Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 16/05) - Four months of hard training has paid off for Paul Hamlyn and Garret Churchill, Yellowknife airport's newest firefighters.

The two men were presented their certificates for the Airport Firefighter Certification program at a service recognition lunch last Friday.

Learning how to use the equipment was a crucial part of the program, but there is more than that to being a firefighter. There was a lot of self study and reading at home involved in the three levels of training, said Hamlyn.

The two also spent a week training at a special facility in Duluth, Minnesota.

The big test was completing a mock rescue that involved putting out a live fire and getting victims off a plane.

Both firefighters are transplants to Yellowknife.

Churchill moved from Edmonton 18 months ago. He worked as an emergency medical technician before joining the airport fire department.

"It's never the same," Churchill said about why he likes the job.

Hamlyn moved from Labrador seven years ago. He worked as a correctional officer at the North Slave Correctional Centre and then trained with the city fire department for a year. He transferred to the airport team for the career experience.

"I like the training and always being prepared to respond," Hamlyn said.

One of the job bonuses for the two is using the special equipment. Hamlyn likes the trucks while Churchill's favourite piece of equipment is the cut-quick saw. It is like a chainsaw with a cutting wheel that will go through anything.

With the two new additions, the airport fire department now has 10 firefighters.