Regional fire departments in British Columbia can now receive hands-on practice at shipboard firefighting at a new training facility designed to enhance the skills of local firefighters and develop area expertise in marine firefighting and emergency rescue events.
The Seaspan Responder is a fire simulator constructed out of shipping containers to resemble a tugboat and is stationed at the Maplewood Fire and Rescue Centre, the headquarters for the District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (DNVFRS).
DNVFRS is part of a regional fire and emergency services system, working alongside West Vancouver Fire & Rescue and the City of North Vancouver Fire departments under a shared services agreement that eliminates jurisdictional borders for fire and rescue responses across North and West Vancouver.
The Responder simulates the confined space and intricate layout of a multi-story vessel and allows local firefighters to practice tactics in realistic emergency scenarios involving live fire suppression, smoke and victim rescue in a controlled environment.
“This level of advanced maritime firefighting training will help familiarize responders with commercial vessels and provide the necessary skills and experience to fight fires in multi-story ships and vessels,” Seaspan Shipyards CEO John McCarthy said.
The investment of more than $800,000 for the marine fire simulator is part of Seaspan’s Value Proposition commitments under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).
The three-story customized fire training structure is about 17.1 meters long (55.77 feet), 7.3 meters (24 feet) wide and 7.6 meters (25 feet) tall. It incorporates interior burn chambers, including a simulated engine room and kitchen, stairways with hatches and other gas fired props.
The simulator will be available to all North Shore firefighters, with future opportunities for additional municipalities in the greater Vancouver area to utilize the facility, according to Seaspan.
There’s also the potential to offer collaborative training opportunities to educational institutions, marine-specific organizations and other emergency response agencies across North America, the North Vancouver-based ship design, engineering and construction company said.