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NEWS
Wood Stove Exchange Program
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Winter Heating
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June, 2008
Hemlock Fire Fighters in Oliver
Over the weekend of May 2, 3, and 4, 2008 – Seven of Hemlocks Volunteer Firefighters spent the weekend honing their skills performing a number of training exercises during the Oliver Spring Training Seminars.
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CAFS – Compressed Air Foam Systems and Class “A” (carbon based) Fires
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Foam – Class “B”-Foam and flammable (oil) liquids fires
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Propane – Extinguishing a Propane Tank Fire
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Natural Gas – Extinguishing a Natural Gas Fire (Broken Natural Gas Line)
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Auto Stabilization – Due to vehicle Accident – Vehicles must be stabilized before extrication of trapped persons can be performed
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Auto Extrication – How to cut apart a vehicle and remove an injured person without causing further injury to trapped persons.
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Low Angle Rescue - The use of rope, pulley and safety equipment to remove injured persons where it is impossible to access with regular equipment.
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Forestry – The use and implementing Forestry Fire Fighting Equipment over Low Angle embankments
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Fire Fit Challenge – Member must perform a number of challenging functions in the fastest time possible without making mistakes.
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Confined Space – Members had to crawl through a very restricted course without becoming entrapped.
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R.I.T. – Rapid Intervention Team – Departments put together teams to perform a Fire Fighter down rescue and do it in the fastest time.
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SCBA Maintenance – Performing maintenance and safety checks on our breathing packs. Also demonstrated all the new changes to the safety features of the new equipment.
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Close-Calls - This was a program stressing the need for all Emergency crews responding to incidents to fasten their seat belts when ever they are traveling to or from and incident.
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RCMP – Dealt with traffic safety and traffic control on an Emergency Scene. Too many Emergency personnel are injured by motorists passing through an emergency scene.
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Positive Pressure Ventilation – Proper application and use of Positive Pressure Ventilation Fans
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Hazardous Material Handling – This session dealt with containing Hazardous materials in containers and High-pressure tanks.
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Train the Trainer – 2-Day session covering 19 Chapters of the training manual attended by our Training Officer Dale Black.
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Ambulance Assist – Assisting Ambulance Personnel at a MVA.
Friday May 2, 2008 was a day to travel to, and register for, the weekend's training.
At 6:00AM we all meet at the restaurant next to the Motel in Osoyoos for breakfast and then off to Oliver to start the sessions.
It was a very comfortable day to be in our Turn Out Gear until you got close to the fire.
We were all assigned a number of different sessions, which were spread out over a fairly large area with a short period of time in between sessions.
We were all separated so none of the groups had members from the same department in them.
By doing this it made you adapt and double think every function you performed to make sure everyone understood what had to be done and done efficiently and safely.
I think that getting quickly from one session to the next in time was as tiring as performing the function of the specific session.
If you performed the function required properly (using the fire hose and water fog) to cool the area in front of you were fine but just leave a little opening and you knew it right a way.
Sunday was a continuation of the sessions but was a lot hotter; being in the gear was hot and sweaty.
Firefighters who participated in the Oliver Training Seminars were: Ken Harbord, Gordon Leech, Dale Black, Jana Daniels, Richard Ten Brink, Marty Stewart and Marty McKinney.
Marty McKinney, Fire Chief
Hemlock Valley Volunteer Fire Department
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