Annex Business Media: Podcasts

Twenty-eight years ago, at the age of 14, Tyler Pelke, deputy fire chief at the City of Red Deer Emergency Services in Alberta, went through a horrific ordeal. An assailant murdered his friend, assaulted Tyler, slit his throat, threw a blanket on him, doused it with gas, set him on fire and left him to die. Somehow, Tyler survived the violent attack. His assailant was caught and sent to prison. Later, Tyler found it within himself to confront his attacker in jail and find peace and purpose in life through a journey of forgiveness. He now speaks to audiences across North America about the power of forgiveness and why understanding your purpose in life is the key to dealing with adversity. Tyler talks to Fire Fighting in Canada editor Grant Cameron about the experience and how he refused to let the events of his past define him. Tyler believes it’s important for people to find a purpose because that will give them hope. He’s a living example of how to turn a negative into a positive.

Cybercrime and financial investigation topic.

Without provincial health funding, clients of RMTs rely heavily on employee health benefit plans (EHBPs) to finance their massage therapy care. Worker's compensation and auto-insurance are reportedly tough to work with, and increasingly insurers attempt to position themselves as guardians of health care funding. With adversity rising in relations with some insurers, practitioners worry for this source of funding while insurers are critical on whether utilization of massage therapy provides real value for dollars spent. In this edition of On The Table, we speak with RMTAO Executive Director Andrew Lewarne on his conversations with GreenShield, the concerns insurance companies are expressing, and what the massage therapy profession can do to improve insurer relations.

Despite massive leaps forward in the world of technology, information sharing and an increasingly sophisticated cyber platform for crime to take place, “the essence of an investigation still needs to be that thorough search for the truth, that analysis of the available intelligence in evidence, and trying to make sense of the objective in mind to hopefully secure the investigation,” says Mick Creedon, the former chief constable in Derbyshire, England, in the first episode of Blue Line, The Podcast. Creedon was the national lead for the police service in matters including serious and organized crime, covert policing, investigative interviewing, money laundering, financial investigation and asset recovery. He also served as the policing lead in the development of the network of multi-force and multi-agency regional organized crime units. Listen to our conversation with Creedon in the box below. He chats more about financial investigation as part of the investigators’ toolbox as well as enhancing the attack o

The founder and former president of both Frisco Bay Industries and AlarmForce Industries, and now president and CEO of Think Protection, which he co-founded with his son Adam, talks about how he got started in the industry, his approach to marketing security services, and his views on how the alarm monitoring business is evolving today.

A Canadian study is calling for the creation of a national firefighter wellness surveillance system to help address soaring cancer rates and other key firefighter health risks. The study looked at 10 years of firefighter health and injury data and found that cancer caused more than 86 per cent of firefighter fatalities – overtaking cardiovascular disease as the top killer of Canadian firefighters. The study was conducted by the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit and the University of the Fraser Valley in B.C. Fire Fighting in Canada editor Grant Cameron spoke with several of the authors of the study. See the graph below for more information about firefighter illness, injury and death in Canada, or go to https://cjr.ufv.ca/ to view the study.

A Canadian study is calling for the creation of a national firefighter wellness surveillance system to help address soaring cancer rates and other key firefighter health risks. The study looked at 10 years of firefighter health and injury data and found that cancer caused more than 86 per cent of firefighter fatalities – overtaking cardiovascular disease as the top killer of Canadian firefighters. The study was conducted by the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit and the University of the Fraser Valley in B.C. Fire Fighting in Canada editor Grant Cameron spoke with several of the authors of the study. See the graph below for more information about firefighter illness, injury and death in Canada, or go to https://cjr.ufv.ca/ to view the study.

After spending years working at Best Buy and ADT, self-proclaimed self-starter Virgil Reed decided to go out on his own and launch a security company in Saskatoon. Today, Reed Security is operating in Regina and Print Alberta, Sask., as well as in Calgary. Learn how Virgil saw a gap in in the market is now competing against the large nationals and the local telco.

Firefighters don’t like to show their weaknesses or vulnerabilities. They often keep their problems to themselves instead of reaching out for help. That’s what happened to Chris Howe, an acting captain with the Niagara Falls Fire Department. He suffered from mental health issues and became an alcoholic and drug addict and was suicidal. One day, though, he reached out and found help. Chris talks to Fire Fighting in Canada editor Grant Cameron about his struggles and eventual recovery from the depths of despair. He provides a personal, no-holds-barred account of his battles with mental health, alcoholism, addiction and his journey to recovery. That recovery began about eight years ago and Chris now shares his story in hopes it will help others in similar predicaments.

While the action on the ground happens locally, a lot of important policy matters are taking shape at the federal level. Provinces nationwide have faced tremendous tragedies over the last five years, such as wildfires in the West, the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster and Humboldt. These disasters have increased the importance of federal policy, shared Tina Saryeddine, executive director of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs in a guest column published in the June edition of Fire Fighting in Canada.

What is the status of today’s volunteer fire service in Canada? Take a look through the eyes of Fire Fighting in Canada Volunteer Vision columnists Tom DeSorcy and Vince Mackenzie; two chiefs at the heart of volunteer fire service delivery. Recruitment, retention, increased training demands and an ageing membership will form the conversation alongside succession planning and meeting the needs of the future. How will service delivery change in the changing world?

From wildfires to floods, the nature of emergencies in Canada appear to be increasing in prevalence and damage. Is your department ready for a catastrophic event? Emergency preparedness, mitigation and management are critical cornerstones for fire departments coast to coast. Fire Fighting in Canada has brought two geographical perspectives to the table through one compelling conversation with Fire Chief Dan Derby of the Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue in B.C., and Deputy Fire Chief Tim Calhoun of Clarington, Ont. Join Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy as he talks to Chief Derby and Deputy Calhoun about what they’ve learned in their respective provinces.