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IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY
As students in Arctic Bay get back in the swing of school, one resident is preparing to apply the education he acquired this summer as one of 24 Nunavummiut earning Level One firefighting certification in Rankin Inlet.

Arctic Bay's Seemee Tunraq, right, was one of 24 Nunavummiut who participated in Level One firefighter training in Rankin Inlet on Aug. 1. Cape Dorset's Adamie Qaumagiaq is at left. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

Seemee Tunraq is one of 12 firefighters in the community, but with the Level One training, he can now be on the front lines at the next fire. Tunraq has been with the force since 1996, and has helped extinguish two fires, including a house fire and a gas station garage fire.

"After 16 years, I started taking courses this year," the 33-year-old casual water delivery worker said. "I was preparing hoses before, but after Level One, I can do search-and-rescue in a fire. I wasn't (allowed to go in the fire before)."

The training brings the number of Arctic Bay firefighters with the Level One training to six. Fellow community member Jestley Iqaqrialu joined him on the course.

"It was awesome," said Tunraq of the 10-day course from July 24 to Aug. 2. "After search-and-rescue, we had to fight a fire. I learned that before fighting a fire, you have to do search-and-rescue first. After 10 minutes, the backup has to go search for firefighters (if they haven't come out yet)."

Firefighters from Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet, Kimmirut, Cape Dorset, Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet attended the course, which leads to National Fire Protection Association certification.

A smoke machine was used to simulate the search-and-rescue environment, and then materials in a sea can were set ablaze. Until receiving the training, he felt uncomfortable in the fire situation, he said. But by the end of the training, he and the others were comfortable wearing masks and oxygen tanks, and using axes and fire hoses to extinguish blazes.

"We had to go look for a dummy in the live fire," Tunraq said. "At first, I was kind of panicked until they taught me how not to panic. I got used to it. I'm prepared now."

-- with files from Tim Edwards

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