Weekend update
Laura King
Features Blogs Editor’s blog
Friday, June 18, 2010
We’ve been talking a lot at FFIC about online forums, the benefits or risks of unmonitored forums and the dumb things people sometimes say online. As we’ve said here before, firefighters, like hockey parents, love forums but some self control and self censorship are necessary – it’s that old 24-hour rule: wait 24 hours before you react to an issue and by then you’ll have cooled off sufficiently and will likely reconsider your rant. Which brings us to today’s story about Halifax Fire Chief Bill Mosher and Deputy Chief Stephen Thurber filing a defamation suit against seven people, including two firefighters, for stuff they allegedly said in a local newspaper’s an online forum. You can read the story here.
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I spent last
Saturday with the fine folks from Six Nations Fire Department and
FireStarTraining (www.firestartraining.com
– shameless plug for FFIC and CFF columnist Mark van der Feyst’s training company!)
taking photos of a live fire training exercise and gaining an appreciation for
fire fighting in 32 degree heat with near 100 per cent humidity.
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| The entry team breaks through the door during an acquired structure exercise at Six Nations last weekend. Photo by Laura King. |
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| Six Nations firefighters prepare to head to rehab after a training evolution in the sweltering heat and humidity last Saturday. Photo by Laura King. |
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| FireStarTraining instructors, including president and FFIC columnist Mark van der Feyst (back row, second from right) after a day of training at Six Nations. Photo by Laura King. |
Thanks to
SNFD personnel Capt. Bill Porter, Capt. Joe Hill, Lt. Eric Sault and
firefighters Bucky Hill, Dusty Thibert, Dakota Brant, Jesse Brant, Vince
Martin, Angela VanEvery, Wayne VanEvery, Tim Nanticoke, Terry McNaughton,
Nicole Martin, Cindy Martin, Sheryl Sandy, Josh Isaacs and SNFD administrator
Crystal Johns for a great day. (And it was great to see so many female firefighters – way to go girls!).
And
thanks to FireStar instructors Jim Hart, Brian Kovac, Tim Llewellyn, David
Mack, Jeff Goarley, Matt Wuehrle, Eric Wissner and Mark van der Feyst for their
patience as I tripped over hoses and snapped photos.
–
I’m on
the road again Sunday, to Edmonton for the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association
conference with some of the chiefs we met at FDIC-Indianapolis with The Fire Within
– including Kevan Jess from Alberta Municipal Affairs and Trevor Allan, the deputy
chief in High River – and others we
haven’t seen since the Alberta show in 2008.
I’m
spending Monday with Edmonton Fire Rescue doing a photo shoot and ridealong,
and meeting Tuesday and Wednesday with some of our Alberta-based writers.
It’s a
bit of a homecoming – I lived in Edmonton from 1993 to 1995, worked as a
reporter and editor at The Edmonton Journal and chased a lot of fire trucks!
Have a great weekend – check back Monday for photos from Edmonton!
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