Northside Volunteer Fire Department’s live fire training centre is now in full operation and has been put to good use.
On November 23 and 24, firefighters from the Van Anda and Gillies Bay volunteer fire departments travelled to the Lund fire hall where the live fire training centre is located, taking their live fire certification course.
NVFD chief Jim Brown said the Texada firefighters brought in trainers from out of town for the two-day session and learned to safely attack flames in dumpsters, vehicles, with propane tanks, plus structures, by strategically striking down the flames and manipulating the smoke.
It was a physically tasking weekend for the firefighters, but they learned to manage a real fire under realistic circumstances, which is essential preparation for when they are paged to a genuine emergency, according to Brown.
Brown said Northside firefighters have already used the training facility to become more conversant with firefighting, but the Texada session was the first time the facility was used by other fire departments. He said, however, that Northside firefighters learned a lot from the out-of-town trainers, so going forward, there will be even more knowledge about how best to use the training facility.
“All the fire departments in qathet region are welcome to train using the live fire training facility,” said Brown.
The training facility was built when the new Northside fire hall in Lund was constructed. Brown said, however, that the qathet region received a grant from the fire commissioner’s office and the Fire Chiefs of BC to expand the facility, using propane-fired apparatus.
Brown said that having a live fire training session in qathet is of great benefit to all the fire departments. It saves a significant amount of money, not having to travel out of town to get live fire training,” he added.
“Now, we don’t have to pay for travel and accommodations, meals and so many wages,” said Brown. “It’s going to be of great benefit to firefighters here in qathet. It’s going to give firefighters a big advantage when they are going into fire situations.”
Brown said firefighters get to experience what is referred to as a cold start, where all the participants are put in one of the buildings and a fire is lit.
“You sit on the floor and watch it build, with the thermal layer coming down and the smoke,” said Brown. “It’s pretty interesting.”
Brown said training at the centre helps build teamwork, which is a very important facet of firefighting.
“We’re really excited about having this facility,” said Brown. “It’s tremendous.”
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