Local firefighters made the most out of two school buses and a city bus on Wednesday and Thursday as they took part in some bus extrication training at Fern Piche & Sons Limited yard.
Peter Methner coordinated the training for the North Bay firefighters. He is the president of On-Scene Rescue Training along with being a platoon chief with Niagara Falls Fire Department.
“We assume we have a school bus involved in a motor vehicle collision,” Methner said about the approach they take to the extrication training.
“Initially when we arrived on the scene we walked around the bus and talk about the technology of how the school bus is constructed and we show all the strengths and then we start teaching the weaknesses of the bus so that we can teach how the weaknesses of the bus will overcome the strength when we are using our tools.”
Jason Whiteley, the North Bay Fire Chief, believes this type of training is invaluable. He says the firefighters involved in the training will take back the information and share it with the rest of the firefighters.
“Our guys are always training but having the availability to actually work on a school bus or a city transit bus like this is just fantastic,” said Whiteley.
“So we can actually look at new skills being introduced, new techniques because tools have changed over the years.”
Stock Transportation donated both school buses. Tim Feick is the Stock Bus lines General manager. He is glad to put their retired buses to good training use.
“This training is absolutely about training for the absolute worst scenario that is the most least likely scenario to happen,” said Feick.
“In the unlikely event that this happens, I know and our community knows the first responders that are coming to that scene are current with their skills for extrication, they are up to speed and they are the best people to help out in that situation.”
