solar system on
own fire department as it is transitioning to a First Nation
the roof. When installed it was the largest solar powered
Settlement in the near future. Departments from Lesser
fire hall in the country. On average, this system helps reduce
Slave Regional Fire Service and the MD of Opportunity
power consumption costs by a third and helps in reducing
also support remote responses on Highway 88.
the county’s carbon footprint.
Two major highway corridors—Highway 2 to Peace River
and Highway 986 to Cadotte Lake, Little Buffalo and the Thank you for all you do!
neighbouring MD of Opportunity and Highway 88 that s m i t h b r o w n l e e . c o m
goes north to Fort Vermilion and south to Slave Lake—
means that responding to MVCs is a major activity. In fact
approximately 60 per cent of calls relate to motor vehicle
incidents. “Fortunately, the vegetation types reduce the
occurrences and intensities of wildland fires and when they
Procurement
do occur, they are mostly along the fringe of the Forest
Implementation
Protection Areas,” says Chief LeBlanc.
Project Management
Technology Support
Thanks to a mutual aid agreements with the MD of
Workflow Analysis
Opportunity, responses to incidents within and east
of Little Buffalo comes from the Red Earth Creek Fire
Change Management
TECHNOLOGY
Business Intelligence made simple
Department which is only 60 km away instead of about
Spring 2021 | 9
FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
It could happen anywhere. Responding to petroleum fires requires training and understanding of Hazmat incidents and related safety protocols.
“We are very proud to be members of Alberta Task County) in 2020,” says Bergeron. “It clearly demonstrated
Force 1, the All-Hazard Incident Management Team how a response and evacuation can occur with the
spearheaded by Rodney Schmidt Fire Chief of High Level correct incident management to support all
and Vice-President of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. I responders involved.”
am honoured to be the alternate team leader for this elite
Task Force,” says Deputy Chief Bergeron. The department has 34 paid-on-call firefighters at the
three stations. “We are very proud of our emphasis on
“The abilities this team can bring to the table when training which we often share with neighbouring fire
another municipality’s Emergency Management departments—the Town of Peace River; the County of
organization is overwhelmed proved its effectiveness in Northern Lights, and the MD of Smoky River. Sharing
the response to the Chuckegg Creek Fire in 2019 and training facilities and instruction regionally keeps costs
to the Peace River flooding in Fort Vermilion (Mackenzie down and shares expertise. We train for rope rescue,
hazmat, structure fires, industrial response, vehicle
“
extrication and the Incident Command System to name
a few of the many skills required in our areas. About
one-third of current members have completed NFPA
Northern Sunrise County 1001 at Level 2 and almost all have training in hazmat
Protective Services has response. The last few months have been difficult for
training because of the global pandemic, therefore when
an active and successful restrictions permitted us to do so, we have had much
Junior Firefighter smaller classes to ensure the health of our membership is
maintained.”
Program which gives
opportunity to youth Deputy Chief Bergeron is one of a small handful of
certified bilingual instructors in Canada able to teach up
wanting to gain life and
professional skills as part
“ to an ICS 400 level.
Like most other departments in the province and across
of our amazing family. the country, recruitment is a challenge for Northern
Sunrise County Protective Services in part because of
considerable turnover as the economy changes and
10 | The ResponderFIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
This solar system was awarded the Environment Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators. It reduces the power consumption on the St. Isidore Fire Hall by a third.
Spring 2021 | 11FIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
Fortunately structure fires are not common but when they occur, the Northern Sunrise County Fire Department is able to respond.
people move to find other job opportunities. Luckily in a basic tasks. They respond with us to minor incidents and
strike of luck, the department managed to recruit a record events but not to major ones and at all times they are
19 new members in 2019. supervised by a firefighter.”
”Northern Sunrise County Protective Services has an active Thanks to excellent support from the county the
and successful Junior Firefighter Program which gives department is well equipped. Two council members have
opportunity to youth wanting to gain life and professional served as paid-on-call firefighters so they understand
skills as part of our amazing family,” says Fire Chief and know what it is all about and what is required. The
LeBlanc. “This program has been successful in not only department has new equipment including a drone that
training potential firefighters, but also incites the parents is used mostly for wildland fire response but has proven
to join. It is a very popular program.” valuable for search and rescue as well.
We currently have seven enrolled and two on the waiting “Our facilities are shared by a variety of community
list. One just graduated to a regular active firefighter groups. The Canadian Rangers and Peace Regional Search
status when he turned 18 in January. Best of all these and Rescue train once per month, the Ski Patrol does
young people are role models in the community and at medical upgrading each year, and some RCMP training is
their schools—it’s good for everyone and it creates a lot of done here as well. We are also active in the community
interest in firefighting. They learn a lot and although many with the P.A.R.T.Y. Program and we have Fire Smart
do not become firefighters as they move away to school BBQs. I participate on the RCMP Community Advisory
or get involved in other careers, but they will never forget Committee as the Board Chair to encourage crime
their experience and they certainly understand the rural prevention and community safety. Our goal is to work
firefighting system,” says LeBlanc. together with whomever we can to improve the safety
and quality of life for our residents and neighbours,”
“We are very careful with their involvement and slowly concludes Chief LeBlanc.
engage them so they can appreciate the career and learn
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Spring 2021 | 13FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Calgary’s temporary Walden Fire Station, built by EXTREME Fire Stations,
is a fully functioning fire hall that can be moved and reused once a
permanent site-built fire station is constructed.
By Ted Tennison
Photo credits: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Providing fire protection in new subdivisions Mark Woodward, manager of capital developments with
is always a challenge for fire departments. In many cases the Calgary Fire Department.
the construction of homes, followed by residents moving
into these homes, precedes the building of permanent “In the past, the structure we had used as a temporary fire
fire stations. This means fire departments must come up station took fairly long to take down and ended up being
with a solution that will provide these new areas with quite costly. We believed there was a better solution to
fire protection services that meet established guidelines. meeting our objectives of finding a unique structure that
could be moved easily and repurposed once a permanent
The Calgary Fire Department needed to find an fire station was constructed.”
economical solution that would provide rapid response
fire protection in the city’s new Walden subdivision while The Calgary Fire Department did extensive research and
a permanent site-built fire station is constructed. looked at various options from modified residential
buildings to fabric structures, but found that none of these
“In situations like this we have used temporary structures options were suitable in meeting required demands of the
to house our firefighters and their equipment,” says department. Once the department completed its review and
14 | The ResponderFIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
“ In the past, the structure
we had used as a temporary
fire station took fairly long
to take down and ended
established their requirements for a transportable structure up being quite costly.
they issued a request for proposal.
We believed there was a
The department was pleased to receive a response from better solution to meeting
EXTREME Fire Stations, a third generation manufacturing
company that builds transportable structures for unique our objectives of finding
applications at their Lethbridge, Alberta facility. a unique structure that
“The ability to easily move their fire station structures from could be moved easily
one location to another and set it up to serve again as a
temporary fire station was a key consideration when we
decided to purchase a fully completed and transportable
“
and repurposed once a
permanent fire station was
fire station from EXTREME Fire Stations,” says Woodward.
constructed.
“In the past we have used trailers to house our firefighters
Spring 2021 | 15FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
EXTREME Fire Station modules are built in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Non-combustible steel and aluminium are used in constructing the fire station modules.
Lethbridge, Alberta.
in new communities but we have not had the ability EXTREME Fire Stations consists of a single apparatus bay
to house our apparatus, which includes trucks and station with living quarters for four full-time firefighters.
associated equipment, in the same portable structure as The structure houses all the necessary spaces for a fully
our firefighters. The design of the EXTREME Fire Station operational fire station including a bay to house a standard
structures enables us to have everything under one roof.” fire truck and living quarters that include a kitchen, dining
area, recreation and fitness area. As well, there is an office
“We were pleased to have been selected by the Calgary area, IT/communications room, mechanical and equipment
Fire Department to supply them with one of our fire rooms and equipment storage. On the second floor of
station structures,” says Patrick Veer, Vice President, the station there are four bedrooms with two individual
EXTREME Fire Stations. washrooms.
“The Walden Fire Station is our first EXTREME Fire Station “Our transportable fire station was able to check all
installation in a major urban centre and it went into the boxes that were important to the Calgary Fire
operation in November 2020.” Department,” says Veer.
The temporary Walden Fire Station 43 purchased from Attributes of the EXTREME Fire Station included steel
and aluminum non-combustible construction; large and
tough enough to accommodate a full-size apparatus bay
Show that you value your volunteers!
and fully equipped, industry standard crew quarters and
• Low cost protection operational facilities.
• More benefits for death, disability and dismemberment
• First Responder Assistance Program (EAP) included “In addition to working with the Calgary Fire Department
• Specific benefits for brain damage and coma we also engaged the services of an architectural firm to
• Cover the lost wages of family members! design a structure that meets the department’s needs,”
Call Toll Free: says Veer. Design and production time for this project
1.800.686.4767 took around six months and installation took three to four
www.providentbenefits.ca weeks.
16 | The ResponderFIREFIGHTERS IN ACTION
Spring 2021 | 17FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Fire station modules are transported to their designated location by truck and trailer. Once the fire station modules arrive on site, the fully completed building can be erected in
a short time.
The transportable Walden Fire Station consists of two “Another application of our EXTREME Fire Station structures
modules that expand upwards and outwards like a large is that they can be located adjacent to existing fire stations
travel trailer with slide-outs creating a two-storey 3,100 that need to be renovated, thereby providing continuity of
sq. foot fire station. The building, once located and placed fire protection for the community,” says Veer.
on a graded and prepped site, can be easily connected
to city services or function independently off-grid “Many existing site-built fire stations throughout North
making the structure very flexible for use in emergency America are reaching their 30- or 40- year life cycle and
operations. Once the permanent fire station is completed require substantial renovations. Fire departments have
the EXTREME Fire Station can easily be disassembled and tried a number of solutions to maintaining fire protection
moved to another location where it is needed. services while the existing fire halls are being renovated.”
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
The Walden Fire Station includes a fully equipped gym. Firefighters are able to make use of a well-planned kitchen for meal preparation.
18 | The ResponderFIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
Wide hallways separate the living quarters from the equipment and apparatus area. Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations. Each firefighter has their own sleeping quarters.
“Most alternative approaches, like erecting large fabric experiencing considerable interest in our structures from
structures, have been unsuccessful. Our EXTREME Fire our neighbours to the south,” says Veer.
Stations can be set up quickly and easily. Once the site-built
station has been renovated our transportable station can “We are working on a pilot project in Florida where a
be returned to us to resell, or the municipality can use it fire department had put up a stick-built or fabric satellite
on an ongoing basis as part of their fire station renovation structure only to have it blown away during a hurricane.
program.” Our structure, even though it is modular, is stable and
secure and can survive the Florida hurricanes.”
Veer sees the demand for transportable fire station
structures increasing at a significant rate. “We are EXTREME Fire Stations is proud of its transportable
structures and its name. “When we got into
manufacturing modular fire stations we wanted to
be sure we were not mistaken for being just another
manufacturer of modular structures,” concludes Veer.
“Our mandate is to provide our customers with modular
structures that are extremely different and I am pleased to
say that we have been able to do this.”
For more information on EXTREME Fire Stations visit
extremefirestations.com
Photo credit: EXTREME Fire Stations.
All bathroom fixtures are in place in EXTREME Fire Station modules designed for easy
hook-ups.
Spring 2021 | 19FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
LOOKING
TO THE
FUTURE
THE FUTURE
What must fire service technology look like when,
ever-fewer firefighters are available during the day, a
REQUIREMENTS
growing number of women and older persons will be active
in the emergency services, and with increasing frequency,
OF TODAY’S
professional firefighters will require the assistance of
volunteers?
FIRE SERVICES How must a fire truck be designed in order to allow
even more universal deployment? Fire service operational
By Rocky Mountain Phoenix statistics show a clear trend, as especially in conurbations
20 | The ResponderFIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
Are you ready for electric fire
trucks? They are coming to fire
halls in the near future.
and urban areas, units are increasingly involved with into practical account in a fire truck? This question leads
technical and rescue emergencies, while the numbers of inevitably to reflections upon the subject of alternative
firefighting responses remains relatively stable. Vehicles with drive concepts.
a multifunctional range of equipment already represent the
answer to these diverse challenges, but in the future this A Completely New Philosophy
multiplicity will have to apply not only to the equipment It was the innumerable theoretical considerations of this
payload, but also the entire vehicle. type that in the final analysis prompted Rosenbauer’s
development engineers to adopt a new and untrodden
And how can stricter exhaust gas regulations and the social path for the Revolutionary Technology fire truck study.
demand for reduced pollutant and noise emissions be taken Consequently, the chassis, driver’s cab and superstructure
Spring 2021 | 21FIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
(with or without an integrated crew cabin) constitute a emerges during the design process, when a systematic and
single unit. This provides decisive advantages with regard uncompromising emphasis is placed on the demands that
to vehicle dynamics and stability, as well as a low height the fire service will face in years to come.
in tandem with improved use of space and greater crew
protection. The crew and driver cabins are merged to Form Follows Function
form a barrier-free compartment, which can be modified The result is the world’s first electric fire truck, an extremely
for every operation. compact and maneuverable emergency vehicle with
a highly functional design, which above all sets new
The Revolutionary Technology (RT) fire truck is therefore ergonomic benchmarks. This is a vehicle that can be easily
not a further development, but instead embodies a and safely operated from ground level, and no longer
completely new approach. It is a design study that focuses requires firefighters to “climb” into the cabin. Indeed, this is
on the claim to provide the functions necessary in the fire a truck that is more reminiscent of a command centre than
service field, while being more ergonomic, universal and a crew transporter. Moreover, it is a vehicle which when on
environmentally friendly than anything previously seen in the move and in operation is extremely efficient and only
the fire industry. produces very limited exhaust and noise emissions.
The Revolutionary Technology provides a foretaste for The RT Electric Fire Truck (EFT) constitutes a multipurpose
the fire truck of tomorrow, Rosenbauer’s development emergency vehicle in every regard. The optional dual HV
engineers having focused on the vehicle architecture that battery configuration is the ultimate set-up providing
22 | The ResponderFIRE INDUSTRY NEWS
The state-of-the-art environmentally friendly electrically powered fire truck from Rosenbauer.
enough power for the RT’s two electric motors and pump series of unique design features that offer important
for the majority of calls a fire department will respond to. advantages: for deployment, the operations management
With a total output of 360 kW (490 hp) and up to 50,000 system, the scene surroundings - and above all for the
Nm torque ensure unprecedented longitudinal dynamics emergency crews.
for a fire truck, this enables rapid acceleration, especially in
heavy city traffic. The RT was not just designed to be state-of-the art in
terms of technology. The goal was to meet the future
There is room in its optimized spatial concept for the requirements of today’s fire services. This makes the RT
complete range of equipment that the fire services require not just a milestone for Rosenbauer, but also for the entire
for their various operations. It is a firefighting vehicle with firefighting industry.
a pump and tank on board, it is a rescue with hydraulic
recovery equipment in the equipment compartments, Rosenbauer is an internationally active corporate
it is a universal fire truck that can store a vast quantity group that is a dependable partner of the firefighting
of special equipment in its rear section. With just a few community all over the world. The company develops
simple adjustments the crew area can be converted into an and produces vehicles, firefighting systems, fire & safety
“ambulance” as to allow initial medical treatment to injured equipment and telematic solutions for professional,
persons and their subsequent transport in a lying position. industrial and volunteer fire services, as well as
installations for preventive fire protection.
The RT – A Milestone
Yes, the RT is electric. But that’s not its only revolutionary
quality. The electric drive is just the starting point of a long
Spring 2021 | 23HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE BOOK REVIEW: NOT MY EMERGENCY THE (DOUBLE) LIFE OF A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER By Brian Stecyk I read a great deal but seldom write book reviews, but I felt compelled to do so after reading Not My Emergency—The (Double) Life of a Volunteer Firefighter. It is an exceptionally well written collection of memories, ideas and observations of a person who has already served over 21 years as a volunteer firefighter. Bentley Fire Chief, and now author Ian McLaren takes us through the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows, the good and the bad of what each volunteer firefighter faces as he or she tries to lead a ‘double life’. He takes the reader from the early fears he encountered when attending his first call to moments of frustration, anxiety and exhilaration as he moved through the volunteer 24 | The Responder
HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
ranks from raw untrained recruit to fire chief. We learn An amazing chapter was written by his wife. She outlines
about his struggles as a school teacher and principal the impact a husband with a firefighting career had upon
intersected with the demands of emergency response. He her and the family—the fears, the doubts, the frustration
recounts actual response events that illustrate the points and the need to provide encouragement and emotional
he wishes to make. support.
We all have heard life coaches who stress the need to The chapter, “The Old Guy Has Something to Say” is a
balance work and play. McLaren propels it to a different series of nine points that every firefighter (volunteer or
trajectory. The volunteer firefighter must juggle far otherwise) should read—the points, if applied, will guide
more than work and play. They must balance a regular a recruit as well as a veteran to understand how to live
occupation with family and friends while being able to and succeed in a firefighting career.
respond to calls at a moment’s notice leaving their loved
ones alone. At the same time, it is imperative firefighters I strongly recommend Fire Chief Ian McLaren’s book. It
find time for themselves. is available on Amazon.ca. The paperback version I
purchased was $12.00 and it arrived in four days. It is also
It is not easy with perhaps the most difficult being able to available as a Kindle Book for $4.71 and you will have it in
detach one’s self from the tragedy and trauma they see minutes.
every day. As McLaren states, “It is impossible to un-see
the things that we see.” What does one do if you are a
volunteer firefighter and sooner or later you attend an
incident where the victim is someone you know? McLaren
insightfully demonstrates the tools he uses to get the task
done without internalizing the trauma of the incident.
This is a book about the need for passion for firefighting
and of striving to help others. McLaren argues that those
without passion will fall by the wayside and when his
passion for the firefighting challenge is gone he will
be too. FP2 provides the most
complete, easy-to-use Record
He talks about the professionalism of the volunteer Management System
on the market.
firefighter and how he or she may often be trained in
more aspects of response than full-time firefighters who
may often be specialists in one or two areas only—the
volunteer has to respond to every eventuality. He also
discusses how the volunteer firefighter is often taken for
granted and under-recognized and under-appreciated.
It is a book about being a leader by being part of a team
rather than a leader by decree. It is about getting the
most out of everyone and about when the leader should
step aside and let others lead at an incident. He argues
that surrendering leadership to someone with specific
skills isn’t a sign of weakness—it is a sign of strength and
the firefighters that are part of his team view it that way. Fight Fires, Not Paperwork
Spring 2021 | 25HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
YOU CAN HELP EAT AN
ELEPHANT!
By Brian Stecyk
Northern Trek 2018: It was a long-steep
hill—second climb out of the Peace River
Valley on day 5. Escorted by trucks from
Peace River Fire Department.
Northern Trek 2018 day 1, near beginning of leg 3 by Sexsmith. Welcomed
by County of Grande Prairie Deputy Fire Chief Jason Nesbitt,
Firefighter Dan Nikiforuk, Fallen Firefighter Matt Desaulniers.
26 | The ResponderHEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Someone once said, “The only way you can eat an
elephant is one bite at a time.” For Julien Bergeron,
Deputy Fire Chief of Northern Sunrise County, it is one
step at a time and it isn’t an elephant, it is a 180 to 200
km annual run to raise money for the Canadian Fallen
Firefighters Foundation.
“I never thought I would be a runner,” says Julien. “I was
looking for something to do and saw an online running
challenge—I tried it and learned how to run and thought
maybe I could do something with it.”
The idea became The Northern Trek For CFFF. With the Northern Trek 2018: After crossing the finish line with some
encouragement of Wayne Jasper a Director of CFFF at the members of the Northern Sunrise County Protective Services, Peace
River Fire Department, and the Peace Regional RCMP.
time, Julien decided to raise money to recognize fallen
firefighters and to support the programs of the CFFF. Grande Prairie run was the two times I had to descend
and then come out of the Peace River valley—first at
The first run involved a 206 km route from Grande Prairie
Dunvegan and then at Peace River—those are long hills
along Highway 2 north to Peace River then southeast to
and amazingly steep. A highlight for me was that for the
the Northern Sunrise County office. “It was great to have
last six kilometres of the entire trek, I was surrounded by
firefighters from the departments I passed join me for a
a large contingency running with me comprised of RCMP,
kilometre or two but at least 90 per cent of the time it
and a big handful of firefighters from my own agency
was just me and a companion fire vehicle escort. I try to
departments, firefighters, businesses and individual
run at least 40 km per day so a trek that by car, takes just
donors. They helped me raise $13,550 for the CFFF in
a few hours, takes me a week. The toughest part of the
2018.” (Editor’s note: 40 km/day for five days is almost
the same as running a marathon every day for five days).
“The Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation is a
registered, non-profit charitable organization dedicated
to honouring Canada’s fallen firefighters. The Foundation
honours all types of firefighters whether volunteer/
part-time, paid/full time, industrial, military, urban, rural,
wildland, airport, or marine. Its objectives are:
• To operate the Canadian Firefighters Annual Memorial
Ceremony and update the memorial wall.
• To provide financial subsidies to families of fallen
firefighters for transportation to and lodging in Ottawa
during the memorial weekend.
• To provide support programs along with scholarships
Northern Trek 2018: First climb out of the Peace River near the and bursaries for the children and spouses of
Dunvegan bridge. Running with me is Smoky River Fire Chief Marcel firefighters whose line of duty death is recognized by
Maure. Escorted by units from Fox Creek Fire Department, Smoky
River Fire Department, Central Peace Fire Rescue, AHS, Saddle Hills the Foundation.” (CFFF website-Feb 2021)
County Fire Services.
Spring 2021 | 27HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Northern Trek 2019 – Approaching the Jasper gates.
“The CFFF greatly appreciates all of the support of Julien
Bergeron and the Northern Trek for the CFFF. We are in
awe of Julien’s Herculean efforts on our behalf, as the
Foundation only operates on donations and fundraising
events such as Northern Trek. We are so proud of Julien,
that he was unanimously appointed an Ambassador of the Final stretch of Northern Trek 2019 – town of Jasper, escorted by
Jasper Fire Department.
CFFF.” David Sheen, Fire Chief (Ret’d), President.
Donations from firefighters, fire departments and
businesses are what enables the Foundation to operate.
Their current goals are to increase assistance to families
of fallen firefighters and to ultimately provide educational
assistance to every spouse and child of a fallen firefighter.
Each year at a ceremony in Ottawa fallen firefighters are
recognized and their names added to a memorial wall.
There are 1,610 names on the wall and unfortunately
more are added every year.
In 2019, Julien was at it again—up and down the hills
from Edson to Hinton and then to Jasper. It is an arduous
task as little of the trek is flat and Julien had to run up the
Obed Summit the highest point along the Yellowhead
Highway that extends from Winnipeg to Vancouver. He
was able to deliver $15,050 to the CFFF.
Adds Julien, “A highlight in 2019 was that as I ran
through Hinton the entire Duty Crew on shift joined
me for the last few kilometres on the second day. Their
presence gave me the determination to finish the day
strong.”
28 | The ResponderHEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
“All the money I raise goes directly to the CFFF except for has suffered a line of duty death especially today as we
specific donations given for logistical support (often a recognize the impacts of mental health, presumptive
hotel room or a meal along the way). I pay for most of cancers, and stress. “Part of my effort is to encourage
the logistical needs when required out of pocket; and very firefighters to keep healthy and hopefully I can promote
happy to do so,” says Julien. healthy lifestyles through my running,” adds Julien.
In 2020, a far more northerly route was chosen—a two One of the ways money is raised is by sponsoring fire
part journey. The first leg was 110 km from La Crete to departments or organizations that pay $500 or more to
High Level and the second 70 km from Paddle Prairie have Julien run a segment of the Trek on their behalf.
to High Level. It was a lonely trek as there are no other Others raise money on their own and donate it to the
communities along the way—just miles and miles of forests Northern Trek. Fire Chief Marcel Maure of the MD of
intermixed with sparsely populated farmlands. “On these Smoky River organizes a motorcycle ride—last year 30
lonely stretches it is really nice to have a firefighter vehicle bikers raised $1,600 for the Northern Trek.
escort but the support was fantastic and $16,400 was
raised. Over the course of the final three days of Northern Northern Trek 2019 - Duty crew that ran by my side through the
town of Hinton.
Trek 2020, members of the High Level and MD Smoky River
Fire Departments, and even some of their family members
joined me running. This kept me distracted and focused
on the goal at hand. Listening to stories and even having
someone else feeling the pain of the road next to me
encouraged me to keep my head up and push.”
Almost everyone in the fire service knows of someone who
Northern Trek 2019 - Fallen firefighters helmet riding in
the escort vehicle through the town of Hinton.
Spring 2021 | 29HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE
Northern Trek 2020 – Panoramic view of some of the impacted areas of the Chuckegg Wildfire of 2019 South of the Town of High Level.
“On behalf of all the fallen firefighters and their families “If your department wants to sponsor a section of the route
I want to thank all those departments, businesses and not only will I run that section on your behalf, but I will gladly
individuals that supported my fundraising efforts. You recognize a specific fallen firefighter of your choosing. Since
have made an outstanding contribution—THANK YOU!” I have started, donations are being made from locations far
says Julien. away from the Northern Trek routes. Charitable donation tax
receipts will be issued to the names on cheques or directly
What You Can Do! from online donations once the run actually begins.”
“This August I will be running 205 km from the Town
of Slave Lake to the Town of Valleyview. I’ll be passing “Let me carry the CFFF flag on your behalf. Or best of all, join
through the MD of Lesser Slave River, Canyon Creek, me for part or all of the journey! You can donate by visiting
Widewater, Big Lakes County, Kinuso, Faust, Driftpile, The Northern Trek Facebook page Northern Trek for CFFF;
Enilda and High Prairie along the southern shore of Lesser by calling me directly (780-219-1911) or
Slave Lake and then it will be just me and the road for jbergeron@northernsunrise.net.”
the remaining 90 km through the Municipal Districts of
Smoky River and Greenview. The actual date will be set as Be part of the Northern Trek and remember the firefighters
we get closer to the time—I don’t want to conflict with who have given their lives for the benefit of others. “With
other events or incidents.” your help, we can eat the elephant—one step at a time!”
Northern Trek 2020 – First arrival in High Level, Running with Sparky Northern Trek 2020 – Running in the rain with High Level Captain Colin
and firefighters from the town of High Level. Escorted by THL FD and Moore under the shelter of High Level Fire Department Hazmat 1.
Peace Officers.
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