NIAGARA FIREFIGHTERS KEEPING IT CLEAN WITH NEW TRUCK

DECONTAMINATION VEHICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN PUT TO GOOD USE

When firefighters responded to a call at a St. Catharines industrial facility in Port Weller earlier this year, they had more than enough immediate health and safety concerns on their minds.

But as they fought the blaze that threatened lives, they were also being exposed to an equally deadly, but far more hidden killer.

Fortunately, one of the trucks on the site that day was a relatively new addition to the Niagara West Fire and Emergency Services fleet. It's a decontamination truck that will help firefighters reduce the leading cause of occupational death in their profession: cancer.

"It's not the fire that's killing us, really. It's the stuff we're exposed to over a long term; it adds up. And, you know, we're not invincible," said Niagara West Fire Chief Greg Hudson.

The Port Weller fire was one of the first major fires where the truck — which went into service last fall — was utilized. Providing a three-in-one service, it has a hydration and nutrition station, internal and external showers, and a bathroom.

Don Sherren, chief training officer for Niagara West Fire, said the truck is designed to ensure firefighters are getting as much bad stuff off them as effectively as possible. Before they're able to drink some water or eat a nutrition bar, there are protocols to make sure their hands and face are cleaned.

And as firefighters cycle out of active fighting they can be assessed and then use either of the two showers. The inside shower provides privacy not possible when they hosed off by the side of the truck, especially important with increasing gender diversity on firefighting crews. It's also perfect for the cold winter months like during the Keefer Road fire, added

Hudson.

They then bag the gear to ensure firefighters aren't exposed to off-gassing as they return to the station to finish their cleanup.

Crews recently finished a round of training with regional

fire departments, and while Sherren said it was fun spraying each other with water, it was also a great reminder of the seriousness of decontamination, and a learning opportunity for firefighters.

With an emphasis on

sharing services, Hudson said providing access to the truck with neighbouring departments is a great example of that. Sherren added that it's a resource that not a lot of departments have. He thanked Hudson for pushing for the town to buy the truck, and Hudson applauded the town for recognizing its importance.

The province recently announced changes to cancer coverage for Ontario firefighters that it said will allow Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims for thyroid and pancreatic cancers be processed more quickly.

"Our local fire services in Niagara put their lives at risk every day and at every call," said Sam Oosterhoff, Niagara West MPP in a news release announcing the changes.

While Hudson said the changes are welcomed, at the end of the day, prevention is the priority.

"It's great that the provinces recognize these presumptive cancers, but our goal is that we never have to make a claim again," he said.

Sherren agreed. "Unfortunately, the reality is we have this truck because firefighters have died of cancer," he said. Both he and Hudson personally know firefighters who have died from cancer, including one recently in Grimsby and another in Burlington.