BY KIRK STARRATT
Kings County Advertiser/Register
It was a hands-on chance for firefighters to get education and training they might not have access to in their home communities.
Despite rainy conditions, hundreds of firefighters from all over Atlantic Canada converged on Acadia University this weekend for the 16th annual Fire Department Information Conference (FDIC). FDIC Atlantic vice president Stephen Fenner said there were speakers, workshops and training for the 460-plus delegates. The event, held at Acadia for several years now, is organized by volunteers and always sells out.
“The most important thing is to provide education to firefighters,” Fenner said. “It’s more cost effective for smaller departments to come to the conference and get the training and education.”
For example, the flashover unit used in one of the hands-on training sessions belongs to the Halifax Regional Fire Department. It wouldn’t necessarily be cost effective for other departments to have the unit brought to them. Session participants were introduced to the various types of rapid fire progression, the warning signs of imminent flashover, flashover delaying fog nozzle tactics and survival strategies. Fenner said the temperature in the flashover unit’s burn chamber reaches 1,200 F when it gets going.
“It’s one of the more significant tasks we have to do on a regular basis." - TERC Atlantic representative Vince Conrad on vehicle extrication
Both the flashover unit and the mobile burn unit sessions were held at the Dexter property in Greenwich. The state-of-the-art mobile burn unit, purchased recently by the Nova Scotia Firefighters School in Waverley, was featured at the FDIC for the first time this year. With seven moveable walls and a forcible entry simulator allowing for multiple configurations, each run is a unique learning experience. An integrated smoke system allows for rapid blackout conditions to challenge firefighters’ search skills. Fires are programmed to extinguish only after appropriate fire suppression efforts are made.
“If you don’t do everything right, the fire will rekindle.”
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