Sept. 17, 2024, Richmond Hill, Ont. — The Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association (OMFPOA) held their 2024 symposium from September 8 to 12 in Richmond Hill, Ontario, hosting just over 150 attendees.
Highlights of the first two days of the conference included an all-day presentation by The Arson Prevention Program for Children, a tour of Seneca Polytechnic, and a trade show featuring 38 vendors.
Fire Fighting in Canada was in attendance on September 11, which began with a minute of silence in honour of the 23-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the 343 firefighters who lost their lives alongside the nearly 3000 people they tried to save.
The first presentation of the day featured Ahmed Soliman, an associate with LRI Engineering Inc., reviewing the CAN/ULC – S1001 standard, also known as the Integrated Systems Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems.
The standard is meant to ensure that different systems are communicating with each other in the case of an emergency, including elevators, fire pumps, smoke control, and sprinkler systems.
Since 2020, S1001 has been a requirement under the Ontario Building Code for all new construction where fire protection or life safety systems have been installed.
Soliman’s presentation included a review of the standard, the levels of service providers, and a walk through of what securing compliance with S1001 entails.
A highlight of the presentation was the conversation surrounding the number of complexity level four certifications there are in Canada, the highest certification level distributed by UL Canada.
Soliman said there are only four companies in Canada with this level of certification, required for assessing the most complex of projects, and two in Ontario, including LRI.
This presentation was followed by Amelia Cassamatis and Marnie Wood representing the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), specifically reviewing programs available through Agriculture Wellness Ontario, which provides mental health support to farmers, farm workers and their families and assists in the navigation of the unique stressors associated with farming.
The representatives began the presentation highlighting the link between farmers and the fire service, as many rural volunteer departments are staffed by members of the farming community.
The programs included the Farmer Wellness Initiative, The Guardian Network, and In The Know, all of which can be learned about on CMHA’s website.
The next speaker was Jamie Kovacs, executive director of the Fire Marshalls Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) and volunteer firefighter. Kovacs outlined changes he is introducing to the FMPFSC. He said he is aiming to build or strengthen existing partnerships with corporate partners, including Kidde, First Alert, and Enbridge, to increase financial support for departments.
The presentation was followed with the OMFPOA’s annual general meeting and election, as well as recognizing 2024 award recipients.
Award winners included Cory Armstrong Smith from the Norfolk County Fire Department, who was selected for the Al Suleman Award recognizing the fire prevention officer of the year and Deputy Chief Andrea DeJong from St. Catharines Fire winning Fire Chief of the Year, which shines a spotlight on fire chiefs who support fire prevention activities undertaken by their department.
Said Ismail from Origin and Cause was the next speaker, providing those in attendance tools to help conduct their overall fire investigation when it involves electrical systems and equipment. The presentation included a review of NFPA standards, things to look for when reviewing electrical-related fires, and case studies allowing attendees to put those skills into practice.
Statistics Canada data showed that over 12 per cent of fires in Canada are caused by mechanical and electrical failure or malfunction in 2021.
The day closed with a presentation from AST Group reviewing dust fires, outlining the dangers related to dust explosions and what to look for when inspecting dust collectors to ensure compliance with regulation.
Recommendations included ensuring the systems have been certified by either NFPA, FM Global, or the European Union, and having companies perform a dust hazard analysis to evaluate fire hazards specific to your facility and provide recommendations to manage these risks.
