HAY RIVER - A group of forest firefighters from around the NWT recently faced a day of rigorous fitness testing in Hay River.

Rocky Lafferty, a forest firefighter from Fort Resolution, participates in fitness testing in Hay River on July 21. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The testing on July 21 was part of a process to develop a national standard for wildland fire fighters by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

"Right now, we have a national fitness guideline, but this is a national standard," said Frank Lepine, the manager of fire operations with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) in Fort Smith.

The testing was carried out by a team from York University in Toronto.

Robbie Gumieniha, a master's student from York University's kinesiology department, said the university is renowned for establishing fitness protocols for physically-demanding jobs, including firefighters, police and correctional officers.

"With respect to wildland forest fire fighting, there is no national standard yet in place," Gumieniha noted. "So that's our goal. First and foremost, it's to establish a test that is recognized across Canada. The emphasis of the test is on establishing an exchange standard."

That will ensure that, when there are exchanges of firefighters between provinces or territories, they will be able to meet the demands of the host jurisdiction.

Rocky Lafferty of Fort Resolution was one of the firefighters who participated in the testing in Hay River.

"It was kind of challenging," he said. "We enjoyed it."

Lafferty, who has been a forest firefighter with ENR since 2001, believes setting a national standard is a good idea.

He has already served on exchanges to help fight forest fires in Alberta and B.C.

The tested firefighters, about 40 in all, were members of ENR crews from Hay River, Deline, Fort Smith, Fort Liard, Fort Simpson and Fort Resolution, along with a Parks Canada crew from Wood Buffalo National Park.

Gumieniha said the testing involved simulations of such things as carrying hose and pumps, dragging hose, digging trenches and lugging equipment over a berm.

"It's very similar to what they're performing on the job," he said, adding the NWT firefighters are a hardworking group.

The new national standard will include what a firefighter has to be able to accomplish during testing, such as a pack-carrying test only or a pack test and pump/hose relay.

"So they're looking at the average fitness of every firefighter across Canada and they look at it in terms of jurisdictions because we all have different landscapes that we work in," Lepine explained.

Even with a new national standard, a particular jurisdiction, such as B.C. with its mountainous terrain, can have a higher standard for its own firefighters.

However, Lepine noted NWT firefighters could still go to B.C. on exchange if they meet a new national standard.

"The standard is an official seal. It's something you have to obey," he said, adding it would have more force than the existing guidelines.

Lepine said he is pleased a national standard is being developed, noting the effort has been ongoing since about 2005.

"We're hoping to have it in place before next fire season," he said, explaining it will have benefits for such things as the firefighters' health and safety.

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