EastGorham

MARCH 2014

A chimney fire claimed this Dog Lake Road home in late December

FIRE & RESCUE LOCAL SERVICES BOARD

On Saturday, May 3 at the Victoria Inn, East Gorham Fire & Rescue along with neighbouring Lappe Fire Department will be hosting a huge fundraiser to benefit Project Healing Waters. Fire Chiefs Ted Post and Bill Potruff (Lappe) have pooled their resources to give back to the many dedicated service men and women who have been injured while serving in the Canadian and American Armed Forces. This support will be offered by Healing Waters Canada, and/or Wounded Warriors Canada in conjunction with Wilderness North Fly-in Adventures here in Thunder Bay. Many of these individuals have taken self-sacrifice to the ultimate level. Some have endured severe physical trauma such as amputations, and brutal psychological suffering. The volunteers of our fire departments would like to provide assistance allowing these heroes to experience the amazing opportunities for fly-in fishing, and healing, in Northwestern Ontario. We will be providing funding for much needed traveling expenses for program participants and support staff. In an effort to reach a goal of $7000.00, we are planning a benefit dance on Saturday, May 3,2014. We are selling tickets for the dance with 100% of the proceeds donated to this cause. We also welcome corporate financial donations or

EGF&R and Lappe Fire To Host Fundraiser For Injured Veterans

gifts to be drawn as door prizes the night of May 3rd.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada (PHWFFC) provides an opportunity for wounded, injured, and disabled Canadian Forces members to participate in Fly Fishing events. It's a rehabilitation program that mostly works on an outpatient basis, offering day trips to fly fishing locations across Canada. Participants are given the opportunity to learn basic fly fishing, improve their fly fishing, or adapt to a new way of fly fishing. Kerry Pitt, the director of PHWFFC says the goal of PHWFFC is to see the person beneath the uniform. PHWFFC is much more than fishing; it's about giving folks a chance to move their focus away from day to day "stuff" and put it on everything that is beautiful on the water. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada places emphasis on supporting both past and present Canadian Forces members but welcomes various other groups as well. With a doctors or counsellors referral, members from the RCMP, Canadian Police Members, EMS, and Emergency Service Employees can also participate. PHWFFC also opens its doors to individuals living with brain trauma. through gaining, restoring, or maintaining an appreciation of the outdoors," says Pitt. "The benefits of

outdoor activities and of community involvement are paramount in the healing process and PHWFFC focuses on this aspect of the healing and rehabilitation process by providing our clients with opportunities that might not have been available to them otherwise." Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada has sponsors, supporters, and alliances with numerous companies and organizations across the country. It has been in existence since 2009 and registered as a charity since 2010. According to Pitt, PHWFFC plans to be around for "as long as we are needed. They offer a contact for most provinces (New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia) and more contact information is available on their website: projecthealingwaters.ca woundedwarriors.ca

In This Issue:
Chimney Fire Safety! Community Calendar! Meet the Team! Chiefs Message"

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Inspecting Your Fireplace

What is WETT Certification? Stands for Wood Energy Technology Tr a n s f e r, i n c l u d e s a t h o r o u g h inspection of all wood burning appliances such as stoves and open fireplaces, by a certified WETT inspector Why do I need an inspection? Emma, and Joyanna Zavitz enjoying a visit in February with their grandpa Ron An inspection for the wood burning in your home is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the safety of you and your family. With wood burning appliances, the potential for harmful pollutants to be released into your home as well as combustible materials to ignite is increased, so it is important that these appliances are regularly inspected and properly maintained. WETT specialty inspections are also now being required as a part of the home insuring process. In fact, many homeowners first hear about WETT specialty inspections because an insurance company asks that their appliances be examined by a WETT certified inspector. In Canada, insurance companies require homes using wood burning appliances to be thoroughly inspected by a professional and cleared/approved before the home can be insured. An inspection will be able to tell you whether or not these appliances are operating optimally, are in good structural condition, and that they burning in a way that does not compromise your health and safety. Inspections are more than just something to offer you peace of mind, if wood-burning appliances are a part of your homes features, it is of paramount importance that these appliances are both installed properly and inspected for your safety. Find a WETT Inspector in Thunder Bay at www.wetinc.ca

One Frigid December Night...

Sitting in front of a roaring fire with a mug of tea, Ron Zavitz of Chesley, ON reflects on how his visit with his family (son Steve, daughter-in-law Ellie and six grandchildren) got a little exciting. On a mid-December weekend, Ron, 74, was giving his son Steve and wife Ellie a much-deserved weekend away to spend with each other. He made the journey here to East Gorham to watch the five youngest Zavitz children. In his understated way, Ron explains how he managed to get the kids to bed before stoking the fire and retiring for that first night alone with the kids. Just after four oclock in the morning, the sleeping family was jolted awake by the sounds of alarms and the smell of smoke in the upstairs bedrooms. After turning on the lights to investigate the source of the alarm, they family found the rather small fire in the fireplace and noticed that it wasnt particularly smoky anywhere in the house. Hannah, 9, however, knew that smoke alarms mean danger and insisted that everyone get safely out of the house, but Josh, 11, had seen his father check out the chimney before. Grandpa was clearly impressed when he describes his grandchildrens reaction to the emergency, Josh was very responsible; really calm. The eleven year-old inspected the chimney for heat and smoke in some of the trouble spots while Ruthie, 7 and Hanna cleared the smoke away from the smoke detector at the top of the stairs. It was 5-10 minutes before Ron finally decided that although it appeared safe that it was probably best to have a firefighter come to ensure that there wasnt a simmering chimney fire. Within minutes, a first responder arrived, sizing up the house for potential dangers and even offering the use of her warm vehicle when the family vehicle wouldnt start in the below thirty conditions. Soon afterward, the first arriving fire pumper arrived with

flashing lights and volunteer firefighters ready for anything. Ron was clearly concerned by what he felt was an overreaction to a smoke, but he was reassured by the firefighters that calling 9-1-1 and getting the children safely out of the house was the right thing to do. East Gorham Fire & Rescue Volunteer Firefighters did a thorough inspection of the house, checked for hot spots using thermal scanners and even connected the Zavitzes with neighbours who generously offered their home for the night. Fortunately, the smoke was likely caused by the extreme cold and wind creating a reverse flow in the chimney rather than an incipient fire smoldering in the attic. The Zavitz children, still crammed in the car, were grateful to Fire Chief Ted Post for letting them know it was safe to go back into the house and taking the time to answer any questions they may have had. After returning home and having a quick family debrief of the incident, the children finally managed to get a few hours sleep in the comfort of their own home knowing that everything was safe. In his retelling, you get the sense of Rons admiration for his grandchildrens quick, thoughtful reactions to the atypical night. They stuck together, made and acted on a plan and even the youngest members of the family (Emma, 3 & Joyanna, 1) remained calm throughout the adventure. Ron finishes his tea and his story by glancing over at his son Steve with affection in his voice and a wry smile on his face. I think there will have to be emergency quinzhees built before I watch the kids for the weekend again. Remember, it was the smoke detector that rst alerted Ron of the problem. Not only is it the law, it is just plain common sense to have working smoke alarms on every oor of your home!

Have an Emergency?

Dial 9-1-1
Fire - Medical - Police

Events
If you have an East Gorham event, important date, special occasion or interesting story that you would like included in the next newsletter, contact us. Email Us: eglsb@tbaytel.net Call Us: 807.683.1355 (messages are only checked every couple of days) Mail Us: 5 Kam Current Road Gorham, ON P7G 0J7 or contact newsletter curator Tim Bernardi at home or through email @ 807.345.0228 tbernardi@tbaytel.net

Fire & Rescue Feb 20/14

- Approval of 2012/13 Fiscal Year Audit Review - Corporation Tax Filing & tax slips for volunteers 2013 - Discussion of new hall location - deferred until next meeting (late May) - Insurance review

Upcoming April 22/14

Local Services Board

May 2014
- EGF&R Meeting - Jacques Township Emergency Response Time Meeting - This breaking news just in: Sometime this May be prepared for spring to arrive!

Meeting
19h00 - North Branch Hall

May 3/14

Project Healing Waters Fundraiser

19h00-01h00 Victoria Inn Tickets available from any member of the EGFR or by calling the hall.

Looking to Get Involved?

If you have a talent, time and the inclination to help, contact us. Wed love to help you find a way to to give back to the community!

- Requests for a copy of the audit report can be made to eglsb@tbaytel.net

Meet the Team

Rookie Kara Holmberg has lived in Thunder Bay all her life and always had a strong sense of community. Her background has largely been focused on the social services. In May of 2013, Kara graduated from the social work program at Lakehead university and is currently working as a support worker. All her volunteer experiences have been related to her field: crisis counseling, World Vision, to name a few. Kara has always been big on excitement and challenging herself. After graduating, she thought it would be great to not only be apart of something with her partner Jevon Kavalchuk and a solid team, but to serve people in the community. Kara made the decision to join EGF&R in December at the annual Christmas party. After years of feeling the desire to be a volunteer she realized that she finally had a vehicle and the time to give, the rest would be learned. She thought, heck I can do this! She feels that it is awesome to be a part of a team working towards a common goal: the s a f e t y o f a c o m m u n i t y. Ka r a l ov e s challenging herself on something she had once told herself that she could never do, and she loves the change in pace. Kara looks forward to learning more and serving the community of East Gorham-- a community both she and Jevon hope to live in one day.

Capt. Jevon Kavalchuk and the newest member of EGF&R Kara Holmberg

Become Part of The Team

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter/first responder, please contact Chief Ted Post. Training Meetings are held every Wed. night in North Branch Hall@ 19h00

Captain Jevon Kavalchuk began his career with East Gorham Fire & Rescue in 2010. Having no re experience prior to his arrival, he was eager to learn about the department culture, operating procedures, and many other aspects of the department. F " our years later he is still learning new things; the lessons never stop and that's part of what makes this eld so exciting. Volunteering his time is important to him; working together with a team to achieve collective goals makes for a rewarding outcome. Jevon is very happy to be working with the outstanding members of East Gorham Fire & Rescue who he says feel like a second family. He is also very proud and honoured to be serving this wonderful community. ! Jevon leaves us with a pair of messages. To our team: Let's keep up the good work and continue to be an efcient service to East Gorham. To the citizens of East Gorham: Remember to stay safe whether at play or at work. Have a great summer season!

Who We Are
East Gorham Fire & Rescue is composed of 18 dedicated volunteers who are certified and outfitted by the Ontario Fire Marshals Office and the residents of East Gorham through the LSB. We proudly serve the emergency needs of our community.

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egf_r@tbaytel.net 807-683-1355

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF

East Gorham Fire & Rescue has been busy training its new and seasoned volunteers to better serve our community. Many of our members have recently taken fire ground training and also updated their CPR/AED training and we're proud to boast eight new Emergency First Responders that will be responding to medical calls to provide East Gorham residents with a higher quality of service (we are currently also organizing a meeting in Jacques Twsp to address response times). I'd like to personally thank all of you that have dedicated so much time into training and especially Pat for putting together the first response course. This is what builds trust in each other as a team and confidence in one's self to deal with a crisis situation. I'd also like to take the opportunity to remind residents to ensure that their wood-burning appliances are in good operating condition. This winter we have responded to a number of chimney fires that could have been prevented if home owners took the necessary precautions. Our professional and dedicated volunteers may not be able to save your home in case of a fire, only you can prevent it. As spring approaches, please be aware of dangerous snow loads on roofs, your spring cleaning should include checking fire and CO alarms and please take care on our roads as melting snow and ice can quickly change familiar roads. Ted Post EGF&R Chief

Chelsea, Mika, Matt, Steve and Tim A. work on a patient during training

EGF&Rs New Emergency First Responders

Flashy new fire pumpers and response vehicles certainly keep things running smoothly, but East Gorham Fire & Rescues greatest assets are our tireless volunteers. In that regard, we have recently provided the community with a huge upgrade. Pat, our longtime first responder and trainer, spent the first months of the new year preparing the team to better meet our communitys medical needs. Ted Post, Stephen Shelley, Kara Holmberg, Chelsea Melo, Jevon Kavalchuk, Tim Albertson, Mika Pooley, Matt McLean all

A Great Big THANK YOU! On Feb. 17th, Steve Zavitz took some time off his Family Day activities and came to the rescue of our Video Surveillance system at the North Branch fire hall. After weeks of struggling by our Secretary with IP addresses, routers, modems and Tbaytel and Lorex technical help Call Centre, Steve had the problem solved and fixed within a couple of hours. Steve is a Tech Expert with Nerds on Site here in Thunder Bay and he sure knows his stuff! He volunteered his time and expertise and for that - our big THANK YOU Steve.

received the Red Cross CPR Health Care Provider Course Cross. Several members are also now Red Cross First Responder certified Steven Shelley, Mika Pooley, Tim Albertson. Matt McLean, Chelsea Melo and Tim Bernardi. Thanks to them for taking the time (almost 50 hours each) and putting in the effort to learn the skills and knowledge that will help the Community of East Gorham. They will be on call to respond to sudden illnesses and injuries whenever they are able. They will often be called upon to get up out of warm beds to drive in poor weather to respond when there is need. Their new training enables them to begin lifesaving efforts before the Paramedics can arrive from the City, and continue to be assistance to them when they are on scene.

We encourage your feedback on this edition of the newsletter. One of the responsibilities of the East Gorham Local Services Board is to communicate our efforts both internally and externally. If you would like to contact us for questions, suggestions or to sign up for an online mailing of our newsletter (a savings that is passed on to East Gorham residents), please contact us. Because we are an organization made up of volunteers, we do not have a phone that is attended at the Fire Hall or the Local Services Board that is staffed throughout the day. If you wish, you can leave us a message at 683-1355. However, our preference is that you contact us by e-mail at eglsb@tbaytel.net, for the Local Services Board; or egf_r@tbaytel.net for the East Gorham Fire & Rescue organization.