Rob Patterson, chief of the Malahat Volunteer Fire Department for 19 years, died suddenly on January 2nd. Patterson, who attended the scene of many fatal crashes on BC’s Malahat, was an outspoken advocate for improved traffic safety measures on the notorious stretch of road.
After a fire in a home on a reserve near London, Ontario killed four young children and their father, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said the federal government is determined to improve aboriginal housing.
Jasper’s fire chief, Greg Van Tighem, has raised more than $370,000 for MS over the past decade by undertaking solo, unassisted cycling trips across North America. He recently received the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal, awarded to Canadians for exceptional deeds that bring honour to the country, for his efforts.
A new report from the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Volunteer Fire Council aims to help volunteer departments address important issues including cultural change, recruitment and retention, personal health and safety protocols.
Balcony and attic sprinklers are not currently required in wood frame buildings under five storeys in British Columbia. The first vice-president of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC, Don Jolley, who is also chief of the Pitt Meadows Fire Rescue Service, believes they would have made a difference in a fire that heavily damaged a Langley condominium building.
The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is helping to create Canada’s first national fire information database. Fire departments from across the country are participating in the effort with the goal of determining if some areas or types of structures are more likely to suffer fires.
People relying solely on their phones in Gatlinburg and Sevier County Tennessee did not receive a text warning them to evacuate. High winds disabled phone, internet and electricity services causing communications to fail.
A fire in a converted warehouse in Oakland, California has killed at least 33 people. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but the building had no sprinklers and the only exit from the second floor was a makeshift staircase. Firefighters arriving on scene did not hear any alarms. Oakland’s Planning Department had opened an investigation into the premises last month.
The app IamResponding is being used by many fire departments. It allows dispatchers to notify firefighters of an emergency incident and find out who can respond and what their training is. Notifications can be sent to traditional radios and smartphones. Click here to go to the IamResponding website.
Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of the Fraser Valley’s Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research, has helped write a book, “Designing Out Crime”, that focuses on what local governments can do to evaluate and put into practice new ways to tackle problems in their own communities.