CD – Deputy Chief George, I saw several photos on Facebook of your recent Training in Paradise weekend. Tell me a bit about the weekend.

Deputy Chief – This is a regional firefighter training weekend put on jointly by SSIFR and by the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC), the provincial body for accreditation of firefighters and other emergency response agencies.  Please join the conversation and view the images at our Facebook page.

CD – I notice that this was your tenth anniversary of Training in Paradise (TIP). How did it start?

Deputy Chief – In 2002, Captain Jamie Holmes and I attended a regional training in Kelowna. While the training was excellent, we felt there was something missing. On talking it over, we found that there had been zero interaction with the other firefighters who attended. So in 2004, we sponsored a regional training that not only had the always excellent training, but also included some social events where the firefighters could network with one another. This proved to be very popular.

CD- Was it always called Training in Paradise?

Deputy Chief – No, that evolved over time. One of our firefighters, Lonnie Middleditch, was a great one for bringing out the palm trees and tiki torches when we had a summer BBQ. So it grew from that. And we have since copywrited our name, “Training in Paradise”.

CD – What particularly distinguishes TIP from other regional trainings in BC?

Deputy Chief – We encourage the firefighters to bring their spouses and children for the weekend. So the firefighters can get the training that they need, but it’s not another weekend way from their families. In fact, some families now incorporate TIP into their family summer holiday plans and come here year after year. We plan family friendly activities throughout the four day weekend and offer lots of opportunities for the firefighters to network with their peers in sharing tips ‘n’ tricks of the trade.

CD – What benefits does it offer to the SSIFR?

Deputy Chief – We get a great bang for our training buck. Instead of sending only a few firefighters off-island for a course and paying expenses for travel, accommodation and meals, we are able to offer every course to every one of our firefighters. And our firefighters are home with their families while increasing their professional training and networking with other firefighters.

CD – Are there other benefits to holding the courses on their home turf?

Deputy Chief – Yes, we get to train using all our own equipment and in our own locations. Anything that makes us faster and more familiar with what we do is a win. As well, JIBC brings specialized equipment for training in areas where we have a limited call to action. For instance, while HazMat (hazardous material) is always a concern, we are not regularly exposed to this on SSI. So JIBC provided a qualified instructor from Vancouver, which faces HazMat conditions often, and provided all the gear required for HazMat training accreditation.

CD – Tell me more about the instructors.

Deputy Chief – All of the instructors are hired by JIBC, they come from all over BC and all are accredited to teach both their specialties and general courses. JIBC courses and instructors meet the requirements for accreditation by the two agencies that certify all North American Training: IFSAC (International Fire Service Accreditation Congress) and ProBoard (accreditation for organizations that use NFPA’s (National Fire Protection Association) professional qualification standards).

CD – What about accreditation? How important is this?

Deputy Chief – Other training weekends are often in a short workshop format. At the end of the time the attendees have lots of useful information and get a certificate saying they have completed a course, but no accreditation. JIBC has been with TIP since day one.  All of our courses are taught to specific stringent standards and offer professional accreditation to the firefighter.   Our Training in Paradise event is considered BC’s best by many and its format is now being used as a template and model regional format.

CD – Where do the students come from? How many are there? And how does this benefit them?

Deputy Chief – About 125 firefighters come from all over Canada. Many are from smaller departments in BC that just cannot offer the type of training available here. They come year after year, and some even pay their own way if their departments can’t afford to send them. The training is very important to them, but so is the camaraderie and networking within the fire service family. They return energized and better able to serve their own community.

CD – Does SSIFR make money from TIP?

Deputy Chief – Not directly. As I said earlier, we get a much bigger bang for our training buck. And as we have more members with increased accreditation we are developing our own trainers which also saves us money in the long run. We also try to keep the weekend affordable for the smaller communities and individuals who attend.

CD – Do you have any partners on SSI for TIP?

Deputy Chief – Yes, without our partnership with the Farmers’ Institute (FI) and School District #64 we would be hard pressed to have an effective TIP weekend. Much of our social interaction and family camping are at the FI. We use the high school cafeteria to cook and serve many of the meals and also use classrooms to hold all our educational portions of the weekend.  Thriftys and Country Grocer have been very supportive over the years and we get other donations from the community to help keep the costs reasonable for the attendees.

CD – How do the meals work?

Deputy Chief – We buy most of the food locally and are now having most of the cooking catered so everything stays in the local economy. We offer nine meals to the attendees, from Thursday lunch through Sunday lunch, for under $100 per student – a real bargain. Thanks again to our many generous partners.

CD – Are there other benefits to the community?

Deputy Chief – Yes. Many of the attendees stay at hotels, B & B’s and resorts. They eat at local restaurants and shop locally for food. They also attend the Saturday Market and visit stores and galleries throughout the island.

CD – I overheard two women talking. One said she had spent $1000 at the market and the other $800. So there’s a great boost for the local economy. How else can we benefit SSI?

Deputy Chief – TIP has put SSIFR and SSI on the map all over Canada. Perhaps we can work with the Chamber of Commerce and other agencies to enhance the experience of the firefighters and their families while helping tourism here on SSI.

Our full time and paid on call firefighters take a great deal of pride of ownership in TIP. It helps us to recruit and retain members to serve our community with a better Fire & Rescue Service. We hope you will all join us in years to come welcoming the many students and families to our future TIP.

CD – Thanks, Deputy Chief George. It sounds like a hardworking, interesting and fun weekend.