Visitors to an open house at the Snow Road Fire Hall in North Frontenac on October 11 learned a few new things about the best ways to prevent and respond to house fires.

North Frontenac fire chief Steve Riddell along with deputy chief Sandy Ryder, fire fighter Gary Fleming and North Frontenac fire prevention officer Eric Korhonen were on hand educating guests about smoke alarms, chimney fires and also giving live demonstrations on the proper technique of putting out a fire using a fire extinguisher.

The event coincided with the last day of Fire Prevention Week, which was from October 5-11. Korhonen said the main aim of the open house was to underline the importance of homes being outfitted with properly working smoke alarms. “In a nut shell, working smoke alarms save lives,” Korhonen said. He explained the two different types of smoke alarms, both of which are recommended for use in homes since together they can provide adequate time for occupants to escape a house fire, whether it is a flaming fire or a smoldering one.

The first type of smoke alarm is an ionization smoke alarm, which can detect flaming fires sooner by detecting ionized fire particles. These are the smaller and less visible charged particles released from a fire. They are best installed in kitchens near stoves and in basements near furnaces and or wood stoves.

The second type are photoelectric smoke alarms, which are triggered when the larger, more visible particles released in a fire interfere with and reflect the alarm's light beam, which in turn triggers the alarm. These are best located in bedrooms and landings in the upper reaches of a home where smoke will collect.

Korhonen also stressed the fact that smoke alarm batteries should be checked on a monthly basis. In front of the hall fire fighters set up their fire extinguisher training device and taught guests the PASS method of putting out a fire with an extinguisher, i.e. Point, Aim, Squeeze the trigger and Sweep at the base of the fire. “This is a great opportunity for people to get a chance to use an extinguisher before they might need to. Sometimes using one for the first time can be a bit startling. It is helpful to be familiar with the device and to know how it operates prior to having to use one in a real emergency situation.”

Korhonen reminded wood stove owners to only burn seasoned wood, and to clean their chimneys regularly once or twice a year. He had on hand a product called Chimfex for extinguishing chimney fires. It looks similar to a road flare and contains a chemical compound that can be activated by opening the container and then placing it in a stove where a chimney fire is occurring. “Chimney fires occur from the build up of creosote in the chimney pipe and you can often tell when one is occurring from the sound it makes. Often there can be a rumbling noise from within the stove, or in other instances the pipes will be glowing red.”

Guests who visited were given a number of gift items and door prizes and enjoyed a free barbeque lunch. Youngsters had a chance to explore numerous fire vehicles while getting to know their local fire fighters. With the weather turning colder, now is the time to ensure that homes are fire safe and properly outfitted with the tools that have been proven to save lives.

For more information about fire safety visit the

Fire Marshall's website at www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca

Over 20 representatives from various groups and organizations that offer essential services to residents and guests in the Township of North Frontenac showed off their gear and know-how at the third annual Essential Services Fair, which took place at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne on July 26.

Mayor Bud Clayton, who was in attendance at the event, said that the fair is a way to let residents and potential residents of the township know that it is well looked after by a number of service groups in the area. “We are here to let the public know that we do have these services in the area and that the Township of North Frontenac is a safe and great place to live,” Clayton said. “It is also a way for these organizations to get important information out to the public.”

Matthew Doyle from KFLA Public Health passed out information about the free dental services and the tobacco reduction services they offer, as well as information about ticks and West Nile virus, septic system guidelines and the free well water testing they offer. Kelly Skaug of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters was spreading the word about the numerous invasive species in the area including spiny and fishhook waterfleas, Eurasian watermilfoil, rusty crayfish, zebra mussels and more. Randy Moore of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority spread the word about the regulations for safe septic systems and docks along with information about how to properly maintain natural waterfronts.

Members of the OPP detachments from Napanee and Smiths Falls were also present and did demonstrations showing off some of their gear. Members of the North Frontenac Fire Department had a number of their vehicles on site and gave demos of their new vacuum tanker, which empties and then reloads water in just a matter of minutes. They also offered up a BBQ lunch. Members of the Kaladar/Barrie Fire department were also on hand with some their new equipment including a new water rescue boat.

Members of the 150th Anniversary of the County of Frontenac committee were also present making visitors aware of the celebrations that are coming up in 2015.

It is the generosity of the sponsors coupled with great fishing on the back lakes surrounding Hartington that attract bass fishers year after year from far and wide to the annual Portland and District Firefighters' Bass Derby. The derby this year attracted close to 100 participants, a little fewer than last year but making for a greater chance for fishers to win big.

Over 50 sponsors from local businesses and individuals donated items and the biggest sponsors of this year's derby included Percy Snider and L.D. Powersports, who donated a 13 foot Smoker Craft bass boat, and Leonard Fuels, who donated a trailer. The second prize was a Mark 4 HDI fish finder and third prize was a Shakespeare electric 38 pound trolling motor. The first place prize for youngsters was a CCM Mountain bike and every child received a prize; many left with brand new fishing rods.

The event included a 50/50 draw. Funds raised from the derby are used to help the firefighters purchase necessary equipment for the hall. Volunteer firefighter Ron Neil announced the winners after the 5pm weigh in and many happy fishers young and old left the fire hall with prizes under their arms. Congratulations to Stan Babcock, whose 4.38 pound catch landed him the boat and trailer and congratulations to all of the winners of the day.

Feature Article - January 12, 2006

Feature Article

January 12, 2006

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Community Living rising from the ashes: Devastating fire destroys building and vehicles, but no one is harmed

by JeffGreen

Community Living - North Frontenac provides support for 78 developmentally challenged people in North, Central, and parts of South Frontenac. Until 2:15 am last Friday morning the agency’s office in Sharbot Lake was the hub around which a host of group activities and direct supports were built. All of that changed when a fire, which had started in the building’s basement, raced through the building, destroying it completely in just a few minutes.

Fire fighters arrived just minutes after neighbours phoned 911, but the building was already engulfed in flames by the time they arrived.

“When the crew from Station #2 (Oso station) arrived, the radiant heat was melting the siding on the residence next door, so the immediate priority was to prevent the fire from spreading to that building,” said Central Frontenac Fire Chief Mark MacDonald.

Fortunately the Community Living building was empty when the fire started, because fire crews would not have been able to rescue people from the building when they arrived.

“The amount of heat generated by a fire like that would make it impossible to approach the building. You couldn’t even stand on the sidewalk at the Anglican Church across the road, the heat was that intense.”

Fire crews made full use of equipment they have acquired in the past couple of years to contain the blaze. They used a turret gun mechanism, mounted on one of the pumper/tanker trucks purchased last year to send a stream of water mixed with fire retardant foam onto the building next to the Community Living office building.

Since the fire took place very close to the Sharbot Lake fire station, where a large cistern contains 15,000 gallons of water, a wide, flexible pipe was set up to provide a continuous supply of water to the pumper at the fire.

Two other pumper/tankers, from Station 3 (Olden) and Station 4 (Hinchinbrooke) soon arrived on the scene and began drawing water from Sharbot Lake to keep the cistern full. All told, 30 firefighters from three stations responded to the fire, and local businesses and organizations opened their doors to help the firefighters battle the blaze. Brett Harvey opened the Valumart store so the firefighters could get coffee; the Rising Bun sent sandwiches; the Maples sent pizza, and the people from St. Andrew’s Anglican Church served the firefighters breakfast and lunch.

Don Nielsen, the Executive Director of Community Living North Frontenac arrived at the scene at about 3:30 a.m. By that time the building was a pile of rubble. Six vehicles, which Community Living owns, were parked by the building, and the fire destroyed four of them: two were burned up and two were destroyed by falling debris. Two vehicles appear to have suffered only surface damage, but that can only be determined once new keys can be secured from the dealers who sold the vehicles to the agency.

Although all of Community Living’s financial records and some historical documentation is stored off site, all other information: client files, employee records, etc. were destroyed by the fire. Nonetheless workers carried on, providing support for clients on Friday, using their own vehicles for transportation.

Nielsen phoned the insurance company and his contact at the provincial government department that funds Community Living North Frontenac before dawn on Friday morning, and planning for the future of the agency began while the old building was still smouldering.

“I’m working out of one of our employees’ kitchen tables and from my car,” said Don Nielsen on Monday, as he rushed to meetings with insurance adjusters.

In the short term, Nielsen is looking for space so Community Living can get a temporary office up and running.

“We have received offers of temporary space from Northern Frontenac Community Services, the Anglican Church and the United Church, which we greatly appreciate,” said Nielsen. There is also a possibility of using part the former Sharbot Lake Retail Centre at the junction of Highway 7 and 38. The building is now owned by the Kaillons, who are planning to redevelop it, “but they said space would be available on a temporary basis for us, which we appreciate as well,” said Nielsen.

Nielsen hopes to have a temporary home for Community Living lined up by the end of this week.

As to the immediate future, the possibility of rebuilding on the same site is the first option being explored.

“I met with Ian Trickett [the Central Frontenac Chief Building Official] this morning, and he said as far as he can tell there is no obvious impediment to our building a similar-sized small office building at the same location.”

However, there are many regulatory hoops that Community Living will have to jump through before a new building can be constructed.

“Whether we can build on that site or not, we would like to keep our office right in the village,” Nielsen said.

A furnace malfunction caused the fire, the fire department has determined after investigating over the weekend. “It was what is known as a ‘runaway furnace’,” said Mark MacDonald, “The furnace was not operating properly and that caused a build up of soot on the flue which prevented gases from flowing through the chimney. The heat kept building up in the furnace until it reached such a high level that a fire started in the basement.”

Community Living North Frontenac purchased the property in Sharbot Lake about 6 years ago, and had a new furnace installed about 18 months ago.

“The lesson to take from this is to be careful with any type of heating appliance that is being used,” said Mark MacDonald, “be it an oil or propane furnace or a wood stove, and make sure all smoke alarms are operating properly. This kind of malfunction can also cause carbon monoxide to escape, and we recommend that carbon monoxide detectors, located within hearing range of sleeping areas, be installed in all residences.”

New regulations, which are coming into place this March, require that smoke alarms are in place on every floor of a residence.

Community Living North Frontenac is celebrating its 30th year of operation in 2006, and planning had already begun for commemorative events in August.

“I guess we won’t have as much in the way of pictures and documents for those events,” said Don Nielsen.

But Nielsen is optimistic that Community Living may have a new home by that time.

Feature Article - April 5, 2007

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Feature Article - April 5, 2007

Central Frontenac budget 1.2% tax hikeby Jeff Green

Township staff found savings in some road maintenance budget lines to bring the Central Frontenac Township budget down 2.5% in the interim between the last two budget meetings, dropping a projected 4% increase down to 1.5%.

Much to the relief of several Olden area firefighters attending the latest budget meetings, Council did not kick at all when Fire Chief Mark MacDonald presented a fire budget that included a $465,000 expenditure for a new fire hall in Mountain Grove.

MacDonald explained that the current fire hall, which was supposed to be a temporary hall when it was created in the 1970’s, has deteriorated significantly over the years, to the point where the heating system no longer works, and there are significant health and safety concerns with the building as it stands.

“It would cost $50,000 to try and improve the existing hall, but even then it would probably not be brought up to the health code,” MacDonald said.

Mark MacDonald met with the Olden Fire crew on the night before the budget meeting to finalise the specifications for the new building, and said he is “pleased to say that a consensus was reached on what is needed, and to say that with the help of the firefighters we have found some savings for the taxpayers while still coming with something that will serve the township for the next 50 years.”

Councillor Frances Smith interrupted Mark MacDonald as he continued to advocate for the fire hall by saying, “You’re preaching to the converted, Mark. We’re building a new fire hall in Mountain Grove this year.”

Asked when he expected the building project to be completed, MacDonald said, “We’re hoping to be in the new hall in time for venison.”

Council continues to consider their 2007 budget, which they expect to adopt by the end of the month.

At this point, it seems clear that it will not include a significant tax rate increase, although certain projects have been deferred, such as the building of a new salt dome. The township’s reserve funds will be down from last year, to $1.7 million.

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Feature Article - February 28, 2008

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Feature Article - February 28, 2008 Fifty years of firefighting By Jeff Green

Every Monday night, about 25 volunteer firefighters, some young, some older, make their way to the fire hall in Hartington for training in firefighting or emergency response. This group of people might not think about it every week, but the tradition of community service they are carrying on so well goes back a half a century.

The Portland district firefighters have been part of the South Frontenac Fire Department for the past 10 years, but before that they formed the Portland Fire Department. 2008 marks 50 years since a group of people that included Bevan Lambert (who became the first fire chief), Ray Leonard, and Reg Watson, approached Portland Council with a proposal to establish a volunteer fire department. Before that, fire services were provided in Portrland township under contract from the Loughborough Fire Department.

The Portland department was formed in the spring of 1958, and a fire hall, which is still in use, was built in Hartington later that year. The hall has been expanded twice since then. Years later, a sub-station in Verona was added.

In the early years, the department responded mostly to fires in the small communities that dotted Highway 38 and vicinity, and through mutual services agreements they were also called to fires in neighbouring communities in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington counties. But as time went on and the population has increased, volunteer forefighters have become involved in other kinds of calls - from motor vehicle collisions to other accidents and to medical calls.

The number of calls the Portland firefighters respond to each year has climbed steadily.

“In 1962, the department responded to 35 calls according to our records,” said Deputy Fire Chief Bill Babcock, “and by 1990 the number was 83. Last year we responded to 180 calls.” Bill has been a veteran of the service for 35 + years.

The level of training has also increased over the years, and equipment has been upgraded with the addition of the jaws of life, ice rescue equipment, and new fire trucks.

Part of the jump between 1990 and today is due to the integrated response the firefighters in South Frontenac have developed, whereby Portland crews respond to fire calls in Loughborough and Portland.

“The nature of the calls we respond to has changed as well,” said Ben Lappen, a 20-year veteran of the force, “We used to go to a lot of grass fires but those have subsided, and the calls on 38 have jumped as the road has grown busier and busier. Most of our calls now are medical calls.”

On Saturday, June 7, the department will be holding a Social BBQ and Gathering at the hall on Holleford Road to mark the anniversary, and in preparation for that event, work is being done to put together some historical documentation about the department.

Anyone who has photos, documents, or any other kind of record about the department, its formation or its history is being asked to contact Bill Babcock (613-372-2265) or Ben Lappen (613-374-2808), to help put a presentation together for the event.

Oct 16/08 - Fire Prevention Day in Burridge

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Feature Article - October 16, 2008 Fire Prevention Day at SF Station 2 in BurridgeBy Julie Druker

Capt. Carl Knapp, Morgan Noonan with her firefighter Dad, Mike Noonan and firefighter Kyle Reynolds

With winter approaching, fire stations throughout the Frontenacs hosted timely fire awareness, prevention and safety fundraising open houses to pass on tips to the public on how to keep their homes and families safe and fire free.

At station 2 in Burridge, Captain Carl Knapp along with volunteer firefighters Kyle Reynolds and Mike Noonan, barbequed hotdogs, and served up blueberry pie and beverages to those who stopped in for a visit.

A table laden with educational pamphlets and kids’ toys helped to put their important message across.

Fire fighter Bradley Greenslade helps his 4-year-old son Braden extinguish a grease fire at Station 2 in Burridge, part of their fundraiser and awareness campaign for fire prevention week

An outdoor space was set up for visitors to actively participate in demonstrations of dousing a typical grease fire, which can happen in the kitchen, around a BBQ or in a garage. Willing participants donned protective fire gear and were guided by the firefighters in operating a general purpose 10 lb. ABC, dry chemical fire extinguisher to successfully extinguish the fire.

Capt. Knapp summed up the 4 simple steps that everyone should follow when using the extinguisher, with the acronym PASS which stands for:

“P”- pull the pin

“A”-aim, aim the nozzle at the base of the fire from 2-3 ft away (assuming that you can safely stand that close to the fire, if not leave it for the fire fighters)

“S”- squeeze the trigger

“S”- sweep from side to side until the fire is out

Knapp says parents can make their older teenage children aware of how to safely operate extinguishers in their home. He added that any extinguisher smaller than 10 lb. may not do the job. He was insistent that every household should have a 10 lb. ABC extinguisher in the kitchen and one for every location in the home where fire is present i.e., near woodstoves, pellet stoves, and fireplaces.

Knapp pointed out some other simple but important prevention measures that can be taken in and around the home. Gas and propane cylinders should always be stored outside of the house. Batteries in smoke detectors should be checked and replaced and the entire units should be fully replaced every 10 years (some units require earlier replacement).

Capt. Knapp is going on 20 years as a volunteer fire fighter. He resides in Bradshaw in Bedford district and says, “I can almost throw a rock from my house and hit Bradshaw’s Station #1 fire hall.”

When he is at home, he is usually the first firefighter to arrive at the station in response to an emergency call. Asked if he ever requires a break due to the number of hours he puts in due to his close proximity to the station, Knapp said, “The only time I won’t respond to a call is if I’m too sick or too tired to go.” He added, “If you’re not going to be able to function properly at the scene you’re endangering the lives of all the rest of the guys going.“

Knapp reminded me of a few simple but important facts to remember to decrease the amount of calls fire fighters receive.

“Don’t be tossing lit cigarettes out of your car window“. Knapp explained, “If a bush fire results and the guilty culprit has been seen, they can be charged for the call and it’s pretty expensive - $350 per hour per vehicle and $25 per hour for each fire fighter that responds.”

Regardless of the expense, no one would want to be responsible for starting a fire that could endanger people’s properties or lives, because of a split-second, careless action.

South Frontenac home owners can legally burn untreated wood and paper on their property only after purchasing a burn permit. Similar expenses could be incurred if an out of control situation arises and the party involved did not purchase a burn permit.

Fire vehicle access into driveways and small lanes, especially into cottages is another issue that firefighters are aiming to make the public aware of.

Knapp explained, “We require for our bigger trucks a 15ft wide by 15ft high opening for the vehicles to get through. The lane or driveway has be able to carry a load of 2000lbs per square inch in order to carry the weight of our trucks. .. If you’re driving your half ton truck down your lane or driveway and it’s leaving ruts, our trucks will not make it in.”

Knapp cited a recent call that exemplified this issue. “We had a cottage fire last month up at Maple Grove Estates during a lightning storm and I was the first to respond to that call, but when I got there I could not get the pumper truck into the gentleman’s driveway.”

Fire is a fast acting phenomenon that is always best to prevent before it starts. In case it does start, awareness and having in place the right tools will safe lives and property.

Fire is something that should not be taken lightly. The South Frontenac volunteer firefighters at Station 2 in Burridge spent Saturday doing their utmost to drive that point home.

Oct 2/08 - SF firefighters attend 9/11 ceremony

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Feature Article - October 2, 2008 Sydenham firefighters attend 9/11 Ceremony in New YorkBy Julie Druker

South Frontenac volunteer firefighters Bryson Brown, Dan Nelson and Captain Rick Nelson, all of Station 5 in Loughborough District, recently traveled to “Ground Zero” in New York City for a memorial ceremony commemorating the terrorist attacks of September 11.

This was the second time for Brown, who organized both this and last year’s trips, and it is an important event for him. “It was one of the reasons why I became a firefighter two years ago.The tragedy was an event that really hit home for me.”

The ceremony was organized by the “Families of September 11th”. Relatives of those who perished that day were sent invitations by the mayor of New York City. Participants included families, paramedics, firefighters, emergency personnel, doctors and nurses. Anyone else who wished to attend had to apply months in advance for an invitation.

Brown contacted the “Families of September 11th” and they helped to arrange the inclusion of Sydenham firefighters in the event.

The ceremony took place at Zuccotti Park right across from where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Streets were barricaded off and only those with invitations were allowed into the ceremonial parade square.

The mayor gave a speech and a choir sang the national anthem. Names of the victims were read off by representatives of their various countries of origin.

After a name was read, a relative would then proceed to walk down a long ramp into the heart of Ground Zero. The ramp ended at a pool, where the relative then placed a single rose.

Bryson described how “the reading of names continued for hours. He added, “The chain link fence surrounding the site was totally covered in photos and flowers placed by those at the ceremony and by city folk paying their respects.”

During the ceremony, a bell was rung at the exact times that each of the planes hit as well as when the two towers collapsed .

Bryson found the event very moving. “There were lots of emotions and lots of tears”. He said he spoke to a number of US emergency staff who were at the ceremony and found that “some would share their personal experiences of that day while others tended to keep it to themselves.”

He was amazed at the warm reception his party of three was given by everyone they met. “They love us down there…they treat us like royalty.” The three firefighters toured the city after the ceremony, still dressed in their uniforms, and were graciously treated to free tours of the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty. They visited the National September 11th Memorial Museum, which was built last year right across the street from Ground Zero.

Brown has every intention to return yearly. He also hopes to one day visit Shanksville, PA, the site where United flight 93 came down.

He later reflected on his decision to become a firefighter rather than a policeman. ”Firefighting runs in the family (Brown's uncle was a fire chief at Quinte West).. and it gives me more of a chance to make someone else’s life better. Every call we get is a chance to be able to do that.”

Without a doubt, many of those called to action on that fateful day seven years ago entered those towers with very similar intentions.

Feature Article - August 7, 2008

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Feature Article - August 7, 2008 Fatal fire on Kashwakamak LakeBy Jefff Green

It was the kind of call that volunteer firefighters in lake country dread. At 1:45 a.m. last Saturday, August 2, firefighters were called to a location on the Smith Road near Ardoch. After driving 7-8 kilometres down the Smith Road, crews turned onto a small private cottage road which they had to try and squeeze their trucks and equipment though.

“Cottage roads are our worst nightmare,” said a tired North Frontenac Fire Chief Steve Riddell when contacted two days later, “and with all the rain we’ve had, this one was so soft that we could only get our tanker truck to about 100 metres from the fire.”

Crews from three stations (Clar-Mill, Ompah, and Snow Road) around 20 firefighters in all, responded to the fire, but there was little they could do to save the cottage, which was fully engulfed in fire when they reached it.

“It was disheartening because we found out right away that someone had been in the cottage and had not gotten out,” said Riddell.

Two young men were sleeping on the porch of the cottage and they had tried to rescue the man inside, but to no avail.

Other visitors and family members, all of whom were visiting for a family reunion on the long weekend, were sleeping in other cabins. Everyone had gone to bed early because there had been a blackout at around 9 pm.

At first light the body was discovered, and later in the day it was sent for analysis to determine the cause of death. The name of the deceased had not been released as of Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Chief Riddell said investigators have “a pretty good idea. They are looking at a couple of things, based on eyewitness accounts. Electrical problems and carelessness are two possibilities.”

Although the wet weather made it difficult to get to the fire, it did prevent the fire from spreading.

“If the weather was dry, with that amount of underbrush and down that cottage road, it could have spread to many more cottages on the lake,” Riddell said.

“We’ve got to get talking to these cottagers to get them to understand that we need to work on these roads.”

Sept 11, 2008 - Editorial: Let Firefighters have ATV

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Editorial - September 11, 2008 Memo to Central Frontenac Council: let firefighters have ATVEditorial by Jule Koch Brison

Last month Central Frontenac Council rebuffed their public works manager, John Simcock. He asked if money that had been raised through a staff initiative to pick up and sell scrap metal that had been lying around works yards and in ditches around the township for years could be used to buy a 4x4 for use by the fire department.

The scrap metal reclamation has been a joint project of the public works and fire departments and represents the kind of cross department cooperation that you would think the township Council would want to encourage. Simcock was told by Council that it should be the fire chief who asked for equipment for his own department.

So, this month, Fire Chief Mark MacDonald came to Council and asked if this extra money could be used to buy a used 4x4, which is being held by a dealer who would like to sell it to a volunteer fire department, where it will be used for the public good.

Council couldn’t agree. Some thought it shouldn’t be purchased because it isn’t in the budget.

That’s the point; it doesn’t have to be in the budget because the money was raised by the staff; it will not cost the taxpayers any money.

Some wondered if the vehicle is needed. The Fire Chief and the Public Works Manager both said the vehicle would be an asset. Since when does Council know more than their senior managers about the operations of public works and the fire service?

This is not a difficult thing. The staff raised the money. They want to spend it making the township safer. Council should wake up, and approve the purchase at their next meeting, before they insult the public works and fire departments any further.