A8 - Sunday News, December 28, 1980 ahbor complains over house burning FROM PAGE At from the fire department to neighbors was not even delivered to the house she owns until the day the burn- ing occurred. And since the occupants were out at work during the day they did not receive the notice until they got in that evening, by which time the burning had already been started. ORDEAL Allison objected to the wording of the notice, which invited neighbors and their children to go and watch the burning, which was for her an emotional ordeal. She had grown up next door to the house which was burned, where her three aunts had lived together for more than 40 years. Seeing it on fire, she says, was like watching a lifetime of memories burning up before her. The house was well main- tained, with oak inlaid hard- wood flooring and recently installed windows, and she thinks it was a tragedy it was destroyed because of the fact that it happened to be on a triple wide lot. At a time of rocketing house prices, when many people cannot afford to buy a home of their own, she would have preferred to see the house moved for use by someone else, for the cost of moving it. Allison says the house was dear to her aunts who had lived there for so many years, to the point -that she questions the coincidence of the fact that the last surving aunt died the day after she was told of the fate of the house. In fact, Allison maintains she was given a_ verbal assurance by the land developer that) the house would not be burned Although more than 50 fect away from the burned, house had down for protection because the house she owns to constantly be hosed of the heat pencrated during the fare and she thrat house plants on the window Says sills ched after bemmp scorn ed man whose body was found in water beneath Lions (rate Bridge December 24 as thought to have died after JUN ping from the brdge Ab autopsy showed the man died trom drowning and poheoe say his death appears to be consistent with that of SsOmMCcOnES who had jurmped from the bridge The man was carrying ne :dentific ation and West Van pole are annious te hear from anyone who may. be able toidentify bim He was about JO years old with short red hat and hyhe red beard. © ft 2 in tall weighing 205 pounds was wearnng oa wool sweater “T believe,” she says, “that before such a fire, reas- surances as to possible dangers and inconveniences should be made by members of the fire department to neighbors immediately adja- cent to the building.” Fire chief MacDonald feels such responsibility hes with the developer but adds that it is usually because of the rush by developers to gel the properties down that the fire department is not even getting adequate fire prac- tice from the buildings. “The fault here, as far as I am concerned,” he says, “is that if the developer would go and talk to these people before the thing started it would save everybody a hell of a lot of trouble. I think developers could do a much better job in informing the neighborhood about what ts going to happen.” North Van Distnct is one of the few fire departments which has continued burning houses in recent years. Other departments discon- tinued it some time ago because of various associa- ted problems such as those of the Surrey department with incidents such as burn- ing down the wrong home. In the 17 years that the District program’ has operated, training officer Don Tardiff reckons his department has burned down 200-300 buildings. EXPERIENCE As far as he’s concerned. it offers his men invaluable training experience in staged situations, meaning that by the time young firefighters answer an emergency they have alfeady had practical expenence of in-fire situa ions. The homes are used for demonstrating entry techni ques, bodies smoke situa recovery. of during heavy fons search techniques ventilation and fire Contain ment The department can stage aDY Situation at wants in such houses and under controlled Comditnoms ut affords tite fighters the opportunity te. earn from them mastakes One of the meany values of The porcopetastne whet Larctitt Stbesse sy as ta correnrbiinge fire fighter: fer bee crip ar situation, of fire. “You learn about yourself under these horrible, frightening fire conditions. You have flames shooting over your head and you are told not to put it out yet. “You think ‘What am I do- ing in this stinking job?’ For a young fireman to learn how he behaves is so crucial under the real situation. “If your house is burning and you can't get in to reach your kids, our guys come along and go straight in because they already know how to do it.” He adds: “There is so much the public doesn't know about what we do.” Among the defenders of the department's controlled house burning activities is Dan Lemieux who 1s super- intendent in charge of the western division of the In- surance Crime Prevention Bureaux, as well as vice- president of the Inter- national Association of Ar- son Investigators. He cannot speak highly enough of the fire department or the burning program. and has used the activities of the District as examples of ad- vanced fire suppression and fire investigation techniques to fire and police depart- ments throughout Canada. LeMieux says the Distnct has taken a leadership role in fire handling techmiques and is one of the most proficient departments in Canada. The department has recreated fire situations to solve arson incidents and was responsible for an in- surance company = saving $1.5 milhon after proving a hotel fire could not have oc- curred as the owner had maintained. by restaging the fire in a Deep Cove home scheduled for demolition He says the importance of the training of the — fire fighters and the suppression techniques has to be weigh ed against the inconvenience caused oto neighbors ol houses which are burned The firefighter will tell you he rarely pets te avert ape see flame save lemicuns Meanwhile fite vhieel Mac Donald Cone nts on thre gure Sth eh cnet r rr can yg: (fre teuarrtipe prepay ow tine hy the bhas suspended Powel Tike bo see then Pra prpre fVibay stpetin trait Weve Body found below bridge r1 \1 4 ~\to A Tp ai a ane torrid toot Civit ANDO Mbt tras PRESERVATION Gt Yat Tht PUEBLO SOmMoOaoL SUPREMACY OF Thtt MONAKC ty A UNITED tQuag tow LAW (CANADA Rit ta NONE Ait Cyt St (ORANG. SPECIAL OT FORCED ENTRY TECHN houses scheduled for demolition, although the instructions of chief training officer Don Tardiff are “Try before you pry” since he says firemen have a habit of forcing doors in : emergency situations before checking whether they even open. (lan Smith photo) got to do a tittle better than we have for value.” “My only justification for burning is the trarning of the men and an recent months this training has not been done as well as TP would like (because oof urpency fo get demolished) ” developers the houses We have been destroying houses ab the cxpense of our tratning We have been pet inp oan inereasinpy number of requests for burniig We predict it Will be a very great New Year fom your Gnd yoours! RN TC I ASSOC LATION LIBERTY t NGS CONCERT TANGUALS Pheivir bobs, THE CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ZONING BYLAW The Council tor The Corporation of the District of North Vancouver will hold Public Hearings under the provisions of the Municipal Act in the Municipal Hall, 355 West Queens Road. North Vancouver, BC . on Monday, January Sth. 1981 Commencing at 7 30pm to consider the tollowing BYLAW 5331 Applicant Pacitc Nonth West Management Consultants Ltd Location 4710 Capilano Road (Lot A of Lot 3, Block Owtref bot 9% Plan 1/HB64) Proposed rezoning from the General Commercial Amendment Jone 3 (C3) to the General Com mencal Zone 2 (C2) and siting area amendmernt 2 Purpose to Dermit ac ormmmernc ial devedopement BYLAW 5336 Appbic ant Kevington Balding Clonrporeatwion Loe ation oorthwest oorner of Cees Moad and tdgemont Boulevard thot Ho Block AY Disthe thot oO Bhan 1 4G’) Progr sed PEZOOUIIG Fron thre Caererral (nner al Amendment Zone 3 (dy ter the treesc tah Zoomed amendment (oom area Coernresreal arid siting , Putprone to De@rmnt a commer tal devedopment Copies of Ihe bylaws may be iispected at tne Municipal Mail between the tours of & dQ ant and AV prin Cec ember 24th Pom to January Oth, Vege t J “PU pls on Wergnuty Misia goal (lock December 24 1980