Telkwa Fire Rescue, Smithers Fire Rescue and members from First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS), including Witset and Hazelton fire departments, combined last weekend to train together in an exterior live fire event.
The fire departments practice together on tactics to protect homes, put out vehicle fires and to ensure members meet the minimum provincial training requirements for structural firefighting.
In the past, firefighters received ample real-life training on the scene of fires. With the frequency of fires on the decline, (due to improved fire codes and public awareness), firefighters don’t have the same number of opportunities to learn the necessary skills and gain experience. This gap must be closed by conducting realistic live fire training.
READ MORE: Fire departments to hold training exercises in Smithers this weekend
In the exercise held at the Smithers training centre, inter-agency training also facilitates mutual aid, (fire response from neighbouring communities), in the event of a large incident requiring many departments to work together.
Practising the process of gathering information that will assist firefighters and fire officers in making safe, efficient, effective, decisions is the foundation for officers’ decision-making. Because of the obvious urgency of responding and going to work at an emergency incident, decisions on the fire ground must be made quickly, with a continued emphasis on their efficiency, effectiveness, and safety.
Exterior Operations Service Level training provides training tools to fight residential, commercial, vehicle, wild-land and other fires.
“In Smithers there is a very well-equipped and flexible training area and this collaborative opportunity with multiple departments is a unique use of this resource,” said Telkwa Fire Rescue Chief Derek Dickson.
“We are all neighbours in the valley and it is great we can come together from our communities to train together,” Dickson said.
“Training is critical to the safety and well being of our responders and makes a significant impact on our responses, so we want to maximize every opportunity to train together,” Dickson remarked.
deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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