Lethbridge firefighter recruits get hands-on training

“We teach them evidence preservation or scene preservation, so in this sense, it’s just a taste of it, but it means that, when they get in there, to put out the fire and do the most important thing – saving lives and putting out [the] fire,” says Saturley. “After that, try and maintain the scene so that our investigation team can come in and take a look at it and hopefully get a sense of what’s going on.”

Firefighter trainees take part in a training exercise at the north Lethbridge facility, October 25, 2022. (Video: Lethbridge News Now)

Zakary Jants was among the recruits taking part in Tuesday’s training exercise.

Prior to picking up the hose, he said this would be his first time getting to see a major fire simulation such as this.

“I’m a little bit nervous with things starting on fire, you know, you can’t always control those things, but it’s a huge learning experience for us, especially as our job evolves,” says Jants. “We’re a huge part in the investigation role of things, like obviously, we put it out, but also noticing the little things like where the fire was, how it started, these are huge parts of the investigation and how they do their job can come from us.”

Jants says he was born to work as a first responder, being raised by a police office officer and a nurse. He adds that, while he is no stranger to emergency scenarios, it feels different having to take charge and handle the situation himself.

The training scenario was made possible by Rocky Cross Construction, a local disaster restoration company. Owner Jason Daniels says he and his organization works closely with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services and was happy to build the pods for training purposes.

He believes that training scenarios like this not only help to ensure new firefighters are prepared for when the real fires happen but also aid with his work in restoration.

“A lot of times, we get the call and the fire’s already gone or whatever… but just understanding what they’re looking for helps us to do our jobs better,” says Daniels.

The current crop of firefighter recruits began their program in September 2022 and are expected to complete their training by the end of the year.

Firefighter trainees take part in a training exercise at the north Lethbridge facility, October 25, 2022. (Video: Lethbridge News Now)

Firefighter trainees take part in a training exercise at the north Lethbridge facility, October 25, 2022. (Image: Lethbridge News Now)

by David Opinko

Lethbridge firefighter recruits get hands-on training

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