Annual competition keeps firefighters' skills sharp

Page 6

Though it appears to be fun and games, the recent firefighters' challenge on the Kitsumkalum First Nation is deadly serious.

The reserve, located three kilometres west of Terrace, hosted the annual provincial competition for First Nations Emergency Services (FNES) on May 31 that culminated a week of training for volunteer firefighters. This gathering, which has occurred annually since the early 1980s, rotates throughout the province allowing fire chiefs and their crews a venue to learn about the latest in protection and rescue techniques.

Fire chief of Kitsumkalum and the provincial vice-president of FNES is Richard Norman Brooks. A firefighter for 18 years, he has seen the evolution and the improvement of Native crews on the reserves because of these seminars.

"Our basic concern at that time was to be functional in firefighting services," he said about the origins of the week-long conference. Now, some 20 years since First Nations developed their own volunteer fire departments, their manpower is capable in most emergency situations, Brooks stated.

For the competition, nine volunteer fire departments, in addition to Kitsumkalum's, sent their six-person teams to the northwest. Four separate events were chosen representing a variety of skills to be performed when battling blazes. These events were randomly selected from a pool of 16 drills by the competition's referee.

"These are drafted by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and it's based on what firefighters will find everyday," said Brooks.

First up was the hose rolling, a post-fire activity when putting equipment away. Accuracy and care is mandatory, even when the firefighters are tired, because precious seconds will be saved at the next call.

Then the fast coupling drill tested the teams' abilities in connecting hoses to other hoses, the truck and to a hydrant. Although time is important, accuracy is also a factor.

A member of Kitsumkalum's team and one of six women participating in the challenge was Arlene Roberts. She said that as this was a competition it may have added extra incentive to their performance, but all firefighters need to commit these skills to their subconscious and continually practise.

"We have to know these things in our sleep, because we have to jump out of a bed for a call and do this right," Roberts, a volunteer firefighter since December, said.

Third on the list was the task of replacing a burst line. Once a hose develops a crack or hole along the tube, it loses water pressure. For this team event, one member pulls a hose off the truck while the others disassemble it and replace it with the spare. To ensure the broken hose is never used again, they tie a knot in it.

Last was the self-contained breathing apparatus relay. It is important to know how to share oxygen tanks. Limited to less than 10 minutes inside during an intense blaze, firefighters need to switch jackets and tanks with other members of the crew while making sure clothing and jackets are properly fastened.

Coming out victorious at the end of the competition was the New Aiyansh Volunteer Fire Department followed by the volunteer fire departments from Lower Nicola Indian Band (Merritt), Canyon City, Port Simpson and Kitsumkalum.

Also competing were teams from Bella Bella, Greenville, Kincolith, Lillooet and Mount Currie. New Aiyansh advances to the national tournament at the Westbank First Nation near Kelowna on Aug. 23.