The CFAA Fire Alarm Technician’s Podcast

Happy May 4th! Colin and I discuss Lightsaber fire safety. And we als odiscuss the BC Fire Con that is coming up in September in Langley BC! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy 4/20 and we are presenting an appropriate episode on protecting the spaces where cannabis is grown!Thanks to Melinda Amador from CodeNext for being on the podcast to discuss this subject Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Ashley Shaver-Flahr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a very special episode on AI and Machine Learning. I was able to get in touch with a PHD candidate at UBC, Arwa is really great at taking some pretty tough concept and bringing them down to earth for us so we can all try and understand this advanced tech!Thank you Arwa for being on the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is Fire Alarm Tech talk at it's most advanced level yet on the podcast! We get into the weeds in troubleshooting tough ground fault situations and how to break it all down. Thanks so much to Steven Lott and Thomas Richards for being on the podcast once again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Melinda has joined me to discuss the changes to the Ontario Fire Code. Thanks Melinda for being on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we hear from a Brazilian-born technician and his journey to Canada and his successful entry into the Fire Alarm industry. We discuss how important English-language skills are for a new Canadian to successfully find work in Canada.Thanks Rafael! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we go wayyyy back to the begining and talk about the origin story of the CFAA, from back in preliminary meetings well before the inception in 1974 nad how it has changed up to today.Thanks to Gerry and Stephen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we continue our series on troubleshooting by delving into the world of ground faults. This is the first episode on ground faults and we will continue further in future episodes. Thanks Tom Richards!We also have Jordan Klemick ,CFAA president on with a year-end message, recorded in December 2025. We discuss some of the projects taht are ongoing and reviewe 2025 with the CFAA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 50! Wow! 2 years in and 50 episodes down! This week we have Blair Falkinson from US Digital Designs to discuss the montoring connection and how it gets to our dispatchers and ultimately to the Fire Department first responders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we dig into some advanced troubleshooting techniques for NAC and Speaker circuits and even have a little chat about toners and how they are used.Thanks Steven and Tom!*Apologies for my yappy dog in the background! Bad dog! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Rob Clark / Aaron Lee on Codes Corner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the podcast, we dig deeper into troubleshooting techniques and differences between Addressable and Converntional fire alarm circuits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Tom Richards and Steven Lott Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another episode with Deputy Fire Marshall John McBeth to explore the world of batteries and devices that we use around our home that have Lithium Ion Batteries. https://www.oafc.on.ca/about/announcements/fire-news-headlines/office-fire-marshal-warns-ontarians-growing-lithium-ion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Setpember 28th is Test Your Smoke Alarm Day! saved by the Beep is the campaign that the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office have on throughout Ontario and throughout Canada! Please visit https://www.savedbythebeep.ca/resources for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As promised, here is the second part in our discussion on the changes to the Ontario Building Code for 2025.Thanks to Lui Tai for being on the podcast once again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we discuss the changes to the Ontario Building Code with Lui Tai. Lui has spoken on this topic in the past few months and offers many insights into what to expect with these changes. This is part 1 of a 2 part series on the topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cindy Leber has been in the Canadian Fire Alarm industry providing digital solutions for reporting for over 20 years! We talk about some of the history of reporting in Canada and where we are at with the recent changes in ULC Standards.Aaron is also back to discuss a Standata recently released in Alberta for a clarification on smoke dampers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this 40th episode (woah... 40 already!), we get into the codes and standards and how we go about updating them and the process of the hard-working committees, and how YOU can get involved and make a difference to influence the codes and standards!Thanks to Tess Espejo from UL Solutions for being on the podcast to go over this topic. We also have Aaron back for a codes corner to talk about the controversial topic of smoke detectors at the top of elevator shafts and the contemplated changes to the appendix item on whether a spot smoke detector at the top of a shaft should be considered a deficiency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we do the ultimate showdown of fire alarm techs vs sprinkler fitters and techs! Well, not really... we get into the situations on site and how we can work better together and what we all really need from each other.Also, check out Chris Logan on the Fire Sprinkler Podcast - available on YouTube and Apple Podcasts and Spotify!Tom Richards has written articles for the CFAA journal and has been on this podcast before and will be on soon again! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Celebrating International Women In Engineering Day (INWED), we have 4 women with very different stories on how they moved into fire protection engineering. Please join us for this very informative Podcast!We also have Aaron Lee back to go over ULC standards revisions and what they mean to us when the Building and Fire Codes are updated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Chris goes through the new Videos that were recorded with Edge Factor on soft skills, written and verbal communicationhttps://edgefactor.com/my-organization/463fdb55-d27e-429b-9f88-d1844113f65c/content/playerhttps://youtu.be/gfWefg1ayEo?si=qpFjErcEcF0d32cDCodes corner with Aaron Lee is on the upcoming OFC (Ontario Fire Code) changes for Ontario... obviously! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is on a very interesting and slightly divisive topic. What do we consider as 'like for like' replacement of a fire alarm control panel and what should we do to ensure that we are covered for liability when we do these service replacements? Look for the ULC Bulletin 2006-03 for the sub-committee commentary and recommendations on who we must have present for a verification, depending on the situation. Your AHJ would make the final decision on who needs to be present for the verification and what you require from a design professional.We also have Aaron Lee on to talk about the Errata that has now been issued for the NBCC2020 where it talks about audible circuits. https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/erratum/?id=515340b5-f4e0-4798-be69-692e4ec423e8&dsl=enComments? email at [email protected] or join Paul and I on Linked In.https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-latreille-aaa8a234/https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-renaud-485a402b/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's hear from someone who is new to our industry, but not new to the workforce... Aaron brings a different perspective that may help some of our techs with their own struggles to navigate a 'job' vs a 'career'.We also have Aaron Lee talking about the code updates for Ontario. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we have a great episode with some good education on what are 2 stage systems, when are they used, and how they differ from other multi-stage systems or single stage systems. Thanks to Rick CHeung from the Vancouver Fire Department for coming on the podcast!Please refer to this guide from the City of Vancouver for their interpretation of this code. https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/vancouver-fire-bulletin-2024-001-2-stage-fire-alarms.pdfWe also had Aaron Lee on the podcast from the Codes and Standards Committee to discuss the code changes for the provinces of New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Ellis is the Above and Beyond AWard winner for Alberta for 2024. Listen to Mike's story and hear about his venture in safer battery testing with Volt Verify. www.voltverify.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Aaron Lee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever had the chance to really listen and get to know what the fire safety officers do in your town? Today we have a discussion with two members of the fire service in the Calgary area.Comments? Email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring the Quebec chapter of the CFAA (the ACAI in French) to the podcast to introduce us to their 2024 winner of the Above and Beyond Award!The first part is in French and then I offer a summary translation at the end for those who didn't -quite- catch it all!Thanks to Raphael for taking the reigns and leading the interview in my SECOND language! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk to Suzanne Alfano (Executive Director of the CFAA) Stephen Ames (past President and currently working on the ISO certification project for the CFAA) about the contemplated certification to ISO standard 17024. We discuss the process and where we are so far in this journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to 2025! Here is our first episode of the year and we continue with interviews with the Above and Beyond Award Winners. Tony Hodder, Victoria Boltsis and Aliaksandr Shamshur share some of their experiences in fire alarm and why they think they were awarded this prize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this Year-End episode, I have asked a few of my past guests and also Suzanne Alfano, Executive Director fo the CFAA and Jordan Klemick, Current President of the CFAA, to give us some year end summary of what we are doing at the executive committee level and what we have planned in 2025.I was also able to bring on Cathy and Mark, who have been on the podcast in the past and have rolls within chapters of the CFAA. I wish you all a Happy New Year and we will see you on the road somewhere in Canada or you wil continue to hear us on the podcast.Thanks for listening this year and for continunin to spread the word on the podcast to all of your fellow fire alarm technicians, engineers, managers and AHJ's.See you in 2025 with season 2 of the CFAA Fire Alarm Technician's Podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of a multi-part series where we wil feature an interview with each of the award winners of our technician's committee Above and Beyond Awards. Trevor Ritchie (Drapeau Fire) was the winner for the Eastern Chapter of Ontario and Woody Gradin (Troy Life and Fire Safety) won for the Saskatchewan chapter. They give us their insights on what fires them up (pun intended...) about the industry and their job and what makes them go "Above and Beyond"! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of the podcast on a behind the scenes of the CFAA board of directors and committees. This episode focuses on the technicians and how you as a tech can get involved, what the levels of membership in the CFAA look like, and other topics of interest to our technician members. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take a look 'behind the curtain of the CFAA Boards and Committees and see how the sausage is made! We will dive into each of the committees and see how they all work together to make the engine run for the CFAA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is with Pery Zerbinos and we discuss some of the best use cases for AI (currently) and how it is shaping our future in fire alarm reporting and getting our work done. This podcast may be at the highest risk of being obsolete in a year! We will see... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is a long-ish episode and is more of a discussion with Mark and Tom on what we have been discovering as we have started working wiht the new standards. We focus on the topic of deficiencies and how some parts are open to some interpretation.Would you like to come on the podcast? Send me a line at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is with Randy Panesar from Durham College and we go over where we were, where we are, and where we are going in education for fire alarm systems in Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Mark and I discuss some of the definitions and parameters around 'what is a deficiency?' We will have more episodes to come on this very important subject, as this affects all of your work as a fire alarm technician and how you report and comment on things that 'aren't right'.Thanks again Mark for joining! 20 episodes down!If you would like to join me on the podcast, send an email to [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we delve into the technical requirements of using Aspiration detection in an elevator shaft. With the new standards and the references to spot detectors being considered a deficiency if they are placed in elevator shafts (and other hard-to-access areas), we require better ways of doing fire detection in these spaces. Erik is one of the Field Application Engineers at Xtralis and provides great insight into ways that we can mitigate troubles and false alarm issues when using Aspiration detection in elevator shafts.Thank you Erik for your time and providing some great education for all of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is all about door mag locks and how we test these devices as Fire Alarm Technicians. Ray was able to join us and go over this presentation that he did for the Central Ontario chapter earlier this year. Thanks for joining us, Ray! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk cable with Gabriel from Cerco Cable. He has a lot of information to share on the codes and types and cable that are used in Fire Alarm. Another great episode to use for reference for more knowledge on cabling. Gabriel can be contacted at:[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk to Steven Forrester, a building code consultant from New Brunswick. We delve into the terminology of performance-based design and how it can affect your inspections as a tech and what to look for in a building that may have some type of design modification from the building codes.Contact Steven at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a profile on a great outreach initiative for young women interested in the Fire Protection industry! Camp Molly is discussed and the history and where they are headed with this program.Thanks Victoria for coming on to discuss.www.campmolly.caFor more info on the history and story of Molly Williams:http://shemadehistory.com/molly-wiliams/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have Frank on the podcast to discuss software tools to improve quoting speed and efficiency and general management of a fire alarm company using newer tools and AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is on the very important subject of Battery Testing and the safety considerations when testing the batteries for our fire alarm systems. We also go over some of the code changes that may have already hit Western Canada, but are due to hit Ontario in January 2025.There is a related article battery testing safety that Aaron Lee from Atkins Realis in Ontario contributed in this edition of the CFAA Journal. It is a great read and adds to the discussion that Brett and I had. Please look to this link and go to the June 2024 edition. https://www.cfaa.ca/journalsAny comments? Please write to [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was a great discussion with Brett Roach on some tips for troubleshooting and also some tips on dealing with your clients on site when there’s a trouble on the fire alarm panel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode sees the return of Brent Early from Winnipeg Manitoba. Brent is very active in the local chapter of the Manitoba CFAA and brings an owner’s representative-perspective to the topic of off-site monitoring connections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We conclude our 3 part series in conversation with women in Fire Alarm. Recorded earlier this year in Winnipeg MB. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.