hANDS-ON sESSION

Synopsis

Firefighter Mayday Survival

The most terrifying words a firefighter will ever have to say on the fireground are “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”. Just saying or hearing these words will intensify the stress and fear of everyone on the fireground. Firefighters must be able to handle increased stress, remain calm and operate in these intense situations. Firefighters must be trained to know when to call a Mayday and how to safely exit the hazard zone. This training must happen before a firefighter ever has to experience a mayday on the fireground. The more times a firefighter trains in these skills, the more confident they will be and the greater their chances will be of surviving the most terrifying event of their career. This class will focus on giving the firefighters the knowledge, skills and confidence to know When and How to call a Mayday and to survive fireground emergencies such as:

• Lost or Disoriented (following hoseline)

• Entanglement (swim technique, wire cutters)

• Cut off by Fire (wall breach)

• Caught in rapidly changing fire conditions (window hangs, drops, bailouts)

• Low or Out of Air (breathing techniques, hot bottle changes)

Students will require Bunker Gear, SCBA and Spare Cylinder

Bio

Chris Boulay is a Lieutenant with the Moncton Fire Department assigned to Engine 2. He is a second-generation firefighter with over 25 years of experience. He began his career as a volunteer firefighter in June of 1997 in his hometown of Donnelly Alberta. He then took a full-time position with the Yellowknife Fire Division in April of 2004, where he served until being hired by the Moncton Fire Department in September 2008. Chris has been an instructor for over 12 years and is currently an Instructor for the NBCC Fire Service Program and a Hands-On-Training Instructor for the Southeastern Firefighters Association. He is also a co-owner and lead instructor for Advanced Rescue Training.