North Bay Firefighters, with a special guest in tow, conducted some very realistic-looking training in the Pete Palangio Parking lot on Thursday morning.
They did this in one of the Ontario Fire Marshal mobile live fire training units (MLFTUs). The unit is one of two roaming the province.
North Bay fire chief Jason Whiteley says the training is invaluable, especially to the five new recruits who were put through their paces. They made the trek through the truck that simulates a working fire.
‘’This is a mobile live fire unit that uses propane and artificial smoke controlled by Ontario Fire Marshall personnel,” says Whiteley.
The North Bay Fire Chief says this type of training is essential for all personnel, especially the new recruits.
“What we try to do during the seven-week program is to take the knowledge they already have in the college system and apply it to our rules and regulations. We reinforce everything that could kill you at a fire to make sure that safety is paramount. We finish up taking all their teamworking skills and what they have learned over the seven weeks and apply it to a situation involving more heat and artificial smoke (from the mobile live fire training units),” says Whiteley.
Taking the heat is something that Chirico is used to but not like this. The mayor was invited to watch the training but wanted to take it a couple of steps further.
“It gives you a completely different perspective. You put that gear on, add the extra weight (from it), and then try to climb into that truck and enter a realistic (fire) environment. It gives you a real appreciation of that they (firefighters) do,” says Chirico.