Whitby Fire and Emergency Services' training of full-time Fire Fighters meets the requirements of the Ontario Fire College's Curriculum and Company Officer Diploma Program. Fire Suppression Crews spend a portion of each shift training on the skills required to work effectively as part of a team.

Training topics include: Defensive Driving, First Aid, CPR and Defibrillation, Vehicle Extrication, Hazardous Materials Response, Water Rescue, Protective Clothing, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, Fire Streams, and Fire Suppression Techniques.

Survival, Mayday and Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) Trainingtop

This training educates our firefighters to react effectively in situations where self-rescue is the only option for escape. This training has been developed as result of line of duty deaths that have occurred in the U.S. and Canada and have been re-enacted in order to develop practices that would assist in preventing deaths under these circumstances. Training includes: Survival Training Theory, SCBA Familiarization and Emergency Procedures, Low Profile Manoeuvres, Entanglement Tunnel, Firefighter Assessment, Transfill Procedures, Firefighters Drags and Carries, Emergency Air Supply (Regulator and Face Piece Changeover), following a Hose-line Escape, RIT Deployment and Search.

Hazardous Materialstop

Flashover occurs in fire situations when all surfaces and objects have reached their ignition temperature, causing flames to breakout all over, all at once. Flashover can develop rapidly with little warning, causing serious injury, even death, of experienced and properly equipped Fire Fighters.Whitby Fire and Emergency Services, in partnership with Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, and Clarington Fire Services share possession of a flashover-training trailer. This equipment allows for the training of our firefighters in flashover techniques.

Medical Emergency Tiered Response Trainingtop

Whitby Fire and Emergency Services suppression personnel are trained to the Emergency Medical Responder Level in First Aid. Suppression personnel also hold current C.P.R. and Automated External Defibrillator certification through Lakeridge Health Base Hospital.

Vehicle Extricationtop

In 1978 Whitby Fire Department purchased their initial "Hurst Jaws of Life", for rescuing trapped victims of motor vehicle collisions. As this type of equipment improved, Whitby Fire and Emergency Services kept pace, outfitting each Pump Rescue truck with the necessary equipment. Each year, Whitby Fire and Emergency Services purchases several wrecked vehicles to use for vehicle extrication training. Maintaining skills through practice provides for professionalism when the need arrives.

High Angle Rope Rescuetop

Whitby and Emergency Services provides Rope Rescue Training to all firefighters on staff. Currently there are also 8 firefighters trained to the level of "Advanced Rope Technicians" who take the leadership role in training all crews.

Various situations could arise that would utilize this new training. The Town of Whitby has several businesses in various industry sectors where staff work at elevated heights in the building, in addition to scenarios of individuals working on the exterior of high buildings, where there is potential for falls or equipment failures. Areas of the waterfront where steep cliffs are adjacent to the water also represent a potential location for the occurrence of emergency situations and have been the site of past incidents involving citizens slipping and falling down embankments, resulting in injury.

• Among the various techniques learned and utilized for these potential situations include:

• Basket Rescue - placing an injured patient in a stokes basket and relocating them to an area where paramedics can safely assist the person
• Pick-offs - descending down to a specific area on or in a building, or in some cases ascending up to a point to free a trapped person.

This training provides a valuable benefit to the community, allowing Whitby Fire and Emergency Services to provide a further heightened service level in a variety of situations where time is of the essence.

Water Rescuetop

Whitby Fire and Emergency Services Full time personnel are trained in water/ice rescue. The training provides for firefighters to complete water and ice rescues using Ice Commander Survival Suits and the Fortuna Ice/Water Rescue Craft. Rescues are performed while being secured to shore by means of rope.