From in class-room instruction to real fire simulations and drills, 16 students from the Delta School District received a real life firefighting experience last week.
The very first Delta Fire Department Youth Academy saw the Grade 11 and 12 students from South and North Delta secondary schools go through a five-day boot camp as part of their work experience program.
Students spent time in the classroom in the mornings learning the theory behind the skills they would be using in the afternoon.
All of the classroom instruction and training was down at the Boundary Bay Fire Hall and adjacent training centre.
On Friday (March 10), the final day of boot camp, parents, friends and special guests were invited to watch the students work through a series of drills.
An awards ceremony was held following the training session.
The Academy was a joint partnership project between the fire department, City of Delta and the Delta School District.
The department received 31 applications and applicants were narrowed down to 16 through an interview process.
Fire Chief Guy McKintuck said the idea was brought forward by their members as a way to increase the department’s profile in the community and as a potential recruiting tool.
“The return on investment on something like this we are unsure of because some may have a great experience, but not see this as a profession, while others may see this as a real career path,” he said. “Five years down the road, will we some of these student apply to be a Delta firefighter or other departments? We want to be there to foster that choice if that is the choice.”
He added that without the Boundary Bay Fire Hall and the way they were able to deliver the program, it would not have been possible without the burn centre.
McKintuck said the week exceeded their expectations.
“If the students didn’t have such a great attitude and effort, this program would not have been successful,” he said. “Hearing back from our instructors how excited they are to be involved in this is so rewarding and heartwarming for us.”
The students involved in the academy included: Aiden Ali, Aiden Currivan, Mitchel Brind, Meehika Chadha, Desiray Crawford, Ty Fletcher, Connor Hopkins, Brady MacDonald, Noah Mack, Charlotte McLean, Ty Molema, Colton Poloni, Isabel Raipier, Ethan Tate, Declan Tilley and Jacob Zillich.
Tait, a Grade 11 student at Sands Secondary in North Delta says he likes the physical aspect of the job, which drew him to the application.
“I was thinking of doing the BC Wildland Service so this helps with that opportunity,” he said. “It’s been an amazing week, from the high angle to taking apart cars. Meeting new people has also made it a real fun experience.”
Raipier, a Grade 12 student at South Delta Secondary says firefighting is a path she sees herself walking down and this week just reinforced that goal.
“I was evaluating career options and wanted to get as much information as possible. This presented itself as a career choice that I could test out,” she said. “It’s been an invaluable experience. It’s been amazing. It pushed me in the right direction on how to make my plans.”
Lisa Chapieski, District Coordinator Student Options & Opportunities said the students have thrived and come out of their comfort zones.
“They’ve learned all these fire skills, but other skills that they can take with them for the rest of their lives,” said Chapieski. “It takes a lot of time, effort and dedication from so many people to make a program like this work. This truly is a partnership. This is our first year, but I know there will be more years of this.”
Given the many different industries that Delta is blessed to have, Chapieski hopes this program could be the catalyst for more diverse work experiences and partnerships.
“I look at the demographic here in Delta and we have so many opportunities in our backyard,” she said. “It’s really trying to get those employers to connect with the kids, so I would love to see more hands-on activities like this. This is such a great way to open up opportunities and make everyone realize what we have here in Delta.”
