On June 6, The Shield Journal awarded the first of its 2022 bi-annual Community Safety Grants to the Rideau Lakes Fire Department (RLFD) after a catastrophic fire destroyed their station in Portland, Ont. On Dec. 21, 2021, RLFD Chief Scott Granahan was at home when he received an alert in the late afternoon from the…
When an organization’s job is to respond to fires, explosions or any other disaster that may come along, ensuring their first responders are protected is paramount. That’s why Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN), a global leader in connected safety technology, is unveiling an equipment trade-in program designed to make it easier than ever for fire departments and…
Last updated on June 14th, 2022
Developed in partnership with Centre for Digital Media and District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Fire investigation training has taken a digital step forward with Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC)’s development of a new gamified learning experience to better prepare students to investigate fires. The new fire investigation simulator, dubbed FlashoVR, offers…
Last updated on June 14th, 2022
With new Mission Critical Push-to-X voice, video and data communications tech, First Responders can manage emergency situations with greater awareness Samsung Networks and TELUS have partnered to launch Canada’s first next-generation Mission Critical Push-to-X (MCPTX) services for Canadian First Responders. Deployed over TELUS’ globally recognized network, this new MCPTX technology will equip Canada’s public safety…
Last updated on March 25th, 2022
When a person is struggling with their mental health, even one small gesture of care and kindness can make all the difference in the world. Just the knowledge that there is one person out there who truly cares can give a person in crisis the motivation they need to begin walking the road toward healing.…
Winner: Dan Kress Nominated by: Bryce Brunarski Congratulations to Dan Kress, our official First Responder of the Year for 2021! Dan was nominated by his former colleague at Niagara EMS, Bryce Brunarski, for his unyielding compassion, class and dignity in the field over his impressive 36 year career as an Advanced Care Paramedic. “Although Dan…
Former Correctional Officer Pattie Atwell enjoyed a fulfilling 10-year career at a Women’s Correctional Centre in Headingly, MB, but an occupational stress injury in 2017 sent her into a slow spiral with unexpected consequences she couldn’t have foreseen until it was too late. “I didn’t have any idea that I was getting sick,” says Atwell.…
Canada has one of the highest education rates in the world. Despite this, one in six Canadians struggle with everyday reading and writing. This statistic climbs higher still when you examine literacy rates inside Canadian penitentiaries. According to a fact sheet by The Literacy and Policing Project, 79 per cent of offenders entering Canadian correctional…
If you saw them in the street, you probably wouldn’t recognize them. They don’t carry a gun or wear a shiny badge. They don’t drive an ambulance, a patrol car, or a fire truck. They are often working when most people are home in their beds. They are missing family functions, dance recitals and school…
As the substance abuse crisis continues to rage across Canada, correctional institutions across the country are feeling the strain. According to a 2020 report by Dalhousie University, opioid-related deaths inside correctional facilities are on a steady incline. In 2017 alone, there were 70 overdoses inside Canadian prisons. A 2016 report by CMAJ Open found that…
