N.S. buying mobile burn units, training props for firefighter training

Firefighters' helmets and water bottles rest against the windshield of a truck outside of Halifax on May 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

The province of Nova Scotia is buying new equipment to help train firefighters.

The Department of Emergency Management is purchasing two mobile burn units and four propane-fuelled training props.

The burn units are portable, self-contained trailers that allow firefighters to practice live-fire scenarios.

They use propane-fuelled fires, smoke and adjustable layouts to simulate real emergencies while meeting “strict national safety standards.”

The two units will be based in the western and central regions, though they can be moved as necessary across the province. One is new and the other is refurbished.

There is currently one unit already in Cape Breton.

“Firefighters need realistic, high-quality training to safely do their jobs and protect the public,” said Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland in a provincial news release.

“I’ve heard from over 300 fire chiefs and deputies and our fire training advisory committee about the importance of access to mobile burn units. They help close training gaps and ensure firefighters across the province can train closer to home in a safe and controlled environment.”

The training props can recreate different types of fires, as well as those with multiple ignition points.

The province says efforts to develop a new long-term and firefighter training program continue.

The Nova Scotia Fire Training Advisory Committee was established last fall to create an interim basic firefighter training plan.

The Fire Safety and Services Act was introduced in October, which will look at issues of governance, consistency in fire response, firefighter health and well-being, access to safe training and certification.

The act was in response to last year’s value-for-money audit of the Nova Scotia Firefighters School and a report from the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia.

The province ended its relationship with the firefighters school following the audit, which stemmed from the death of firefighter Skyler Blackie at the school during a training exercise in 2019.

The president of the Fire Service Association says the new equipment will “significantly enhance firefighter training across the province at a critical time.”

“These assets will provide realistic live fire training in areas where access has been limited, and they represent an important step toward building a sustainable, modern training system for Nova Scotia’s fire service,” Greg Jones says.

The province says the total cost of the mobile burn units is $2.16 million while the props will cost $480,000.

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