The Saskatoon Fire Department is hosting fire ground survival training this week to help prevent line-of-duty deaths.
Firefighters from Saskatoon, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Martensville and Warman, Sask., are learning how to issue a mayday call in addition to how to self-evacuate and skills to conserve air until rescuers arrive.
Lionel Crowther, master instructor for the program, said he was involved in a scene in Winnipeg in 2007 that resulted in a double line-of-duty death.
“I was the last member out that survived,” Crowther said. “Losing those two members was devastating, not just to myself, but also to our department and their families.”
Stories like Crowther’s are the motivation behind this week’s program in Saskatoon.
“We focus on skills, mindset, breathwork and how to be successful in these situations,” said Crowther.
“It’s a set of tools in their toolbox, so to speak, to get themselves out of trouble when they get into it,” said Trevor Warren, fire service instructor.
The last course in Saskatoon took place about a decade ago.
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“Let’s say you are in a building with a suspended ceiling and the suspended ceiling collapses and you are now covered in wire,” said Warren, describing an example of a scene they might train for during the program. “How do I get myself out of that … they have to be able to disentangle themselves.”
This is a ‘train the trainer’ program so department heads can bring their learnings back to their respective jurisdictions and train the remaining forces. This is the first time in ten years that new instructors have been onboarded.
“This is based on line-of-duty deaths, so actual deaths that occurred on the fire ground that drive this training,” Warren said.
He added that the potential for firefighters to get into trouble has increased in the past years due to infrastructure construction changes.
“Everything is made out of lightweight material. The fire is now hotter and burns faster than it ever has before, so our working time in these environments is much lower.”
Another part of the program is giving the firefighters the mental tools alongside the physical tools to handle a crisis.
“When we prepare you for that mayday, we help foster the mental resilience in you,” said Warren.
“Firefighting is one split-second decision after another after another.”
Between the wildfires that swept across Saskatchewan last week and several recent structure fires in Saskatoon, firefighters need to be prepared through the first few weeks of fire season.
A recent fire of note in the city includes a scrap yard that caught fire off Circle Drive North Monday morning.
The Saskatoon Fire Department also reported a record-setting 20,000 calls for service in 2022, which is an 11-per-cent increase since 2021.
“We have had some near misses in my time,” said Anthony Tataryn, assistant chief of staff development and safety for Saskatoon Fire Department, noting that the department hasn’t had any firefighter deaths in a few decades.
“We have had roughly three mayday calls over the last five years,” he said.
A mayday call is used when a firefighter is in distress and needs quick assistance.
“It’s not a frequent event by any means and I think that the fact that we train for these circumstances helps us prevent these circumstances,” said Tataryn.
He added they are in the final steps of developing a regional training facility two kilometers north of Saskatoon, hoping it will provide an opportunity to bring departments together more frequently to share skill sets.
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