Van Fire Fighters

Official Page of Vancouver's Bravest. Vancouver Fire Fighters IAFF Local #18

[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Our members know it can be an inconvenience, and they don't take that lightly. If you ever have to step around a truck, know that our members are working to keep both you and them safe.

#Vancouver #FireFighters #FireService #FireHall #FirstResponders

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Ever walked past a firehall and noticed the apparatus parked outside instead of tucked in the bay? Here's what's actually going on:

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Some halls just don't have the room. A few of Vancouver's firehalls have ramps too short to fit the apparatus without extending onto the sidewalk. It's not a choice our members are making, it's a limitation of the building itself.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Battery fires release hazardous gases, adding another layer of risk for the crews on scene.

Our members train specifically for this, because EVs aren't going anywhere and the tactics for fighting these fires are still evolving.

#YVR #FireFighters #FireService

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Photos from an EV fire last week.

When an EV battery goes into thermal runaway, it's not like putting out a car fire in the traditional sense. Here's why:

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Reignition is a real risk. A battery fire can appear to be out, then flare back up hours or even days later as damaged cells continue to heat up. Crews often have to monitor a vehicle long after the initial response.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Chief Fry's farewell message to the membership. Thank you Chief!

#Vancouver #Firefighters #FireService #FireChief #FirstResponders.

[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

It's not glamorous. It's discipline and training that never really stops.

But it's why maydays are rare, and why firefighters come home.

#Vancouver #FireFighters #FirstResponders #FireService #FirefighterSafety

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

A mayday isn't just "help." It's the most serious radio call a firefighter can make; it means someone is down, trapped, lost, or out of air. The moment it's called, everything on scene changes. Other crews stop what they're doing and go.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Things like:
Tracking air supply and getting out before it's critical, not after.
Always knowing the way out, even in zero visibility.
Never working alone inside a structure.
Reading a building for warning signs before it fails.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

If conditions turn dangerous, the ISO has the authority to stop an operation on the spot.

It's one of the reasons firefighting has gotten safer over the decades. Someone whose entire focus is making sure everyone goes home.

#YVR #FireService

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Every working fire needs someone whose only job is safety.

That's the Incident Safety Officer.

While crews are inside a burning building, on a rescue, or working a hazmat call, the ISO is outside, watching everything: building conditions, crew fatigue, weather ...

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

... structural stability, changing risks. Their only job is safety. Not firefighting. Not command. Just eyes on the whole scene, watching for anything that could hurt a firefighter.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

🚒 Ladder 8 out the door and en route, another day, another call. This is the work.

#Vancouver #Firefighters #FireResponse #FireService #FirstResponders

[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

In Solidarity is our ongoing series featuring the members who make IAFF Local 18 stronger. One conversation at a time, we're putting faces to the work and voices to the people who show up for this city every day.

#Vancouver #FireFighters #FireService #FirstResponders

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Meet Matt Ostafiew. Ten years with VFRS and now an Acting Training Officer at Chess Street, where he and the team run new recruits through two and a half intense months of training before they head out to the halls.

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[Van Fire Fighters @IAFF18]

Matt became a firefighter for a simple reason: he wanted to help people. But the thing that caught him off guard was the crew. People who start as strangers become family within minutes, and that support is what got him through and shaped who he is today.

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