GTHEazette ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION Spring/Summer 2012 Canada’s Longest Serving Fire Fighter Safe Homes Use Safe Cladding Understanding the Science of FireSpring/Summer Engineering 2012 | 1 2 | The Gazette GTHEazette ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION The Gazette is the official publication of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. The magazine is published twice a year, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. The publication is distributed free of charge to CONTENTS emergency services personnel throughout Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. In 5 From the Publisher addition, The Gazette is distributed to urban and rural municipalities, Members of the Legislative 6 Canada’s Longest Serving Fire Fighter Assembly of Alberta and other organizations with an interest in fire and related emergency services. 9 Alberta’s Alarming Need for Fire Fighters Publication Mail Agreement: 40065432 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 12 Safe Homes Use Safe Cladding Rose Country Advertising & Public Relations 15 Understanding the Science of Fire 11904 -113 Avenue Engineering Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5G 3C2 20 Fire, Ice, Water: a Mix for Safety Phone: 1.800.661.4278 24 CAFSA: Two Helmets and 30 Years Fax: 780.452.2890 Later Email: [email protected] 30 The Red Doc needs Your Attention Publisher/Editor Brian Stecyk 34 Fire Fighters to Receive Workers’ [email protected] Compensation Coverage for PTSD Advertising Sales Kelley Johnston [email protected] Creative Director Margaret Horton [email protected] Copyright 2012, RC and AFCA. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means in whole or in part without the expressed written consent of the Cover Photo: Walter Thomas admires the restored Bickle fire truck that publisher or the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. was once the state-of-the art equipment in Fort Saskatchewan. Spring/Summer 2012 | 3 Dear Friends, Welcome to the third edition of The Gazette. We I congratulate Premier Redford on the re-election of the are featuring a number of stories that hopefully will PC Government. We are looking forward to working interest you. with Hon. Doug Griffiths who remains Minister of Municipal Affairs. Those of you, who read the last issue One very important story relates to work being done of The Gazette, will know of his personal commitment to develop a Rural EMS Direction. Thanks to the great to rural Alberta and to the work we do. He understands work of Barbara Sojquist and her team of fire fighters, volunteering and is one of our strongest advocates in municipalities and various rural organizations, progress the Legislature. is being made to ensure we have an appropriate EMS response in rural Alberta. Please follow-up with Barbara We also look forward to working with Hon. Greg and give her your ideas and suggestions to strongly Weadick, Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs; Hon Fred support the efforts she is doing on your behalf. President Horne, Minister of Health; Hon. Diana McQueen, Minister Cornforth has been the leading force by working of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development; with Alberta Health Services to establish an advisory Hon. Jonathan Denis, Minister of Justice and Solicitor committee. This committee needs the support of AFCA General; and other members of the provincial cabinet. and other agencies to determine the important role that first responders play. Tied with that is the unanswered I just want to remind you again to share your copy of The question of dispatch. The reduction in the number of Gazette. We count on you to pass it around. If you want dispatch centres is causing problem in rural Alberta. additional copies—just ask and we will send them to you. Every fire department in Alberta is constantly facing problems related to recruitment and retention. In this If you have any ideas or suggestions about this publication issue, we provide you with an update on the progress or about any AFCA matter, call or send me an email. the AFCA has been making towards informing Albertans about volunteer fire fighting and promoting the fire Bill Purdy services as a great volunteer choice in rural Alberta. Pay Executive Director, AFCA particular attention to the tools that will be provided to Deputy Chief you to make your job easier. Wabamun Fire Department 4 | The Gazette From the Publisher Welcome to the are being resurrected. The teamwork that eventually third edition of put the fire out is a testament to the public spirit of fire The Gazette. fighters from throughout Alberta. Thank you for your encouragement and As I travel throughout Alberta, I often visit museums. support. We have Almost every museum has some artifact exhibiting the especially enjoyed the history of fire fighting in their region. I have asked but welcome reception never received an answer about whether there should we have received be a fire fighters’ museum in Alberta. If some energetic from fire fighters fire department or municipality were interested and throughout Alberta grabbed the fire hose, I am sure it could be an amazing as we visited fire halls showpiece of our province’s history—just an idea. from Fort McMurray to Southern Alberta. I hope you enjoy this issue of The Gazette. Please share it around the fire department. If you want additional Over the past year, I have learned a great deal about copies, just ask. Also if you want to submit an article the fire fighting and EMS industry. Before I got involved or have an idea for one just let me know. If you have as publisher of The Gazette, like many people, I largely any great photos please send them to us and we will took things for granted and just assumed fire fighters publish them. would be there if they were needed. Publishing this magazine has certainly changed my mind and I now tell Best wishes for a great conference. many others about the commitment and sacrifices that fire fighters have to make to keep our lives safe and secure. Brian Stecyk A year ago we were all concerned about the Slave Lake fire and the hardship the community was going through. Thankfully the town is being rebuilt and lives Providing Successful Solutions Company Services The consultants at Smith Brownlee & Associates Business Analysis Business Intelligence provide our clients with outstanding service through Technology Services Change Management open communication and consistently reliable results. Project Management Strategic Planning www.smithbrownlee.com Nominated as a Mission Critical Communications ‘TOP Consultant’ in 2011. 250.338.1944 Smith Brownlee & Associates Inc. is an independent company and not affiliated with any vendor. Spring/Summer 2012 | 5 Canada’s Longest Serving Fire Fighter By John Mather About five or six years ago, the guys“ Walter and Helmuth Ritter enjoy a ride in the Fort “ created an internal award called the Saskatchewan Fire Department’s restored Bickle. Walter Thomas Award. Walter Thomas of Fort Saskatchewan is Canada’s because he’s always had problematic eyesight. When the longest serving fire fighter. He’s served as a ladder man, a alarm sounded, Thomas sprang into action and raced to hose man and any other job required of him – except for the fire hall. one. He can’t drive the fire truck. Thomas has never had a driver’s license. If a fire call came in and he was working, he just left the job and went to the fire hall. Yet even after the fire hall moved Thomas, 89, joined the small volunteer department in to a location further away, he either ran or rode his bicycle 1947 – on May 1 to be precise – 65 years ago! to the hall. “Back in those days almost all the businessmen in the Originally when he joined the department it had 15 community volunteered to serve on the fire department,” members and an old Model-A pumper. Shortly after he he says. “When my boss decided he couldn’t keep up with joined they acquired a used crash truck from an airport. this duty anymore, he asked me to take his place.” He was up on scaffolding when the water tower at the old Thomas had come to Fort Saskatchewan after the Second jail caught fire in the 1960s, he says. World War to work at Sherman’s Hardware which then stood at the corner of 100 Ave. and 103 St. It was across As he’s grown older on the job, Thomas has become the street from the old city hall and across a back alley and the official historian for the Fort Saskatchewan Fire second street from the fire hall. Department. Without a driver’s license, he never got any special favours. When the alarm sounded you had to report Walter, born Walter Tomaszewski, was born near Calmar to the fire hall. In Walter’s case it was jump on his bicycle and raised on a farm there. He has no driver’s license or run to the hall. 6 | The Gazette For Fire Chief James Clark, Walter is an institution. “I was Walter is best known for his work with the fire department, born and raised here. I’ve been a fire fighter for 22 year in but, he has also been very active in other organizations in the Fort and fire fighter for 27 years. Walter’s been here the the community. While he doesn’t like to talk about it, he’s entire time.” been very involved in the Legion having served at every branch level office and then at zone commander. He’s been Clark says, “Walter’s dedication led to the department’s on the Canada Day committee for 20 years. major award for fire fighters being named after him.” Married to Alice the two met in Aberdeen, Scotland during “About five or six years ago, the guys created an internal the war.