Team Up for Fire Safety” wasthe theme for Fire PreventionWeek 2002. Sarah Neufeld, a

Grade 4 student from New Bothwellwas the provincial grand prizewinner of the computer that wasdonated by the Fire Fighter’s BurnFund. “I was jumping up and downwhen I heard I won a computer - Ireally wanted to win a computer,”said Sarah. Sarah plans to share thecomputer with her three sisters andone brother. Sarah completed six firesafety activities. All students, grades4-6 were eligible to enter the contest.On December 17th, the Office of theFire Commissioner staff, Fire FightersBurn Fund (Gary MacDonald), FireChief Ken Hiebert, School Trustees,RM Councilors and the ParentCouncil were all present when theBurn Fund presented the computer toSarah at a school assembly.Congratulations Sarah!

We would like to hear from you! Theage group chosen this year was Grades 4- 7 for the McDonald’s Program. Didyour fire department encounter anydifficulties implementing the program?How did you feel about the age group?Did you receive support from theMcDonalds in your area? Any othercomments would be appreciated. Pleasecall Marilyn 1-888-253-1488 or fax yourcomments to (204) 726-6847. Thank you.

The 2003 theme for Fire PreventionWeek is: “When Fire Strikes - GetOut Stay Out.” Watch the NFPAwebsite for more informationwww.nfpa.org.

From the archives - Ken Carmichael,ESO, received a letter dated October1st, 1929 at a Pembina TriangleMutual Aid Meeting. The letter wassent to all Secretary’s of SchoolDistricts from R. Fletcher, DeputyMinister of Education. Mr. Fletcher ‘sletter was announcing FirePrevention Week and he wasencouraging schools to make aspecial effort to cooperate with theDepartment by holding lectures,drills and any other method to teachfire safety education that has beenfound to be effective in the past. In1928, 22 Manitobans died and $2.5million of property was destroyed.In 2002, 21 persons lost their lives infire and to date the total amount ofdamage is not available. Together wecan make a difference to reduce thisunacceptable number!

Contributed by Irv Braun, Altona Fire Chief

B U R N I N GI S S U E S OFFI

CE

OF

TH

E FIRE COMM

ISS

IONER

PREVENTION • PROTECTION • PUBLIC EDUCATION

Winter 2003

Fire Prevention Week - October 6th - 12th

Pictured above is Roger Gillis, OFC, NewBothwell Fire Chief, Ken Hiebert, Vice-Chairman of the Fire Fighters BurnFund, Gary MacDonald, Sarah Neufeldand Sparky. Picture compliments of theSteinbach Carillon News

IndexStatistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

News and Views of ManitobaEmergency Services . . . 3 - 7

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 11

Critical Incident StressManagement News . . 12, 13

Codes and Standards . . . . . 14

Recalls / Advisors . . . . . . . . 15

OFFICE OF THE FIRE COMMISSIONER

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FireInvestigationBrian Monkman, Fire Investigatorfor the OFC received an HonouraryLife Membership from the CanadianAssociation of Fire Investigators atthe National Meeting held inVictoria, B.C. November 7th, 2002.Brian was a founding member ofCAFI in 1979/80. He was aManitoba Regional Director untilbecoming a National ExecutiveOfficer. Brian was President ofCAFI 1998-2000, as well as the firstPresident of the Winnipeg Chapterof CAFI. Congratulations Brian!

ManitobaAssociationof FireChiefsThe Manitoba Association of FireChiefs will be holding theirconvention in Russell June 5 to 8.The conference theme is“Leadership, Responsibility andMotivation” Ed Brouwer from JoeRich Fire Rescue, British Columbiais the guest speaker. Please bookyour rooms as soon as possible. Forfurther information on theConference, please contact WayneChristie at (204) 857-6249 or ChiefHank Smith in Russell at (204) 773-2710.

STATISTICS2002 YEAR END REPORTS

Another year is now behind us and we are again requesting yourassistance in completing our statistical data for the past year. By thetime you receive this issue all reports should have been submitted for

2002. Any departments with outstanding reports are reminded to forwardthese reports to the Winnipeg Office no later than February 14, 2003.

Remember that all fires are to be reported to the Office including those smalloutdoor property losses.

You are also reminded to pay particular attention to the following categories onyour report:

• Property Value and Estimate of Loss;

• Presence and Performance of Detection and Sprinkler Systems;

• Evacuation of Individuals; and

• The remarks portion of the fire report, explaining the circumstances of thefire.

This information is beneficial to both yourselves and this Office, it enables us todetail some of the savings provided by the Fire Service to your localgovernment as well as the citizens of Manitoba.

Those of you who are utilizing the computerized reporting system arereminded to complete the entire report including the names, remarks,equipment and injury reports on all fires. Over the past year, a large numberof computerized departments have been submitting their reports by e-mail.Further details on this process are available by contacting Louise Hornbeckat 945-3327.

We wish you all the best for 2003 and thank you for your on going commitmentto supplying quality information to address our new and existing initiative.

Contributed by: Louise Hornbeck (204) 945-3327 and Lisa Morhun (204) 945-5930

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Wallace District Fire Board

On Thursday, July 18, the Wallace District FireBoardhonoured former Fire Chief Bill Edmonds for hisyears of service. Chief Edmonds stepped down as

Fire Chief of Wallace District Fire Department Station #1in Virden in January of this year. Bill has served as FireChief since 1974. He began his service to the Town ofVirden as a fire fighter in 1962, joining the VirdenVolunteer Fire Brigade. Bill has seen many changes in thefire service throughout his almost forty years of dedicatedservice. From a small fire station in the town officebuilding with two 1956 fire engines to a modern firerescue service known as The Wallace District FireDepartment located in a state of the art fire stationmanned by 30 dedicated fire fighters and five modern fireengines.

Bill has received the Governor General’s Exemplary FireService Medal for twenty years of dedicated service andhis first bar for additional meritorious service from theCanadian Government. Bill has been voted the FireDepartment’s fire fighter of the year on several occasions.

The evening started with some words by Wallace DistrictFire Chief Brad Yochim, who was also Master ofCeremonies. Chief Yochim gave a brief history of Bill’sservice to the Fire Department. Also there to honour Billwere Station # 2 Fire Chief Terry Bajus from Elkhorn,members of the Wallace District Fire Board, Mayor DaveReid and Councillors from the Town of Virden, RonDenslow and his wife, Karen from the Office of the FireCommissioner, John Johnston and his wife Barb from theOak Lake Mutual Aid District, Bill Busby and his wifefrom the RM of Pipestone Fire Department, as well asmembers from WDFD Station #1 Fire Department andVirden Ambulance. Bill’s daughter June and husband ScottFefchak of Alberta and his son Brian of Winnipeg werealso in attendance. On this evening, the Wallace DistrictFire Board honoured Bill with a plate collection for hisyears of service as Fire Chief. The Town of Virdenpresented Bill with a gold watch in recognition of his yearsof service and the Oak Lake Mutual Aid District presentedhim with a plaque, thanking him for his dedication to theorganization since its’ inception. Ron Denslow from theOffice of the Fire Commissioner presented Bill with aplaque in recognition of his years of service to theProvince of Manitoba. Nancy Gertz of the Wallace DistrictFire Board presented Bill’s wife Linda with a bouquet offlowers for her years of dedication being married to a firefighter - not enough recognition is given to the spouses ofthe fire fighters. The sleepless nights, the unexpectedinterruptions, and the smoky smell that accompanies usafter a call are some of the things that spouses have to deal

with as well.

Bill has not retired from the fire department. He is stillactive and still responds to all of our calls. He also stopsby the fire hall every day to check things out and mow thelawn. He also helps out Chief Yochim in some of the paperwork and odd jobs that need to be done. Keep up thegood work Bill!

Contributed by Brad Yochim, Fire Chief, Wallace and District

Retired Fire Chief, Bill Edmonds

Newly appointed Fire Chief, Brad Yochim

NEWS AND VIEWS OF MANITOBA EMERGENCY SERVICES

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NEWS AND VIEWS OF MANIT

The East St. Paul Fire Departmentbrought the Fire Fighters BurnFund Trailer to Birds Hill School

on Sept 18, 2002. 500 students andteachers toured through the safetyhouse that day. The Department alsoshowcased some pieces of fireapparatus on site and some membersgave a demonstration of theequipment. East St. Paul is veryinvolved in public fire safetyeducation. In addition to taking thefire safety house to the local schools,every year we give many fire safetylectures to scouts, girl guides beavers,sparks, etc. Every year we teach thefire safety portion of the babysittingcourse held at Dr. Hamilton School. Acouple of times a year, I go to the localschools to talk to the Kindergartenstudents about fire safety.

In the training department, the pictureof the burn trailer was taken in Oct 02.We put quite a few of our membersinto the burn trailer that day. The burntrailer is an excellent tool in teaching

firefighters fire attack methods. Theheat is incredible and it is the first timefirefighters get a real appreciation ofwhat it is like in a fire. The trenchrescue training also took place in Oct02 with help from our public worksdepartment, we hada trench dug and themembers got someexcellent hands on

experience in executing a trenchrescue, safely.

Contributed by Bob Ezinicki, Fire Prevention

Officer,East St. Paul Fire Department

East St. Paul Fire Department

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OBA EMERGENCY SERVICESEriksdale Fire Department

The Eriksdale Fire Department held their Open House on Saturday,September 21, 2002 as a kick-off to Fire Prevention Week. The FireDepartment “teamed” up with the Sparky, the RCMP, Safety Bear, KC the

remote controlled police car, the Mulvihill Red Cross and the Manitoba FireFighter’s Burn Fund. Approximately 80+ children went through the SafetyHouse testing their “Hazard Hunting Skills” and learning how to crawl lowunder smoke. The kids loved the interaction and the fact that the house couldbe filled with smoke. We had movies, popcorn, hot dogs, drinks, a first aid kitand T-shirt as door prizes and free draws for a deluxe first aid kit, smoke alarmsand a fire extinguisher. The children received Sparky tattoos and stickers andfire safety booklets to take home. Our honourary “Fire Chief for the Day” wasselected and the Chief rode around the town when the community had it’stown-wide fire drill. The Fire Chief’s Safety Quiz was popular with the winnerreceiving a plush Sparky doll. The Department received donations from the RMof Eriksdale, Co-op Hardware, Action Carrier, ABC Safety Equipment andWeston’s. We wouldn’t have had such a success without help from the firefighters, the spouses and their children and a few friends. It was a large groupeffort! The fire fighters did an excellent job of acting as “tour guides” for thesafety trailer. These guys really know their stuff!

Contributed by Dolly Lindell, Fire and Life Safety Officer, Eriksdale Fire Department

Richot FireHall/EmergencyService BuildingGrand Opening

Pictured from left to right - Fire ChiefJacques Turenne, the Honourable RonLemieux (MLA - La Verendrye) andMayor Robert Stefaniuk, RM of Ritchot.Photo courtesy of Marc Bruyere, EMO

On October 18, 2002, theHonourable Ron Lemieuxcut the ribbon at the ribbon-

cutting ceremony to open the newcost-shared Richot FireHall/Emergency Service Building.This was the official opening of the St.Adolphe Fire Hall/RM of RitchotEmergency Services Building.Manitoba EMO assisted in obtaining aJoint Emergency PreparednessProgram (JEPP) grant that is availablefrom the Office of CriticalInfrastructure and EmergencyPreparedness Canada.

Contributed by Marc Bruyere, EMO.

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NEWS AND VIEWS OF MANIT

The fast-thinking actions of AshleyConnor saved her family fromwhat could have been a fatal

disaster during a fire at her home in

Homewood. Ashley is a Grade 1student at Carman Elementary Schooland on December 20th, 2002, Ashleywas recognized for her quick thinking

Emerson Fire Department

Emerson Fire Department held a routinefire drill in the school with a bit of atwist. The routine fire drill for the school

was also a practise drill for the FireDepartment. The Department was on scene injust over 5 minutes but upon arrival, theywere told one of the students was missing. Astudent had been selected to hide in the girl’schange room. The student was found withoutincident but the Department said it certainlysharpened their skills and the teachers foundit made for a real-life situation. Fire ChiefMacklem, once the students returned to theclassrooms, then explained the “Team Up forFire Safety” theme. The students were thengiven booklets and an exit plan for each childto complete. Once the booklet is completedand signed by the parent, the booklet wouldthen be entered into the draw for “Fire Chieffor a Day”.

Carman/Dufferin Fire Department

Pictured left to right: Sparks the Clown (Marin DeWit), Ashley Connor, KenCarmichael, Fire Chief Ed Vandersluis, and first Deputy Chief Dennis Bell Photo by Heather Baril, The Valley Leader

actions. Ashley awoke wantingsomething to drink. She wentdownstairs to the kitchen and when sheflicked the light switch, one of the twokitchen fixtures exploded. Ashleyimmediately woke up her brother, whothen alerted the rest of the fiveoccupants in the house. Ashley’s knewwhat to do because Ashley’s schoolteaches the Learn Not to Burn®program. At the assembly, Ashley waspresented with a plush Sparky the FireDog from the Carman-Dufferin FireDepartment and a Certificate of Meritfrom the Fire Commissioner’s Office.Congratulations Ashley on your quick-thinking actions! Ed Vandersluis, theFire Chief said Martin DeWit deserves alot of credit for the time and effort heputs into public education. “He’s doinga job that we don’t realize howimportant it is until something like thishappens,” Vandersluis said. “Then werealize how important Martin’s job is.”

Lead by Fire Chief Dennis Macklem and his crew Ron Onyshko, Barry Knutt,Christian Grodin, Al Dupuis and Sean O’Brien all helped the children to feelsafe and learn about what to do in an emergency.

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Pembina Valley Search and Rescue Team -Memorial Donations Benefit

The Pembina Valley Search & Rescue Team is comprised entirely of volunteer fire fighters from the area. Members include: back row,left to right, Don Cassels (Manitou), Les Wiklund (La Riviere), Robert Harms (La Riviere), Kris Reynolds (Manitou), John Campbell(Swan Lake), Scott Alton (Manitou), Ken Maloney (La Riviere), Garry Christoff (Manitou); front, Dale Henderson (Manitou),Daniel Sanders (Manitou), Lorretta Maloney (La Riviere), Roy Toupin (St. Leon), Eric Wytinck (Swan Lake), Jeremy Rasmussen(Darlingford)..

On September 8, 2002 the Pembina Valley Search and Rescue Team (P.V.S.R.) was approached by the family members ofThomas J. Lone. Tom had been missing for some time and the family needed help in finding him. A search wasconducted by P.V.S.R. along with approximately 70 additional volunteers.

Sadly, on Sunday, September 9, 2002 Tom was found deceased. In the days to come, the Lone family asked thatdonations, in memory of Tom, be made to the Pembina Valley Search and Rescue Team. The donations have made itpossible for the search team, which receives no funding, to outfit each of the active members with a blaze orangeprofessional search vest. On the front of each of the vests, the team chose to have embroidered the initials TL, in memoryof Tom. The team was also able to purchase two large rechargeable spotlights and have some money left over for otherneeds. The Pembina Valley Search and Rescue Team would like to thank the Lone Family and the community for theirgenerous donations and support.

Contributed by Grant Howatt, The Western Canadian

T OBA EMERGENCY SERVICES

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EDUCATION

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Upcoming Course Dates 2003

February 10 & 11 Hazardous Materials Awareness Brandon

February 10 – 14 Fire Investigation Level I Brandon

February 10 – 14 Emergency Services Instructor Level II Brandon

February 17 – 21 Part 3 – Large Buildings

– Classification & Construction Brandon

February 24 – 28 Incident Command Brandon

February 22 & 23 Critical Incident Stress Management

- Advanced Brandon

March 3 – 7 Report Writing for Fire Investigators Winnipeg

March 3 – 7 Hazardous Materials Operations Brandon

March 3 – 7 Part 3 – Large Buildings

– Health & Safety Brandon

March 3 – 7 Emergency Services Instructor Level II Winnipeg

March 10 – 14 & Hazardous Materials Technician Brandon

March 17 – 21

March 17 – 21 Part 3 – Large Buildings

– Life Safety Systems Brandon

March 22 & 23 Critical Incident Stress Management

- Basic Steinbach

March 24 – 28 Managing Human Resources Brandon

April 4, 5 & 6 Youth Fire Stop Winnipeg

April 4, 5 & 6 Fire Service Hydraulics Brandon

April 11, 12 & 13 Ground Search and Rescue West Hawk

Lake

April 15, 16 & 17 Ground Search and Rescue Interlake Tribal

Council

April 16 Fire Investigator Accreditation Testing Brandon

WRITTEN EXAM

April 23, 24 & 25 Rescue Practices Brandon

April 25, 26 & 27 Ground Search and Rescue – Team Leader Brandon

2nd Fire andLife SafetyConferencePlanning is underway to hold the Officeof the Fire Commissioner’s second Fireand Life Safety Conference on Saturday,September 13th at the College inBrandon. The Conference will beginwith registration at 8:00 a.m. followedby an Opening Speaker and plenarysessions. Our closing speaker will beCaptain Tim Vandenbrink from theEdmonton Emergency Response Service- all in all a busy day but a day I amsure you will find informative. If youhave a topic you would like to see for aplenary session or any othersuggestions for the Conference, pleasecall Marilyn at 1-888-253-1488. We lookforward to hearing from you!

You will receive more information oncethe agenda has been finalized.

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Upcoming Course Dates 2003

April 28 – May 2 Rope Rescue Technician Brandon

May 2, 3 & 4 Ground Search and Rescue

- Team Leader Thompson

May 3 Fire Fighter Level I & II Brandon

PRACTICAL SKILLS TESTING

May 5 – 9 EMS Response to Hazardous

Materials Level II Brandon

May 6, 7 & 8 Ground Search and Rescue Keewatin Tribal

Council

May 10 Driver Operator Accreditation

Testing Brandon

May 12 - 16 Fire Investigator Accreditation

Testing Brandon

PRACTICAL EXAM

May 12 – 16 Fire Protection & Emergency

Planning Brandon

May 12 – 16 Confined Space Rescue

Technician Brandon

May 12 – 16 Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting

Recurrent Training Brandon

May 20 & 21 Ground Search and Rescue Dakota Ojibway

Tribal Council

May 23, 24 & 25 Water Rescue Instructor Brandon

May 24 & 25 Critical Incident Stress

Management - Basic Gimli

Fire and LifeSafety AdvisoryCommitteeThe Fire and Life Safety AdvisoryCommittee is a Committee set-up toprovide the Office of the FireCommissioner with: 1. advice andrecommendations on fire and lifesafety initiatives with a Provincialperspective; 2. to provide advice on thematerials to be used to meet theobjectives in #1; 3. a forum to assist indisseminating public educationmaterials and message throughout theProvince and 4. to assist in promotingpublic education initiatives at the localand/or regional level. There are 17Committee members comprised ofrepresentatives from the Departmentof Education, Association of ManitobaMunicipalities, Association of FireChiefs, the Insurance Industry,Manitoba Association of Native FireFighters, Fire Fighters Burn Fund,IMPACT, Boyne River MAD, Oak LakeMAD, North Interlake MAD, SouthCentral MAD, Winnipeg FireParamedic Service, Grand ValleyMAD, Pembina Triangle MAD, theHudson Bay Training District,Clearwater Training District and theOFC.

The Committee meets three times ayear - January, June and September.Our last meeting was January 21,2003. Some of the highlights of themeeting are a proposed partnershipwith Conservation to help alleviateman-set fires; Peter Kloos, WinnipegFire Paramedic Service met with theCommittee to discuss therecommendations made at the SpenceInquest. Three children died in a firein 1999 and as a resultrecommendations were broughtforward. A sub-committee has beenformed to review theserecommendations. The Committee

discussed the September Conference – the make-up, agenda, sessions andopportunity for networking during the Conference. Fire Prevention Week2003 and the partnership with McDonalds was discussed. SeveralDepartments felt that they would prefer the materials be designed for GradesK-3 rather than focussing on Grades 4–7 as we did in 2002. School of the YearAward was also discussed. The next meeting will be held on June 5th atwhich time the winner of the School of the Year Award will be chosen.

EDUCATION

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School of theYear 2003/04This is the 4th year of a five-year $1,000commitment for the School of the Year. Theprogram was implemented in an attempt toensure better usage of the Learn Not to Burn® program inthe schools. To date, three schools from Brandon have wonthe $1000 - Valleyview, Riverview and Green Acres. Themoney is presented to the Parent Council and in one casethe money was used toward an outdoor science lab andwith the other two schools, the money was used to purchasevaluable resource materials and library books. Letters willbe sent to your schools explaining the Award and also toprovide the criteria for the award. The schools require thefire department’s support in order to fulfill the criteria.

VT334 Home Fire Drills: What Every ParentShould Know

This is an excellent video and shows what children do inthe case of a fire when they have not received home escapetraining and most importantly practiced this behaviour.

This video was produced by WCCO News in Minneapolis.It is a news report - how do kids react in a realistic firedrill? Four families, working with the Fire Marshal’s Officeand schools agreed to do a realistic staged home fire drillusing theatre smoke in their homes to see what thechildren’s reactions were to hearing their smoke alarm.Following this drill, the children were educated on theproper behaviour in the case of the smoke alarm soundingin your home. This is a excellent video and explains andshows why fire escape planning and practicing is critical topeople evacuating their homes safely. Target Audience: 9 -Adult - Length of Video: 10 Minutes

Other new videos in the Lending Library are:

VTEM 64 August 2002 - Pediatric Injuries

1. Trauma

2. Burns

3. Poisoning

4. Pulse/EMU News

Pediatric Resuscitation

VT804 Assisted Living Facility Emergency Plan of ActionGuide - This is an excellent program to train staff innursing homes and senior residences. In addition toemergency preparedness, employees learn “how to”methods for assisting residents during disaster. This videoprogram comes with reproducible handouts plus anemergency guidebook for group training.

New Videos in the Lending Library

Child Car SeatSafetyManitoba Public Insurance and the Manitoba Car SeatSafety Coalition have formed a partnership with St. John’sAmbulance. Using the Transport Canada program, St.John’s Ambulance is responsible for car seat trainingacross Canada. St. John’s Ambulance will be will beresponsible for certifying those who are interested ininspecting car seats or those interested in training othersto inspect.

There will continue to be no cost to applicants. Those whohave experience in inspections can challenge the programand simply write an exam to become certified. Those withno experience will be required to take a 2.5 day course tobecome an inspector/technician.New training manuals werecreated for the entire country.Once certified, you are able toinspect/train anywhere inCanada. For further information,please contact Kevin Young,Manitoba Public Insurance,985-1619 or kyoung@mpi.mb.ca

Contributed by Kevin Young, Manitoba Public Insurance.

Safe Baby ProgramAs of December 31, 2002, the S.A.F.E. Program ceased inthe City of Winnipeg. The Program will continue in ruralManitoba. The S.A.F.E. Baby kits have been delivered toover 20,000 homes in Manitoba. If you require informationor you need materials to restock your kits, please contactMike Masserey – (204) 257-1152.

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EDUCATIONSEARCH A WORD

ACCOUNTABILITY

A C L H O P Q O P P N U I P L B I V W P

B B C L Y J B U D D Y E B B D L B G V L

C G S T A T U S R L V T R A C K I N G K

L M N R E C I F F O W T E R W L Z U E D

E X R I S W E X R R K S Y F E H I P N B

J D Y C N E G R E M E T D R A D N A T S

L M P A J I V X P L A E K A E S M M J Q

U A E B P F A W O G P A L L N M I V B F

B B L T E J G R R O B M I A O G I S G J

Z D B O S N O I T I D N O C N M E T N W

S U I E C Y C N S A E S N C X C D R W C

F V S P L A S H P A S S P O R T E F J X

T A N T Q E T F M J O R Y U I R S K V Q

Y C O M M U N I C A T I O N U T Z C P S

S C P L F Z K B O P R S D T A G C S A W

K G S X P U S Z O N E K C A C P E N I X

S S E R G O R P A R Z U J B R E M W U E

E H R R R L S E B T R Y F L E P S O G F

D N G F I D U D R T Q Q P E W W W P C E

C H U C D M V T S F I F K J H D C E A O

ACCOUNTABLE

BENCHMARK

BUDDY

COMMAND

COMMUNICATION

COMPANY

COMPLEXITY

CONDITIONS

CREW

DANGER

EMERGENCY

EXIT

FREELANCE

FUNCTION

GUIDELINE

LOCATION

NFPA

OFFICER

PAR

PASSPORT

PROGRESS

RADIO

RECALL

REPORTS

RESOURCES

RESPONSIBLE

SAFETY

SECTOR

STANDARD

STATUS

STRUCTURE

SYSTEM

TAG

TEAM

TIME

TRACKING

TRAINING

ZONE

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CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT NEWS

This issue’s column will focus on what are the mostcommon reactions of critical incident stress.

What are the Most Common Situations that can CauseCritical Incident Stress?

The events in an emergency service workers job thatusually create the most significant critical incident stressreactions are: 1) Line of duty death; 2) Serious line of dutyinjury; 3) Suicide of a co-worker; 4) Multi-casualty incident;5) Injury or death resulting from operational procedures; 6)Events involving children; 7) Victim is related or known; or8) Mission failure. Although these are typically the mostpowerful events that a worker may encounter, almost anyincident has the potential to cause Critical Incident Stress(CIS) if that worker is vulnerable and the situation is“right”.

What are the Most Common Reactions? The mostimportant concept in understanding the reactions to CIS isthat we are talking about normal people having normalreactions to an abnormal event. Almost every reactionexperienced by an emergency services worker, whetherphysical, emotional, psychological or cognitive must beexamined within this context. What may, in othercircumstances, appear to be “abnormal” or “pathological”behaviour is a completely appropriate and expectedreaction after experiencing a critical incident. Thesereactions may be mild or intense and occur within the firstfew hours or weeks after the incident is over.

Mild Normal Reactions in the First Few Hours. Within thefirst few hours a number of reactions may occur. Theseinitial reactions are primarily physical and perceptual innature as a result of the “fight or flight” instinct that hasbeen aroused by the incident. These may include thefollowing reactions:

• Perceptual DistortionsFixating on the scene and not noticing people or eventsaround you

• Physical ReactionsGagging, heavy feeling in the stomach, lump in the throat

• Psychological ReactionsFeeling like crying

Intense Normal Reactions in the First Few Hours Moreintense reactions are also possible within the first fewhours. The nature of these reactions is usually related tothe intensity of the incident as well as the emergencyservices worker’s current situation. These can include thefollowing reactions:

• Perceptual DistortionsTime warping: either slow or fast motionAuditory distortions with diminished or intensified

soundVisual distortions with either tunnel vision or heightenedsense of detail

• Physical ReactionsTremors/shakes, hyperventilation, throwing up,bladder/bowel release

• Psychological ReactionsCrying, fear, shock and numbness

Normal Reactions in the First Few Days AfterwardsAfter a few days the CIS reactions may continue. As timegoes on the physical/perceptual reactions begin to lessen asthe body begins to return to its normal level of functioning.The remaining physical reactions are those we normallyassociated with high levels of stress.

However, we also begin to see a general increase in thepsychological or emotional reactions caused by the criticalincident. This is primarily due to the fact that as time goeson we begin to “process” the events and begin to fullyembrace our experiences. Initially, the emergency servicesworker would likely be in a state of “shock” or “disbelief”and not begin to “feel” the impact until s/he has had timeto think about the event. For example, we usually staybusy throughout the day with all the things that arerequired of us in our daily routines. It isn’t until our “headhits the pillow” that we have time to reflect upon what wehave recently experienced.

These reactions typically involve:

• Physical ReactionsHeart palpitations, stomach aches, heart burn, muscleaches, difficulty sleeping, diarrhea, constipation, lowersex drive

• Psychological ReactionsNumbness, inattentiveness, disbelief, running on “auto-pilot”, memory gaps, loss of perspective on life event,tense and irritable, feeling isolated, feeling no one caresor understands, preoccupied with thinking about theevent, heightened sensitivity

Normal Reactions 3 to 7 Days After the Event As timegoes on the physical reactions continue to lessen. The mostcommon ones being sleep difficulties and other“avoidance” types of behaviours may continue for a periodof time. However, the psychological and emotionalreactions continue and may even become more intense. Itis important to realise that may of these reactions mayappear to be “abnormal” or “pathological” if they arelooked at in isolation. It is also important to realise thatthese normal reactions can have a negative impact in thehome or workplace if they are not acknowledged andunderstood as being normal and that they will (in almost

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CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT NEWSall cases) lessen after a period of time.

Problems may occur when these reactions persist or whenthe emergency services worker/hospital staff usesinappropriate methods to deal with these reactions.Problems in the home or workplace may occur when thesignificant others in their lives do not understand wherethese reactions originate or when appropriatecommunication does not occur. It is important that otherpeople in the emergency services worker life recognise andunderstand that these normal short-term reactions are aresult of the incident. These reactions may include:

• Physical ReactionsSudden awakening after going to sleep, sexualdifficulties, alcohol/drug abuse

• Psychological ReactionsFlashbacks, heightened sense of danger,anger/blaming/guilt, nightmares, isolation/socialwithdrawal, fear/anxiety about the future, feelingemotionally numb, depression, fear of recurrence, familyproblems/misunderstandings, feeling out of control,alienation from people, exaggerated startle response

In future issue we will discuss the components of theCritical Incident Stress Management approach and otherdirections and approaches that can be used to minimise ormitigate Critical Incident Stress reactions.

If you want further information on the Network or CISreactions contact Gord Favelle, Clinical Director, at 945-2919, 932-0958 (pager) or gfavelle@gov.mb.ca. If yourequire a response from one of the CISM teams call the24-hour emergency hotline at 1-888-389-3473.

CISM Conference “The Many Faces of Trauma”

April 25 – 27, 2003Winnipeg, Mb

Days Inn – McPhillipsThe Manitoba CISM Network, is hosting a pre-conference

workshop (April 25) and a two-day conference on CISM andTrauma. The Conference theme is the “Many Faces of

Trauma” and will include two major topic areas, CISM, currentstate and issues as well as a general Trauma theme that will

include school, industry, community, disaster, PTSD, etc.

For more information, please contact Gord Favelle, ClinicalDirector, CISM Network at 945-2919 or gfavelle@gov.mb.ca.

The Controversy onthe Effectiveness ofCritical IncidentStress Debriefing

The efficacy of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing(CISD) has recently come under close scrutiny in theacademic world. The premise of this research on

debriefings has been based on the belief that debriefingswill reduce trauma symptoms and Post Traumatic StressDisorder (PTSD), i.e., that it is a therapeutic clinicalintervention.

Early research into the effectiveness of CISD, the mostvisible component of the Critical Incident StressManagement (CISM) process, indicated that it is aneffective intervention. However, this early research was notvery scientifically rigorous. Recent research on theeffectiveness of CISD as a method to reduce clinical traumasymptoms and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has shownmixed results. Some studies indicate it is effective, somestudies indicate it makes no difference and some researchindicates that the participants are even worse at follow-up.If you are interested in reading the in-depth report, pleasecontact Gord Favelle, Clinical Director, CISM Network at945-2919 or gfavelle@gov.mb.ca.

Emergency ServicesConference

The Emergency Services Conference was held inBrandon on October 17, 18, and 19. Over 700emergency services personnel attended and were

enrolled in courses. Opening ceremonies were held at theWestman Auditorium with Closing Ceremonies being heldat the Keystone Centre. The 2003 Conference will be heldin Brandon from October 16 - 18. Mark your calendars andwatch for the brochure in May/June!

CODES AND STANDARDS

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National Model Codes (Building / Plumbing / Fire)Forum on Objective-Based Code Prototypes

and Proposed Technical Changes

Proposed technical changes to the 1995 National Building Code, National Fire Code and National Plumbing Code areavailable for public review from January 15 to April 15, 2003.

Code users are encouraged to visit the web site of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes atwww.nationalcodes.ca where they will find links to:

• Consultation documents explaining the background to the national code development process and this consultation,

• The proposed technical changes to the national model codes,

• Provincial and Territorial web sites for jurisdiction specific technical changes,

• The prototype objective-based National Building Code, National Fire Code and the National Plumbing Code.

Code users will be able to comment directly “on line” from the web site or they may download the comment form, whichcan be sent in later by e-mail.

Deadline for submission of comments is April 15, 2003.

ANNOUNCEMENTManitoba Code users are invited to attend a one-day forum in Winnipeg to hear an overview of the Objective-Based Code

prototypes and the proposed technical changes. This forum will be presented by staff from the Canadian Codes Centre of the National Research Council of Canada and is sponsored by the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

This forum will be held MARCH 5, 2003 at:CANAD INNS (POLO PARK)

Ambassador Room 1-21405 St. Matthews Avenue

Winnipeg MB8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.LUNCH IS NOT PROVIDED

Restaurant Facilities are Available in the Hotel

Please pre-register by calling (204) 945-3322 in Winnipeg. No registration fee will be charged for these forums.

Please note - the purpose of the forum is not to receive your comments but to help you understandthe proposed changes. Comments must be submitted as requested above. Thank you.

RECALLS / ADVISORS

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Makita Circular Saw Model 5740NB- the lower blade guard of the saw canbecome jammed, which can result inthe consumer coming in contact withthe blade and suffering a seriousinjury. Please contact 1-800-462-5482for more information.

Milwaukee Tool Corp. ElectricGrinders - the grinder’s switch canstick in the “on” position, which couldpose an injury hazard to consumers.Please contact 1-416-439-4181 for moreinformation.

Brother International Corp.(Canada) Ltd. Laser Printer ModelHL 1060 - the fuser assembly canoverheat, posing a fire hazard. Pleaecontact 1-866-685-3050 for moreinformation.

Electronic Thermostats ModelsTHM211 and THM311 by MandolynElectronic Technology - a number ofthese units were produced with adifferent housing material which mayin certain circumstances supportcombustion. Please contact 1-888-468-5876 for more information.

Black & Decker (US) Inc. to RepairCMM1000 19inch Cordless ElectricLawn Mowers - an electricalcomponent in the lawn mower canoverheat, posing the possibility of afire hazard to consumers. Please call1-866-229-5570 for more information.

Safety Notice from John Deereconcerning Lawn Tractors - If youown a John Deere with the Modelnumber LT 133, 155 or 166 pleasecontact your John Deere dealerimmediately. The fuel tank needs tobe replaced. Please call 1-800-537-8233for more information.

Fluke Digital Multi-Meters - therecalled units can take longer thannormal, up to 18 seconds to displayreadings of AC voltages above 500volts. Users can misinterpret thedelayed reading to mean that highvoltage is not present. If high voltageis present, users could be exposed to arisk of shock, electrocution andthermal burns. Please call 1-800-260-4819 for more information.

Kenmore Dehumidifiers by W.C.Wood - have a control panel wiringmalfunction which could potentiallycause an electrical shock. Pleasecontact 1-416-747-4192 for moreinformation.

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STAFF UPDATEWelcome to Chris Jones. Chris joins our Office as our Deputy Fire Commissioner. Chris was Manager of theParkland EMS & Disaster Services. Chris brings with him 13 years experience in Emergency Services andhas been certified as a Fire Fighter and Paramedic. He also has 8 years in Management with the last 4 beingManager of Parkland EMS system. Chris was responsible for emergency planning for all health care facilitiesin that Regional Health Authority.

Welcome to Pat MacIsaac. Pat joins the Manitoba Emergency Services College as an Instructor for the PublicFire Paramedic Program. Pat was the District Manager for Emergency Medical Services for the AssiniboineRegional Health Authority and was a member of the Russell Fire Department.

Welcome to Steve Obsniuk. Steve joins the Manitoba Emergency Services College as an Instructor in theHazardous Materials Program. Steve was the Assistant Deputy Fire Chief in Neepawa and the Health andSafety Officer for Prairie Forest Products in Neepawa.

Congratulations to Shirley Dufresne. Shirley is now an instructor with the Hazardous Materials Programsfor the Manitoba Emergency Services College.

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The Office of the Fire Commissioner produces the Burning Issues newsletter.The Burning Issues are updates from the Office of the Fire Commissioner, news and views

from the Manitoba Fire Service and information on public safety.EDITOR: Marilyn Lamb

Deadline for submissions for the Spring Edition of Burning Issues is April 30, 2003. Contributions and suggestions are welcome.

If you have news items, please send or fax them to Marilyn at (204) 726-6847 or e-mail mlamb@gov.mb.ca.

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