FireWatch

FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.

Edmonton Fire Rescue’s resources being stretched thin

Urban sprawl and rising call volumes are stretching Edmonton Fire Rescue’s resources, with an average of 52 people moving to the city every day.  Fire Chief Ken Block says keeping pace with that booming growth is their biggest challenge in 2014....

War on wood construction fires up

The Cement Association of Canada recently held a press conference to address proposed amendments to the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) which would allow the construction of wood buildings up to six storeys....

Firefighters drive drinkers home to prevent crashes

For the fourth year, the Stewiacke fire department in Nova Scotia is giving rides home to people who have had a few drinks and shouldn't be driving. The best part?  Inebriated adults can live out childhood dreams of riding in a big red fire truck....

Manitoba to hike fire-safety fines

Proposed amendments to Manitoba’s Fire Prevention and Emergency Response Act would increase maximum fines to $125,000 from $1,000 for a first offence and $250,000 from $10,000 for a second offence. The proposed maximum fines for a corporation would be $250,000 for a...

After 57 years Fire Chief Magazine publishes final edition

The November issue of Fire Chief Magazine -- the final edition -- will be a collector's item. Staff was notified that the plug was being pulled on the operation by Penton, the parent company. http://www.firehouse.com/news/11245108/penton-media-closes-fire-chief-magazine

Boston airport apologizes after fire drill on 9/11 sparks outrage

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told the State House News Service holding a fire drill at Boston’s Logan Airport on the anniversary of September 11 was "Just dumb." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boston-airport-apologizes-after-fire-drill-on-9-11-sparks-outrage/

Furniture treated with fire retardants may be health hazard

Your couch probably has flame retardants embedded in the foam which have been linked to cancers and a range of other problems from obesity to reproductive defects.  A growing number of studies in humans and animals suggest that the problems are real and many...

24 hour shift may save money

This article contains a link to an interesting PowerPoint presentation which suggests the three platoon – 24 hour shift system - provides substantial cost savings....

Social media lessons from the Boston bombings and Australian bush fires

Three fundamental changes to mind-set that are critical to any effective use of social media when managing an emergency. 1. From 'We hold the information the community needs and we expect them to come to us' to 'We realise we need to go to the community' 2. From 'We...

Fighting Fires Is Big Business for Private Companies

  “Why is fire management on public lands being turned over to profit-seeking corporations?”, asks the Executive Director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. The main concern is that private companies may put profit first.    ...

Train disasters will be the new normal unless safety rules change

“Three years ago, there was almost no oil being moved by rail. It's been growing incredibly rapidly and its projected to keep growing that way and the safety standards in Canada simply have not kept up to the new ways to move new kinds of oil," a Greenpeace...

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