Working with the Fire Department

Week 1 by Greg Ruttle

The hard work has finally paid off!  Schooling, training courses, and hands on experience, has landed us this wonderful opportunity of being hired by the Burlington Fire Department. The Gord White class of 2020 is a unique one.  We are four recruits that have experience in municipal, industrial, and military firefighting. The class of 2020 was hired during a world-wide pandemic. And, therefore COVID 19 has changed many of the ways firefighters engage with the community. Despite these altering strategies to keep the public and firefighters safe, we continue to be committed to providing the best service.

Day one of our recruit class training consisted of fire hall orientation at headquarters.  We fitted our gear, met the Fire Chief, Association President, and some of our future colleagues, all while keeping social distanced of course.

Day two we hit the fire training ground.  This day consisted of skills testing in various aspects of firefighting.  From the basics, such as catching a hydrant, and pulling hose lines off the truck, to attacking a live fire. We performed search and rescue techniques in black out conditions, practiced setting up our ground ladders, and ended the day by putting all our skills together with live residential and car fire scenarios.

Day three and four were the start to our Burlington Fire medical skills.  We started with the basics of CPR and defibrillation through the Heart and Stroke BLS program. Followed by care and management of minor to major traumas.  We had an opportunity at the end of the day to practice our skills by running through various scenarios.  Practice makes perfect.  More to come on medical in the coming weeks is a certainty!

*Picture taken before masks became mandatory

Week 2 by Greg Ruttle

Week two had an exciting outdoor start as we ventured into auto extrication training. Burlington has a lot vehicle traffic moving through the city every day, especially with QEW and 400 series highways. Our class learned a lot about the various auto extrication tools and how we can use them to stabilize, extricate, and safely remove the patient from the vehicle.

We learned about the dangers of hybrid and electrical vehicles as they are becoming more prominent on the roads. We practiced some of the more difficult extrication scenarios we may be faced with. Such as; vehicle roll over, and multi vehicle collisions. 

More medical! The rest of the week we moved back into the medical world focusing on in-depth assessment skills.  Not all medical calls are visible trauma, so knowing how to assess our patient’s through baseline vitals and gathering the right information helps us better understand what could be happening.  Burlington Fire provides symptom relief for their patients, so we must understand this topic well! Also, we focused on the importance of wearing the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment), especially during this COVID pandemic.

We ended our week with hazardous materials (HAZMAT).  Responding to hazardous material emergencies can be particularly dangerous.  We learned how to identify hazardous materials from a safe distance. How to use our reference guide books such as the Emergency Response Guide (ERG), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and how to function safely with our emergencies.

We learned how we use our monitoring equipment to detect specific hazards such as carbon monoxide, and other dangerous chemicals which is so prevalent in homes today.  We finished our HAZMAT training with a practical that included donning and the doffing the encapsulated level A suits, which are worn at dangerous HAZMAT calls. 

There is more to come in our training and we are ready to work hard, study at night and stay safe for our community.

Week 3 by Kaiser Heath

The third week of training saw us completing several evolutions. With the enormous risks and hazards firefighters face daily, Firefighters must be prepared for the worst. Which is to rescue themselves or colleagues from an environment that poses immediate danger to life and health (IDLH).

Self-rescue techniques are among the skills a firefighter must have, and as such we were given the skills to perform these techniques. The manipulation of a structure to create a rapid egress. Maneuvering our way through small spaces and rescuing ourselves from entanglement were just a few of the skills we learnt for Firefighter survival, these skills were practiced with no visibility and mimicking the hazardous conditions firefighters face.

The initiation of a MAYDAY and what was expected of you when a MAYDAY is been initiated. This brought us to practicing scenarios of locating and rescuing a downed firefighter. Which is the sole purpose of the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). This took a lot of team work, listening and communication skill, while fully bunkered out and carrying a RIT Pack and other tools.

Gaining access is another critical skill a firefighter needs, to carry out the Fire departments’ mandate of protecting lives and property. Which is why we had to sharpen our Forcible entry skills. Using different techniques tools and equipment to breach various types of windows, doors and roofs even walls.

As a firefighter we are trained and expected to perform at our best, in the worst of situation. In keeping with this expectation. With the use of ground ladders, we had to practice rescuing victims from an upper floor, whether conscious or unconscious. While wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).

Simulating a hiker fallen over a cliff and or a window washer or climber dangling from an elevated level.

Using ropes, pullies and a barrage of other equipment to create mechanical advantage systems we practiced the skills needed to perform, high and low angle rescues. After learning the fundamentals of these systems and practicing in the indoor training room, we were more than eager to put our skills to the test outside on the training tower.

Lowering a rescuer over a cliff to retrieve a victim with the use a basket and raising them both to safety. A rescuer lowering him/herself over the edge of a building or cliff to rescue a victim using what is a called a pick off procedure are a few of the skills taught and practiced.

With the skillful guidance of our Training Officers these evolutions were completed successfully.

Week 4 by Ben Addison

Day one of week four started with ice/ water rescue training. We began the day with a theory-based lesson in the classroom. We were taught how to identify different types of ice, potential hazards in the water, different rescue techniques, how to care for a hypothermic patient and self-rescue techniques.

After lunch, we headed out to the apparatus floor to familiarize ourselves with the Ice/Water Rescue equipment. We learned how to perform a reach rescue, how to deploy a throw bag and how to utilize the Polar 75 rescue boat. We then geared up in the proper PPE and dissected the anatomy of an Ice/Water rescue call to ensure everyone knows their assigned role at a call and how to perform it correctly.

After running a few Ice/Water rescue scenarios, we headed back into the classroom for a lesson on reading smoke. Reading smoke is a skill made popular in the fire service by a man named Dave Dodson. It is an essential skill that is very important to everyone working in fire suppression. Being able to read smoke by looking at the volume, velocity, density and colour allows you to predict fire behaviour in a structure. This helps Incident command construct an effective size-up an incident action plan and helps firefighters effectively extinguish fires.

We started off day 2 of week 4 with some more Emergency Medical Response training. This lesson was focused on Epinephrine and Narcan. It is essential that all firefighters in Burlington understand how these drugs work and can recognize when to administer them. Epinephrine can be used in emergencies to treat very serious allergic reactions to insect stings/bites, foods, drugs, or other substances. Epinephrine acts quickly to improve breathing, stimulate the heart, raise blood pressure, and reduce swelling of the face, lips, and throat.

Narcan - also known as Naloxone - is used for patients who are having a known or suspected opioid overdose. Administration of Narcan can quickly reverse the effects of an Opioid overdose and improve a patient’s respirations and level of consciousness. After we completed our lesson on Epinephrine and Narcan we ran several scenarios to practice recognizing the signs and symptoms of a patient in need of one of these drugs. 

After lunch on day two we went out to the training tower to practice a search and rescue technique called VEIS. VEIS stands for vent, enter, isolate, search. It is a technique used in specific situations where you have reports of a patient’s location and you need to quickly and safely perform a rescue. We learned how to properly ladder a window, how to vent (open) a window, how to search for patients with a thermal imaging camera, how is isolate the room that is being searched to compartmentalize it and stop the flow path from the rest of the building, how to physically search the room and how to remove a patient from the room onto a ladder and safely to the ground. We practiced several scenarios until everyone was quick and efficient at this skill.

 Week 5 - The End Is Near

Week 5 by Bailey Player

As we entered our final few days of recruit training, we were excited and eager to join the crews on the trucks and earn our badges with the Burlington Fire Department.

Before we were able to do that, we had to prove ourselves both physically and mentally. We completed live fire evolutions, practicing critical skills, such as connecting to a hydrant for a water supply, laying out hose to enter the building, search and rescue techniques and ventilation practices. Training Officer Smythe was there to push us to be the best we could be, finishing off the day with an air consumption drill by climbing the training tower with a portion of the high-rise pack. This drill tests firefighter’s ability to conserve SCBA air while under a stress, simulating the importance of remaining calm and controlling your breathing always in an actual fire. Physical fitness should be highlighted, as it is important to constantly challenge and improve cardiovascular and muscular strength, to be able to perform all firefighting skills. The training division ensured we were all pushing ourselves every day of recruit to improve and become better firefighters as we were about to be added to the trucks.

Our final day of recruit training started with a written exam, each of us had studied hard to get the best mark we possibly could (someone even scoring perfect)! I think this is a direct reflection of the incredible training we received from the Training Division. After the written test was done, we completed an air consumption drill, which included different obstacles, such as climbing a ladder, advancing a hose line and searching a room, this drill was timed and recorded for our own personal records. The goal is to conserve air while performing strenuous activities, like tasks performed at a fire. It is great baseline for us as new recruits, to ensure we continue to improve our physical fitness as we advance throughout our careers.  After the testing was complete, it was time to celebrate.*Picture taken prior to masks being mandatory. 

Chief Lazenby presented the 4 new recruits with our badges and some inspiration as we begin our career with The Burlington Fire Department. This was a very proud moment for each recruit. Every member made the best of the day, shaking hands with gloves on, taking pictures with each member 6 feet apart. It was a new experience for everyone involved, but we all had a big smile on our faces, thankful to be given the opportunity to join The Burlington Fire Department. 

We are all extremely thankful for the efforts put in by every member of the Department to make our graduation day special, under the current circumstances. We are all going to work hard to prove ourselves as Probationary Fire Fighters and look forward to joining the crews on the trucks in the coming weeks.

• Week 1 - Our Dreams Came True
• Week 2 - Firefighting Basics: Practice Makes Perfect
• Week 3 - Emergency Medical Response
• Week 4 - Breaking the Ice
• Week 5 - Hands on with Hazmat
• Week 6 - Vehicle Rescue and Firefighter Survival Training
• Week 7 - Living on the edge: Technical Rope Rescue Training
• Week 8 - Public Education
• Week 9 - The Importance of History and Cultural Competence
• Week 10 - Fire Prevention Inspection and Enforcement

• Week 1 - Meet the Paul Killingbeck Recruit Class of 2018
• Week 2 - Back to the Basics
• Week 3 - Medical Emergency Training
• Week 4 - Taking the Plunge
• Week 5 - Haz-Mat and Vehicle Rescue
• Week 6 - We have a new recruit!
• Week 7 - Firefighter Survival
• Week 8 - Over the Edge
• Week 9 - Fire Behaviour
• Week 10 -Turning up the Heat
• Week 11 - Fighting Fires with Education
• Week 12 - The Final Week

Career Firefighters serve the community by responding to a wide variety of situations, from emergencies that immediately threaten life or property to large-scale community emergencies. Career firefighters may perform first response or support duties in the following general categories:

• activities at emergency incidents large or small,
• emergency pre hospital medical aid,
• hazardous material incident activities,
• technical rope rescue activities, water rescue activities, and
• vehicle rescue (extrication) activities.

Community (ie: public education) and inter-community support activities may be supported, as designated.

Job Overview

Being a career firefighter requires a significant commitment to both train and respond to emergency incidents. Your safety and that of your fellow firefighters and the public depend on the skills you will learn and, more importantly, maintain and improve. Career firefighters work on a shift rotation that currently includes 12 hour days and 14 hour nights. The firefighter crews respond from seven strategically placed fire stations 24 hours a day to assist the citizens of Burlington with various emergency and non-emergency needs.

Skills and Qualifications

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards for Professional Qualifications for Firefighters outlines the skill requisites that the career firefighter will achieve during recruit training. All career firefighters will be certified in compliance with NFPA standards.

The Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder Standard outlines the skill requisites that the career firefighter will achieve during recruit training for medical response. All firefighters will be certified in compliance with the Red Cross EMR program and local medical directives.

In order to qualify for selection as a career firefighter, the following requirements must be met:

• Be legally entitled to work in Canada
• Possess the prescribed visual requirements of 20/30 in each eye without corrective lenses and satisfactorily complete a colour vision test
• Be educated to a minimum of grade 12 level or equivalent
• Be capable of handling intense and sustained physical effort
• Hold and produce a valid DZ Ontario driver's licence and have a good driving record
• Understand and be able to communicate in English
• Pass a health and medical evaluation, and fitness assessment
• Be certified in CPR/first aid

Additional preferred qualifications:

• Pre-service firefighter education and training program
• Previous fire-fighting experience

You may also be given aptitude tests designed to measure your:

• Ability to understand written and verbal information and instructions
• Technical and mechanical skills
• Reading, reasoning and mathematical skills

Job Opportunities

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

Volunteer Firefighters serve the community by responding to a wide variety of situations, ranging from emergencies that immediately threaten life or property to large-scale community emergencies. Volunteer Firefighters may perform first response or support duties including but not limited to: activities at emergency incidents large or small; emergency pre-hospital medical aid, and hazardous material incident support activities.

The Burlington Fire Department consists of both career and volunteer firefighters. New recruits will be assigned to Fire Headquarters, Station No. 1 or Fire Station No. 5, based on where the applicant lives. The Kilbride station covers the rural areas of Burlington, mostly north of No. 2 Sideroad.

The Burlington Fire Department (BFD) Volunteer Firefighter Division is comprised of two volunteer companies:

• Station 1 - Urban Volunteer (1255 Fairview St.)
• Station 5 - Rural Volunteer (2241 Kilbride St.)

Job Overview:

Being a volunteer firefighter requires a significant commitment of time to both training and responding to emergency incidents. Your safety and that of your fellow firefighters, and the public, depends on the skills you will learn and more importantly maintain and improve. Volunteer Firefighters are on call 365 days a year (including holidays), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Skills and Qualifications:

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Standards for Professional Qualifications for Firefighter level one outlines the skill requisites that the Volunteer Firefighter will achieve during recruit training. All VolunteerFirefighters will be certified in compliance with NFPA 1001.

The Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder Standard outlines the skill requisites that the Volunteer Firefighter will achieve during recruit training for medical response. All Firefighters will be certified in compliance with the Red Cross EMR program and local medical directives.

In order to qualify for selection as a Volunteer Firefighter the following requirements must be met:

• A volunteer firefighter must be 18 years of age or older
• Legally entitled to work in Canada
• Pass a health and medical evaluation, and fitness assessment
• A volunteer firefighter must have a permanent residence within six minutes travel time to the district boundaries of Station 5 (2241 Kilbride Street). The boundaries are: #2 Side Road, Milborough Town Line, Derry Road and Bell School Line or reside within 20 minutes to Station 1 (1255 Fairview Street)
• Ability to respond to a variety of calls requiring flexible availability during all times of the day including daytime, evenings, overnight and weekends
• Fire-ground training attendance (every Wednesday evening and mandatory training as required) must be achieved and maintained at a minimum of 70% of the training sessions and/or completion of 100% of the mandatory training within a calendar year

Additional preferred qualifications are:

• DZ License
• Previous Fire Fighting Experience
• Formal First Aid Training

Job Opportunities:

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

The fire mechanic is responsible for the safety of firefighters and citizens by ensuring that all fire department equipment is fully operational and ready to be utilized by suppression staff in an emergency. In order for a fire mechanic to be considered competent to carry out their duties, the fire mechanic has to understand the operation of all equipment used in the fire service.

Job Overview

A City of Burlington fire mechanic is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of all fire department vehicles and equipment. The fire mechanic will diagnose and repair, in a regular maintenance program or in emergency conditions, all response apparatus, including pumpers, aerials tankers and support vehicles. The fire mechanic is also responsible for the inspection and maintenance of all support equipment, which includes but is not limited to rotary saws, chain saws, extrication equipment and appliances used to support suppression activities. The fire mechanic will document all work and inspections in the corporate maintenance software as well as issue parts inventory to work orders.
 

Skills and Qualifications:

The Ontario College Of Trades ensures that individuals performing the skills of compulsory trades have the training and certification required to legally practice the 310T and 310S trades in Ontario. The Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Program is an excellent resource to develop the skills required to become an emergency vehicle mechanic. NFPA 1071 identifies the minimum job performance requirements for emergency vehicle technicians.

To become a fire mechanic with the City of Burlington fire department, you must:

• Hold a valid 310T Certificate
• Hold a valid 310S Certificate
• Hold a valid class D license with a Z endorsement
• Have a secondary school diploma
• Have a practical and theoretical knowledge of all major components found on response apparatus, including fire pumps and aerial

Job Opportunities:

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

The fire prevention inspector is responsible for promoting fire safety and prevention in the community through fire prevention inspections and fire code enforcement. They also heighten public awareness through the delivery of educational presentations to various public and business groups.

Job Overview

A fire prevention inspector will conduct comprehensive fire prevention inspections and surveys of all classes of buildings/occupancies to ensure compliance with the Ontario Fire Code and other relevant standards, regulations and by-laws. The fire prevention inspector will be responsible for preparing reports, reviewing fire safety plans, initiating prosecutions and giving evidence in court. Strong interpersonal skills are necessary to establish effective working relationships and provide quality customer service in this important mandate.

Skills and Qualifications

A background in conducting inspections, the ability to interpret building construction design drawings, completed fire prevention courses as part of the Provincial Fire Prevention Certification process and the delivery of educational programs are valuable assets.

To become a fire prevention inspector with the City of Burlington fire department, you must have the following:

• A degree/diploma for a university or college in fire prevention/protection technology or a related discipline, or successfully completed equivalent related courses
• A demonstrated sound knowledge of the Ontario Fire and Building Codes and other fire protection standards, codes and regulations
• An understanding of the technical aspects of sprinkler, standpipe, fire alarm and voice communication systems, hazardous materials and processes, and other factors related to fire protection
• A valid class G licence

Job Opportunities

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

The Public Education Officer (PEO) is responsible for promoting fire safety and prevention to a wide variety of residents. They heighten public awareness through the design and delivery of educational presentations to various public and business groups and develop new programs on an ongoing basis to meet the changing needs of the Burlington community.

Job Overview

A PEO will prepare and deliver presentation, monitoring and reviewing feedback from those presentations, work with educators from other fields and maintain accurate records and statistics related to the education programs delivered. The PEO will support to fire crews in the delivery of annual programs as well as provide fire and life safety training and support to members of business, community groups, health/long-term care facilities and persons of all ages from pre-school children to senior citizens.

Skills and Qualifications

A background in communications, public relations and/or education program development is preferred.

Must have the ability to interpret statistical data and identify trends to strategically craft, deliver and measure fire prevention and life safety campaigns. Completed fire prevention courses as part of the Provincial Fire Prevention Certification process and the delivery of educational programs are valuable assets.

To become a PEO with the City of Burlington fire department, you must have the following:

• A degree/diploma for a university or college in communications or a fire-prevention related discipline, combined with experience in the development and delivery of educational programs is essential.
• Working knowledge of the Ontario Fire and Building Codes and other fire protection standards, codes and regulations
• A background in developing and delivering varied educational programs to a wide range of audiences or experience in adult education.
• A valid class G licence

Job Opportunities

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

Public safety telecommunicators (dispatchers) are the first of the first responders.  A City of Burlington fire protection service public safety telecommunicator (dispatcher) is typically the initial point of contact in obtaining fire service requests in order to facilitate an emergency or non-emergency call for assistance.

Job Overview

The telecommunicator operates a variety of communications equipment, including radio consoles, telephones and a computer aided dispatch and records management system. The public safety telecommunicator prioritizes, initiates and coordinates the response of fire protection resources, manages the flow of incident-related information to and from field units and/or community resources. They are responsible for monitoring the status of field units, assigning additional resources as requested and/or required, and emphasizing the safety of the public and response units.

Skills and Qualifications

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1061 Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel outlines the minimum skill requisites and qualifications for becoming a public safety telecommunicator.

The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) decided that Ontario would adopt the National Fire Protection Association Professional Qualifications Standards.

To become a public safety telecommunicator with the City of Burlington fire department, you must have the following:

• Certificate in public safety emergency telecommunications (There are several colleges that provide a certificate program to become a public safety telecommunicator.)  
• Secondary school diploma or equivalent
• Grade 12 English or proven proficiency in the English language
• Valid standard first aid certificate

Job Opportunities

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers

The Burlington Fire department responds to a variety of emergencies and calls for assistance within its boundaries and provides mutual aid to our neighbours. The function of the training division is to prepare crews for any one of the challenges they may encounter while in response or assistance roles.

Job Overview

The training officer is responsible for:

• Developing training programs compliant with all industry standards
• Organizing and coordinating the delivery of training
• Managing the training environment
• Implementing and delivering training programs
• Evaluating training programs
• Assessing performance of learners
• Incorporating technology into the training environment
• Researching and evaluating Fire department policies, operating guidelines, techniques and equipment
• Organizing and/or conducting career development activities for fire department personnel
• Performing administrative duties
• Performing public relations
• Demonstrating commitment to personal and professional development.

Skills and Qualifications

• Postsecondary education
• Technical experience in rope rescue, ice/water rescue and/or hazardous materials
• Training Officer Diploma
• NFPA Instructor II/III
• Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder Instructor
• Technical experience in teaching NFPA 1006 rescue subjects (rope rescue, ice-water rescue and/or hazardous materials rescue)

Job Opportunities

All job opportunities are posted and advertised with the City of Burlington human resource department: www.burlington.ca/careers