government in June 1995, the investment paid off almost immediately:
the number of fire-safety training contracts increased sixty percent from
1996-97 to 1997-98.

Training at this complex helps fire fighters become a special breed.
They have other qualifications in their basic repertoire, such as rescue oper-
ations and first aid. They turn into all-purpose safety workers. They hold
advanced driving licences, acquire basic first responder skills, are often
knowledgeable about building construction techniques, and, of course, they
stay fit enough to tote those heavy hoses up dizzying heights. Fire fighters
bring their skills to a call site almost always before any other agencies, and
use their fire and environmental investigative capabilities to sift through the
cold ashes and the paperwork of every blaze, spill, explosion, gas leak and
hazardous materials disaster of every kind.

On one drab, soaked day, the visiting Bellingham Fire Department
from Washington state was battling each outbreak in the ever-burning
building. Great smoke plumes rose and spread upward from every neo-clas-
sical window. The Burn Building has a few architectural touches, including

the $1.5-reiion four- an abbreviated two-storey fire escape. On the inside, thick, dripping black
siorey, concrsie Burn ash coated everything. As yet another fire was brought under control late in
Bulidirig taxes jive the training day, a female fire fighter strode from the building to the picnic
figiiters proven tnair table roofed over with plastic tarpaulin on this typically Wet Coast after-
walling paces into icoms noon. She took off her huge yellow helmet and lifted her air-supply gear off
aflame while they're her back to reveal a smile that could light up Vancouver, threw her arms in
laden with ali-sunaiv the air and emitted a joyous shriek of relief at being out of the sooty, over-
e2a; end voting Aeevy sized oven. In a rush of spontaneous camaraderie, a colleague swept her up
ROSES UD SLOINYS,'S US into a bear hug.

they beiils reclishs: The Maple Ridge Campus has a single priority: “It’s all safety,’ says
blazes, Greg Metcalfe, the Coordinator of Business Development for the Division.

“It’s all safety.’ Metcalfe is one of several staff involved in scheduling clients
for the Burn Building and all of the other teaching props at this impressive
playground. Not far from that building is a mocked-up cross-section of the
bridge of an ocean-going ship, where crews from Canada’s biggest marine
fleet, the B.C. Ferries, practise dealing with various disasters at sea.

“Our mandate is education and training, Metcalfe explains. “Educa-
tion and training. There really is a difference, both in the eyes of the fire
service and in our own heads. To become a fire fighter, you will need to
learn many skills, You have to be able to ‘catch’ a fire hydrant. You have to be
able to handle a ladder. You have to know the chemistry of fire, the behav-
iour of fire. Training to bea fire fighter is very hands-on. That's why we have
this site. We expose our students to scenarios, situations and environments
that are controlled, but still present the challenges they might face in reality
and learn the basic skills to do the job.

“So that’s the training aspect. As you move up through the fire service,