A-maze-ing Training! Pre-Service Firefighter students crawl through obstacle course – December 9

 SUDBURY –  Approximately 20 students in Cambrian College’s Pre-Service Firefighter Education and  Training program got an eye-opening experience recently when they had to navigate a maze blindfolded.

The students crawled their way through the Drager confined maze trailer, operated by Trans Canada Safety. It features two levels of narrow passageways and trap doors. The maze is only wide enough for one person, and students had to make their way through blindfolded and in full gear, including oxygen tanks.

The training is designed to simulate conditions in confined spaces that firefighters may encounter during an actual fire or rescue situation. Students navigated the obstacle course individually, and in teams of two where they had to rescue a trapped colleague.

“This exercise builds up the students’ skills and confidence in a very stressful situation, including problem-solving, navigation, and proper use and management of oxygen, explains Richard Dodge,

a part-time faculty member in the program who supervised the students through the maze. “Having the trailer on site for a day was a real boost to the training of our future firefighters.”

Cambrian’s Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training program prepares students to fight both structural fire and forest fires. For more information about the program, visit https://cambriancollege.ca/PSFP.