Learning about wildland firefighting at the library’s Summer Reading Program

Members of Alberta Wildfire, headed by Wildfire Ranger Mike Sample, were on hand at the Whitecourt & District Public Library on August 8 for the final weekly class of the Summer Reading Program. Since the second of July, groups of children have been meeting weekly and each week featured a different topic. The Tweens & Teens were the final group on the final day and were pumped to hang out with the firefighters. The program started at 4:30 p.m. in the rear parking lot and concluded at 6 p.m. with pizza donated by Panago.

“We have two HAC (Helitack) crews here today which are four-person crews. They are what are called Initial Attack. These are the folks who are dispatched right away to any type of wildfire that we detect. They’ve had a busy season so far. We’ve been all over Alberta especially up in High Level. It’s been relatively quiet here in Whitecourt with all the rain but there have still been a few fires,” said Sample.

He and the crews set up five different stations in the parking lot and back field including a race with a fire hose and a sprint with a heavy hose bag. “We also have Wajax bags which are essentially giant pillow bags full of water with hoses off the end for fighting smaller fires.” The children used the water bags to spray a stream at a ball and work as a team to maneuver it down to the other side of the field.

Alberta Wildfire has been taking part in the library’s Summer Reading Program for several years now and the members enjoy getting to take part. “It’s a nice break for us and it’s always fun to get out and see the young kids and show them the path we each took to get into this industry,” said Sample. Prior to heading outside, the entire crew introduced themselves to the children and shared how they became a firefighter.

Helitack member Siggi Pott is in his first year and joined the crew at 40 years of age. With a big smile, he told the children that it is never to late to start. “My wife is actually a tower look out. She is up in the tower looking for the fires. She gives us a call and then we go and fight the fires so that’s how I got into it.” Lucas Stalker is in his first year of wildfire and is from California. He said he got involved so he could travel and see more of Canada. “You get to do a lot of cool things and see a lot of different places.”

For member Kyler Mitchell, joining the firefighter ranks was the result of a personal experience. “I joined because I lost my house to fire when I was eight years old. That was a hard time for me. A lot of people use wildfire as a step into structural so I’ve been accepted into the Calgary Fire Department and will be leaving this group eventually. They are great people and are my favourite part of the job.”

Stephanie Flynn explained that she got into wildland firefighting through tree planting in British Columbia. “It’s all under the forestry umbrella and one of my favourite parts of the job is getting to move around and see many different beautiful places in the country while working with fine folks.”

Following the introductions, Sample explained that being a wildland firefighter is a fantastic opportunity and that there is even an option for kids. “Starting at age 16, we have the Junior Forest Rangers which is a program where students are brought on for a seven-week period in the summer and they live and work at one of our fire bases. They are exposed to every aspect of what we do in firefighting and a whole slew of forestry activities so it’s a really good primer on a whole bunch of careers in the forestry sector.”

Those heading into post-secondary education could potentially join Alberta Wildfire during their off months. “It’s a fantastic summer job. The pay is competitive, you get to work with fantastic people, you get to travel throughout Alberta and sometimes outside of the province if we get exported, and you’re working outdoors everyday.” He said it’s not just about putting out fires either because members take part in forestry activities, too. “You learn about caring for the landscape and understanding the forestry industry. Whether you want to do it as a life-long career or as a summer job while you’re in school, either one is great because you get to have some incredible experiences,” said Sample.

The children thoroughly enjoyed talking with the Alberta Wildfire members and had a blast at each station set up outside. The Summer Reading Program at the library saw higher numbers in certain age groups this year and continues to grow. “We are very proud to be part of this event. We are grateful that the library and the town have invited us to take part. We’ve been doing it for several years now and every year it gets better and better,” smiled Sample. To learn more about the Junior Forest Rangers visit www.alis.alberta.ca/junior-forest-rangers.