OAFC midterm meeting update

Nov. 17, 2010
Usually when I’m down Highway 401 in lovely London, Ont., I’m sprinting from hotel to (freezing cold) arena for one of my kids’ hockey tournaments, so it’s pleasantly different to be here for the mid-term meeting of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs.

The OAFC has embraced several significant issues and is leading the charge for the retrofitting/sprinklering of seniors’ homes. More on this shortly, including a wrap of a yesterday’s presentation by Niagara Falls Deputy Chief Jim Jessop and Toronto Fire Services Deputy Chief Frank Lamie, in which it was made clear that the fire service needs to take control of the way fire safety plans for these facilities are handled.

“We have to have the liability and responsibility off us and back on the owners of these care facilities,” OAFC president Tim Beckett said after the presentation. “Deploy your staff to these care facilities.” There are thousands of unsprinklered seniors homes in Ontario, which means it’s going to take a lot of time and energy to revise the fire safety plans. Get going. It’s in your own best interest.

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Looking forward to Brad Patton’s presentation this morning on change in the volunteer fire service. Many of you will know Brad as the chief in Centre-Wellington, Ont., and a former Volunteer Vision columnist for Fire Fighting in Canada. Brad’s project – about which he will enlighten us this morning – has taken him away from writing for our magazine, but he assures me that this new endeavour will have far-reaching benefits for the volunteer fire service. We’ll let you know.