New law allows firefighters to “double-hat”

Ontario launches barn fire safety campaign
Perth East and West Fire Departments and Ontario Fire and Life Safety Educators have launched a province-wide barn fire safety campaign. Statistics from the Ontario Fire Marshal show there were over 750 barn fires in Ontario between 2013 and 2017 causing over $180 million in damages and killing thousands of animals.

Many Ontario nursing homes still lack sprinklers that became mandatory on January 1
Although automatic sprinklers became mandatory for Ontario retirement and nursing homes on January 1, 2019 many homes across the province are non-compliant.
Tom Cartwright named Ontario fire chief of the year
Tom Cartwright of Port Colborne, Ontario has been named Ontario Fire Chief of the Year. Since a tragic multiple death fire in 2016 Chief Colborne has been an advocate for the need for fire departments to take a more proactive approach to fire safety and prevention.
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Ontario fire chief fights forced retirement
The former fire chief of Renfrew, Ontario has vowed to fight what he considers to be an illegal termination of his employment. Guy Longtin was terminated when his position was included in a mandatory retirement policy for firefighters.
Proposed firefighter training could make recruitment harder
According to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario proposed new firefighter certification requirements could make recruiting volunteer firefighters difficult and represent a significant cost to municipalities.
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Ontario coroner’s panel to look at 58 indigenous fire deaths
An Ontario coroner’s panel will be looking into nearly 60 indigenous fire deaths in that province in the last decade. The panel will include coroners, forensic pathologists, fire investigators and members of Ontario’s indigenous communities.

Nuclear lab temporarily providing fire protection to Ontario town
After the fire department in Deep River, Ontario encountered financial problems that left it short-staffed and under-resourced, the corporation running Chalk River Laboratories nuclear facility agreed to manage the town’s fire services until July of 2018.

Deep River, ON struggles to redesign emergency services
The town of Deep River, Ontario, population 4,000, simply can’t afford to operate a fire department with nine full-time firefighters, says the Mayor. As the small town struggles to redesign its emergency services the Fire Chief has resigned and residents have criticized city hall and the fire department for how the issue has been handled.