By LeRae Haynes
Free Press
When students at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School (PSO) enroll in Structural Firefighting with teacher John Murray, they come away with more than new abilities and information.
They also get career connections, opportunities and practical skills that are transferrable to everyday life.
This is the fourth year the Structural Firefighting course has been offered at PSO, Murray says, adding there are 26 Grade 10-12 students enrolled this year and plans are already in place to offer it next year.
“The course is evolutionary – I try to shake things up every year, especially if I have kids coming back. In the beginning, we offered emergency first aid, for example, and now offer standard first aid, which is a more valuable course for the work place and great on a resume.”
A teacher for 18 years, Murray has been a firefighter for more than 11 years.
“I like taking firefighting knowledge with me into the classroom and taking my teaching skills to the fire hall. It’s a good mix and lots of overlap.”
The course gives students opportunities and connections for future endeavours. Former PSO student Morgan Thomas has completed his training for College of the Rockies, has his Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certificate and is currently working to become a licensed EMR in the Cariboo.
Grade 11 student Cameron Lang, currently enrolled in the course, says he’s looking into becoming an aircraft maintenance engineer, and may sign up as a volunteer firefighter.
“There’s a lot of really great stuff in this class, and the first aid will really help with what I want to do in any work place. Forestry uses a lot of helicopters and airplanes, and this class will give me good connections for the future.”
Lang says he’s learned that firefighting is hard core.
“We went on long hikes with the air tanks on – not an easy task. It’s harder than I thought.
"The gear is so heavy and hot in the sun; it feels like you’re constantly trudging through mud when you’re just walking.
“People ask me what the course is like and I say, ‘It’s like PE but very, very extreme'.
“You really learn to work together: you have to trust your team, trust that guy’s doing his job and holding the ladder.”
Lang says when the course is over, he expects to take away new skills for future opportunities, appreciation for every firefighter and gratitude to his teacher for making it possible.
“Mr. Murray goes out of his way to put on this course; no other school I know does this. He puts in so much effort to bring this to our school and teach it to us.”
Murray says activities in the course include burning the smoke pit area and building a maze for the students to navigate with all their gear.
“We have a full set of turnout gear for each student and a pile of hoses, couplings and wrenches, and by the end of the year they haul all that up to the top of a ladder. When we finish the course, we take the day and go to the fire training centre where the kids learn to operate the pumps, and hook up and roll the hoses.”
Students also receive certification for standard first aid and receive their S100 Fire Suppression and Safety ticket.
“I see them develop some real life skills during this course, including things like self-confidence, staying outside the box, problem solving, and safety for everyday life, leadership and mentorship.”
He adds there is true personal satisfaction in teaching the course.
“My favourite thing is when a kid comes in on Monday morning and says, ‘I did some first aid this weekend'. This is a kid who made a difference by helping somebody else.”