Aboriginal Firefighters Tops In Canada

Aboriginal Firefighters Tops In Canada

Monday, August 24, 2009 at 12:55

 

 

The 2009 National Aboriginal Firefighters Competition took place over the weekend in Listuguj, Quebec, and once again Saskatchewan came home with a first-place finish.

 

Quebec’s team came in second, while Alberta was third.

 

Richard Kent is the emergency services coordinator for the Prince Albert Grand Council.

 

He says our province’s teams are starting to become the standard by which the other teams are measured.

 

“I know the other teams, they watch them (Saskatchewan’s firefighters) very closely when they compete, to try to duplicate what the Team Saskatchewan is doing,” Kent says.

 

This year’s team was forced to call in extra firefighters, after some members of the Black Lake squad wwere kicked off an Air Canada flight.

 

Kent says the reserves did their job though, and this speaks to the overall depth of Team Saskatchewan.

 

“When the people (from Black Lake) didn’t show up in Listguj, what we did was we called the other firefighters from those communities up there. They got everything together, their gear together, got on the plane, arrived the night before the competition, didn’t get much sleep, but they were prepared as well (as their peers),” Kent says.

 

Kent says the team’s success proves that both Fond du Lac and Black Lake are in good hands, when it comes to firefighting in their communities.