You may have noticed smoke on Peace River’s West Hill over the past couple of days.
Car Fire at Northern Heat Training event. (Photo/Peace River Broadcasting)
That’s because northern Alberta firefighters were conducting training near the town’s new shop.
Called Northern Heat, it brings together about 64 firefighters, most of them volunteer, from all across Northern Alberta, as well as more than 30 instructors.
Peace River Fire Chief Tim Harris says training can be intense.
“There’s a combination of Class A Firefighter Training,” said Harris. “It includes burning some OSB or wood pallets. We also have some propane, life-fire training, as well as a confidence maze, which is like enclosed, confined space training.”
The charred inside of a mock building at Northern Heat in Peace River. (Photo/Peace River Broadcasting)
All in all, it covers two days of obstacle courses, followed by two days of conference training at the Chateau Nova.
“There’ll also be some more practical, hands-on training during that time,” Harris said. “This is the 18th anniversary Northern Heat has been in operation.”
The equipment used during this training came from a variety of sources, including from Grande Prairie, and even as far away as Calgary.
Harris also took the time to thank all the sponsors who helped fund the event.
“If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to run it at all,” he said.
– Posted by BET
