Crew members must have firefighting training

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Firefighting is viewed by most people as a very difficult and sometimes dangerous way to earn a living.

Onboard HMCS Fredericton, this idea takes on a new meaning as every member of her crew could be called upon to perform the duties of a firefighter.

The ship has a complement of four professional firefighters at her disposal. At sea their primary responsibility is providing fire protection for the ship's CH-124 Sea King helicopter.

Throughout the day and night, firefighters are required to don their bunker gear and man their positions whenever the aircraft lands or takes flight.

Should any incidents occur, such as a crash on the flight deck, firefighters can immediately intervene to execute a rescue of the crew and extinguish any fires.

Firefighters may also be called upon in the event of a shipboard fire.

Once confirmation of a fire has been made the ship's RAT (rapid attack team) is utilized. The team is comprised of two firefighters and two sailors who have received extensive fire training. The team's primary role is rescue of trapped personnel. Once the benchmark "all clear" has been achieved after a primary search of the space, the team can focus on fire suppression.

Concurrently, the ship establishes a command area where orders are issued to the ship's section base teams.

Each section base provides a fire attack team to help fight the fire and relieve personnel who were involved during the initial response.

Once the crew becomes involved in firefighting activities, primary jobs are put aside. Every person who sails in Her Majesty's Canadian Ship's undergoes training at the Navy's damage control training facility.

This training enables any member of the ship's company to fill a fire suppression role, assisting in extinguishing and overhauling a fire.

These are some of the duties crew members may be expected to perform in the event of an emergency.

The responsibility for fire prevention and firefighting activities falls on the shoulders of every man and woman serving on HMCS Fredericton. This level of teamwork is what brings the ship and her crew home safely at the end of the day.

Naval Term of the Week:

Scuttlebutt: Gossip or rumours. This term originated from the crew of ships talking while at the scuttlebutt. The scuttlebutt was a water cask, called a "butt," which was "scuttled" by making a hole in it so that water could be withdrawn.

Cpl. Garrett Powers is a firefighter on HMCS Fredericton who's originally from Toronto, Ont.