Seven members of USW Local 5000 from the Interlake Steamship Company recently completed Combined Basic & Advanced Fire Fighter training at the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center in Traverse City, Michigan. 

The week-long course included three days of classroom instruction and two days of hands-on training including donning/doffing full firefighter turnout gear including SCBA air packs, CPR refresher training, search and rescue in a smoke-filled building, gas line fire training, and a live-fire simulator exercise. 

Participants were afforded the opportunity to experience the live-fire simulation for approximately 25 minutes split between two evolutions. Of note, participants were required to don full turnout gear from street clothes in less than 2:30 - In the final exercise, all participants were able to don full turnout gear including SCBA in less than two minutes, with the fastest time being 56 seconds by Pat Joyce. 

USW Local 5000 appreciates this opportunity afforded to our members by Interlake Steamship and wishes to thank the instructors at the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center for sharing their expertise and insight into firefighting. In the past few years, there have been five notable incidents involving shipboard fires on the Great Lakes, and this specialized training will be an asset to our members if they should ever encounter fire while aboard ship. 

This training is USCG approved, and participants were issued a certificate of completion upon satisfactorily completing the exercises and passing the final exam which can be used toward upgrading to higher ranks. 

Photos provided by Northwest Regional Fire Training Center (nwrtc-tc.org)