FireWatch
FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.
Referendum for fire hall borrowing is a new opportunity
Ernie Polsom, FireWise Consulting Associate said, before the municipal election on October 20, that Creston area voters are in a better position to make an informed decision on a borrowing referendum for a new fire hall than they were before the previous referendum...
Mother’s voice more likely than loud beeping to wake sleeping children
Research carried out at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio has shown sleeping children under twelve are three times more likely to wake up to a recording of their mother's voice than to a high-pitched beeping alarm. Click here to read more.
Hellfire – the future under climate change?
John Vaillant, noted author, vividly describes what happened in Redding, California in this summer's Carr fire. Click here to read more.
Historic steam fire engine returns to Halifax
The Lulan, a 141-year-old horse-drawn steamer used in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion, has returned to Halifax. Click here to read more.
The Weather Channel’s wildfire animation is scariest yet
Surrey Fire Chief says allowing home pot growing “wrong-headed”
As of October 17, 2018 Canadians are legally allowed to grow up to four marijuana plants at home. Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis fears the city will see more fires as a result of legalized pot growing. Click here to read more.
Cannabis sobriety test
Community hub fire station opens in Calgary
The Tuscany Fire Station, officially opened in September, is designed as a community hub that includes an outdoor public fitness facility, community meeting rooms and satellite offices for city employees. Click here to read more.
Firefighter training on dead patient under investigation
California county considers sirens after high-tech warning systems failed
Sonoma County is exploring the use of warning sirens after official evacuation alerts in the form of phone calls, text messages or loudspeaker announcements failed to reach everyone in the path of last year's firestorm. Click here to read more.
BC Fire Chiefs ask province for more guidance around home grown cannabis
As the date for legalized cannabis growing approaches the Fire Chiefs Association of BC is asking the province for more guidance and legislation around electrical and fire codes and for more power to conduct inspections. Click here to read more.
Chemical in firefighter turnout gear potential cancer agent
Researchers have found potentially carcinogenic compounds that are used as a water repellent in most American firefighters' turnout gear. Click here to read more.
Windsor Fire partners with Meals on Wheels for safety blitz
For the twelfth year Windsor Fire and Rescue Services will partner with Meals on Wheels to help ensure residents with limited mobility have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and a home escape plan. Click here to read more.
Toronto Fire targets butt-tossing apartment dwellers
Toronto's fire service has launched a new campaign targetting smokers who throw burning cigarettes off balconies, leading to fires. Slogans include "don't be a flicking idiot" and "kill your butts, not your neighbours". Click here to read more.
Man discovered inside five days after fire in senior centre
Five days after a fire badly damaged the Arthur Capper Senior Center in Washington, DC a 74-year-old man was rescued from the remains of the building. The management company responsible for the building had reported him safe. Click here to read more.
Clearing or burning beetle ravaged forests would remove wildfire fuel
Researchers say burning or clearing dead wood from forests killed by the mountain pine beetle would also remove fuel for wildfires. Click here to read more.
Will man convicted by questionable science 25 years ago be released
Tennessee man Claude Francis Garrett was convicted of murder based on questionable arson science twenty-five years ago. A report written in 2016 by a group of renowned fire scientists concluded there was no evidence to support the arson conviction. Click here to read...
Firefighter’s suicide “A punch to the gut”
Calling the suicide of an Edmonton firefighter "a punch to the gut", Fire Chief Ken Block is opening up the dialogue about PTSD and its effects on emergency responders. Click here to read more.
