Lac La Biche Fire Rescue Services has been taking their training to new heights.
About 75 feet high, in fact.
Fire crews have been continuing their training on the municipal fire service's aerial ladder truck, getting area firefighters comfortable with apparatus that is a step above the rest.
"It's a place you do not want to be if you are afraid of heights," says Lac La Biche County's Regional Fire Chief John Kokotilo.
The truck, a 2014 Smeal Sirius aerial ladder truck was purchased by the municipality in 2016. The ladder training is part of the fire department's regular training schedule. While much of that regular training at the Lac La Biche Protective Services headquarters on Beaver Hill Road takes place behind building, out of the public view. The ladder truck training however, has seen the ladder and firefighters towering high above the building.
"Training involves set-up of the unit in close proximity to a structure, operation of ladder mobility, and practice at climbing the ladder," said Kokotilo, adding that any crew member climbing the ladder is carefully attached to a safety harness each step of the way as is in constant communication with members on the ground. "Safety is always paramount. Ensuring all safety procedures and protocols are followed, we ensure two way communication between the firefighter on ladder and control at the ladder base."
The training – and the harness – come in handy when weather conditions are factored into a 75-foot climb above the ground.
"The sheer height of the ladder as well as weather – wind – can cause the ladder to sway," said the regional fire boss, adding that the ladder is engineered for adverse conditions and is checked regularly. "Our ladder is tested fully by qualified contractors to ensure all parts of the unit are in top-working condition – testing occurs after a pre-determined number of hours that the unit is deployed."
The truck has been used in recent calls, including a downtown structure fire. The aerial truck has a water cannon at the end of the ladder with water pressured by a pump on the truck. The aerial ladder truck is the biggest and most powerful piece of firefighting equipment in the Lac La Biche Fire Rescue Services inventory.
"Our ladder has the highest capacity – water volume distribution – of any of our County fire apparatus," said Kokotilo. "It's capable of producing 7500-plus liters a minute at full operation….that works out to more than 15,000 pounds of water every minute."
Kokotilo says the local fire services are always looking for new recruits to learn new equipment and serve their community.
