By TERRY PUGH
A group of students from Hepburn School stepped into the shoes of volunteer firefighters on Wednesday, March 26, experiencing what it’s like to handle high-pressure fire hoses and high-pressure situations.
The half-dozen students enrolled in ‘Emergency Services 20’ spent the morning at the Warman Fire Hall, getting a first-hand look at the equipment and techniques used by firefighters.
Hepburn School teacher Christy Burnett said the class is made up of Grade 10, 11 and 12 students who chose to take the elective class this semester.
“They all have an interest in learning about emergency responders – what they do and how they’re trained,” said Burnett. “This class is a way of introducing students to the fundamentals, and giving them a taste of what it’s like to choose a career in this field, or to be a volunteer firefighter in their home community.”
Warman Fire Rescue (WFR) is the busiest volunteer fire department in Saskatchewan, according to Nolan Deck, one of two WFR firefighters who conducted the students on a tour of the fire hall and demonstrated the equipment. “We’re the fifth busiest fire department in the province, just behind the cities of Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw.”
WFR firefighter Jeremiah Klauke told students the members of the fire department train on a weekly basis and are often called upon to respond to a variety of incidents including structure and wildland fires, water and ice rescues, motor vehicle collisions and medical emergencies.
Klauke and Deck explained the function of each vehicle in the WFR fleet and outlined how the equipment each vehicle carries is specifically designed for certain tasks.
The students then donned firefighter turnout gear and gained hands-on experience using a fire hose to extinguish a controlled propane fire outside the fire hall. The final session of the class included instruction on search and rescue techniques, the Incident Command System (ICS), standard first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Warman Fire Chief Russ Austin said having the ability to have an Emergency Services 20 elective class in school offers a fantastic opportunity for students who may have an interest in working in the field one day.
“It was great to host them for some practical experience and allow them to ask as many questions as they wanted directly to our firefighters,” said Austin. “Showing them the ropes hopefully plants a seed for some of them to serve their community in other ways or pursue an emergency services career in the future.
“And you can never start recruiting too early!”