Forcible entry was one aspect of training on Saturday. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

emergency personnel

Group of La Ronge firefighters becomes fully certified

May 6, 2019 | 11:53 AM

It was a busy weekend for eight members of the La Ronge Regional Fire Department who worked hard to become fully-certified firefighters.

“It’s huge for these individuals,” Fire Chief Wayne Tchorzewski said. “Once they achieve this level of certification, they can be a professional firefighter full-time anywhere in North America.”

The training occurred over three days with the HAZMAT (hazardous materials) operations practical held May 3. May 4 was the busiest day overall as members learned about ropes and hoisting tools, fire extinguishers, scene safety management, propane fires, and search and rescue. On that same day, firefighters also trained in a house on La Ronge’s Bedford Drive, which included forcible entry, ventilation and ladder work, live burns and hose work. On Sunday, firefighters trained on vehicle fires and extraction.

Tchorzewski noted it isn’t often when this kind of training is done in La Ronge, adding it will likely be another five or six years before it happens again. If the training was successful, those firefighters will be Level 2 with the National Fire Protection Association, as well as be certified under the International Fire Congress Accreditation Association. A lot of time when firefighters receive such a certification, Tchorzewski said they tend to move on to bigger and better things.

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La Ronge firefighters outside a house on Bedford Drive. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

“We have some transient people on the department where they come here to get some experience because we’re a very busy fire department,” he said. “Some of them work with EMS as well, so they do both so they can get a broader aspect of training in both the fire and EMS side of things.”

(submitted photo/Fire Chief Wayne Tchorzewski)

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno