Nearly two dozen Indigenous teenagers recently completed a three-day firefighting boot camp in Vancouver, gaining hands-on experience for potential careers in wildland and urban firefighting.

Intensive Training Program

The program, organized by the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS), Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, and the Vancouver School Board, offered a mix of theoretical lessons and practical exercises. Participants practiced using hydraulic rescue tools like the “jaws of life,” operating hoses, and breaching doors with axes. First Nations elders led prayers, and cultural teachings enriched the sessions.

Instructors highlighted the boot camp’s role in exposing youth to diverse career paths. “With youth of this age, they’re not sure what career paths they want to take. So we’re presenting options to them,” stated Mattias Ballantyne, a fire services officer with FNESS. “A lot of them are showing a lot of initiative and enthusiasm for the career in firefighting.”

The training covered both urban firefighting techniques and wildfire response strategies, opening doors to opportunities with the B.C. Wildfire Service. Vancouver hosts an estimated 20 to 30 Indigenous firefighters in a peer support and resource group.

Participants Share Excitement

Grade 12 student Nia Brown, attending for the second time, joined 21 other teens from Vancouver-area schools. Among the seven female participants, she relished breaching doors for the first time. “It’s really nice to have women around. And it doesn’t feel like there’s that much of a difference, which I love,” she said. “Like there’s not a huge difference between men and women in this.”

Brown noted the experience demonstrated abundant opportunities ahead. “The boot camp showed me there are doors open everywhere,” she added.

Grade 11 student Jaxon Brown expressed strong interest in pursuing firefighting. “I just don’t really want to be sitting a lot when I’m at my job. I want to be very active and I want to do something that isn’t really on paper,” he explained. “And another thing about firefighting is I like seeing there’s a really good community.”

The boot camp operates in various formats year-round, coordinated by Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services, providing ongoing access to this vital training.