Photo: Ron Samson


Above: On board a Halifax-class frigate - turn out gear for first responders. Opposite: Vancouver and Burrard Inlet container terminal south side looking east.


and Sora operate under Metro To- ronto Fire Services, but the airport fire department falls under the Toronto Port Authority. This marine department is under the command of Adrian Lewicki, senior marine captain, who has been in this posi- tion for 18 years. The Mackenzie can deliver 30,000


litres of water per minute to five water nozzles via two diesel-driven water pumps. She was built in 1964 utilizing a modified tugboat hull that enables her to perform icebreaking duties during the winter. In 2004, the vessel underwent a more than $1 million refit that saw the main propulsion diesels replaced and the refurbishing of the 54-foot Amador/ Trump Limited Giraffe aerial tower. Amazingly, the Mackenzie is the ONLY serious fireboat on Lake On- tario. The Sora was commissioned by


the Canadian Coast Guard in 1982 and decommissioned in 2005 at which time she was re-commis-


15


sioned by Toronto Fire Services. She serves as back-up for the William Lyon Mackenzie. She is not ice-class rated. During the week of September


23, 2013 this fire incident occurred on Lake Ontario. What follows is an exact transcript as reported in The Hamilton Spectator by Teri Pecoskie. “Fire on board: who’s going to


fight it? Picture yourself cruising on a


yacht, just off the shore of Hamilton Harbour. The engine malfunctions. There’s


a spark. And then the craft catches fire. Several agencies — including


the police, port authority and coast guard — are on call for this and simi- lar scenarios. What’s not clear, however, is who’s


responsible for putting the fire out. “Our first role is to ensure that


the vessel is safely evacuated,” said Rob Hersics, a Hamilton police staff


sergeant. “We’re not firefighters.” When a sailboat went up in flames


near Carol’s Point (on September 25), authorities had no choice but to let it burn. Hamilton firefighters couldn’t


intervene, since they don’t have a boat. And the police marine unit couldn’t get to the vessel, since it was anchored in water that was too shallow. While the police are responsible


for responding to fires in the har- bour, they wouldn’t board a burning boat because it would put officers at risk, Hersics said. Instead, they’d focus on getting passengers off the craft safely. In the case of a larger fire, the


coast guard or port authority could be contacted, although those agen- cies are more likely to aid in the rescue than battle the flames. Spokesperson Larissa Fenn said


the port authority used to have a firefighting tug — the Judge Mc- Combs — but it’s no longer in use.


September 2013


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41