B u r l i n g t o n

F i r e

D e p a r t m e n t

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A N N U A L

R E P O R T 2 0 1 2

T A B L E O F

c o n t e n t s

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05Message from Acting

Fire Chief Dave Beatty

061.o Administration

02-04Our Mission / Our Vision

15Financial Matters

06-082.0 Fire Prevention

and Public Education

09-153.0 Emergency Response and Supporting Divisions

M i s s i o n S t a t e m e n t

W h o W e A r e T o d a y

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The Burlington Fire Department is a team of highly trained and caring

professionals who provide vital emergency response, prevention and

education services that support community safety and quality of life.

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V i s i o n S t a t e m e n t

O u r P r e f e r r e d

F u t u r e

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The Burlington Fire Department will be a leader in our profession in

service excellence, advanced training, employee development, use of

technology and ongoing department evaluation to ensure community

safety and quality of life.

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The Burlington Fire Department provides fire protection and life safety services to Burlington and the surrounding area. All divisions within the Department strive to fulfill our mission and vision to improve public safety, aligning with our corporate initiatives and strategic plan.

Through collective accountability and individual responsibility the Department continued to make advancements in technology, training, emergency planning as well as a significant investment in the professional development of our staff in all divisions.

In April of 2012, Fire Chief Shayne Mintz retired from the Burlington Fire Department and in May of 2012, I assumed responsibilities as the Acting Fire Chief for the remainder of the year. I continued to oversee the suppression and maintenance divisions.

The administration staff continued to advance and build on a number of projects, many of which will be highlighted in each of the respective division summaries. In future years, the Department will go through an accreditation process that will provide information to assist in providing recommendations and decisions to determine the Department’s strategic direction on an annual basis going forward.

A number of the Department’s accomplishments and highlights for 2012 are noted in the following division summaries.

The overall commitment and pride of our staff provides continual improvement to quality of service in the community, and the safety of all people in Burlington.

M e s s a g e f r o m

A c t i n g F i r e C h i e f

D a v e B e a t t y

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Dave Beatty, Deputy Fire Chief, Suppression Division and Maintenance Division

In 2012, the Administration Division had a staffing complement of six (6 FTE Full Time Equivalent), one (1) Fire Chief, three (3) Deputy Fire Chiefs, one (1) Business Process Coordinator, and one (1) Secretary to the Fire Chief.

The Administration Division provides leadership and direction to the Burlington Fire Department. The Division focused on several priorities in 2012:

— Support for a Hydrogen Cyanide monitoring program at fire scenes— approval of current and capital budgets— the development of a council approved medical director agreement— an update of the established regulating bylaw for the Burlington Fire Department— replacement of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus equipment— approval to participate in an accreditation process with the Centre for Public Safety Excellence

The Office of the Fire Marshal (Ontario) has developed a fire service framework to be used by municipalities that identifies three lines of defence:

1. Public education2. Fire prevention and code enforcement3. Emergency response

1 . o A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

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2 . 0 F i r e P r e v e n t i o n

a n d P u b l i c E d u c a t i o n

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H i g h l i g h t s a n d

S t a f f i n g C h a n g e s

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Retirement Shayne Mintz

Fire Chief April 2012

Promotion Dave Beatty

Deputy Fire Chief to Acting Fire Chief

May 2012

Fire Prevention has a staffing complement of eight (8 FTE); one (1) Chief Fire Prevention Officer, one (1) Fire Prevention Officer, five (5) Fire Prevention Inspectors, one (1) Fire Prevention Secretary.

The performance objective for fire prevention is directed by the legislative requirement to perform fire inspections upon complaint and/or request, and to enforce the Ontario Fire Code. The Division works under a decentralized community-based fire protection model. Fire Inspectors are assigned to five (5) of the City’s eight (8) fire stations. This arrangement allows Fire Inspectors to work closely with suppression personnel.

In 2012, the Division conducted 488 inspections.

Three (3) year trend

Story behind the trend

As a result of two (2) retirements, the Fire Prevention Division did not operate full staffing complement in 2012.

2 . 1 F i r e P r e v e n t i o n

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* Occurrence follow-ups, liquor licence inspections, night club

inspections, etc.

Complaint/Request

2010

1 3 0

1 9 8

2 43

5 7 1

Inspection Type by Year 2011

1 4 4

1 1 5

2 67

5 2 6

2012

1 42

1 1 0

23 6

4 8 8

Routine

Other*

Total

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H i g h l i g h t s a n d

S t a f f i n g C h a n g e s

David ReidFire Inspector to Acting Fire Prevention Officer

January 2012

Jason Bridge Fire Prevention

InspectorApril 2012

Matthew LangfreyFire Inspector to Acting Fire

Prevention OfficerJanuary 2012

Matthew WilliamsonFire Prevention

Inspector September 2012

PROMOTIONS

NEW HIRES

The Burlington Fire Department has staffing of one (1) Public Education Officer.

The Public Education Officer works within the Fire Prevention Division. The general performance objective for the Public Edu-cation Officer is to develop, deliver and evaluate public educa-tion programs using identified community risk and needs.

Public education and fire safety programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

— Grade Four (4) fire safety program— Public presentations— Special events— Pumper requests— Smoke alarm program— Supporting our seniors program— The arson prevention program for children— Emergency services introduction for new Canadians

2 . 2 P u b l i c E d u c a t i o n

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Total

2010

3 5 , 81 2

2011

1 8, 8 79

2012

21 , 5 28

The Burlington Fire Department believes that fire safety education is part of each employee’s responsibility and as a result, many public education efforts are undertaken by suppression firefighters when they are in a ready-to- respond capacity.

In 2012, these programs shared public fire safety messaging with 21,528 residents.

Three (3) year trend

3 . 1 F i r e S u p p r e s s i o n

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The Burlington Fire Department is a composite department consisting of 172 full-time firefighters and 65 volunteer firefighters.** Full complement.

The responsibilities of the Fire Suppression Division are varied and include responses to the following call types: firefighting, tiered emergency medical, motor vehicle accidents, ice and water rescues, rope rescues and initial intervention at hazardous material incidents.

The performance measure for the Fire Department has been the emergency response travel time.

In 2003, City of Burlington Council approved (BFD-04-03) urban response performance targets as follows:

— First response: four (4) firefighters arriving on scene within a travel time of four (4) minutes or less, 75 per cent of the time— Depth of response: fifteen (15) firefighters arriving on scene within a travel time of eight (8) minutes or less, 75 per cent of the time

3 . 0 E m e r g e n c y R e s p o n s e a n d

S u p p o r t i n g D i v i s i o n s

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4 minutes or less 8 minutes or less

2010

7 1 . 1 %

28. 9 %

4 : 2 0

2010

5 8. 8%

41 . 2%

1 1 : 25

Performance Target / Year Performance Target / Year2011

6 8. 3%

3 1 . 7 %

4 : 3 2

2011

5 4. 0 %

46. 0 %

1 0 : 03

2012

72 . 0 %

28. 0 %

4 : 1 3

2012

4 4. 8%

5 5 . 2%

1 0 : 5 3

Over 4 minutes Over 8 minutes

Achieved travel time at 75% of performance measure

Achieved travel time at 75% performance measure

Four (4) firefighters can provide limited exterior fire attack with no internal rescue. The initial arriving apparatus provides the required four (4) firefighters on scene; however, this is not an effective response force to extinguish a structure fire. Table 1 outlines the activities of an initial responding force to a fire scene.

Table 1

Initial Four (4) Firefighters at a Fire Scene

BFD Depth Response (Effective Response Force)

Achieved Targets

3 . 1 F i r e S u p p r e s s i o n

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Fifteen (15) firefighters can provide internal / external fire attack, search, and rescue. Along with the initial arriving crew of four (4) firefighters, additional resources are required for an effective response force and will respond with a minimum of fifteen (15) firefighters; additional resources will be allocated based on the risk and need. The number of arriving firefighters per apparatus directly influences response times for an effective response force. Table 2 outlines the activities of an effective response force of a minimum of fifteen (15) firefighters at a fire scene.

Table 2

Depth Response (Effective Response

Force) Minimum Fifteen (15) Firefighters

at a Fire Scene

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Property Fire / Explosion

False Fire

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

2010

23 0

3 , 81 5

721

979

3 0 0

1 43

1 0 9

43 6

4

29 1

7028

Incident Response Type* 2011

21 6

3 , 8 0 0

7 79

8 9 0

3 0 1

1 3 1

1 1 1

41 3

1

293

6 93 5

2012

2 2 0

3 , 976

6 9 6

8 49

21 1

1 5 9

1 1 8

33 4

—

 3 6 0

6 9 23

Medical / Resuscitator

Public Hazard

Overpressure Rupture / Explosion (No Fire)

Rescue

Burning (Controlled)

Pre-Fire Condition (No Fire)

Other Response*

Grand Total

In 2012, the BFD responded to 6,923 calls.

Three (3) Year Trend

* Responses are reported based on the Standard Incident Report Codes List

provided by The Ontario Fire Marshal Office

Story behind the trend

There are several variables that can influence the number of incidents and response times each year, such as: weather; road construction and distance travelled; medical incidents; high traffic volumes, etc.

2010 was the initial implementation year of the Department’s computer aided dispatch system. Since then the Fire Department has benefited by being able to acquire, store and analyze a far more specific set of accurate data.

3 . 1 F i r e S u p p r e s s i o n

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H i g h l i g h t s a n d S t a f f i n g C h a n g e s

In 2012, the Burlington Fire Department initiated a transition to high-pressure Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and implemented a Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) monitoring program at fire scenes. The new SCBA will allow additional exit time for firefighting personnel when working in toxic environments.

HCN is a deadly gas that is found in smoke that has recently been attributed to a number of illnesses experienced by firefighters. The implementation of this program was a first of its kind in Canada. The Ontario Fire Service Advisory Committee on Occupational Health & Safety has requested assistance from the Burlington Fire Department on the development of a guidance note for use by all fire services within Ontario. It is expected that the benefits of the program will be a reduction in future workplace injury claims.

FirefightersSeptember 2012

Chris McBrideLindsay BaldwinMatthew McCarney Andrew Boyle

Volunteer Firefighter Anna Everett to Acting Lieutenant, January 2012

Volunteer Acting Lieutenant Peter Oleskiw to Lieutenant, January 2012

Acting Captain Steve Jones to Captain, February 2012

Acting Captain Chris Martin assigned to supervise recruit training, September 2012

Volunteer FirefightersApril 2012

Thomas LindopDavid CairnsCraig HopeBrian SutherlandCale OnceaNathan WalczakAndrew PageChris BaileyGreg RuttleAlex Amodio

New Hires

Promotions

Secondment

Acting Captain Chris Martin to Captain, February 2012 Firefighter Mark Adams to Acting Captain, February 2012

Firefighter Dan Everett to Acting Captain, February 2012

Captain Ryan Wheatley to Acting Platoon Chief, September 2012

3 . 1 . 1 V o l u n t e e r D i v i s i o n

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The Burlington Fire Department maintains two volunteer firefighter companies. The roles and responsibilities of these two volunteer companies are different.

The urban volunteer company, with a staffing complement of 35, operates out of Headquarters Fire Station No. 1 and provides support to incidents that require additional suppression staffing and equipment.

The rural volunteer company, with a staffing complement of 30, operates out of Kilbride Fire Station No. 5 and provides emergency response to the rural north area of Burlington, along with career firefighters that simultaneously respond to the same incidents. The Department also has automatic aid agreements with both the Town of Milton and the City of Hamilton. As a result of these agreements, any fires in the urban waterless and rural areas of Burlington are automatically responded to by Burlington, Milton and Hamilton Fire Departments with water tanker apparatus and firefighters.

All volunteer firefighters undergo a 140-hour training program that consists of fire ground, emergency patient care theory and practical training. Once training has been successfully completed all volunteer firefighters enter into a 3-month probationary period where minimum requirement training and response measures must be maintained. Being a volunteer firefighter requires a significant commitment of time to train and respond to emergency incidents, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The two volunteer companies are integral to Burlington’s emergency response capacity. As a result, the Burlington Fire Department continues to be committed to this composite model and strives to maintain the sustainability of the volunteer companies.

In 2012 the volunteer firefighter companies responded to a total of 119 incidents; urban volunteer company responded to 16 incidents and the rural volunteer company responded to 103 incidents as outlined in Table 1 below.

Table 1 : Volunteer Company Incidents

Number of Incidents Station 1Station 5

4 0

3 0

2 0

1 0

Burning

(controlled)

9

5

14

36

5

11

51

10

3 2

False Fire

Calls

Property Fire/

Explosions

CO False

Calls

Other

Responses

Medical/

Resuscitator

Calls

Public

Hazard

Rescue

18

3 . 2 B u r l i n g t o n F i r e

D i s p a t c h C e n t r e

( C o m m u n i c a t i o n s )

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The dispatch centre operates with a staffing complement of nine (9 FTE), one (1) Communications Co-ordinator (Supervisor), eight (8) full-time Communicators, and four (4) part-time Communicators. The Division operates within the scope of the Burlington/Oakville Dispatch Agreement.

Among its many responsibilities, the Communications Division is responsible for answering emergency and non-emergency calls, dispatching emergency services and supporting suppression crews at a scene for both the City of Burlington and the Town of Oakville fire departments. The Communications Division also provides non-emergency call answering and dispatching for a number of Burlington and Oakville services during non-business hours.

The Communications Division strives to achieve a 60-second benchmark for handling all emergency phone calls, as well as ensuring an appropriate emergency vehicle response.

3 . 3 T r a i n i n g D i v i s i o n

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The Training Division has a staff complement of four (4) FTE, one (1) Training Supervisor, one (2) Training Officers, and one (1) Fire Clerk. The Division is responsible for the training requirements of 172 full-time suppression staff and 65 volunteer firefighters. The on-going tasks undertaken by the Training Division staff include:

— Career and volunteer firefighter recruitment— Administration of Provincial certifications and examinations— Volunteer training program— Administration of courses at the Ontario Fire College— Bi-annual officer development program— Records management— Equipment research and development— Registration for external courses— The development of a training syllabus and all supporting documents — The delivery of a 60-day recruit training program

The training requirements of the BFD continue to grow, and the current training staff have reached workload capacity. As a result, a delivery model employing the use of the train-the-trainer program builds training delivery capacity in a cost-efficient manner. The Division supervises 74 on-shift instructors who are also involved in the delivery of in-service training programs.

Shift Instructors

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Achieved Call Handling Time (60 second NFPA 1221 benchmark)

Total Calls Dispatched (Oakville and Burlington)

2010

5 7s e c .

1 3 4 43

2011

5 4s e c .

1 29 5 4

2012

5 1s e c .

1 29 0 1Technical Ice/Water Rescue I

Technical Hazardous Material

Technical Rope Rescue

Emergency Patient Care

Emergency Patient Care Train-the-Trainer

Driving Instructors

Pump Operations

Firefighter Self Survival

Totals

2010

1 2

1 2

1 0

1 8

—

4

4

—

6 0

Training Discipline 2011

1 2

1 2

1 0

1 8

—

4

4

—

—

2012

1 4

1 2

1 2

1 6

* 4

4

4

* 8

74

* Responses are reported based on the Standard Incident Report Codes List

provided by The Ontario Fire Marshal Office

* New for 2012

3 . 3 T r a i n i n g D i v i s i o n

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In 2012, the Training Division provided:

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Full-time Firefighters

Suppression Number of Staff

1 72

5 1

2 23

Number of Staff

1 72

5 1

2 23

Number of Staff

1 72

5 6

2 28

Staff Hours

43 , 6 8 0

4, 5 76

4 8, 479

Staff Hours

50, 5 6 8

9 , 1 8 0

5 9 , 74 8

Staff Hours

6 9 , 6 6 0

1 1 , 64 8

81 , 3 0 8

Volunteer Firefighters

Total Staff / Hours

2010Three (3) Year Trend 2011 2012

— A 140-hour introductory course and job-specific training to 11 new volunteers— a 480-hour instructional and practical training course for four (4) new full-time firefighters— a total 81,308 staff hours of formal training

* The increased training hours in 2012 are due to two (2) new training initiatives and five (5) additional volunteer firefighter training requirements in

comparison with previous years.

H i g h l i g h t s

1firefighter attended

train-the -trainer positive pressure attack training

68staff qualified through Blue-Card

Incident Command Training

16staff were qualified as

Red Cross emergency patient care instructors

8staff qualified as Firefighter

Self-Survival Instructors

2staff were qualified as Blue-Card Incident Command Instructors

12Suppression Staff

participated in a joint training exercise with the Halton Regional Police Service

Explosives Disposal Teamall Suppression Staff were trained in fire ground

Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) gas monitoring and detection.

H i g h l i g h t s

2 2In 2012, the BFD accepted the delivery of:

3 . 4 M a i n t e n a n c e

D i v i s i o n

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The Maintenance Division has a staffing complement of two (2 FTE), one (1) Mechanic Supervisor, and one (1) Mechanic. The Division is responsible for maintaining the safe and reliable operation of a range of vehicles and equipment. This primarily includes:

— Preventative maintenance— Visual and physical inspections— Repair of vehicles and equipment— Part and equipment purchasing— Annual safety inspections

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F i n a n c i a l M a t t e r s

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Fire Department Budget

In 2012, Council approved a current operating budget for the Department of $24.4 million. The Departments net operating costs were $24.1 million. This represents a positive variance of 1.1 per cent or approximately $270,000.

Through continuous review, cost containment and various operational improvements the department continues to strive for efficiencies and savings to maintain and optimize service to the citizens of Burlington in a responsible, caring, cost efficient and effective manner.

New Rescue/Pumpers

New Rescue trucks from Dependable

Emergency Vehicles of Brampton