Tech-News & Views

DECEMBER 2014

MERRY CHRISTMAS/SEASON’S GREETINGS!

Vancouver, British Columbia - Here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, the very best of the Holiday Season, and a Joyous and Safe New Year!

PHILADELPHIA REPORTS FIRST FEMALE FIREFIGHTER DEATH!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - December 9th, 2014 - A house fire in West Oak Lane turned deadly when Firefighter Joyce Craig-Lewis failed to exit the home’s burning basement while attempting to rescue an elderly resident with her team.  Despite valiant efforts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at Einstein Hospital.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, co-workers, friends, and the fire fighting community today.  For more information, click on this link to the Fox News story:  http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/27592803/investigation-underway.

DAVE BURGESS EXITS ASTTBC, APPOINTED DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF FOR THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER!

Surrey, British Columbia - ASTTBC is once again without a Fire Technician Program Manager, with the departure of Dave Burgess who joins the District of North Vancouver’s Fire Department as the Deputy Fire Chief.  Congratulations and best wishes in your new endeavour, Dave!  In the meantime, the search for a new Fire Technician Program Manager is on (again)!

A “CHANCE” ENCOUNTER?

Port Moody, British Columbia - December 17, 2014 - I had an opportunity to make a presentation on the various changes affecting many of the Standards currently referenced in the British Columbia Fire Code 2012 to representatives of FPOABC’s Region 2 at Port Moody’s new fire hall on Newport Drive.  It is truly an amazing facility and features a large, beautifully appointed conference room on the third floor. 

Fire Prevention Officers from across the Lower Mainland attended.  I saw shoulder patches from Chilliwack, Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver District, North Vancouver City, West Vancouver, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam, and Langley.  ASTTBC’s Compliance Officer, Dave Clou was there (I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t ride in on his hog) as well as Mircom’s Gord Morrison and Rien van den Enden, SignaLink’s product manager.  At the end of the meeting we were all informed by Dave Merrill, recently retired City of North Vancouver, Captain - Fire Prevention, that Mircom would be responding to our SignaLink Application Chart, an earlier version of which had been circulated throughout the Association’s membership. It’s also made the rounds in Saskatchewan (from what I hear).

I did take the opportunity to talk with Rien after the meeting....  Read more HERE!

CARLI EDWARDS FIRED BY THE CITY OF VANCOUVER!

Vancouver, British Columbia - In a rather startling bit of news, reported by the Vancouver Sun, the very same Carli Edwards we introduced you to in an Editorial in 2011, has been dismissed from her position as Vancouver’s Assistant Director of Inspection Services for, of all things, having renovation work done on her house WITHOUT A PERMIT!  The City’s management has advised that she co-operated fully with the investigation.  Apparently, when you do something illegal, while the head of the department charged with enforcing the very permit process you’ve decided to circumvent, and you “co-operate fully with your investigation”, you’re entitled to get a really nice severance package.  In Carli’s case, this amounted to around $70,000.00.  NICE!!!  I wonder if she’s still entitled to “free parking” too.

STUDIO SIX DIGITAL’S INTELLIGIBILITY & AUDIBILITY TESTER, THE CAT’S ME-E-A-OW!

Vancouver, British Columbia - The new Canadian Standard for Verification of Fire Alarm Systems (CAN/ULC-S537-13) recently released features two new sections devoted to audibility and intelligibility testing.  Companies engaged in the Verification of fire alarm systems installed in projects that employ emergency voice communication systems (EVCS or EVAC) will have to provide documentation for these two important new additions to the Standard.  As a Verification Agency you will be faced with a significant outlay of capital to purchase a Gold Line meter and PC adapter ($6000.00 plus), or you can equip your technicians with iPhone 5’s or 6’s (the “5’s” are offered free by many wireless providers when you sign on to a two year plan).  Downloading the Studio Six Digital SPL and STIPA-Pro “Apps”, and purchasing the separate “iTest Mic” for just under $500.00 will give you a Type 1 certified sound level meter and analyzer.  The STIPA-Pro application outputs the results to an XL spreadsheet that you can upload to your PC where MSWord allows you to import them to the Verification Appendix “C” form.

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