POWELL RIVER, B.C.- Fire fighters from the region were on Vancouver Island earlier this month for some specialized training.
Powell River Deputy Fire Chief Rocky Swanson said they conducted around twenty live fires at a training centre in Nanaimo.
“What we did was practice common tactics that are used in every day structural fire fighting, plus we tried new concepts,” said Swanson.
“This gives massive confidence to our interior attack team leaders, our incident commanders, and builds a type of camaraderie that one only finds in this line of work.”
He said it was a great way to build trust between members.
“You learn to trust your teammates so much better when you’re put into the most high-stressed training scenario possible. It’s as realistic as it comes,” he said.
“This is not for the faint of heart. It’s difficult, high-stressed training that is absolutely necessary for any professional fire department anywhere.”
Ten members from the Powell River Fire Department took part in the training.
