15,730
Calls for service
592
Fires
1,617
Medicals
1,098
Motor Vehicle Collisions
681
Alarms
739
Public Hazard
25
Special Teams Rescue
468
Other
This is about public safety for the citizens of Oshawa! This is about ensuring the appropriate fire-related resources are in place to effectively respond to emergency situations in our community. The time is NOW for @oshawacitycouncil to make responsible and informed decisions as it relates to public safety in the 2019 Oshawa Budget.
Global Durham
Oshawa's Fire Fighters Association is calling for more action from the city. They want council to fix issues highlighted in a report analysing response times and personnel numbers. But four months after that report came out, fire fighters say they have been stonewalled by the city. Aaron Streck has the story.
This is heartbreaking How can council not be dealing with this As a person who was at this fire witnessed it with my three kid's now have two kid's and self with PTSD Live right down the street from this It absolutely makes me sick that after a year nothing has been fixed to prevent more situations ending as tragically as this one did :'( Good for you fire hall 1 on continuously fighting for us and our rights to have the full protection we deserve
Stay safe brothers and sisters.
Durham Region First Responders Breaking News
https://durhamregionfirstrespondersbreakingnews.com/2019/01/23/happening-now-fire-at-gerdau-steel-in-whitby/Does the city of #Oshawa meet minimum industry standards? NFPA 1710 is based on science. Have you read the report that compares call data from Oshawa Fire against the industry standard? Citizens deserve the facts and proper protection. Read the report www.oshawafirefighters.org.
Firefighters care about the community we serve and we will continue to advocate so Oshawa meets minimum industry standards.
With Dan Carter as mayor, things should improve. John Henry spent too much money on the Wentworth Works Depot. (He got caught overpaying by a couple million, as a favour. And then fired the Auditor General for pointing this out). So this mayor and council might be more receptive.
This is something that not only the council should see, but the residents should be informed of. When is city council going to realize that our fire department is an investment to this city’s growth. This report should be sent to all the local papers and see what reaction is received.
Citizens Deserve Answers about Fire Protection Shortfalls in OshawaCity trying to silence fire fighters on serious public safety issue FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2019 OSHAWA – Oshawa fire fighters are calling on the city to publicly respond to a scientific analysis released earlier this year that shows fire protection shortfalls, because citizens deserve to be informed about matters that directly impact the safety of their families and their properties. In a December 18th meeting with the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association, city officials failed to seriously address the results of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis the fire fighters released in October, before the meeting broke down and the fire fighters were asked to leave. Instead of coming out with a meaningful response to the GIS analysis, it appears the city is trying to drop a cone of silence around the entire issue, says Peter Dyson, President of the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association. “We are trying to get answers about fire protection on behalf of the public, but the city is only trying to shut us down and bury this issue,” Dyson said, adding the association is being forced to consider legal action to even appear before council as a delegation to discuss the matter on behalf of the public. “If the city disagrees with our GIS analysis and would like to refute its findings, that’s fine – show us the details. Otherwise, we expect, and the public expects, answers to some serious questions that have been raised about public safety in Oshawa,” Dyson said. It’s now been over a year since a terrible tragedy highlighted fire department resource shortfalls in Oshawa. Yet the public has not been consulted on fire protection and the fire fighters’ association has been blocked at every turn trying to discuss it with the city. The GIS analysis used computer mapping and actual fire department response data to chart street-by-street response capabilities throughout the city. It clearly showed that Oshawa’s current fire department deployment model fails to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for public safety, especially downtown where increased population density and other factors mean a higher risk from a fire safety standpoint. Despite the increased need for fire protection resources downtown, the city removed a vehicle and personnel from Station 1 in early 2017 and relocated them elsewhere. “We are extremely frustrated, and we remain concerned about public and fire fighter safety. But we will not allow the city to ignore our GIS analysis and its conclusions about the lack of adequate fire protection in Oshawa.” The GIS report, which is available at www.oshawafirefighters.org, recommended that in order to work toward meeting the NFPA 1710 standard, the city should adopt a deployment model that provides an initial deployment 15 fire fighters to low-density structures instead of the current 13, consider five or six fire fighters per vehicle in high-density and high-risk areas and add an additional suppression vehicle at Station 1 staffed with four multi-role fire fighters. Dyson again emphasized that his members do their best with what they have every time the alarm sounds, but have urged the association to be vocal about fire protection shortfalls and their impact on the citizens they are sworn to serve. In the meantime, fire fighters ask citizens to demand an official response to their GIS report from the city and continue to urge all Oshawa residents to ensure their own safety by having working smoke alarms on all levels and practicing other fire safety strategies such as escape planning. CONTACT Peter Dyson, President Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association (905) 391-6234
Keep up the great work that so many of you do my heart and hat goes out to you all. Fire saftey is a priorty number 1 always .... So support our local firedept and firemen and women.
Ward 4 is a vulnerable area with an increasing population and older homes. We need our second fire truck back! City Council needs to start listening to the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters for the safety and well being of the residents of the downtown area. Listen and act now!
Keep up the good fight Local 465.
Message from President Varcoe: It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Brother Dave Monkhouse, Fire Inspector in our Fire Prevention and Life Safety Division. Dave succumbed to a work related illness yesterday afternoon, after a lengthy and valiant battle that inspired many and which has now saddened us all. Dave joined Local 1212 in 2009 and was well known and respected throughout the department. His good nature and unique laugh will be missed and his skill and knowledge made him a valued colleague in addition to being a good friend. Dave is survived by his wife Elizabeth and children John, Dane and Bronwyn and grandson Olivier. He is also sadly missed by his many friends from his decades of service to the County of Brant volunteer fire service. Please join me in offering our condolences to the Monkhouse family. We will provide details of visitation and service as soon as they become available. At this time, this is considered a Line of Duty Death. Sincerely, Chris Varcoe
The time for @oshawacity council to reverse the irresponsible decisions made by city bureaucrats is now! This not about labour relations, it’s about public safety! Your safety matters! https://t.co/ar4cXAnOVC @OshawaFire @IAFFCanada @opffa @AaronStreck @GlobalDurham #publicsafety
Citizens deserve answers about fire protection shortfalls in #Oshawa. Read the full press release here. @opffa @IAFFCanada @OshawaFire @oshawacity
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The Oshawa Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA) represents the men and women that make up the Oshawa Fire Service. The Association has a long a proud history in the community of Oshawa. In 1936 the Oshawa Professional Firefighters became affiliated with the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).
The IAFF was formed in 1918 when 24 locals with 36 delegates representing firefighters from across North American gathered in Washington, DC. The first order of business for this group of firefighters was to adopt a constitution and bylaws then that was followed by decisions that included publishing a firefighting magazine, a salary structure for officers and creating a firefighters fund to benefit orphaned children of firefighters.
The founding group of firefighters worked hard to unite in order to improve working conditions for the fire service which suffered form long working hours (84 hour work weeks), low wages, and minimal safety standards. This affected not only their own lives, but the service they were able to give to their communities.
Over the years the IAFF has been instrumental in areas of occupational health and safety, working towards fire-based emergency medical services, hazardous materials training, RIT training and many more.
The OPFFA, also known as IAFF Local 465 works to ensure that the firefighters that protect the City of Oshawa are treated fairly and with respect. The OPFFA represents members in all divisions of the fire department; Suppression, Training, Mechanical, Prevention and Communications.
The OPFFA is also a member of the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association.
The OPFFA is active in our community, the City of Oshawa, through the benevolent committee, that’s works to raise money each year through donations that can in turn be donated to support local charities and organizations. The largest event is the annual boot toll that takes place at the end of the summer at the Oshawa Center.
The Association is run through a democratic process by the Executive Board that is made up a President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Executive Assistant.
For more information on the Association and how the Association works in our community please email info@iaff465.com
We Do More Than Save Lives!
Oshawa Fire Fighters would like to thank everyone who has supported our donation drives throughout the years. With the generosity of our friends, we have been able to provide the community throughout the Oshawa area with funds designed to help the public and Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Through our non-profit charity, Oshawa Fire Fighters continue to support local area programs and services as well as the MDC.