![]() ![]() Thank you Kamloops Councillors for coming and spending some time to learn more about KFR. And this training was really informative and well done, and I really appreciate having the opportunity,” Middleton said. She said some firefighters talked about their mental wellness and how taxing the job can be on themselves and their families, and noted the city can look at ensuring they are provided with necessary supports and resources. Middleton said she has a whole new appreciation for Kamloops Fire Rescue, the work they do and the amount of training they need to have to stay safe on the job. “If you can let them experience some of that, they can rationalize and get that understanding of what you're talking about with some of those technical pieces.” The more technical it is, the less people understand,” the fire chief said. ![]() He said he also believes this hands-on experience will help when he presents reports for council. ![]() Uzeloc said he hopes councillors will take away a renewed appreciation for the work firefighters do, and how skilled they need to be at their jobs. And a charged fire hose actually weighs an awful lot. “We sort of think of a car fire as something you run around with a little fire extinguisher, and you're going put it out - certainly not the case. “I was surprised at how much fuel, and how long and how intensely it burned,” she said. Middleton said she also put out a simulated car fire, and was struck by how “surprisingly hard” it was to extinguish. “That, to me was really interesting, because those guys are performing really amazing work and under very stressful situations.” “You normally think of a fire department as putting out fires, but there's so much more to it,” Middleton said. Middleton said her most memorable moment was learning to use the jaws of life for a simulated vehicle extrication. “To see what it's like to wear the protective equipment, wear the breathing apparatus, crawl on your hands and knees, feel the heat - just so they get a better understanding of what Kamloops Fire Rescue does.” “We offered to have a little session with them where they could do some hands-on, go through some of the basic things we do such as cutting apart a car, putting out a car fire, searching a building - bread and butter things,” Uzeloc said. Five city councillors were feeling the heat Wednesday as Kamloops Fire Rescue gave them a taste of what it’s like to be a firefighter.Ĭouncillors Stephen Karpuk, Nancy Bepple, Margot Middleton, Bill Sarai and Katie Neustaeter took part in the event at KFR’s Bunker Road training centre, each donning about 50 pounds of gear to carry out tasks like extinguishing a car fire and searching a smoke-filled building.įire Chief Ken Uzeloc said KFR wanted to give councillors an opportunity to gain a better understanding of what firefighters do. ![]()
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