The Whistler Fire Rescue Service (WFRS) has launched a new junior firefighter program that is designed to give youth in Grades 11 and 12 work experience as firefighters, showing the possibilities of work either on an on-call or career basis.
“The junior wildfire program or the cadet program is the inaugural program for Whistler. This is something that we had great success with when I was the fire chief in Vancouver, and I’m glad to see that it’s a grassroots thing,” said Whistler Fire Chief John McKearney, commending Captain Chris Heppell and firefighter Dave Evans for getting the program going.
“They inspired this, and they’ve done all the work on it and done a great job.”
Seven students attended the inaugural training event, which took place over the first weekend of May. The work experience gave students a taste of some of the skills that firefighters need every day, including knocking down structural fires, using the Jaws of Life in an automobile extrication, knot-making, CPR training, and using fire extinguishers.
“It’s a two-pronged approach, and that’s exactly what we have found because [the program] in Vancouver has matured over the last decade [to the point] that we’ve actually hired into the service those students that have graduated—a couple of them come back in successive years to be mentors and get their certifications and are joining Vancouver Fire Rescue Service. That’s exactly one of the pronged approaches here,” said McKearney.
“The other current approach, though, is really to give these young adults significant skills as it relates to community emergencies. Things like being able to use first aid is going to be a component of it, being able to keep themselves safe and able to help citizens that maybe are involved in a car accident or if there’s an issue of fire or heat, stress, heat exhaustion, all those different things.
“Learning how to turn off gas, all those things that these young adults who really are pretty close to being full-grown adults will have the skills and the tools and have the desire to assist in their own community and their own neighbourhood when stuff occurs.”
Captain Chris Heppell believes the program’s first year went off exceptionally well, thanks in part to the support received from the community. Many Whistler firefighters donated their time, while Toad Hall Studios and Fresh Street Market gave in-kind support for the program.
“It has been a concept idea for a few years. Obviously, COVID has put a hold on that, but finally, we’re able to get off the ground. We’ve got seven students for the two-and-a half-day program to really introduce them to fire service and hopefully inspire them to become firefighters,” said Heppell.
“It’s been an excellent first-year program from the ground up, not knowing what the commitment from the students or their skills will be like, and how our timeline with our schedule is gonna unfold. It’s a new program, but honestly, it’s exceeded our expectations. It’s been really successful. I think they’re having a great time. We’re having a great time teaching them.”
At the end of the program, each student was given a certificate for their participation in the program presented to them by WFRS personnel and Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton.
Read more about the WFRS at whistler.ca/fire.
