Deep River’s volunteer firefighters were put through their paces last weekend as they took part in hazardous materials training en route to completing their NFPA level I and II firefighter certification.
The hazmat course involved 24 hours of instruction and practical skills over the last six weeks, culminating in exercises at Mackenzie Community School Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30.
Eighteen students participated in the course, while three of the town’s full-time firefighters (Ron Cochrane, Dan Walsh, and Scott Morphy) taught the curriculum developed through the Ontario Fire College.
Lectures were delivered during the firefighters’ weekly Tuesday night training and the weekend served as skills development and final scenarios.
Photos below show the firefighters setting up a command station, preparing a decontamination station, and suiting up in full-cover hazmat protection.
During the exercise, firefighters used an “under-dam” technique to block a theoretical chemical spill into the drainage ditch beside Mackenzie Community School, trapping the floating chemical behind a dam while allowing clean water to continue flowing underneath.
In a real-life situation, a series of such dams would be placed in the stream with water tested at each level to ensure that outflow to the river remained free of contamination.
Following control of the spill, those working on the scene were washed and scrubbed down before being assisted with removal of their hazmat suits (below).
Following the exercise, firefighters gathered for a debriefing on scene before heading back to the fire hall for further training and preparation for final examinations.
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