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Vol. 120, Issue 51
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Arts festival returns Page 3
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Practice makes perfect
A basket full of Easter events on tap
Planned burns help firefighters hone skills that save lives and property BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
Setting fires isn't usually in the job description for a firefighter, but Tuesday, members of the Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue (KBRFR) did just that. To practice different techniques, skills and scenarios, firefighters from Trail and Montrose burned down a house on Station Road after weeks of exercises under artificial conditions. “The house on Station Road had been used for the last three weeks by our paid on-call members for training,” said Terry Martin, KBRFR chief. “For those training scenarios we used artificial smoke to ensure a safe environment for our members. We like to use the structures for training purposes (before burning them down).” After practicing with a smoke machine, the real fires were set. Using pallets, bales of hay, lighter fluid and a blow torch, members lit smaller fires in different parts of the two-bedroom, two-story house early on Tuesday morning, extinguishing each fire as efficiently and safely as possible. Throughout the training sessions, crews completed several different setups, such as breaking through walls to get into the next room, or extinguishing a single-room fire from outside the building. “It is extremely important for all of our members to be properly trained and prepared to respond to each incident,” Martin said of the varying factors in each scenario. “Each incident is different, but prior training promotes confidence and an awareness of the dangers at a fire scene.” Along with the usual equipment like hoses, helmets and water tankers, the scenarios practiced at the house on Station Road included the use of a heavy-duty fan, blowing directly in the front door of the burning building. “We use the fan to create a movement of air through the burning structure,” said Martin. “It clears out a lot of smoke and heat which assists the firefighters in making a safer environment, enabling them to track down and extinguish the fire.” After extinguishing some fires, members reported that the fan reduced the temperature inside a burning room by a few hundred degrees.
BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
LIZ BEVAN PHOTO
A firefighter ignites combustibles in a house on Station Rd. as part of Tuesday’s fire practice for crews from Trail and Montrose. See more photos on Page 2. Martin says getting the opportunity for practice situations in a house isn't common for the department, waiting for residents in the community to approach the KBRFR with a structure for members to use. “Unfortunately, we don't get many situations where we can train like this,” he said, adding that there is some leg work to do before the burning begins. “We are usually approached by the homeowners who ask if we would be interested in burning the structures down. When a structure is offered, we
GIANT EASTER EGG HUNT AT WANETA PLAZA Saturday April 4 9:30am sharp
Children 3 years and under meet by Bootlegger or Suzanne’s Children 4, 5 & 6 meet outside the mall behind No Frills Children 7, 8 & 9 meet in the upper parking lot
Good Friday stat hours 11am-4pm
try to work with the owner to ensure the burning of the building will work for everyone involved. “For example, we encouraged the homeowner on Station Road to speak with her neighbours to make sure it was also okay for them if we used the structure for training.” The next building to go up in flames with the help of the KBRFR is 1995 Riverside Avenue. The building is being burned down on April 12. The department will be practicing training scenarios starting at 9 a.m.
Have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny 9:30 am to 11:30 am 4x6 print $8
Chocolate, dyed eggs, bunnies and of course, more chocolate, are staples this time of year and all across the Trail area, Easter events are getting everyone to join in the fun. On Friday, both Fruitvale and Trail are hosting their own Easter egg hunt. In Fruitvale, the sixth annual Beaver Valley Easter Egg Hunt begins at 11 a.m. in Haines Park with the Fruitvale Firefighters Non-Profit Society. There will be hot dogs, juice, and hot chocolate available for a donation, filling tummies before the time comes to hunt the over 7,000 chocolate eggs hidden in the park. There will be allergy-friendly and peanut-free chocolate available for kids with food allergies. In Trail, families will be gathering at Gyro Park at 11 a.m. to go on the hunt for some candy and chocolate. Put together by EZ Rock and Trail Parks and Recreation, the Easter Bunny will be hopping by and helping in the hunt. There will be hot dogs and hamburgers for sale from the Kiwanis Club and all proceeds will be going to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program. Organizers want to remind attendees to bring their own Easter baskets. The Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre is hosting its own Easter activity day and egg hunt on Saturday. The events start at 11 a.m. with crafts and activities after all of the chocolate has been found. In Oasis, Harding Heights Ranch is hosting their fourth annual Easter egg hunt. Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the ranch is inviting all children and families to their property to visit with the bunnies, lambs, chickens, horses and mini donkeys. Kids 2 to 5 will be hunting for eggs from 10 to 11:30 a.m., followed by an Easter hunt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for 6-to-9-year-olds and for the older kids, age 10 and up, the hunt starts at 1 p.m. The day's events cost $15 per child, and includes the Easter egg hunt, lunch and an Easter craft. To join in, register by phone at 250-364-0333 or by email at booking@hardingheightsranch.com. At Waneta Plaza on Saturday, every child nine-and-under is welcome to come and get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There will be games, a bake sale, and other activities scheduled throughout the morning.
www.wanetaplaza.com 5 min. east of Trail on Hwy 3B
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN866-897-0678 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242 Canada Post, Contract number 42068012