Career Education: Indigenous Students Structural Firefighting Hands on Learning

Twenty-one Indigenous high school students participated in a two-day Structural Firefighting Boot Camp at the Williams Lake Fire Department Firehall. Organized by the First Nations Emergency Services Society and the Williams Lake Fire Department, the camp offered students a hands-on experience of what it’s like to be a firefighter.

The students engaged in various activities, including hooking up fire hoses, working in two-person teams to control a 100-plus psi stream of water to hit a target, and climbing to the top of the 27-meter (88-foot) ladder on Ladder Truck 11. On the second day, they learned CPR and discussed home safety plans. They also put their skills to the test by extinguishing a real fire and participating in team skills challenges.

By the end of the first day, all the students had sweaty brows and big smiles, reflecting their hard work and enjoyment.