Windsor's Fire Chief, Dave Fields has been selected as Ontario's 2003 Fire Chief of the Year by the Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers' Association. This award, presented on March 26, in Orangeville, Ontario is given annually to the fire chief who has contributed most to his community in the areas of fire prevention and public education.

Chief Fields has been instrumental in the development and implementation of a number of programs and operations that have benefited his community. His leadership has created an environment in which Fire Prevention and Public Education are looked upon with the highest esteem. This feeling has spread throughout the fire service and is apparent by virtue of the programs that have been developed during his tenure.

Among the many programs that have been instituted under Chief Fields' leadership are:

The Chief creates and sets the culture and promotes the motto of Windsor Fire & Rescue Services, which is “Our Family Helping Yours” and, in keeping with this philosophy, all employees are trained and encouraged to go out of their way to assist the public. Another important feature is that phones are staffed 24 hours a day.

On January 2, 2003 the Chief was presented with the Queen's Jubilee Medal. The Ontario Fire Marshal nominated fire coordinators that he has appointed throughout Ontario to recognize the daily contribution they make to their cities, counties and regions.

Outline

NFPA's comprehensive injury prevention curriculum for children in preschool through grade 8. The program addresses the eight major areas/causes of injury prevention.

Background

The program was implemented in 5 area schools and Windsor Fire & Rescue Services provided funding. Further funding was sought.

A partnership was developed with the Windsor-Essex County Real Estate Board. Fire Prevention personnel make periodic presentations to real estate agents explaining retrofit and smoke alarm requirements that can be passed on to owners. In return the Board decided to dedicate its fundraising efforts to providing the Risk Watch curriculum to all City of Windsor Schools. The Board has verbally committed to providing the Risk Watch curriculum for all 65 schools throughout Windsor. Windsor Fire & Rescue Services nomination of the Windsor-Essex County Real Estate Board resulted in a Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, Organization Award.

Accomplishments

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services was successful in receiving a Risk Watch Champion Award from the Fire Marshal's Office (2001). The Risk Watch Curriculum has been placed in thirty-one schools.

A safety calendar was developed for 2000 and 2002, copies enclosed. Students of schools using the Risk Watch curriculum were invited to submit drawings using one of the Risk Watch injury prevention categories. Winners drawing depicting a safety and prevention scene are displayed throughout the calendar as well as safety messages and important phone numbers. Ten thousand calendars were produced through sponsorship advertising.

Outline

The program was developed to target grade 9 and 10 students. It outlines the consequences of setting a fire and the impact of one's career path.

The program consists of two videos to be viewed with respect to arson and its consequences as well as the Power of Fire that gives everyone an awareness of how quickly fire spreads in a typical house fire. In addition a discussion period takes place in connection with both videos and an overview of pursuing a career as a fire fighter in the City of Windsor.

Expected Outcome

The expected outcome of the program is that a positive impact will be made on all grade nine students and that it will reinforce fire safety in the home and perhaps direct career paths.

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services developed a program entitled the “Silent Babysitter” to assist those homeowners who have had cause to call for assistance with respect to carbon monoxide poisoning levels in their home. This program provides information and a level of comfort while the homeowner takes the necessary steps to create a safe environment in their residence.

The “Silent Babysitter” is a high quality carbon monoxide detector provided to the resident (on loan) for a short period of time. This allows the homeowner an opportunity to take the necessary steps to prevent any further possibility of dangerous carbon monoxide levels in their home.

A grant of more than $3,000 was received for the initial start-up of this -program.

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services and Essex-Kent Base Hospital took the lead in putting lifesaving Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in many places where people gather. City Council unanimously approved implementation of a PAD program in all city facilities. Windsor coined the name Cardiac Caring Community and all council members, department heads and the mayor received training on AED's. Windsor Fire & Rescue Services was successful in receiving a $10,000 U.S. grant for its Cardiac Caring Community Program. Windsor was also nominated to be included in an International Pad Registry. This gives Windsor the “International Model City” status, making Windsor a resource centre to share expertise and know how on PAD with cities around the globe.

Chief Dave Fields was involved right from the beginning and gave his support to the program. He was instrumental in spreading the word and promoting the program through the county as county coordinator.

This is the 4th year that Windsor Fire & Rescue Services has received a grant (approximately $150,00 per project) from the federal government for a Youth Services Canada Project.

This year the project is entitled Youth Services Canada, Community Emergency Preparedness Program. The Youth Service Canada project will assist Windsor Fire & Rescue Services by providing the general public with emergency preparedness and awareness information thereby reducing the publics' risk of incurring danger in an emergency situation.

The youth will participate in the following community events:

The three prior projects that Windsor Fire & Rescue Services participated in were Youth Service Canada Fire Safety and Injury Prevention Project.

The youth participated in door-to-door surveys, provided fire safety information and collected demographic information for use in providing the public with relevant fire safety information. Another important segment of the project was the Hazard House, which was presented to children in grades one and two.

Fire Inspectors provide fire extinguisher training, lectures on various topics including high rise apartment safety, Older and Wiser program, presentations to students etc. Programs are designed to suit individual needs (i.e. presentations to immigrants and citizens whose first language in not English.).

Windsor hosted this conference in 2000 with an added international flavour. Speakers and delegates came from all over North America. As a result of the success of the conference a sizeable amount of money was raised for public education a large portion of which, Chief Fields donated to Fire Marshal's Pubic Fire Safety Council.

Representatives from City, County and psychologists from Windsor Regional Children's Centre are teamed up to deal with children who exhibit fire-setting tendencies using the province's “The Arson Prevention Program for Children”. Children are invited to attend one of our monthly meetings in an attempt to reduce recidivism. A fire prevention officer oversees the program and four fire fighters carry out the program.

Fire trucks/crews are booked to attend at various community events, schools, day cares etc. by request. Fire fighters educate children about the trucks, their gear and maintain the “helping hand”.

The Fire Safety House gives kids a hands-on approach on how to escape fire safely. Upon request the fire safety house is used to educate children in grades 3, 4, and 5.

The Hazard House is a tool used extensively to teach fire and injury prevention children in grade 1 and 2. This tool teaches children to be aware of hazards around the home and more importantly how to prevent them.

Each year in conjunction with the NFPA's theme a committee is formed to develop a plan to educate the community during Fire Prevention Week. Open houses are set up at the stations and residents are invited to attend to tour the station and pick up fire safety information from Fire Inspectors. Fire prevention information and displays are set up at the mall with partners such as the local hospital burn unit, sprinkler companies, Ford Security etc. Fire truck and bucket rides are offered also.

Students in grade school participate in contests such as completing a fire escape plan, where one winner from each station receives a fire truck ride to school.

An event is planned each year to kick-off fire prevention week. Corporate sponsorship is sought for tables and individual tickets are sold. Each table is hosted by a member of Windsor Fire & Rescue Services and a member of the Windsor Spitfires's Hockey Team, (the local Junior A team). The event assists us in bringing about awareness of fire prevention and life safety.

When a resident calls requiring a smoke alarm or battery a fire fighting crew or inspector is dispatched to install a smoke alarm or battery.

In addition special smoke alarm giveaway days are set up. Volunteers from City Hall and other community partners assist Windsor Fire & Rescue in canvassing homes in a specific area and anyone requiring a smoke alarm or battery is provided with one.

At Christmastime we provide 5,000 free smoke alarm giveaway cards to be inserted into Goodfellows baskets going to needy families. If we receive a call the resident is provided we a smoke alarm, free of charge, installed.

Public Education Services works closely together with Fire Investigation Services who pass on valuable information about the recent causes of fires. Public Education develops television commercials to help educate the public in these areas to decrease these types of fires.

• Learn Not to Burn Program

The Learn Not To Burn Program is the backbone of our Public Education and Fire Prevention programs. The NFPA program is taught by teachers in schools and in day care centres in the City of Windsor using Windsor Fire & Rescue personnel for back up and support. Four Windsor residents have received Learn Not To Burn Saves to date.

Outline

Over the past several years Rotary Club 1918 has been working in partnership with Windsor Fire & Rescue Services and Windsor Police to provide a centre of excellence in education for Police, Fire and other injury prevention groups. One of the major challenges was to assemble the land needed. The Corporation of the City of Windsor made this a reality by donating 2.3 acres of parkland in the east end of the City.

The Children's Safety Village will consist of a 10,000 square feet classroom-like facility for Police and Fire Education as well as a scaled down version of our city streets and buildings. Children will learn home fire safety and fire prevention skills in a replica of a home. They will learn safe roadway skills by driving small electric cars through real conditions and experience traffic safety by walking the miniature streets and sidewalks.

The village is scheduled to open September 2003.

Expected Outcome

This village will provide a centre to teach fire safety and injury prevention education to children and create a learning environment that will allow students and staff to participate in a realistic environment with a hands-on approach. Our goal is to provide quality education to reduce risk of fire injury and/or loss and prevention of personal injury.

Every year WFRS hosts a Steak Barbeque for current and retired members of Windsor Fire & Rescue Services, other city employees and partners are invited to attend an evening get together. An individual from WFRS and a partner from the outside are honoured every year during the annual steak barbeque.

Outline

The Pizza Alarm Giveaway event is a program modeled after the “Safe at Home” program initiated in the city of Watertown, New York.

Windsor Fire & Rescue has partnered with Naples Pizza who has agreed to donate one pizza per week to the program. Every Friday between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Naples will choose a family that has ordered a pizza from them, contact Dispatch with the address who will send the appropriate truck/engine to meet the pizza delivery person at the residence. Upon arrival the fire crews will activate their siren and warning lights to alert the neighbourhood. Crews deliver the pizza to the door and ask if the resident has a functioning smoke alarm. If there is a working smoke alarm the resident receives the pizza free of charge. If however, there is no functioning smoke alarm the resident pays the firefighters for the pizza and the firefighters replace the battery or the smoke alarm. The money collected by firefighters is used to replenish the stock of batteries and smoke alarms.

Expected Outcome

In addition to providing smoke alarms to those who don't have one this program will bring awareness of the importance of smoke alarms in the home.

The CERV Program is a volunteer based program that trains and coordinates citizens to assist their neighbourhoods and work with emergency services in the event of a major disaster. Windsor Fire & Rescue, the sponsor agency for the program has partnered with Red Cross, Enwin Utilities, Union Gas, EMS, and Windsor Crime Prevention. This pilot program is being run in conjunction with Emergency Measures Ontario.