Why firefighters carry toys in Nova Scotia fire trucks
Most Nova Scotia fire trucks carry stuffed animals with them to comfort and calm children in traumatic situations.
Fire retardant exposure linked to DNA modifications
Researchers at Emory University report that exposure to Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB), an endocrine-disrupting fire retardant, apparently leads to hormone-related DNA modifications.
University installs tamper dye in residence fire alarm pull stations
Queen’s University Residence Sociey has added tamper dye to fire alarm pull stations in its residences to combat malicious fire alarms.
Firefighters’ motorcycle club Florian’s Knights controversial
After a Burnaby firefighter and member of the Florian’s Knights motorcycle club appeared in a social media post with three members of the Hell’s Angels concerns were raised. British Columbia’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth,for one, said it was “disturbing on so many levels” for firefighters to be associating with the biker club.
Creston Council receives Technical Building Advisory Committee recommendations
At a meeting held on January 22 Creston Council received recommendations from the Fire Hall Technical Building Advisory Committee, with Ernie Polsom of FireWise Consulting Ltd. presenting the update.
Five years after L’Isle Verte fire half of Quebec seniors’ homes still without sprinklers
Quebec legislation passed in 2015 after a horrific fire killed 32 people in a seniors’ residence in L’Isle Verte requires all such residences to have automatic sprinklers installed by the end of 2020. To date only about half of the residences have met that requirement.
Chicago rail operators light tracks on fire to keep trains running in extreme cold
Richmond BC conference addresses first responder mental health
The B.C. First Responders’ Mental Health Committee, chaired by WorkSafe BC, recently brought around 350 people together in Richmond BC to work towards removing the stigma of mental illness often experienced by first responders struggling to deal with extraordinary stress.