Seeing a firetruck go flying past you as you're pulled over in your vehicle on the side of the road, for most of us it sparks our curiosity. What happened? Where are they going? For some even, the question ‘what do firefighters actually do?' might pop up.
Thanks to the Bonnyville fire department, members of the local media are getting the chance to find out. Those at the fire department have agreed to take on the feat of training seven of us (most of whom are clearly not built to be firefighters) and showing us what it's like to be a volunteer firefighter. Starting last week, fellow Nouvelle reporter Andrew Mendler and I, along with other local media, have agreed to be apart of this exciting challenge.
Every Tuesday for the next couple of weeks we will be dawning firefighting gear and trying to accomplish whatever they throw at us… Not matter what it might be.
Last week, we were familiarized with the attire of a firefighter. We were first fitted with the full gear: boots, pants, jacket, balaclava, helmet and gloves. Then we had to see if we could get properly dressed in under one minute. As it was pointed out to us, every clip, buckle, snap and Velcro strip on the gear has to be done-up completely to ensure no fire can penetrate through to your body.
After getting fully dressed in the gear, another 38 pounds was added on each of us in the form of a compressed air tank that gets strapped on like a backpack. As we were walking around the department building (three times), I started to really gain an appreciation of the work these men and women do for the community. Wearing about an extra 50 pounds, it is not only heavy but also extremely hot underneath all of the equipment. I can't yet imagine what it must be like when there is the added heat of a fire, as well as the pressure of having to save someone's life.
We were given the opportunity to learn how the fire trucks work and got the chance to live every little kids' dream – riding around town in the big red truck. For us, it's all for fun. For the volunteers that dedicate their time to protecting the Lakeland, it's hard work.
I can't stress enough that these firefighters are volunteers. They don't just sit around waiting for a fire, this is something they do on top of their regular jobs without expectation of any recognition, but they deserve it. After just two hours spent at the department “training”, it's easy to see that it takes a special type of person and an unimaginable level of dedication to battle a blaze that lasts for hours, run into a burning building or rush out to a vehicle collision to rescue someone from a horrific accident.
At the end of our media training, we will be sent into a sea-can set up to simulate a burning building on the fire department's training grounds. While this is an exciting experience for myself, and I'm sure the other members of the media, for us it is a one-time thing.
Thanks to the local fire department, through this exercise I have certainly gained an even greater appreciation for what firefighters do. They are just every day members of our communities, but if it wasn't for them volunteering, we wouldn't have anyone to turn to in our time of need. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have a fire department.
