Safety in numbers – A team of firefighters advances on a natural gas fire at one of many training stations during the seminar hosted by the Oliver Fire Department last weekend.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Where else can you see a pickup truck explode upon impact with a school bus after being dropped by a crane?
Only in Oliver, they say.
Seventeen-year-old Cole Aiken from Hedley thought that special effect was more than cool during the kickoff to the firefighter’s training seminar last weekend.
Aiken was among 340 firefighters who attended the popular two-day course hosted by the Oliver Fire Department.
The seminar is reputed to be the best in the province, with most of the instruction provided by Oliver members.
The rains fell, but that didn’t keep more than 80 fire departments away from the community park, where 24 training stations were set up. The venues provided training in live fire suppression, confined space entry, electrical safety, search and rescue, and auto extrication.
“I had a blast,” said 25-year-old Josh Carrell from Taylor Fire Rescue.
He stated the seminar was very well organized, noting the Oliver fire crew did a fantastic job training everyone.
Carrell said his favourite venue was the “positive pressure attack,” which opened his eyes to new, efficient ways of dealing with fire.
He also enjoyed the “vent, enter, isolate and search” station, which demonstrated techniques that he will take back to his own department for training purposes.
Carrell was glad to see FortisBC crews offer safety tips in dealing with electrical fires, which many departments are confronted with today.
Erin Iannella from Willowbrook Fire Department was one of nearly 50 female firefighters who attended the seminar. “I’ve never seen this many females (in fire gear). I think it’s awesome. If they can do the job, why not?”
Iannella admitted she initially felt a little intimidated among so many male firefighters. “But it doesn’t take long to realize that you’re one of the guys.”
Iannella said there is no much to learn at these seminars. For example, she saw first-hand how fire behaves in a closed space, and how positive pressure venting can make such a difference.
The most challenging venue for her was the infamous “ghost maze,” a daunting exercise in navigating a claustrophobic environment, with many twists, turns and obstacles to overcome.
Oliver firefighter Scott Schaffrick said the ghost maze was new this year. He gave the Chronicle a tour of the grueling “mouse in the maze” scenario – an exercise that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
Schaffrick said the positive pressure burn building was another new station they introduced. Inside, firefighters got to see the awesome fire “rollover” effect.
At the vent, enter, isolate and search station, firefighters learned new methods of searching for potential victims.
Carol Fehr, a 50-year-old firefighter from Winlaw Fire Rescue, said the seminar was a spectacular training opportunity for her.
She comes from a rural community where any skill is an asset. “I’m learning something new every week and benefitting my community.”
Fehr said most of their calls are auto extrication, in which they use the “jaws of life” to rescue trapped motorists.
Fehr said firefighting is not all about the brawn, which is why she is training to be a safety officer. The fact is safety is everything.
It is interesting to note that Fehr attended the seminar still suffering from two broken ribs after her daughter performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on her after she choked on a piece of bacon.
One thing was for sure – no firefighter left Oliver hungry last weekend as they were fed well.
Local fireman Rick Stagg worked up quite an appetite while training firefighters in auto fire suppression, a venue that garnered rave reviews.
Stagg noted that every department does things differently, and there are different ways to attack a burning vehicle. But he made sure that firefighters learned how to watch out for exploding parts, such as tires and fuel tanks.
When Hedley firefighter Brianna Whitney was asked why she joined the fire department, she had this to say: “I wanted to try something new. I had nothing better to do.”
Whitney said she’s loving every minute of it and takes courses every chance she gets.
Tammie Smart from the Okanagan Falls department said she learned there isn’t much difference between volunteer halls and career halls when it comes to skill.
“They (career firefighters) are no better than volunteers.”
Fellow firefighter Randy Stoltz said he didn’t expect to see so many female at the seminar.
But Oliver Fire Chief Dan Skaros said more women are “stepping up” to join their community fire halls because a lot of men work out of town.
Skaros said everyone who attends the seminar in Oliver has one thing in common – they love fire. But they know never to let their guard down.
“The biggest thing we preach is safety. We want everyone to go home at the end of the day,” Skaros said.
Hosting the seminar is a huge undertaking, and Skaros said they start planning a year in advance
“It’s a ton of work, but it’s a group effort. Our wives and the community are so good to us,” the chief said.
Deputy Fire Chief Bob Graham said they could not have pulled this off without the support from local businesses, such as the auto recyclers who donated all of the vehicles. Even the crane was donated, he pointed out.
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Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
