North Battleford is ushering in training for high school students looking at potential careers in firefighting and emergency services.
A memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday morning at Don Ross Centre by the various partners to bring emergency services responder training to the city.
Grade 10 students from North Battleford Comprehensive High School, John Paul II Collegiate and Sakewew High School have signed up for the training, which starts up in January 2017. A total of 27 students have signed up — 12 from John Paul II, 11 from NBCHS, and four from Sakewew.
It will involve training sessions running daily for two hours at the North Battleford fire hall, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. each day. There, students will learn from personnel from the fire department, WPD Ambulance, Battlefords RCMP detachment and Community Safety Officers about public safety and first response.
There will be both classroom work and training in the field. According to a news release issued Thursday, their training will include learning about firefighting and law enforcement, radio communications, CPR, first aid and EMS protocols. They will also participate in search and rescue scenarios and also take part in ride alongs with CSOs.
The training is being offered free of charge to the applicants, and will count towards high school credits as well as credits towards future training.
Completion of the program will also allow the participants to receive certifications including Saskatchewan Fire Fighter Level 1, Red Cross Standard First Aid, CPR and AED, Saskatchewan Emergency Vehicle Operations Level 1, Incident Command System Levels 100 and 200 and Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers — Basic Rescuer.
The program is already in place in Prince Albert and a couple of other Saskatchewan communities. The City of North Battleford has been looking at introducing this program in the community for some time, as a way to introduce students to the field and train potential first responders for a career.
“The reason why we actually took the approach … is to provide an opportunity for our youth to get involved in emergency services,” said Albert Headrick, North Battleford’s director of Protective Services and fire chief.
He noted the difficulty in recruiting and retaining trained emergency responders throughout Canada, whether it be for volunteer roles or paid positions.
“We’re hoping that this program will engage our youths and provide the opportunity for them to contribute to whatever community they want or make a professional career of it,” said Headrick.
Involved in signing the MOU were the fire department, WPD Ambulance, Battlefords RCMP, the Living Sky and Light of Christ school divisions and various other partners.
The other partners include Husky Energy, which are supplying the coveralls for the training to all the students. Representatives from SGI and Cherry Insurance presented $20,000 towards the program Thursday.
