Who ya gonna call? Your local firefighter
Despite a busy pandemic, Ontario’s blaze battlers have largely avoided virus
Niagara firefighters have managed to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19, despite putting themselves at risk by responding to a significant increase in calls for help as a result of the pandemic.
“That trend is accurate across the province,” said St. Catharines deputy fire Chief Dave Upper. “Every department is seeing an uptick in calls.”
Firefighters believe it’s the result of more people being home as a result of the pandemic.
Upper recalled one recent blaze St. Catharines firefighters responded to, when grieving loved ones were gathering at a family member’s home for a funeral.
“These poor people hosted just immediate family at their home … and, sadly, they left a candle unattended and had a fire,” Upper said.
“We’re having fires from things we normally wouldn’t get because of the COVID-19 effect.”
In Niagara Falls, Chief Jim Boutilier said calls in 2020 increased by about 50 per cent over 2019 levels. This despite a decrease in medical assistance calls after firefighters stopped responding to less urgent medical calls to preserve personal protective equipment.
Boutilier said burning bylaw offences almost doubled during the summer months, as people who would otherwise be heading out on vacation stayed home.
Cooking-related fires have also increased.
“Obviously, everybody’s at home cooking more and cooking is one of the leading causes of fires,” Boutilier said.
“Everything just kind of goes together.”
Welland Chief Adam Eckhart said the increased fire calls are the result of a change in behaviour due to the pandemic, and have resulted in increased injuries related to those fires.
Despite upping their exposure to the community by responding to more calls than typical — and potentially increasing their exposure to the coronavirus by doing so — departments have so far managed to minimize the number of positive COVID-19 cases among firefighters.
“I say this with caution because I don’t want to jinx myself … but we’ve been extremely fortunate that we haven’t had a mass group of firefighters who have had to be isolated,” Upper said.
Although the fire departments have had a few instances of firefighters having to be isolated after potential exposure to the virus, and a few cases in which firefighters tested positive for it, those cases have been the result of community exposure, rather than work related.
“We’ve been really lucky,” said Upper.
“I’m counting my blessings on this.”
One St. Catharines firefighter tested positive for the virus months ago, and it was not work-related. Although a few firefighters in the city have had to self-isolate during the past year after potential exposure, it has yet to result in illness and has so far had a minimal impact on emergency responses.
Boutilier said Niagara Falls has yet to have a positive case of the virus among its firefighters.
“We’re at 100 per cent staffing,” Boutilier said.
“We do have the odd firefighter isolating periodically, depending on exposure risk, but it’s been pretty good for us.”
In Welland, Eckhart said one volunteer was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus in the community.
“They’re at home with their family and it looks like they’re on the mend,” he said.
He added there are also two Welland firefighters who are now off work in isolation after potential exposure, and were in isolation prior to developing any symptoms.
The chiefs attributed proper use of personal protective equipment to keeping firefighters safe.
“It’s never 100 per cent foolproof but, as long as you’re wearing it and wearing it properly and doing the right things and donning and doffing, it’s a very low risk,” Upper said.