Welcome sign as one-third of new firefighter recruits are women.
Bob Cranley who is the Chief Training Officer for the Port Hope Fire Department said 32 recruits are part of the Northumberland County Training Program which consists of Hamilton Township, Alnwick/Haldimand Township and the Municipality of Port Hope.
The program started in January and ends in the beginning of June with successful candidates being qualified as a firefighter Level 2.
The recruits have been training on weekends and through the week they will be in class along with practical training.
Cranley has been the Chief Training Officer for 12 years and said it’s amazing to see more women stepping up to the challenge of becoming firefighters for their communities.
“There is particularly a large percentage of female firefighters which traditionally we would have one or two. In this class it is approximately 12 which is a huge and welcomed difference than previous years,” said Cranley.
On February 16/17 the recruits were learning about firefighter search and rescue, firefighter survival and victim removal at an abandoned house in the Municipality of Port Hope.
“There are 17 skills that are required including rescuing victims from residential fires, but also rescuing themselves,” said Cranley.
For the last several years, the training has taken place within the County using resources within Northumberland County.
“Keeping it local, but also meeting the same standards.”
“The type of firefighters we’ve been graduating from the program have come out with a skill set they can use immediately within their home departments.”
“Many times are departments are operating together at fire scenes so the training that a firefighter in Hamilton Township receives is the same as Port Hope or Alnwick/Haldimand so we’re talking the same language.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
