Rob Nichol is Saint John’s new hearth chief.
He takes over for former chief Kevin Clifford, who spent 44 years with the fireplace division.
For the previous 26 years, Nichol has been serving Saint John, about 17 of which he spent preventing fires. After that, he moved into some extra administrative roles earlier than turning into deputy hearth chief.
“I spent the previous 4 years studying the operational position and just lately began as hearth chief,” he stated in an interview on Tuesday.
Nichol is moving into the position as hearth chief in some of the industrial cities in New Brunswick, with one oil refinery, an energetic transport port, and several other pulp and paper mills. Town additionally has a rising variety of dilapidated buildings and an growing homelessness inhabitants.
Heavy trade has triggered a number of main incidents in Saint John.
On Oct. 8, 2018, the Irving Oil refinery exploded, sending billowing smoke and flames into the Saint John skyline.
It prompted a shelter in place order for residents on the east facet of the town.
Most just lately, American Iron and Metallic had a significant industrial hearth that required greater than two days value of firefighting effort and hundreds of gallons of water. It additionally prompted shelter-in-place orders and air high quality advisories.
However Nichol stated whereas these incidents are onerous to foretell and are a actuality that his division should take into consideration, it’s about pre-planning.
“We’re capable of resolve these incidents in a collaborative nature,” he stated. “AIM definitely highlighted that,” he stated.
He defined how firefighters want to know hazards and dangers in the neighborhood, and spend a while creating plans and ensuring they’ve all of the assets and data a couple of given web site. “Data is essential.”
He stated the identical goes for the town’s many dilapidated and abandon buildings. Whereas he stated it’s inconceivable to maintain an up-to-date checklist, it’s one thing Saint John Hearth has contingency plans for, understanding the place the most important dangers are and what is perhaps wanted.
“We’ll verify on buildings we all know are vacant,” he stated. Firefighters want to know whether or not a constructing can have some hazards, the place they will entry the closest water provide, or whether or not there will probably be entry points to the location.
Town can be grappling with a rising variety of people who find themselves homeless, all of whom are looking for methods to remain heat within the winter.
In January, 44-year-old Evan McArthur died in an encampment hearth.
Nichol stated crews are visiting encampments and tents to make sure persons are being protected, irrespective of the circumstances they’re in.
“We do present some very fundamental hearth prevention suggestions that may be useful,” he stated. “We perceive they’re simply attempting to outlive, they’re attempting to remain heat.”
He stated sharing suggestions, equivalent to reminding them to not put a warmth supply between you and your exit is “a easy factor which may assist.”
Nichol stated being the fireplace chief in a metropolis like Saint John gained’t be with out it’s many challenges, however he’s prepared for it.
He labored carefully beneath Clifford till his retirement and stated there’s solely time to construct on the legacy and the issues prior chiefs have dropped at the fireplace service.
“I can’t give him sufficient appreciation for taking an opportunity on me to carry me in to the fireplace administration,” he stated. “I’m actually simply holding a spot in time, constructing on what has been performed by earlier chiefs.”
And earlier than he left, Clifford gave Nichol some recommendation.
“It’s important to deal with folks proper,” he stated. “The energy of the fireplace division is its folks.”
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