Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

RANKIN INLET - Firefighters from across Nunavut have been in Rankin Inlet for the past two weeks to sharpen and improve their firefighting skills.

Training officer Mike Wood of the Fire Emergency Training Centre (formally the Alberta Fire Training School) travelled to Rankin from Vermilion, Alberta, to help conduct the course.

The two-week program is being offered through Nunavut's Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) in conjunction with the Municipal Training Organization.

Wood was in Rankin this past March to help with fire officer training.

This time around, he's instructing volunteer firefighters in the Nunavut Level 2 Firefighters Course.

"This is the advanced firefighting level for these guys, so we're dealing with structural firefighting, vehicle fires, the use of foam and search-and-rescue techniques," said Wood.

"This is the final level of training for these men until they move up to the officer-level training."

The Level 2 course combines classroom and field training throughout its two-week duration. Wood said the OFM recently purchased a new chemical agent to replace traditional foam in fighting fires.

He said the product (F500) is a multi-purpose agent on the cutting edge of firefighting technology.

"This new chemical agent helps put out fires even faster than regular foam, and it can be used on Class A structural fires and flammable liquids.

"We tested it out this past week and it seemed to work very, very well.

"A number of communities may have already received their shipment of F500 and tried it out, but this was the first time it was used in Level 2 training.

"The F500 was a good purchase by the Nunavut OFM."

A total of 13 firefighters from Rankin, Whale Cove, Arviat, Baker Lake, Kugluktuk, Arctic Bay and Qikiqtarjuaq are taking part in the training.

Wood said the men have all been doing a good job during the program.

He said volunteer firefighters tend to have different motives than their professional career brethren.

"Volunteer firefighters have huge hearts and, for them, fighting fires is all about serving others.

"They don't do this for a paycheque or recognition.

"I was a volunteer firefighter for a number of years and it's all about community and others - and these guys show that in how hardthey work.

"From what I've seen during my trips up here, Nunavut communities should be very proud of their fire departments"