A potential next generation of lifesavers practiced their skills with professional firefighters at Kelowna Fire Department Station 1, as students in Rutland Senior Secondary鈥檚 Fire Academy program wrapped up their year.
The Rutland Senior Secondary Fire Academy, now in its sixth year, is open to Grade 11 and 12 students in the Central Okanagan School District who are interested in a firefighting career.
This year, 16 students from across the district spent about five months in training, including time at the Joe Rich Fire Hall. Aaron Volk, a fire captain at the Joe Rich Fire Department and teacher at Rutland Senior Secondary, explained that Joe Rich sees fewer calls than Kelowna, making its equipment more available for student training.
The program covered a range of skills, including first responder medical training, basic exterior firefighting, and some wildfire techniques.
As part of the year-end wrap-up, students had the opportunity to practice their skills and receive feedback from professional firefighters in Kelowna. Activities included safe ladder techniques, tool hoisting, and a realistic house fire scenario in which students used self-contained breathing apparatus and sprayed water at a target. They also assembled a basic wildfire setup with a portable pump, water tank, and hoses.
鈥淚 graduated in 2004 from Rutland, and we didn鈥檛 have anything like this,鈥 said Danny Beaton, a firefighter with the Kelowna Fire Department. 鈥淚t shows them what the career could be like and gives them an opportunity to try it out鈥攚hich, a lot of times, you don鈥檛 really have.鈥
Beaton noted that the school district鈥檚 fire academy programs are making an impact. He said that when the Kelowna Fire Department recently hired new members, several applicants had gone through the Mount Boucherie fire academy program.
One of this year鈥檚 Rutland program participants is Beaton鈥檚 17-year-old nephew, Jerry Beaton.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool to see him coming through and having this opportunity,鈥 Jerry said.
With two uncles in the profession, Jerry signed up for the program to explore a potential career in firefighting.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to sit down at a desk all day,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 like all the action.鈥
Jerry isn鈥檛 the only student with firefighting in the family.
鈥淢y dad was a firefighter for a long time, and it was a big passion of mine,鈥 said Devin Morris, a Grade 12 student at Mount Boucherie Secondary School.
Morris previously completed the Mount Boucherie fire academy program and joined the Rutland program this year. He said he enjoyed learning about medical response, fire suppression, safety, and forced entry techniques.
In September, Morris will begin a fire certificate program in Cranbrook. He hopes to eventually work for a city fire department.
Adyson Savage also came to the Rutland program with experience鈥攈aving already completed two years in the Mount Boucherie fire academy.
鈥淚 was the only girl the first year, and that was a learning curve, but it was a lot of fun,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to be a firefighter my whole life. I just love helping people.鈥
Savage plans to complete a Bachelor of Health Science before attending the College of the Rockies to earn her firefighting certificate.
Elaina Bishop, a student at Kelowna Secondary School, was inspired to join the fire academy after witnessing a car crash.
鈥淓veryone was videotaping it at lunch, and we were the only kids who ran in鈥攎e and my friend,鈥 she recalled.
Volk said that although students who complete the Rutland fire academy are still too young to be hired as full-time career firefighters, some can apply to paid-on-call departments while continuing their training or pursuing a trade until they are older.