September 28, 2012

OFFICE OF THE FIRE COMMISSIONER LEADS SEARCH AND RESCUE TRAINING

– – –
Skills to be Put to the Test in Riding Mountain National Park Beginning this Evening

The Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) advises that search and rescue (SAR) volunteers from across the province will gather today and tomorrow in Riding Mountain National Park for an annual exercise designed to keep their search skills sharp and allow them to work with a variety of partners that could be deployed in an emergency.
Co-ordinated by the OFC in partnership with Search and Rescue Manitoba (SARMAN), the exercise will include a night-time drill, navigation exercise, search technique training, as well as watercraft and helicopter operations.  The OFC has a long history of search and rescue training and, in addition to working with SARMAN, trains and co-ordinates Manitoba’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.
This combined exercise will give volunteers and representatives of multiple agencies a chance to work together and hone the skills that could save a life in a real emergency.  Local police agencies have responsibility for search and rescue, but they are able to call on SARMAN volunteers if they need to expand their search or want to quickly put a large trained team on the ground.  There are about 450 SARMAN volunteers in Manitoba.
SARMAN teams have been called out many times to look for missing hikers, lost children or to assist with difficult rescues such as the group of anglers stranded on an ice flow in the Lake of the Woods earlier this spring.
People near Riding Mountain National Park may see the training activities and a number of search and rescue volunteers in the park.  The OFC advises they can be assured it is just a training exercise during which the volunteers will practise skills such as:

• helicopter and watercraft use,
• low-angle rope rescue,
• first aid,
• survival skills, and
• search techniques.

More information about the SARMAN volunteer association or how to get involved in search and rescue in Manitoba is available at www.searchandrescuevolunteer.ca.

- 30 -

September 20, 2012

PROVINCE MOVES TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: HOWARD

– – –
Wheelchair Lifts Now Require Inspections

Elevating devices for people with physical disabilities, except those in private homes, are now being held to the same level of scrutiny as elevators and must have regular inspections and a valid permit, Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard, minister responsible for persons with disabilities, announced today.
“The safety and security of all Manitobans is important to our government.  We want to be sure any kind of lifting device is working properly and has been carefully inspected,” said Howard.  “A person can be injured if something goes wrong regardless of whether the lift is a few feet or a few stories off the ground.”
To ensure the safety of all types of elevating devices, the elevator regulation requires:

• drawings and specifications be approved before an elevator is installed,
• initial inspections be conducted prior to a permit being issued and an elevator put into service, and
• periodic re-inspections and permit renewals based on the age and condition of the equipment be conducted.

In addition to the new rules for inspections, the province will increase permit and approval fees by about 10 per cent, the minister said, noting this is the first fee increase since 2005.  These new fees will help offset the additional workload of elevator inspectors from Inspection and Technical Services Manitoba, which is part of the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC).
Additional information on the changes to the elevator regulation is available on the OFC’s website at www.firecomm.gov.mb.ca.

- 30 -

November 2, 2009

CHRISTOPHER JONES NAMED NEW MANITOBA FIRE COMMISSIONER

Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan has announced that Christopher Jones will be Manitoba’s new fire commissioner, responsible for the Office of the Fire Commissioner and the Manitoba Emergency Services College.

“I am very pleased to announce that Chris Jones, currently Manitoba’s deputy fire commissioner, was the successful candidate from a group of very qualified individuals,” said Allan. “I am confident he will build upon the great work in fire and life safety achieved by retiring fire commissioner Doug Popowich.”

The Office of the Fire Commissioner is responsible for the Manitoba Emergency Services College, fire investigations, fire and building code application, emergency response and training, and the provincial Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.

Jones has worked with the Office of the Fire Commissioner for the past six years. He has served as a director of pre-hospital and disaster services for a regional health authority and is a member of the Manitoba Fire Fighters Burn Fund board of directors. His appointment is effective Nov. 9.

- 30 -