FireWatch
FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.
Fire service realignment has positive effect on ambulance calls
Sault Ste. Marie Fire Chief Mike Figliola reports a realignment of fire services has had a positive impact on ambulance calls. The number of on-duty firefighters at any time has been lowered and paramedics and paramedic supervisors have been hired as part of the plan....
Firefighters selling shifts on Facebook
Firefighters in Houston, Texas are potentially making thousands of untaxed dollars a year by selling shifts on Facebook. Click here to read more.
Dr. John DeHaan to retire
Dr. John DeHaan, author of Kirk's Fire Investigation and Forensic Fire Scene Reconstruction and noted authority on fire forensics, is retiring this year. here to read about his fascinating career.
Why fire bikes work in congested cities
Are firefighting motorcycles, or fire bikes, the next big thing for urban fire departments? They are already in use in cities in Japan, Singapore and Brazil for fire suppression and to provide emergency first response. Advocates claim the use of fire bikes brings down...
Downtown East Side fire hall overwhelmed by overdose crisis
Vancouver Fire Chief John McKearney says crews at Fire Hall No. 2, located in the city's notorious Downtown East Side, are overwhelmed by emergency medical calls involving people overdosing on fentanyl. Average calls a month at the fire hall have jumped from 600 to...
Kidde recalls talking combination smoke and CO alarms
Kidde, in a joint recall with Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Saety Commission, has recalled their Kidde NightHawk talking combination smoke/CO alarm KN-COSM-IBCA and KN-COSM-ICA models manufactured between June 1 2004 and March 2011. Click here to...
Ft. Mac firefighters honoured in Alberta Legislature ceremony
In a ceremony at the Alberta Legislature Premier Rachel Notley and her government honoured those who came to Fort McMurray's aid during last spring's devastating wildfire. Click here to read more.
Car crash sees angry motorists verbally abuse first responders
Science fails forest fire fighters
In his keynote presentation to the Wildland Fire Conference in Kelowna Dr. David Martell, from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Forestry, said the scientific work done in Canada around forest fires is an embarrassment. According to Dr. Martell the Canadian...
Yellowknife’s fire department understaffed and overworked
A recently released report found Yellowknife's fire department is struggling to manage call volume, conduct training and prevent employee burnout. The report, produced by Calgary's Behr Consulting, calls for a significant increase in staff. Click here to read more.
Airlines adding fire containment bags for overheating phones
At least three U.S. airlines are adding new fire suppression equipment to fleets in case a cellphone or laptop battery overheats, catches on fire and can't be extinguished. The first airline to deploy fire containment bags on its entire fleet was Alaska Airlines....
Fire department gives hospital warning over patient beds in halls
The Saskatoon Fire Department issued a warning ticket to St. Paul's Hospital after they found a patient's trolley bed blocking a hallway during a recent inspection. The hospital was given two weeks to resolve the issue. Click here to read more.
October in fire history
The Great Miramichi Fire was a massive forest fire that devastated forests and communities in northern New Brunswick in October 1825. The fire consumed almost 16,000 square kilometres and took the lives of at least 160 people before burning itself out. Click here to...
Fire Department Chief killed in Bronx explosion is promoted
Chief Michael J. Fahy, a 44 year old battalion chief with the New York City Fire Department who was killed by debris after a house exploded in the Bronx has been promoted to deputy chief. Investigators continue to dig through the rubble to determine the cause of the...
New barn fire prevention tool
Equine Guelph has launched a new online tool as a resource for horse owners. The Barn Fire Prevention tool is easy to use and provides horse owners with interactive assessments for their individual facilities. Click here to read more.
Fire safety chemicals threaten public health
A number of associations have warned the use of chemical flame retardants in furniture to improve fire safety can have severe negative impacts on public health. Click here to read more.
Ottawa stopped counting fires on First Nation reserves in 2010
Conservate M.P. and former firefighter John Brassard asked for the number of fires that occurred on First Nation reserves in the past decade. His answer included numbers only up to 2010, when Indigenous Affairs stopped collecting the data. Click here to read more.
Fire Chief advocates for municipal sprinkler regulation
Pitt Meadows Fire Chief Don Jolley, vice-president of the Fire Chiefs Associaiton of BC, hopes a new regulation associated with BC's Building Act will encourage local governments to make sprinklers mandatory in new homes. Click here to read more.
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