2013 yukon fire marshal’s report - community services · 2015-06-03 · 2013 yukon fire...

2013 Yukon Fire Marshal’s Report

Department of Community Services Protective Services Branch

Government of Yukon

1 2013 Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office Annual Report

March 30, 2014

Executive Summary

The 2013 Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO)

Annual Report provides detailed

information about fires and incident

responses across Yukon. This

document assists the FMO in

identifying trends and allows the Yukon

fire service the opportunity to enhance

fire and life safety across the Territory.

Fire prevention and life safety starts in

the home. The FMO is still actively working to promote Carbon Monoxide awareness and

safety since the tragic loss of 5 Yukoners in 2012. With this in mind, every Yukon resident

must remain vigilant about their own personal fire safety.

Fire service investments have continued into 2013 and as a result the Yukon fire service

continues to modernize. Increased capacity has allowed for enhanced firefighter training

and capital replacement of critical equipment. The Mobile Live Fire Training Unit is now

active and has already trained over 100 firefighters and visited communities from Watson

Lake to Faro.

Equally important is our investment in fire leadership. Increased access to training funds

have allowed 83 candidates from FMO and Municipal fire departments to participate in the

first dedicated Yukon Fire Officer program. This program is aimed at ensuring safe and

effective fire ground management and will make the critical difference at emergencies into

the future.

In addition to equipment and training the fire service investment has allowed the FMO to

form new partnerships with various agencies and societies aimed at enhancing public

safety, especially to vulnerable residents.

With all of these gains the FMO still faces the challenge of recruiting volunteers in rural

Yukon. While the FMO can provide leadership and coordination of fire activities, only

strong community support and “buy-in” at the local level can staff fire departments with

adequate volunteers.

Changing public attitudes towards what their local fire department can or should provide

include road rescue, medical first response, hazmat response and numerous other types

of incidents where the expertise of our local firefighters to manage emergency situations is

required.

The men and women who make up the Yukon Fire Service are proud of their work and continue to meet the expectations set by their communities. As the Yukon Fire Service enters 2014, we take this time to reflect on the past year, but also look forward to the new. Together, let us continue to improve life safety and fire protection for the people of Yukon.


March 30, 2014

Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1

Contents ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office .............................................................................................................. 3

FMO Organizational Structure.......................................................................................................... 4

2013 Yukon Fire Service Response and Incidents ............................................................................ 5

Figure 1 – Response by Type ................................................................................................... 5

Figure 2 – Fire Loss Value vs. Saved Value Table ..................................................................... 6

Figure 3 –Source of Ignition Table ........................................................................................... 6

Figure 4 – Mutual / Automatic Aid Response Table ................................................................ 6

Figure 5 – Property Classification Table .................................................................................. 7

Fire Marshal’s Office Statistics and Activities .................................................................................. 8

Notable Initiatives 2013/14 .............................................................................................................. 9

Notable Program Initiatives 2013................................................................................................... 10


March 30, 2014

Yukon Fire Marshal’s Office

The Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) is a branch within the Protective Services Division of the Department of Community Services. The objectives of the Fire Marshal’s Office are:

MISSION Reduce the loss of life and property to fire and other related emergencies throughout Yukon.

GOALS Continuously improve life safety and fire protection through leadership, education, enforcement and program development for the people of Yukon.

The FMO has a very diverse portfolio that ranges from the administration and enforcement of legislation to fire ground operations and investigations Yukon wide. This includes administration of the Fire Prevention Act, National Fire Code, Gasoline Handling Act and administration of permits and inspections for above and below ground storage tanks for petroleum products pursuant to the Storage Tank Regulations (Environmental Protection Act).

FMO operates 16 fire departments in Yukon unincorporated communities. The safety of first responders is OH&S legislation has presented new challenges to the fire service and the FMO is working diligently with the fire chiefs to ensure compliance.

In order to ensure firefighter safety at FMO fire departments, the FMO manages all firefighter training. This includes the development and implementation of fire department policy and administrative oversight. The FMO also undertakes operation and maintenance for all fire halls, firefighting vehicles and equipment.

As the authority having jurisdiction over the Fire Prevention Act, the FMO also provides life safety inspections, fire cause investigations and firefighter training to all rural Yukon municipalities with select services provided to Dawson City, Town of Watson Lake and the City of Whitehorse upon request from the fire chief.

It is important to note that the FMO relies on the assistance and support of the municipal fire chiefs in meeting its mandate. The value of the fire service to communities is not only in the protection fire fighters provide to lives and property but in the pride they take in fulfilling that role. In addition, properly-equipped and trained fire departments have a noticeable economic effect on communities by reducing the rates levied by insurance providers for Yukon home and business owners.

The FMO continues to leverage the efficiencies that have come with being part of Protective Services. From interface fire agreements with Wild land Fire Management to first response assistance with Emergency Medical Services and Search/Rescue, Yukon is receiving more coordinated, effective and efficient emergency response than ever before.


March 30, 2014

FMO Organizational Structure

The organizational structure of the Fire Marshal’s Office is established under the Fire Prevention Act. The FMO consists of the Fire Marshal, two Deputy Fire Marshals and one Finance Administration professional. Reporting to the FMO are 16 volunteer Fire Chiefs. The Fire Marshal’s Office is organized as shown in the following chart:

Director, Fire and Life Safety (Fire Marshal)

Deputy Fire Marshal

16 FMO Fire Departments,

225 Firefighters

Deputy Fire Marshal

Deputy Fire Marshal

Deputy Fire Marshal

Administrative / Finance Assistant

Administrative / Finance Assistant

26 Fire Chiefs as Local Assistants

(FPA)


March 30, 2014

2013 Yukon Fire Service Response and Incidents

For the year 2013, the Yukon Fire Service responded to 731 incidents- down from 907 incidents in 2012. The Yukon Fire Service consists of the following agencies:

22 active structural fire departments (FMO and municipal)

Erik Nielson Whitehorse International Airport Fire Department

Wild land Fire Management (WFM)

The following chart is based on available data at the time of reporting. Faro, Dawson City, Mayo did not report in time for this report.

Figure 1 – Response by Type

Alarm No Fire, 282 Gas Leak, 70

Alarm No Fire

False Alarm

Fire

Gas Leak

HazardousConditions

Public Service

Rescue

Unclassified


March 30, 2014

Fire Loss Value vs. Saved Value

Location Fire

Calls Other Calls

Total Calls

Fire Loss Saved

Beaver Creek 2 1 3 $0.00 $0.00

Carcross 1 0 1 $0.00 $0.00

Carmacks 2 1 3 $0.00 $0.00

Golden Horn 5 2 7 $0.00 $240,000.00

Haines Junction 4 20 24 $8,000.00 $1,192,000.00

Hootalinqua 4 5 9 $0.00 $0.00

Ibex Valley 10 7 17 $634,780.00 $0.00

Klondike Valley 2 3 5 $21,000.00 $84,000.00

Marsh Lake 7 10 17 $150,000.00 $-150,000.00

Mendenhall 2 0 2 $0.00 $0.00

Mt. Lorne 5 4 9 $0.00 $0.00

Ross River 3 0 3 $0.00 $0.00

Rural(unprotected) 0 2 2 $0.00 $0.00

Tagish 3 4 7 $0.00 $0.00

Teslin 0 1 1 $0.00 $0.00

Upper Liard 1 0 1 $5,000.00 $50,000.00

Watson Lake 12 15 27 $1,587,500.00 $157,500.00

Whitehorse 164 429 593 $1,336,801.00 $12,129,250.00

Totals 227 504 731 $3,743,081.00 $13,702,750.00

Figure 2 – Fire Loss Value vs. Saved Value Table

Source of Ignition

Source # Calls Fire Loss

8 $0.00

General 1 $0.00

Cooking Equipment 6 $13,000.00

Heating Equipment 29 $981,480.00

Appliances & Equipment 3 $48,000.00

Electrical Distribution Equipment 10 $1,834,500.00

Other Electrical Equipment 1 $3,000.00

Smoker’s Material & “Open” Flame 19 $0.00

Exposure 9 $3,500.00

Miscellaneous 14 $34,750.00

Undetermined 127 $824,851.00

Total 227 $3,743,081.00

Figure 3 –Source of Ignition Table

Mutual / Automatic Aid Responses

Location Times Given Times Received

Carmacks 1 0

Golden Horn 9 2

Haines Junction 1 0

Hootalinqua 3 1

Ibex Valley 5 2

Klondike Valley 1 1

Marsh Lake 1 1

Mendenhall 1 0

Mt. Lorne 2 2

Tagish 0 1

Upper Liard 0 1

Watson Lake 8 2

Whitehorse 11 5

Total 43 18

Figure 4 – Mutual / Automatic Aid Response Table


March 30, 2014

Property Classification

Type # Calls Total Loss

--- no property class --- 11 $0.00

Assembly

Theatre, Studio, Auditorium 4 $0.00

Amusement, Recreation Place (Excluding Social, Sport Clubs) 11 $0.00

School, College, University 31 $18,000.00

Church, Funeral Parlour 3 $0.00

Social, Sports Club 5 $0.00

Library, Museum, Art Gallery 5 $0.00

Food or Beverage Establishment 9 $10,050.00

Passenger Terminal Station 4 $0.00

Miscellaneous 5 $0.00

Institutional

Penitentiary, Correctional Facility, Reformatory 15 $0.00

Home for Aged 10 $0.00

Community Care Facility 12 $0.00

Medical Facilities 13 $0.00

Miscellaneous Institutional 1 $0.00

Residential

One & Two-Family Dwellings 158 $1,146,280.00

Apartment, Tenement, Flat, Townhouse, Condominium 49 $0.00

Hotel, Inn, Lodge 16 $3,000.00

Dormitory 6 $0.00

Mobile Home, Mobile Accommodation, Trailer 21 $37,000.00

Camp/Retreats - Seasonal Use 1 $0.00

Miscellaneous - Residential 3 $0.00

Business & Personal Service

Office 35 $30,000.00

Miscellaneous - Business & Personal Services 1 $0.00

Mercantile

Good, Beverage Sale 4 $0.00

Furniture, Appliance, Electronic Equipment, Hardware 1 $0.00

Repair Shop, Laundry, Dry Cleaner 4 $31,000.00

Motor Vehicles, Boats, Sales & Service 6 $100,000.00

Department, Variety Store 5 $1,500,000.00

Miscellaneous 1 $0.00

Industrial Manufacturing Properties

Vehicle & Related Equipment Manufacturing 1 $0.00

Agriculture Products Storage

Metal Products, Machinery, Electrical Appliance Storage 1 $0.00

Vehicle Storage 4 $150,000.00

Miscellaneous Storage Products 2 $700,000.00

Special Property & Transportation Equipment

Outdoor Property 136 $200.00

Under Construction or Demolition - Vacant 1 $1.00

Ground Transport Vehicles 95 $14,350.00

Aircraft 3 $0.00

Special Vehicles 1 $0.00

Miscellaneous Property

Farm Facilities 2 $0.00

Miscellaneous Outbuildings 4 $3,200.00

Utility 13 $0.00

Miscellaneous Equipment 18 $0.00

Total 731 $3,743,081.00

Figure 5 – Property Classification Table


March 30, 2014

Fire Marshal’s Office Statistics and Activities

Life Safety Inspections &

Fire Prevention Activities

• 62 Life Safety Inspections were completed Yukon Wide including; • Commecial Storage Tank

Permits • Building life safety inspections

• Fire Safety activites included; • Wood stove safety PSA's • CO and oil fired appliance safety

PSA's • Monthly community Fire Safety

Calendar • Fire prevention week in

October • Kids fire safety brochure, grades

k-7 territory wide

Firefighter Training

• 90 FMO firefighter training sessions were held across Yukon this includes;

• Firefighter basic (FFB) advanced (FFA) and Firefighter 1 (FF1)training.

• Fire officer training with over 83 candidates participating.

• 17 specialized courses delivered, safety, rescue training, drivers training.

• 80% Of all active departments participated in training in 2013.

Storage Tank Removal

Permits

• 59 Residential Storage Tank Inspections and removal permits were issued Yukon wide.

• 72 Commercial Tank Permits have

been issued Yukon wide.

Fire Investigation &

Response

• 10 fire investigations were undertaken this year.

• Deputy Fire Marshals provided expert testimony in 1 criminal trial.

• 1 fire related death and investigation in Stewart Crossing

• 22 Carbon Monoxide Investigations.

• 2 large hazmat incidents.

• Incident Command Support for 4 fires.


March 30, 2014

Notable Initiatives 2013/14

Fire Apparatus

•1 Pumper tender, awaiting delivery to Tagish Fire Department, 265k.

•1 Pumper, delivered, Ibex Valley Fire Department, 335k.

•Both fire apparatus being replaced were older than 20 years.

Mobile Live Fire Training Unit (MLFTU)In Service

•Total cost 765k.

•Has been deployed to Faro, Watson Lake, City of Whitehorse and to the FMO Fire Service Training Center at the Golden Horn Fire Department.

•Over 100 individual firefighters (FMO and Municipal) have been trained in the MLFTU. This represents hundreds of live fire training evolutions.

Fire Hall Replacement/Expansion

•New Fire Hall for Beaver Creek construction to begin spring 2014 .

•New Ross River fire hall is now in service.

Firefighting Equipment

•Installation of 2 breathing air refill stations (80k).

•Equipped 4 fire departments with Thermal Imaging Cameras.

•Replacement rate of firefighter PPE is matching PPE retirement rate.

•Incident response trailer and building stability / collapse equipment is in service and have been used on 2 fire investigations.

•New multigas detectors are now in service in rural departments to aid in CO response.


March 30, 2014

Notable Program Initiatives 2013

Presumptive Legislation and Medical Examinations

• New medical and fitness regulations are being implemented in the Yukon fire service.

• The FMO has developed a medical screening program to ensure firefitghters are medically cleared to undertake firefighting actvities.

• Fitness requirements are still under development, however it is anticipated fitness testing will match the Yukon firefighter training ciriculum.

Home Fire Prevention and Life Safety

• The FMO has partnered with Health & Social Services to deliver carbon monoxide and smoke alarms during in home visits with vulnerable Yukon residents, This program started September and was delivered Yukon wide.

• The FMO has partnered with Champagne and Aishihik First Nations to have the community awareness signs, to promote fire safety, developed and installed in the rural communities of Takhini, Champagne, Canyon and Haines Junction.

• FMO partnered with the City of Whitehorse Fire Department and YHC to purchase $6500 worth of carbon monoxide detectors – that were distributed via Yukon food banks to needy residents.

• The FMO partnerned with Dawson City Firefighters Association and the Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs to provide $5,000 to purchase smoke and CO detectors for residents in Dawson City, West Dawson, Sunny Dale and Klondike Vallley.

Hose, Ladder and SCBA testing

• FMO has continued to test hose and ladder as per OH&S, this is an ongoing program.

• This testing uncovered a batch of hose that were flawed and represented a real danger to firefighters.

• Ladder testing also continues with 1-40 foot aluminum ladder failing at half the rated NFPA specified weight; at this weight it would not have held a firefighter in full PPE. The FMO considers this investment to have paid for itself in this single event.

• FMO staff continue to flow test and certify SCBA systems to ensure compliance.

Firefighter Training Program

• In 2013, the Fire Marshal’s Office conducted over 90 firefighter training sessions with over 80% of active departments participating.

• In addition to regular firefighter training the 2013 training program has seen 83 candidates from FMO and Municipal fire departments participating in the Yukon Fire Officer program. This program is aimed ensuring safe and effective fire ground management.

• Speciailized firefighter training courses for 2013 include:

• Coaching Emergency Vehicle Operator

• Pre-Trip Training for Fire Apparatus

• Leadership For Safety Excellence (NSNY)

• Hazardous Material Operations

• Emergency Scene Management

• Fire Service Instructor 1

• Yukon Strategy, Tactics & Accountability

• Emergency Scene Traffic Control/Operations

• Incident Safety Officer

• LNG operations training

Municipal Fire Departments

• As committed by the Minister the FMO has increased its presence in municipal fire department operations.

• FMO has covered costs for municipal fire officers to attend 3 educational events in Whitehorse and continues to offer support and leadership to CAO and fire department members.

• FMO staff has been working directly with the Faro fire department and the municipal CAO to bring the department into compliance with OH&S.

• FMO continues to assist member departments by loaning equipment and providing guidance.

2013 yukon fire marshal’s report - community services · 2015-06-03 · 2013 yukon fire...

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