Evolving firefighter training: An interview with Toronto’s Division Commanders

During Canadian Firefighter’s 2023 Training Week, we spoke with Geoff Boisseau and Robert Pennington of Toronto Fire Services (TFS) about all things training. For 2024, I again caught up with the pair to discuss training, focusing on lithium-ion battery emergencies and leadership training.

Over the past year, Boisseau and Pennington swapped roles. Boisseau is now the Division Commander of Technical Operations, and Pennington is now the Division Commander of Operations Training.

Q: I’m glad we’re able to chat again about training. Can you tell me what’s been happening with recruit training at TFS over the last year?

Robert Pennington (RP): Ultimately, what we’ve been doing is updating and fine-tuning our training. We’re working very hard at meeting our legislated obligations as well as ensuring our staff are trained to the highest standards using the most current information and techniques available.

Geoff Boisseau (GB): We’ve also been managing recruit class training, with class sizes of 104 recruits.

RP: Recruit training is no longer an eight-to-five day in a classroom. Andrew Berg, our Acting Division Chief of Recruit Training, has worked with the Associate Training Instructor (ATI) program to modify the recruit training program into two groups: one group starts at 0600 and finishes at 1430 while the other group starts at 1400 and finishes at 2300. After two weeks the groups switch so they have equal opportunity at early and late training days. Our recruit Training Officers split their day as well. The trainers work the same schedule as the recruits, so half are with the morning class and half with the evening class.

GB: This has also brought on a lot of logistical issues. The wear and tear on our equipment comes to mind first. For example, instead of running one course a day, a pump is now running twice daily and doing double the work. These multiple classes come at a cost, so we’re always looking for ways to improve on this, so recruits receive the most modern up to date training.

Q: What has been going on outside of recruit training?

GB: In addition to our recruit training, we’ve been training to expand our NFPA certifications, such as NFPA 1021, Level 1 and 2, NFPA 1041, Level 1 and 2, the NFPA 1006 disciplines, as well as NFPA 470 and 475. We are one of the first fire services in the country to adopt NFPA 470 and NFPA 475 along with the implementation of both.

RP: Our CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives) training program is continuing and will be complemented by NFPA 470 Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and NFPA 475 Recommended Practice for Organizing, Managing, and Sustaining a Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Program. Toronto Fire Services is part of the City of Toronto’s Public Order Unit, a joint response team with Paramedic Services, led by Toronto Police Services. Since October 2023, our POU team has participated in over 70 POU call-outs.

GB: We prepare and train for any significant upcoming events, such as Toronto Pride festivities and the Caribbean Carnival. Preparations have already started for FIFA 2026, alongside our emergency service partners. We’re also working with Toronto Lifeguard Services on a familiarization program for our two groups, and a mutual training program for next summer.

It can be difficult to train all our staff in a large fire service, as the training calendar and our training grounds fill up quickly. In some cases we are limited by physical training ground and classroom capacity, so our online training team is very busy developing training modules to be completed prior to the delivery of the hands-on portion. This has reduced the demand for training facility space some, as well as cut down on travel time to and from TFS training facilities.

RP: We have introduced mobile training sites as well. Presently, driver training and forcible entry are delivered via mobile training, and fire ground survival is delivered at each of our four geographical command locations (North, East, South and West). Soon, we will be adding medical training, and pump operations to the suite of mobile training offered. Mobile training at a location closer to a crew’s response area not only helps lower our drive time and associated carbon footprint, it maximizes available training time, and helps maintain an appropriate emergency response level city-wide.

GB: In Technical Operations, we are looking at additional mobile locations, as well as bringing specific training to districts, such as mass decontamination.

“Some things will work, some others won’t, and we need to go back to the drawing board to try something else.” – Robert Pennington

Q: Now, let’s talk about lithium-ion batteries. How has TFS been preparing for these types of emergencies?

GB: Every year, in the first week of July, TFS holds a Stand Down for Safety Week where we prioritize safety training for our Operations staff. Last year, we focused on cancer awareness and prevention.  This year, we’re focusing on lithium-ion batteries. TFS also sits on various working groups focused specifically on this risk, working on best practices and the development of a number of leading-edge solutions.

RP: This is truly the topic of the year. The science on lithium-ion batteries is evolving rapidly,  making it challenging to keep up with. We’re fortunate to have several staff working on lithium-ion battery guidelines that will help to keep both our staff and Toronto residents safe during an incident involving lithium-ion batteries. Our Lithium-Ion Battery committee is made up of members from our Operations Division, Hazardous Materials trainers, and our Community Risk Reduction team to mention a few. The committee not only has a great deal of experience in their respective program areas, but they also have many contacts world-wide whom they work with as we try to keep ahead of the emerging science of dealing with lithium-ion batteries.

GB: Toronto has had several fires that were caused by lithium-ion battery failures. Our training is very robust, and as the science changes, so do we. Every lithium-ion battery incident is reviewed thoroughly.

You also need to consider the disposal of the batteries. Once the battery has been contained it must be disposed of. TFS Hazmat teams are specially trained on lithium-ion battery disposal; the batteries are loaded into special containers, which are then picked up by the city and safely disposed of, once we have properly contained the batteries.

RP: TFS, being a large fire service, is fortunate to have staff in Operations, Community Risk Reduction, Training and Data Analytics & Decision Support that we can rely on.  As the science on lithium-ion batteries evolves, we will adapt our safe response guidelines in response to the changing science.

GB: The Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal also helps the departments work together so we can share information with each other. That’s truly the key—working together in this.

In North America, TFS is only second to New York City when it comes to high-rise buildings, and Lithium-ion battery fires in a high-rise presents new and expanded challenges for us. We bring together our high-rise firefighting experts, our lithium-ion battery experts, our hazmat experts, and our incident commanders to figure out how to structure the training to get the best information out to our staff and to the residents.

Photo credit: Toronto Fire Service

Q: Now, let’s talk about leadership training. How do you prepare your people to step into leadership roles during their careers?

RP: When Geoff and I started our careers, much of our leadership training came from observing the person who came before you. That’s changed over the years, and we now have training that will help our leadership candidates prepare for the roles ahead of them. Geoff and his team implemented officer training development programs, and I am currently working on a senior officer training program to help prepare members for the next step up.

GB:. Under the Ontario Regulation 343/22, and the requirements of NFPA, training and leadership can be guided.  TFS has NFPA 1041 – Standard for Fire and Emergency Services Instructor Professional Qualifications Level 1 and 2 as outlined in O. Reg 343/22. NFPA 1021 Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications Level 1 and 2 are required under our collective agreement for Company Officers. TFS will be working on Level 3 next. TFS will also be offering IMS (Incident Management System) 100, 200 and 300 for Officers.

The development of these programs, as well as the District Chief program development has been a true team effort. The programs are developed with the Job Performance Requirements (JPR), but also developed by existing Officers, adding Toronto-specific training components from IMS, reporting, and examples from TFS situations.

RP: Many people will spend their whole career on the back of a fire truck, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.  If someone does aspire to promote into a leadership position, we encourage them to not only utilize all the TFS resources available to them, but to seek upgraded education facilitated by outside agencies and institutions. Many of our staff have pursued certificates and degrees that will be an asset to them in the future.

GB: I believe that formal education will become increasingly important in the future, especially for those who wish to pursue senior officer positions.

Q: To conclude our conversation today, I’d like to know your thoughts on the future of training in the fire service?

GB: We need to share information far and wide. The old days of working in silos in the fire service are over. We need to work together. That includes tri-agency training with our emergency service partners. We have a very good foundation with our partners, and we are working towards building it up and setting an example.

RP: As the science of fire, hazmat, tech ops etc. continue to change, so will training methods and techniques on the fire service. As Geoff mentioned, we now work closer than we ever have been with other emergency service partners, which brings with it new approaches to incidents and how we keep our staff and residents safe.