Noah Freedman has recently been reviewing the forest firefighter training manual to prepare himself ahead of his ninth fire season.
He is vice-president of Local 703 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and a forest fire crew leader with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR).
“I’m astounded and reminded that our employer doesn’t provide any training whatsoever on hazards associated with exposure to forest fire smoke,” he said.
“They still advise firefighters to cover their faces with a dry fabric covering even though this was proven to be an ineffective way to protect yourself from toxic or chemical emissions.”
Last week, a
