STC youth gear up for first responder boot camp
- NC Raine | July 22, 2018
A group of youth from across the province is getting a one-of-kind, week-long boot camp in search & rescue, fire fighting, emergency response, and several other activities providing insight into the diverse careers of first responders.
The Youth First Responder Boot Camp welcomed its first class of 20 youth, aged 14-17, from seven different Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) communities around Saskatchewan. The boot camp was created by way of a partnership between the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) and STC as a way to not only stimulate interest in a variety of career opportunities, but to provide youth with essential skills in health and safety to take back to their communities.
“A lot of our safety people that are at the mines are first responders in their own communities,” said Pam Schwann, SMA President. “We see real value and importance in training these first responders get at the mine, which compliments the training they receive and use in their home communities.”
The camp was created through a grant from the International Minerals Institute of Innovation (IMII) aiming at increasing diversity and inclusion in the mining sector. Currently, females only make up 14-17% of the workforce in the mining sector, but with over 50% females at this year’s boot camp, Schwann says she hopeful more females will begin to consider careers in mining or first response.
“It’s important to us that we have a diverse workforce, as well as that we’re more inclusive to Indigenous people,” she said. “The most important thing for these students at the boot camp is to gain confidence in seeing that this is something they can do.”
As part of the boot camp, participants were able to obtain certification in First Aid Emergency CPR, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), and Young Worker Readiness – enabling them to immediately have an important skill to take home, should they ever need it.
“It’s about getting them a work-ready introduction and information for the industry,” said boot camp coordinator Josh Mansfield. “But it’s also about the kids being able to take these skills back to their community. If they’re in any emergency situation, regardless of it they continue with a first responder career, we hope they are able to draw upon this.”
The boot camp featured a wide variety of training, including search and rescue, incident investigation, emergency response, fire fighting, as well as team building and critical stress management exercises. The week concludes with a first responder competition at Dakota Whitecap First Nation, testing the participants on the fire and first aid skills they have learned throughout the week.
“All of this has been really valuable,” said Hailey Longneck, 16, from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. Longneck said the entire experience, albeit exhausting, has been surprisingly fun, and has yielded some unexpected results in her personally.
“I’m usually a very shy person and keep to myself. But this experience has really brought me out of my shell. I’m more confident in what I do and who I talk to. I’m not that shy anymore,” said Longneck.
With funding secured from IMII for additional camps next year, SMA plans to expand to the camp new locations in order to spark the interest and foster the development of more young minds across the province.
The boot camp included participation from various partner organizations, including Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Nutrien, SSR Mining, Oran, Cameco, K&S Potash Canada, the Saskatoon Fire Department, Warman Search and Rescue, STARS, and Bridges Health.