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LONDON, Ont. -- The death of a volunteer firefighter from Point Edward will likely result in changes to ice-water rescue training, the Ontario fire marshal's office says.
The fire marshal's Ontario Fire College, which trains fire departments across the province, always reviews its procedures after such incidents, said Ed Godden, the academic manager of the Ontario Fire College, based in Gravenhurst.
"Every time there is a fatality, or even a serious incident or injury -- what we call a "near miss" -- we always review our own policies and practices," Godden said Monday. "We will definitely be looking at this incident."
Volunteer firefighter Gary Kendall died Sunday in hospital, a day after he slipped under the water during an ice-water rescue exercise Saturday.
Kendall, 51, was training with other firefighters near Waterfront Park at the mouth of the St. Clair River Saturday.
"A large ice floe came down the river, trapping one firefighter under the water," William Lin, a spokesperson for Ontario's Labour Ministry, said Monday.
An autopsy was performed Monday in London, but results aren't expected to be released until Wednesday at the earliest.
The ministry and the OPP are investigating the death separately.
Kendall worked as an instrumentation mechanic for Lanxess in Sarnia.
Point Edward fire chief Doug MacKenzie, who spent Monday in meetings with the fire marshal's office and ministry investigators, wasn't available to comment.
The village of Point Edward, which has 30 volunteer firefighters, was mourning the loss, as were other fire departments in the region and across Ontario.
"It really shakes you up," said Brian Devereaux, a volunteer firefighter from Corunna.
"It resonates even more to me because, like myself, Gary was from a volunteer department, and sometimes people have this perception that volunteers don't see or do the same things as a full-time firefighter does. But, obviously, that isn't the case."
Many times firefighters rush into dangerous situations, taking for granted their training has made them safe, Devereaux said.
"The sad truth is that Gary died while doing something that was to prepare him to be a better rescuer for someone else, if that need ever arose, and that is the ultimate, unselfish sacrifice."
Although the Ontario Fire College did not operate the training in Point Edward, which was handled by a private company, there are several standards to which most training sessions adhere, Godden said.
"We always have a safety officer who's watching what's going on," he said.
Firefighters in the water are always tethered to a person, boat or something ashore, and everyone must wear a personal floatation device, Godden added.
Gord Roesch, a fire-college instructor, said firefighters go through both shore-based and in-water training scenarios.
"How you do the rescue totally depends on the circumstances," Roesch said.
Darren Storey, who heads the occupational health and safety committee for the Firefighters Association of Ontario, said Monday his committee will look at the circumstances surrounding Kendall's death.
"The more times you do ice and water training, the better you get at it, but also the more risk you have," Storey said.
"We have to figure out how (Kendall) got into trouble, and until we know that, we don't know how we can fix it."
For other firefighters, the death is a reminder of the dangers of the job, said Devereaux.
"The fire service is a brotherhood . . . One thing we all have in common is that we care and want to make a difference in the lives of people who we'll encounter in the line of duty."
Kendall's family declined to speak to media yesterday. He leaves behind his wife and three children.
Firefighters from around Ontario are expected at Kendall's funeral, Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Smith Funeral Home in Sarnia.
Premier Dalton McGuinty offered his condolences Monday to Kendall's family and friends .
"A tragic event like this reminds us that many Ontario communities depend on the commitment and courage of volunteer firefighters," McGuinty said in a written statement. "They give up time with their own family to protect other people's families. They put their own safety at risk to make their community a safer place. Today, we are reminded that such caring and commitment can sometimes require the ultimate sacrifice."
Kate Dubinski is a Free Press reporter.
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