Thunder Bay firefighter recruits are improving their skills in interior firefighting operations and tactics.
This year’s Thunder Bay Fire Rescue (TBFR) held a live fire demonstration on Tuesday at the Training Centre on Hammond Avenue.
Training Officer Peter Warywoda and Platoon Chief John Kaplanis paired up new recruits with on-duty veteran firefighters from B Platoon, working side by side as they trained on mitigating the unsafe conditions of heat and smoke in a fire-filled atmosphere.
“The interior live fire training is a critical phase in the development of the safety-minded professional firefighter,” said Platoon Chief John Kaplanis. “Even with modern construction and safety regulations, interior structural firefighting is still the most dangerous aspect of our job.”
The recruits also practiced how to conduct interior searches for fire victims and victim removal, as well as how to safely and efficiently extinguish interior structural fires, and ventilate toxic smoke-filled atmospheres.
Additional training included support operations for structural fires, such as basic ladder techniques, conducting hose lays, advancing hose lines, and securing a water supply from a hydrant to a Pumper truck.
Warywoda will continue to oversee and conduct live-fire training with the new recruits this week, with training wrapping up on Friday.
This class has been training for 14 weeks, and recruits will join their respective platoons in the coming weeks.
Below images courtesy of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue