Saskatchewan firefighters brush up on their survival skills

Firefighters broke through walls and escaped dangerous situations in a four-day survival training course held in Saskatoon this week.

About 30 firefighters from central Saskatchewan participated in the course at the Saskatoon Fire Department geared toward preventing deaths and close calls.

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), which represents more than 335,000 firefighters and paramedics in Canada and the United States,hosted the training.

Firefighters were put through their paces in simulated situations that involved everything from being being hurt on the job to getting tangled up in wires.

Trevor Warren, a Saskatoon-based fire service instructor, said firefighters need to be prepared for anything physically and mentally.

"What they're learning is a set of skills or tools in their toolbox so to speak, so they can get themselves out of trouble when they get into it," Warren said.

The program was developed in response to actual deaths and close calls that firefighters have experienced. Warren noted that real fires are intense and that they can burn hotter and faster than they did in the past.

"We have less time to make those split-second decisions," he said. "Firefighting is one split-second decision after another ... and so we train our people to make those good decisions in the moment. So that mental training ... is paramount."

Firefighters weretaught about calling a mayday and conserving air until rescuers arrive.

Anthony Tataryn,the assistant chief of staff development and safety for Saskatoon Fire,saidhe recalls three mayday calls in the last five years.

"It's not a frequent event by any means," Tatarynsaid. "I think that the fact that we train for these circumstances also allows us to prevent these circumstances. And that's why it's really important that we're able to share this skill set now with other fire departments who don't have this training and get that knowledge, you know, beyond our own department."

Tataryn saidthey plan to enhance regional training opportunities going forward and to have some updated training available online so it will be available to a wider audience.