Assessing the Safety of Smart Meter Installations in British Columbia: Analysis of Residential Structure Fires in BC between July 2010 and June 2018

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In June 2011, BC Hydro commenced implementation of its Smart Metering Program, which involved converting every residential property in British Columbia (BC) from legacy metering to wireless technology smart meters. This Smart Metering Program involves replacing existing electrical meters that are now becoming obsolete, with a comprehensive wireless smart metering system. In total, BC Hydro … Read more

Determinants of Injury and Death in Canadian Police Officers

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This research note examined the nature and causes of injuries and fatalities among Canadian police officers through an analysis of the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada injury and fatality time loss claims databases. The data for this research note derived from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada injury and fatality time … Read more

Construction Fire Mitigation by: Improving Fire Resistance of Wood Products

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Buildings face the greatest risk from fires during the construction phase. In recent years, there have been several examples across Canada of major construction site fires, including those in Calgary, Alberta in March 2015, Kingston, Ontario in December 2013 and Richmond, British Columbia in 2011.  Many risks exist at construction sites, including: The proximity of … Read more

Improving In-building Radio Communications for First Responders

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The Canadian government and the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (formerly known as Industry Canada) have adopted policy for Public Safety agencies and their use of wireless communication systems in the 700 MHz frequency band. New building construction is all about energy efficiency—keeping heat out in summer and holding on to it in … Read more

Examining the Relationship Between Firefighter Injuries and Fatalities in the Built Environment: A case for reducing the risk to firefighters through adequate firefighting experience, working smoke alarms and sprinkler coverage in buildings

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The purpose of this study is to describe firefighter injuries and deaths in structure-related fires and to investigate the underlying connection between building properties, including fire safety measures, and their effects on the risk to firefighters responding to a fire event. For the first time, comprehensive fire-related data across Canada is available in the form … Read more

Illicit Drug Overdoses: Fire First Responders on the Front Line in Surrey and Vancouver, British Columbia

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In February 2016, Surrey Fire Service and Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services implemented their naloxone administration protocol in response to unprecedented numbers of opioid-related overdose calls. Both departments initiated training protocols to facilitate the necessary licensing of firefighters to administer intermuscular injections. The report titled “A Response to Illicit Drug Overdoses: Naloxone Administration in Surrey … Read more

Using Statistical and Machine Learning Approaches to Investigate the Factors Affecting Fire Incidents

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Fires can cause costly property damages and significant economic losses. They are also a major source of severe injury and loss of human life in our urban and rural communities. Historical data of fire incidents can reveal patterns of fire incidents. The national fire information database (NFID) contains historical data of fire incidents across the … Read more

Fire and Disasters Examining Fire Incidents During Major Disasters and Emergencies in Canada

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Canadian cities, towns, municipalities, regions, and provinces experience various types of major disaster and emergencies. Major disasters and emergencies are larger than everyday emergencies and can quickly overwhelm the first responders that are called to respond to them. Major disasters and emergencies may require the application of different performance standards and protocols. While fire departments … Read more

Developing a fire response test bench based on NFID

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Based on assumptions of completeness and consistency of fire incident data reported in the National Fire Information Database (NFID) for the 11‐year period from 2005 through 2015, the research team had proposed to develop, by leveraging relevant information in the NFID, a simulation engine that would provide fire departments across Canada with a tool for … Read more