New training facility for Saskatoon firefighters opens

A new training facility for firefighters from Saskatoon, Martensville and Warman has opened just outside of Saskatoon.

The new facility allows for more realistic and repeatable hands-on fire training.

Anthony Tataryn, assistant chief of staff development and safety with the Saskatoon Fire Department, said it has been a while since Saskatoon firefighters have had this type of training available.

“It’s been over a decade since we’ve had an opportunity to do live-fire training in a structure that was a bit of a classroom,” said Tataryn.

“It might look like a couple of sea cans, but really it’s an engineered environment that allows us to instruct and observe and then practise skill sets.

Saskatoon Firefighters training for a container fire (Will Mandzuk/650CKOM)

Tataryn said prior to getting the new facility, training was more of an accumulation of real-world experience or simulations that don’t include the heat, the smoke and the realism of being in an actual fire.

He said the facility also features a large, paved area used in training, which also captures and recycles the water used by firefighters.

Going forward, Tataryn said the facility will allow firefighters to train more consistently.

“It allows us to do things in a consistent, repeatable manner,” said Tataryn.

“I think there is some real benefit regionally, because we’re fortunate today to have both representatives from Warman and Martensville with us.”

This is just the first phase of the training facility plan, and Tataryn said the initial phase was really about getting them the site established and setting up the live fire training grounds.

The hope is for multiple forms of training to happen at the facility.

“As we build out, we plan to (add a hazardous materials) training area, and we’ll be doing advanced vehicle extrication here,” said Tataryn. “We have got some of the surplus vehicles that were going to be discarded by the city; we are taking those so we can practice heavy rescue.”

The second phase includes plans for an indoor facility.

“Right now, that’s the next step for us,” said Tataryn. “But firefighter training really happens six or seven months of the year, just due to our environment. It’s also the six or seven months everyone wants to take holidays, so there’s some challenges there.”

The indoor facility would allow for year-round training.

“Year-round training would be a real benefit for both the Saskatoon Fire Department and our regional partners to be able to practise these skills all year long,” said Tataryn.

“Fire doesn’t care whether you’re a volunteer or full time career (firefighter); you still have to fight it the same. We can still get killed doing our job.”

Russ Austin, Warman’s fire chief, said regional partnerships are the future of firefighting, and working and training with firefighters from Saskatoon and Martensville is important.

“Between Saskatoon, Warman and Martensville, we have over 300 firefighters by the time we are all together,” said Austin.

“We have adopted policies and procedures (and) operating guidelines that are very similar to Saskatoon’s and Martensville, and vice versa, so when we go on a scene we are all kind of doing the same job.”

Austin said he hopes the indoor facility becomes a reality, so firefighters aren’t restricted to four or five good summer months of training.