Bayside Plumbing & Gas Fitting
Calendar Lake Country
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Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
Qualified, reliable, bonded. Over 30 years exp. res./comm. service renovations, new installations, h/water tanks, dishwashers, washers, dryers.
250-317-2279
May 22, 2013
On the job training for junior firefighters
Inside
Young wakeboarder has been honing his skills with pro boarders in Florida. ...............................
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Taste Lake Country winery tour event a hit, especially for the one who won the draw of a case of Lake Country wines. ...............................
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Business survives rigours of a tough economy while never letting go of its fine safety practices. ...............................
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Flyers ■ Cadence ■ Fabric Land ■ Home Depot ■ Shoppers ■ Staples
Seven students from George Elliot Secondary School recently completed a 15week Junior Firefighter Program which gave them a unique glimpse into what a career in fire-fighting is like. Students received 50 hours of training from January until this past Tuesday when the junior firefighters showed off their newly acquired skills for parents and onlookers at a live fire response demonstration before they received their program completion certificates. “The hands-on training was really interesting. I was surprised by how hot it is inside the suits,” said student Ryan Leighton, a program particicipant. “A lot of other programs have mostly book work. What we learned was really helpful in teaching us how to stay safe, even in forest fires.”
Leighton thought it would be great to have the program experience on his resume and he plans to apply to be a paid-on-call firefighter when he turns 19. Fellow student Florian Maier, an international student from Germany, enjoyed the program, especially entering a burning house as part of a training exercise with firefighters in Vernon. “When we entered the burning house in Vernon, the visibility was limited in the house and it was remarkably hot,” he said. “I had the urge to leave the building immediately but I stayed inside of the house and I won against my own fear which was a really great feeling.” When asked whether he will use the skills he learned in the LCFD program when he goes home to Germany, he said the pro-
CONTRIBUTED
LAKE COUNTRY Fire Department Junior Firefighter Program teaches basic firefighting skills to 16-18 year
old students
gram will help in many ways. “These things have helped me to be confident, mature and independent,” said Maier. “Our instructors always helped and supported us. In addition to their support, they encouraged us when we made mistakes. “I want to use my new skills to train as a firefighter in Germany and this program has definitely changed my career plans, I honestly think that being a firefighter is my career path.” Chelsea Raine was the only female student in the LCFD program this term. She was asked what motivated her to enrol in the program. “My dad is a volunteer firefighter and I wanted to test it out,” Raine said. “I practised with my dad so I could make
sure I could lift everything.” She noted that the hoses were pretty heavy and she confronted her fear of heights by climbing to the top of the ladder. She enjoyed the live fire training and the auto extrication work. “When I’m 19, I want to join the volunteer firefighters and get into a career of firefighting,” she said. Doug Meraw, career and life program coordinator at George Elliot Secondary, noted the students involved in the LCFD program really loved it. To participate in the program students must be in Grade 11 or 12 and have good grades. Rylan Carnegie graduated from GESS a few years ago after taking part in the Junior Firefighter Program and
is still involved with the Lake Country Fire Department as a paid-oncall firefighter. Carnegie assisted the weekly team leader in the training this term. Assistant fire chief Brent Penner said that the junior class had a unique opportunity in being invited to the live fire training in Vernon along with the 2013 LCFD recruits being introduced to their first interior live structure fire training. Regular training and practises were held every Tuesday night to teach basic firefighter skills such as hoisting equipment, ladders, fire streams, ventilation tactics, search and rescue, auto extrication, rope and knots, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), live car fire
and dumpster fires. Students also toured the regional dispatch centre to learn how a call taking and page system works, as well as attending the Kelowna airport where they were exposed to different kinds of firefighting equipment and fire trucks as LCFD is routinely called to the airport to assist with emergency incidents. “This group of students really put a lot into it,” said fire chief Steve Windsor. He congratulated junior firefighters Glenford Downey, William Kelley, Ryan Leighton, Florian Maier, Nicholas Novak, Chelsea Raine and Tristan Ramsay for completing the 2013 program. Submitted by Karen Miller, District of Lake Country.
Oyama Fun Day less than two weeks away Oyama Fun Day is coming up quickly as the annual tribute to Oyama is set for Sunday, June 2. The event is sponsored by the Oyama Community Club and, with the help of many volun-
teers, the club is offering a jam-packed day of fun for families. The event begins at 8 a.m, with a pancake breakfast, a silent auction and the famous ‘Peep Peep Poop’ contest.
The parade is shaping up as the largest and longest yet, drawing many local businesses and groups as well as Okanagan dignitaries. The afternoon activities get underway with
some good old-fashioned games of tugof-war, sack races, ice cream eating contest and egg toss. Youngsters will be entertained with the Kids Games Pavilion, DLC Bounce Zone,
Lake Country Agility Mutts, SECA Watersport Demo, Sportball and lots of other community sponsored fun. Then there’s the Oyama Firemen’s Burger Burn, the Oyama
Sunblush Bake Shop, Lake Country Big Band, Oyama Legion Open House plus the Farmers Market & Artisans. Everyone is invited to come out and and enjoy the day.
SPRING INTO SUMMER WITH SAVINGS
Lake Country Building Centre 3223 Woodsdale Rd., Lake Country • 250-766-2118