Firefighters from around the Parkland and beyond were treated to some specialized training this past weekend thanks to the Dauphin Fire Department and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic (WFPS).
In separate sessions over the weekend, instructors from the Winnipeg service walked 80 participants through a scientific and evidentiary based firefighting curriculum which addressed both theoretical and practical approaches to modern firefighting. It provided attendees with the knowledge and practical skills required for sound decision-making regarding strategies and tactics on an ever-evolving and dynamic fire ground, Dauphin fire chief Cam Abrey said.
A lot has changed with residential home construction in the last 30 or 40 years, he said, adding there are many more combustibles involved and flames simply do not act the same as they used to.
“We’re making our homes so much more airtight than they used to be, as well, so there’s a higher potential of flashover and backdraft as dangers to firefighters that are arriving on scene,” Abrey said. “So where a structure used to last they said 15 to 20 minutes before you had structural failure of a floor collapse or a roof collapse, we’re now looking at five minutes.”
The training offered on the weekend also included an occupational hygiene component, which provides knowledge surrounding exposure to carcinogens at fire scenes and limiting the after effects.
“We know that firefighters are 25 per cent more susceptible to developing a cancer than the general public, because of the carcinogens that we’re encountering, the asbestos and everything else that was filling up homes as we’re in there battling the fire,” Abrey said, adding while firefighters have respiratory protection and protective clothing they wear while working, that same equipment can cause problems.
“If you’re not maintaining the stuff properly those carcinogens are soaking into the turnout gear that we wear and then the next time you put it on it’s that skin-to-cloth exposure that’s happening.”
The Winnipeg service is a leader in North America when it comes to training their members on the subject and Abrey learned about the information at the national fire chiefs conference in Ottawa, last year from WFPS district chief Jack Robertson, who was one of the instructors locally this weekend.
“For him to take this initiative, not only looking at Winnipeg Fire, but wanting to expand to all departments across the province, that’s pretty significant,” Abrey said, adding it is the type of information that is just not practical to provide to firefighters getting their Level 1 and 2 certifications.
Dauphin, he said, has made an investment in two sets of gear for every firefighter and commercial washing equipment.
“It’s not a normal washing machine, it’s a very large industrial one. It’s actually an extractor that we’ve been using for a number of years,” Abrey said, adding the department has policies in place around occupational hygiene. “We tell our firefighters you come back from an incident you’re going to wash your gear.”
It is an opportunity a lot of smaller departments do not have, Abrey said, making it all that more important to open the workshop up to a wide area.
Firefighters attended not only from the local Riding Mountain Mutual Aid District, but also from departments in the West Region Tribal Council, Clearwater Training District, Swan Valley Mutual Aid District, Lake Winnipegosis Mutual Aid District, South Central Mutual Aid District and West Central Mutual Aid District.
Abrey knew there would be a good response to the invitation.
“It’s a common thing in emergency services that if you ever stop training, then you shouldn’t be in it,” he said. “Hopefully, (participants) go back to their home department and share the information that they got this weekend with everybody else to whet their appetite. And let’s get more through this training eventually.”
