Several new faces in the Halton Hills Fire Department (HHFD) family are on their way to becoming fully qualified.
Eleven recruits were guided through their first live fire training day on Saturday (Oct. 28) - an important rite of passage in the life of a new firefighter.
"This is the first time they felt the heat," said Deputy Chief Martin Mills. "Their training kicks in and they stay calm; that's the big thing."
Seasoned instructors kept a watchful eye on the recruits not just to assess their performance, but also to make sure the exercise was conducted safely. The Gary W. Morden Centre in Mississauga was their proving ground. The facility features buildings that can be safely set alight for training scenarios.
Saturday's recruits were put through three scenarios: A fire in the basement, a blaze in the mezzanine and a second-floor inferno with a rescue element. Low visibility greeted firefighters as smoke blanketed the interior of the buildings in darkness, adding to the difficulty of the task at hand.
"I know when we went in, I got up to the top and literally it was either black or white. That's all you could see," recruit Stephanie Wiegerak said.
When asked if she was nervous, she told HaltonHillsToday that she had "good butterflies."
"You're really relying on your senses and communication with your partner and sense of touch and sound, listening to where the fire is," fellow trainee Sean Oakley said.
He added that they've been training all year and the excitement of "adding the real elements" put away any fear or nerves.
