Iqaluit (Mar 29/04) - In the last week, close to 25 fires were lit in Iqaluit, which is about par for the course.The fires were part of a pilot program to train Nunavut firefighters.

Cynthia Panipak from Clyde River gets some help taking off her gear from Kevin Qarunnut from Iglulik. - Neils Christensen/NNSL photo

During the past two weeks, 25 firefighters from the Baffin region and Whale Cove were in Iqaluit for the course, hoping to earn their Level I firefighting certificate, never before offered in Nunavut.

From March 24 to 26, the firefighters spent their time dealing with live fire situations. As part of their training, the firefighters practised putting out car fires, house fires and dealing with other simulated emergencies.

This is the first time this course has been offered to firefighters in Nunavut.

"This will set the standard for training in Nunavut," said Donald Corbett, fire service training officer for the Nunavut Fire Marshall's Office.

During the course, the firefighters learned everything from first aid to equipment maintenance and usage to fire scene management.

"It's been a great learning experience," said David Saila, a volunteer firefighter from Cape Dorset.

Saila joined the Cape Dorset crew in February. He said the two-week course has been great experience. "Everything is brand new to me. I really wanted to come here to learn what to do," he said.

Atsaina Eeyeevadluk, from Kimmirut, added that the course was pretty intense.

"It's almost overwhelming," he said. "We've been going over so much stuff that it's hard to keep track of everything."

The firefighters agreed the two weeks of training is worth it because they will be better prepared for emergencies in their communities.

"It's about keeping our communities safe," said Robert Angootealuk, a firefighter from Whale Cove.

Cynthia Panipak, a firefighter from Clyde River, said she feels better prepared for an emergency in her community.

Corbett said one problem fire departments in Nunavut are facing is the lack of training. Most of the fire departments in Nunavut are made up of volunteers.

Most of those volunteers have basic training, but Corbett said this new program is a lot more in-depth. "I think the group is getting a lot out of this. We've covered a lot of ground in this course," he said.

Corbett was pleased with the progress the group was making.

"They are an excellent group," he said. "They are working very well together. I don't think I've seen a group of firefighters who are so willing to learn."

Networking in communities

The main thing the course emphasizes is working together as a team. At the start of the course, the firefighters were separated into four groups. Corbett said one of the benefits is the firefighters have a chance to get to know each other. "We now have a network program. If someone has a question they can call someone from another community. Someone they know," he said.

Mark Amarualik of Resolute Bay said meeting people has probably been the best part of the course. "We're learning from each other," he said.

Corbett plans to introduce the training program to the other regions of the territory. He said he is hoping to have two training sessions a year in all three regions.