School Kids Visit for Fire Safety

School children visit HIFR for fire safety workshopOn May 16th, the Fire Department was pleased to welcome 6 students from our local school to attend a morning class on fire safety around the house. Led by 3 of our fire fighters, we started the morning off with a discussion about what fire is and what we need to be concerned about. Our knowledgeable students then joined us in the kitchen to examine what is hot or not, if it is safe to leave pans on the stove, and why it is not safe to play in the kitchen. We finished the morning off in a room filled with thick smoke and the sounds of fire and smoke detectors while a fire fighter came to our “rescue”. This gave our students a chance to recognize what it would sound like and look like if a fire ever happened at home and get some tips on how to react. After a final chat upstairs our students returned to school with smoke detectors to be installed in their bedrooms, a map to plan their escape routes, and some quiz books to encourage additional learning.

We would like to remind families that it is recommended that they install smoke detectors in each bedroom and all the major rooms in your home. They should be tested and have the cobwebs cleaned out monthly, and have their batteries replaced each year. If you find you have to pull the batteries to “shut up that smoke detector” you may be interested in kitchen smoke detectors that have 5 minute “snooze buttons” on them. After 5 minutes they will turn themselves back on ensuring you are alerted to possible fire emergencies. Advanced warning of a fire is the best insurance you have that your loved ones will not get hurt. Take the time to establish your escape routes, decide where to meet outside the home, and practice it yearly.

Our volunteer Fire Department is committed to the life time task of understanding fire and protecting our community. If you have a Hornby Island group that would like to spend time with our fire fighters learning more about safety in the home or business, please contact Hornby Island Fire Rescue. We are always delighted when our community members join in our passion.

We thank Ruth, Aaidan, Braelin, Jade, Raylen, Sarah, and Sequoia for investing in their future by coming to learn about fire and how to stay safe. It was a fun and productive morning.

Wood Stove Inspections

As many of you know, getting a WETT certified inspector over to the island can be an expensive proposition. We at HIFR have looked into getting one of our members certified but the cost is huge, the liability insurance is out of this world,  and the certification process is unworkable for us on a remote island.

It’s short notice, but on June 1st Comox Fire and Patio is sending someone over to do an inspection. Chances are good that if he can do several inspections while he’s here, the cost per inspection will be reduced significantly. If you’d like to get in on the inspections on June 1, I suggest calling Comox Fire and Patio at (250)338-8522.

Challenging Auto Extrication Practice

The extrication team working on getting the doors removed.Last Thursday evening’s practice was a beauty. Sasha organized Eban and his backhoe to set up a car in the gravel pit. They put our rescue dummy into the driver’s seat, flipped the car upside down on a hill, and pushed it down until the roof caved in.

When we arrived on scene, incident command assigned an extrication team and a medical team. The extrication team got to work immediately on getting the car cribbed up and stabilized, making it safe to work around. The medical team was able to get into the car 7 minutes later to begin work on our patient. While they were dealing with Rescue Randy’s injuries, the extrication team was removing the doors on the car in order to get the patient out.

Medical team working on the patient while the extrication team removes the doors on the other side.

Our patient was fully extricated on a backboard and into the back of the ambulance in under 50 minutes. Thanks to Sasha for organizing this involved exercise.

Burn Permits Now Required

It’s that season again. Permits are now required for any open burning larger than a campfire. Permits are free and are available by calling the Fire Department at 250.335.2611. On Wednesdays and Saturdays we will come by to have a look at your burn setup and write the permit.

The permit process is to ensure that anyone who is planning on doing a burn has taken all the appropriate precautions. To hasten the permit process please make sure that your fire is:

  • not under power lines
  • not under tree branches
  • a safe distance from any buildings
  • on mineral soil, not organic soil
  • not containing any plastic, rubber, or petroleum products

Hornby and Denman in Joint Rescue

On April 3 at about 1500 Denman Island Fire Department received a page to assist BC Ambulance in rescuing a patient from Boyle Point Park. As the call progressed it was becoming obvious that it was not a simple wildland extrication. The patient was at the bottom of a cliff on a particularly rugged piece of coastline.

Denman Fire had begun to lower one of their members down the cliff while several others made their way along the coastline. Hornby Island Fire Rescue offered our assistance in the form of a boat to extricate the patient and Denman accepted that offer. Two members of HIFR left Ford Cove Marina at 1600 and arrived at the scene on Denman at approximately 1610.

Deputy Chinnery and firefighter Alan Friesen of DIVFD arrived at the patient’s side at the same time. The two were able to assess her injuries and get her aboard Captain Zielinski’s boat. DIVFD’s Deputy, Rob Manering, arrived on scene and also came on board to assist with patient transport. We were met at Gravelly Bay by BC Ambulance who took charge of the patient.

HIFR would like to congratulate DIVFD on a successful and well run incident. It was a pleasure working with them and we look forward to the next chance to work together.

HIFR Helps with Clinic Move

Congratulations to the New Clinic Committee and the Hornby Island community in general. Funded by the community, and built almost exclusively using volunteer labour, there is a beautiful new medical clinic for the island.

HIFR is proud to have played a part in this project by doing some remedial floor support work and then again on Saturday by helping the move. Doug, John, Embers, Sheree, and Julian gave up a few hours to finish the move of some cabinets, desks, and other furniture.