The Lloydminster Fire Department is working at Lakeland College, getting brushed up on some fire training.
Firefighters began the program last weekend at the Lakeland College Fire School in Vermilion. While on the campus, teams have been going through live structural fire drills, including house and industrial fires. The Campus also has a fire tower that allows them to simulate these events in real-time.
Lloydminster’s Assistant Fire Chief Bill Heesing says this training allows them to be extra prepared in a real event.
“We put our members through doing fire attack scenarios, rescue scenarios, working within a team and commanding that scenario when we have the real thing.”
The Lloydminster Fire Department was not the only department learning there, however. They also invited the Britannia Fire Department and Legacy Regional Fire Department to be a part of the learning this week. Firefighters go through a City of Lloydminster funded and designed program.
Heesing adds that the training allows everyone to determine where their skills are at, and build on them.
“We train as a team, we can work as a team, and when the real thing happens we are better prepared, again comfortable with each other’s skills and knowing what we’re able to do and the best way to learn is to train on it. Identify where we want to make improvements, and we always want to improve to provide better service to the city of Lloydminster. ”
The Fire Department takes about 15 firefighters per training exercise so that there are still firefighters readily available should an emergency happen in the city. Exercises will be ongoing for the month of September.