May in fire history – the Slave Lake wildfire
From May 14 to 16, 2011 a huge wildfire pushed by 100 km per hour winds burned through the town of Slave Lake, Alberta forcing the complete evacuation of the town and surrounding area and causing roughly $750 million in insurable damage. Click here to read more.
New Vancouver firehall shares space with supportive housing
2017 BC wildfires triggered monster thunderstorm
On August 12, 2017 the heat from four wildfires in British Columbia triggered monstrous thunderstorms comparable to a volcanic eruption. Click here to read more.
FD Instructors’ Conference gets first look at virtual reality training
Attendees at this year's Fire Department Instructors' Conference in Indianopolis will get their first look at a virtual reality firefighter training system. Click here to read more.
Montreal’s fire service will hire more women, people of colour
Montreal's fire service, currently overwhelmingly white and male, has plans to double the number of women and visible minorities on the front lines within three years and to triple those numbers in seven years. Click here to read more.
Under new rules BC first responders won’t need to prove PTSD is work related
Changes to the BC Workers Compensation Act would designate PTSD and other mental disorders as "presumptive conditions" so firefighters, police officers, paramedics, sheriffs and correctional officers will no longer have to prove their PTSD is job-related. Click here...
Creston Fire Hall Advisory Committee hears more from FireWise Consulting
The Creston Fire Hall Advisory Committee met recently to discuss recommendations made by FireWise Consulting Ltd. regarding issues around their current fire hall. Click here to read more.
Residential cannabis grow ops need regulation, oversight
BC fire chiefs and municipalities are warning that a lack of regulation and oversight of residential cannabis grow operations puts people at risk. Click here to read more.
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. Click here to read more.
Saunas help firefighters detox post-fire
Chemical detox infrared saunas are being used in some fire departments to help firefighters purge toxins from their bodies after attending fires. Click here to read more.
April in fire history – the Chernobyl disaster
Firefighters test mask that lets them see through smoke
Menlo Park firefighters have been testing a mask that outlines all the objects in a room, allowing them to see through smoke. Click here to read more.
Insurers must cover fire engine maker for hearing loss claims
A state court has ruled an insurance company must cover a fire truck manufacturer against claims from firefighters who say sirens on the manufacturer's trucks have caused hearing loss. Click here to read more.
Phone chargers recalled over fire and electric shock risk
Health Canada has issued a recall for several brands of uncertified cell phone chargers that pose an "unacceptable risk of electric shock or a fire if used". More than 1.5 million chargers are included in the recall. Click here to read more.
Health Canada issues recall notice for faulty smoke alarms
Health Canada has issued a recall notice for approximately 40,000 faulty Kidde smoke alarms. The alarms were sold in Canada between November 2016 and January 2018. Click here to read more.
Calgary upholds seven minute fire response target
Calgary's city council has decided against increasing its fire response target from seven minutes to ten. Calgary's fire chief was concerned the longer response time could result in a higher risk for people and property. Click here to read more.
Calgary contractor calls for mandatory boiler inspections
After being called in to inspect the boilers at an Airdrie apartment building where a young boy died after being exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide a Calgary contractor is calling on municipal and provincial authorities to make boiler inspections mandatory....
Fire Chief suggests innovative way to create more parking spaces
Surrey's Fire Chief, Len Garis, has suggested reducing the size of fire hydrant no parking spaces by half would allow firefighters appropriate access while dramatically increasing the number of street parking spaces in Metro Vancouver. Click here to read more.
Recent Articles
Yellowknife to Fort McMurray: lessons from the frontlines of Canada’s worst wildfires.
Volunteer firefighters see doubling in tax credit.
Oro-Medonte fire chief smokes out several ways to boost revenue.
Ahead of likely ‘ferocious’ wildfire season, fire chiefs lament drop in volunteers.
Vancouver firefighters get $2.8M from city to procure gear free of cancer-causing chemicals.
