FIRE-004-07 Firefighter Injury Prevention

Chair & Members of the Community Services Standing Committee

The Corporation of the

TOWN OF MILTON

Report to:

From: Larry Brassard, CMMIII, C.F.E.I., Fire Chief

Date: February 5, 2007

Report No. FIRE-004-07

Subject: Firefighter Injury Prevention

RECOMMENDATION: THAT Report FIRE-004-07 be received for information.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Firefighting is a high risk occupation that requires firefighters be physically and mentally prepared for the exertion and extreme working conditions that may be encountered at any given incident. The provision of personal protective clothing (PPC); the quality and nature of ongoing training programs and the implementation of policies and standardized procedures play an important role in preventing unnecessary injuries. Still, thousands of firefighters are injured across Canada and the United States each year. The Milton Fire Department has launched a number of new initiatives aimed at protecting its firefighters and integrating safety into its core values and organizational business strategy. This report outlines seven specific initiatives that support the concept of continuous improvement in the area of health and safety as a means to protect our firefighters from preventable injuries. REPORT Background Last year, seven Milton firefighters were injured during the course of firefighting and related activities. Fortunately, all of these injuries were minor in nature and none resulted in a “lost time” event.

Traditionally, firefighting has been considered one of North America’s most dangerous occupations. Though Canadian statistics are difficult to find, the United States fire service experiences approximately 105 firefighter deaths and thousands of injuries every year. Heart attacks are the leading cause of firefighter deaths in the U.S., followed by motor vehicle accidents (includes being struck by another vehicle while

The Corporation of the TOWN OF MILTON

CS Report No.FIRE-004-07 Page No. 2

working at the scene of an incident), asphyxiation (being trapped in a fire/collapse) and “other” causes. The table illustrated below lists the number and percentages of deaths amongst career and volunteer firefighter by causation in the United States1.

Last week, two senior firefighters from Winnipeg were killed in a “flashover” while fighting a fire in a residence there. In Ontario, our Line of Duty Death (LODD) and injury experience is thankfully very limited. Since the year 2000, three Ontario firefighters have been killed in the line of Duty. Captain Dennis Redman of the St. Thomas Fire Department died in January 2001, when he fell from the third floor of a senior’s home during firefighting operations. In April of that same year, Captain Pat Carey of the Toronto Fire Department experienced chest pains while battling an apartment fire on the 10th floor of a building in downtown Toronto. He was rushed to hospital but died of a 1 Source – Centre For Disease Control, “Fatalities Among Volunteer and Career Firefighters – United States, 1994-2004”, MMWR April 28,2006/55(16);453-455



heart attack. And, in May of 2002, Firefighter Bill Wilkins of the Barrie Fire Department was killed at a residential fire when the floor suddenly collapsed, trapping him in the basement of the home.

Whilst some might suggest that injuries are simply an occupational hazard for firefighters and such injuries “come with the territory”, the administration of the department firmly supports the corporate philosophy of developing comprehensive injury prevention strategies to protect our workers.

Firefighter fitness is an important element of an overall wellness program and in this regard, candidate screening is viewed as an opportunity to ensure that those entering service with the fire department possess the necessary levels of strength, stamina, dexterity and physical fitness to ensure that they are suitable candidates. To this end, candidates undergo a physical agility evaluation followed up by a thorough medical screening process that includes a spirometry (a measurement of respiratory system capacity) and other medical diagnostic measures. The medical screening is conducted by the designated fire department physician. The department encourages firefighters to maintain their fitness levels throughout their careers however, there is no mandatory requirement for ongoing fitness or medical screening in Milton or any other Ontario community of which staff is aware. Fitness equipment is available to all staff at the Station 2 facility in Campbellville, however Stations 1 and 3 lack the necessary floor space and equipment to permit fitness related activities beyond a rudimentary level.

The fire department, like all Town departments, maintains a Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) that reviews each and every injury incident as a matter of routine. The committee examines the circumstances of each incident and makes recommendations for changes in procedures, enhancements to protective clothing and or facility/equipment improvements where the circumstances warrant.

In addition to conducting reviews of all in-house injuries, the department administration frequently reviews reports of firefighter injuries and deaths from other jurisdictions throughout North America in an attempt to identify opportunities to prevent similar situations from developing here. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are two primary sources of information on such matters. Additionally, Canadian and U.S. fire service related publications and trade journals have proven to be useful sources of relevant information on the subject matter of firefighter safety.

The personal protective clothing (PPC) issued to all firefighters meets the relevant safety standards as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and a “safety mindset” is built into every training session from the moment a recruit firefighter takes their first classroom session to the point that they retire. In addition to safety specific



training such as W.H.M.I.S. and the Occupational Health & Safety Act, safety is emphasized throughout all training activities and especially so where training deals with specific high risk activities such as confined space rescue, high angle rope rescue, hazardous materials response and highway operations. Existing departmental Standard Operating Policies (SOP’s) and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG’s) also emphasize safety throughout. There are currently some 97 departmental policies and guidelines in place touching such matters as administration and fire prevention practices, training, routine operations and emergency operations.

Driver training receives intensive focus throughout a firefighter’s career in Milton with stringent testing processes that follows ongoing training that includes one-on-one graduated instruction for all vehicle types used by the department and full size computer “simulations” similar to those employed in the airline industry for selected vehicles. A comprehensive review of the department’s program was recently undertaken by Ministry of Transportation auditors with very positive results.

Discussion Over the course of the last two years, the Milton Fire Department has launched seven new initiatives aimed at increasing the level of safety for our staff operating at emergency incidents in our community. These initiatives include a) the establishment of dedicated “Incident Safety Officers”; b) participation in the “Everyone Goes Home” safety campaign; c) the provision of enhanced training and equipment specific to “Rapid Intervention Team” operations; d) the provision of increased training in selected high risk fireground operations; e) the implementation of safety specific training opportunities, f) the formal establishment of a Firefighter Rehabilitation Program (Rehab), and g) a review of departmental policies and guidelines to ensure compliance with Provincial guidelines. Each of these initiatives is further detailed on the following pages. Incident Safety Officers In 2006, three designated “Incident Safety Officers” (ISO’s) were recruited and selected from the part-time ranks and trained specifically to function as incident “monitors”. Their primary tasking is to attend certain types of incidents that have proven to be more hazardous and to function as part of the departments “Incident Management System” as a command team member. In addition to the development of the necessary supporting Standard Operating Guideline, the department brought in outside subject mater experts to deliver job-specific training. This training was offered to every fire department line officer so that everyone involved in the supervision of operational staff could be aware of the elements of the new function and so that a non-designated ISO could fill this role in the absence of one of the designated members. The designated ISO’s are also involved in an on-going self study program that will lead to a nationally recognized



accreditation/certification process. The ISO program is supported by a comprehensive Standard Operating Guideline. Everyone Goes Home In 2004, fire service leaders from throughout North America met in the first ever “Firefighter Life Safety Summit” in an attempt to address escalating injury and LODD statistics that were occurring. As a direct result of this summit, the “Everyone Goes Home” safety campaign was initiated in 2005 throughout North America. The program seeks to focus attention on safety through a variety of initiatives including what is becoming the annual “Stand Down for Safety”. This week long initiative focuses on specific issues that vary from year to year based on current incident trends in the fire service. The Milton Fire Department participated in the “Stand Down for Safety” in 2005 and 2006 and was featured in the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs annual report for it’s efforts in promoting driver safety during the 2006 campaign. The “Everyone Goes Home” theme now dominates virtually all of the department’s safety initiatives and serves as the rallying cry amongst departmental members for all safety related endeavours. Rapid Intervention Teams In recent years, fire departments across the continent became aware of the need to have dedicated “firefighter rescue teams” in place at major events to act on a moments notice when firefighters themselves become trapped, lost or otherwise incapacitated. Numerous incidents of firefighters becoming lost or trapped and subsequently succumbing to the effects of the collapse or exposure to smoke were the impetus to the establishment of “Rapid Intervention Teams” (RIT’s) throughout many departments. Milton now trains every firefighter in this discipline and routinely deploys personnel to act as a RIT during any “working” fire situation. Owing to the reputation of the training efforts being undertaken here, staff from the Milton Fire Department have been invited to form a part of the training design team for the development of a Provincial wide initiative being coordinated at the Ontario Fire College. High Risk Operations A growing community has resulted in the introduction of new challenges for the Milton Fire Department. As the notion of “intensification” makes its presence felt in Southern Ontario communities, the challenge associated with fighting fires in high buildings is presenting itself here and undoubtedly will present itself on a more frequent basis in the future. A review of existing operational protocols identified the need to improve the fire department’s response procedures, training and equipment needs for multi-storey buildings and so the department has formed an operational review committee to review our responses to these types of buildings. While the committee is still actively



developing and revising response protocols, the department has taken the initiative to invite other subject matter experts to our community to conduct training and peer reviews respecting high-rise building operations. Elevator rescues have become common place and so the introduction of specific procedures to deal with these incidents has recently been completed. The formalization of equipment inventories and “lock-out/tag-out” procedures and kits stands as an example of the evolving nature of firefighting procedures to meet the challenge of new building types. Standard Operating Guidelines are in the process of being drafted or revised as appropriate to support this element of departmental operations. Safety Specific Training Opportunities The introduction of the ISO’s has provided the opportunity to offer safety specific training opportunities to all our firefighters in the form of quarterly single issue focussed training programs. Dubbed “Safety Shorts”, firefighters will now have the opportunity to attend short (3 to 4 hour) training sessions on Saturday mornings that focus on particular safety Issues. The January 2007 session focussed attention on the hazards associated with new residential construction techniques and more particularly the collapse hazards associated with lightweight truss roofs. Firefighter Rehab Program Though a basic form of firefighter REHAB has existed for some time in Milton, the 2006 addition of a REHAB unit staffed by four retired firefighters on a truly volunteer basis has allowed the program to expand well beyond its original capacity. The department now has the means to provide “active” cooling strategies for firefighters during hot weather incidents as well as heated rest facilities for prolonged incidents during cold weather operations. The strategy of providing fluid replenishment, nourishment, medical monitoring and mandated rest periods for firefighters involved in long, drawn out incidents will result in fewer injuries and serve to ensure that the health and welfare of our staff addressed. A complete revision of the department’s Standard Operating Guideline has been completed. Policy/Guideline Review Most organizations with complex operating procedures reduce these procedures to written policies and guidelines to address safety, efficiency and common operating expectations. Fire departments are para-military organizations requiring standardized methods of conducting operations and so it follows that most fire departments are heavily dependent upon written procedures to guide staff members engaged in delivering these services to the community. While the department has numerous policies and guidelines in place, a comprehensive review of the existing documents



revealed a need for additional policies and in some cases that revisions be made to existing policies. In particular, in 2005 a “gap analysis” was instituted to determine the level of compliance that the departments existing policies had with provincially mandated guidelines. While very few mandated guidelines exist with respect to how fire departments should conduct their operations, the Ministry of Labour has established a working committee known as the “Section 21 Committee” whose purpose is to research, draft and publish “guidelines” for the Ontario Fire Service. The analysis conducted revealed that there a number of issues to be addressed and so staff has been working diligently to address this concern. Moreover, beyond the need to address the Section 21 Committee guidelines, new equipment issues and the constantly changing environ of the fire service means that policy/guideline development and revisions constitute an ongoing need and the department continues to address this issue with the resources available. Relationship to the Strategic Plan The activities of the fire department support the Destiny Milton 2 goal of providing “A responsible, cost effective and accountable local government” by embracing the concept of ‘service excellence’ and the Destiny Milton 2 goal of creating “A safe, liveable and healthy community” through ongoing investment in staff development which results in more effective emergency response.

Financial Impact There is no financial impact associated with the recommendation contained within this report. Respectfully submitted,

Larry Brassard, CMMIII, C.F.E.I. Fire Chief

If you have any questions on the content of this report: Larry Brassard, 905-878-9251, ext 2807 CAO Approval: _________________________

Health & Medicine

FIRE-004-07 Firefighter Injury Prevention