KFD’s New Dedicated Section!
Hello, my name is Cody Phinney, and I am the new Assistant Chief with the Kindersley Fire Brigade and I’m here to update the people of Kindersley and the surrounding area on the happenings at our department. I will be doing regular articles containing fire safety tips as well as anything new or exciting the KFB is doing.
Recently members of the KFB started training and testing for their NFPA 1072 certifications. The NFPA 1072 certification is an international standard that deals with Hazardous Materials. This standard also acts as a first step into the NFPA 1001 which is the professional fire fighter certification. To become certified in 1072, members must pass two written tests and then a practical hands-on examination. The certification is split into several different levels with our members aiming to complete their Awareness and Operations levels.
The Awareness level certifies members in the identification of Hazardous Materials and teaches proper methods of isolating hazards or evacuating areas. This is the basic level of HazMat that acts as a precursor to higher standards of training.
The Operations level deals with the protection of people, the environment, or property in defensive actions only. So, what that means is our members would be trained on proper methods to contain a hazardous material spill to an area without coming into contact with the hazard, or preforming emergency decontamination of a person who has been exposed to a hazardous material.
This weekend will see eight participants challenge the practical exam, having previously passed both written portions in May. They will be out in the community, weather dependent, showing off their skills and knowledge in front of several examiners in multiple different scenarios. If you see us out and about in your area of town, please do your best to avoid the area and respect the traffic controls that will be in place. And don’t worry, none of the scenarios involve any real chemicals or dangers!
Good luck to all our Kindersley Fire Brigade members attempting the exam!
The KFB will also be partnering with Better Together Kindersley on July first for Canada Day festivities! Weather dependent we will be hosting water fights and target practice with our water hoses. We will also be bringing our new Public Education trailer featuring multiple different scenarios involving fire safety and the proper response to each situation, with limited amounts of walkthroughs available. There will also be some Kindersley Fire merch and apparel available for purchase. Look for us north of the library.