Indigenous firefighting teams were in Penticton this week providing friendly competition and showing off their skills at the 35th Annual BC First Nations Firefighter Competition.
The squads, which include 10 teams and over 150 individuals from communities across BC, took part in a competition on Monday and training during the Safety Expo from June 4 to 6 on the Penticton Indian Reserve.
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The volunteer firefighters competed in skill-testing competitions that are judged for speed, quality and sportsmanship. The winners go to the national competition in Nova Scotia on Aug. 17.
“It’s good for First Nations fire departments to get together for some friendly competition and to cheer each other on,” said Will Poitras, captain of the Penticton Indian Band (PIB) Fire Department volunteer firefighting team, on Monday.
The Safety Expo is good preparation for what is likely to be another rough wildfire season, Poitras added, saying there wasn’t as much snow this year.
“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do sometimes and it’s a chance to step forward and cheer each other on in our hard work,” he said, adding that this year the PIB is welcoming three new volunteer firefighters, including Chris Frei, a high school valedictorian from Westbank, who wants to be a professional firefighter.
“We’re just hoping that anyone who does have fires — because we know they are coming — that they are safe and there is not too much loss.”
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FortisBC sponsors and participates in the four-day event, providing first responders with up-to-date training for emergency situations involving natural gas, according to a media release.
FortisBC natural gas and electricity infrastructure crosses more than 150 Indigenous territories and provides service to 56 Indigenous communities.
The event is hosted by the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS), which serves Indigenous communities in developing and sustaining safer communities through emergency planning and response.
