Knowing occupational cancer is the primary cause of firefighter fatalities, Sidney Fire Chief Brett Mikkelsen sought some specific requirements when the community safety building was being designed.
He took the time to travel and gather information on his part, to have a building designed to last, with an expedient workflow to get crews to the trucks quickly while maintaining no cross-contamination.
The building that opened in 2019 and houses the fire department, an ambulance station, and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization and serves as the EOC has all the 91裸聊视频渄irty areas91裸聊视频� such as the turnout gear room and garage on separate airflow from clean areas such as the kitchen, dorm and gym.
At that time, the pair of infrared saunas with exercise bikes inside was a bit cutting edge, he told the Peninsula News Review.
RELATED:
While they can prevent added exposure in the hall, it proves challenging to avoid coming in contact with cancer-causing toxins in today91裸聊视频檚 fires. Firefighters can be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer. B.C. recognizes 18 cancers as occupational diseases for firefighters.
At the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, decontamination can begin with a hose down on-site of a fire, or the large decon shower in the truck bay 91裸聊视频� followed by that particular design of the new hall 91裸聊视频� with a clear path 91裸聊视频渄irty91裸聊视频� to 91裸聊视频渢ransitory91裸聊视频� to 91裸聊视频渃lean91裸聊视频� air.
91裸聊视频淓ven though you91裸聊视频檙e completely covered your skin and your pores open up and all the fire gases that contain all the broken down products and primarily plastics and fuels, absorb into the bloodstream,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲ithin 24 hours if you can vigorously perspire or sweat you can excrete a lot of those heavy metals, well poisons for a lack of a better term, out of your bloodstream before they get absorbed into tissues. That91裸聊视频檚 the rationale behind these decon saunas.91裸聊视频�
READ ALSO:
There are strict safety protocols. Crew members are generally left a little dehydrated and tired after fighting a fire and the whole idea is to perform exercise in the heat. So, there91裸聊视频檚 a buddy system and 15-minute maximum.
91裸聊视频淎t about the six or seven mark you91裸聊视频檙e dripping in sweat,91裸聊视频� said Mikkelsen, who is among those using the system. Not that long ago after 20 minutes inside a structure 91裸聊视频渄oing overhaul91裸聊视频� in a Central Saanich blaze.
It91裸聊视频檚 not like they91裸聊视频檙e used every day, but remain key pieces of equipment.
91裸聊视频淎fter every structure fire where our folks have been in for a considerable amount of time we use them,91裸聊视频� Mikkelsen said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 glad we91裸聊视频檙e not in fires every day or not exposed to the products of combustion every day.91裸聊视频�
READ ALSO:
This summer, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) celebrated a victory when Canadian parliament enacted legislation establishing a national framework for addressing occupational cancer in firefighters. According to the IAFF, in the past decade, 431 of its Canadian members have died from recognized occupational cancers.
The bill also proclaims January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Canada.
