On January 05, 2014 MATTHEW WITT firefighter and president of FRITA was on the VIA MIA Show highlighting the importance of his occupation along with his involvement in a volunteer organization FRITA (Fire Rescue International Training Association)
Video starts at the 2 minute mark sorry for the inconvenience.
BCBRP / FRITA / JIBC
Panama Deployment 2014
FRITA’s 2014 deployments were a significant step forward for the organization. FRITA partnered with the JIBC to provide certified and standardized training to fire service personnel in El Salvador, Colombia, and Panama. In addition, FRITA once again administered the One World Scholarship program for four recent graduates of the JIBC Fire and Safety Division Career Fire Fighter Pre-Employment Certificate.
Panama Deployment:
FRITA’s 2014 Panama deployment was led off with the two week in-country portion of the JIBC One World Scholarship, provided by the Irving K Barber Fellowship. The three credit course, “Fire Protection in the Global Community ,” was delivered to four candidates selected from the JIBC Fire and Safety Division’s Career Fire Fighter Pre-Employment Certificate programs of 2013. This year’s team consisted of Olivier Hovasse, Millan Lavallee, Michael Crisp, and Ryan Millen. The students and two JIBC/FRITA instructors, Kim Saulnier (Coquitlam Fire) and Matthew Witt (Surrey Fire), departed January 28, and traveled through central and western Panama learning all about the Panamanian Fire Service (BCBRP), Panamanian culture and history, and learning Spanish.
Most importantly, the team spent five hot and exhausting days preparing 30 new BCBRP recruits for their evaluations in the JIBC Basic Firefighter Certificate program. Without the expertise of this team and these valuable training hours, these new recruits would have found the specific techniques and concepts of the NFPA standards a significant challenge.
The 30 recruits were hand picked from the over 200 new candidates undergoing basic training as they prepare to join the ranks of the BCBRP. Under the leadership of their Training Officer Alejandro Bonilla, this group bonded to become a highly motivated, supportive, and ultimately successful team. This ended up earning them the reputation of being the “A Team” of the entire recruit class.
On February 7, a team of three Canadian firefighters (Bill Eggers-Nanaimo Fire, Jenn Dawkins-Vancouver Fire, and Matthew Leonard-St John’s Fire, Newfoundland) arrived to conduct the practical evaluations and proctor the written exams for the Basic Firefighter Certificate.
While several recruits required their remedial, or second chance, in order to achieve the standard, they all showed the determination and perseverance required to pass the practical evaluations. This was no small feat as many of the requirements and evolutions were introduced to them only weeks prior to the testing period.
The written exams are currently being graded and we are hoping for a similar success rate.
This inspiring program has laid the foundation for the growth of the partnership between the BCBRP, the JIBC and FRITA in the years to come. 2015 will see another group of BCBRP recruits receive the Basic Firefighter Certificate and plans are underway to carry forward the successful candidates from this year’s class to NFPA 1001 Firefighter 1 certification in 2015. This would be the first recruit class in Central or South America to receive training and certification to NFPA standards. Something FRITA, the JIBC, and the BCBRP can be justifiably proud of!
On January 05, 2014 MATTHEW WITT firefighter and president of FRITA was on the VIA MIA Show highlighting the importance of his occupation along with his involvement in a volunteer organization FRITA (Fire Rescue International Training Association) Video starts at the 2 minute mark sorry for the inconvenience.
As follow up on the initial post-depolyment post, FRITA is providing the following synopsis: On February 13th, four Canadian fire service instructors deployed to the Atlantico Department of Colombia as members of the Fire Rescue International Training Association (FRITA) inaugural deployment to this nation. The Atlantico Department is the third smallest of the country’s departments but its population of 2,272,170 makes it one of the most densely populated, incorporating 23 municipalities.
With just a few short days to go, and the bulk of the planning completed, Team El Salvador is excited to travel to San Salvador to work with Cuerpo de Bomberos de El Salvador once again!
For most of our team, El Salvador will be a new place on the map to visit. They will find, as others have in the past, that El Salvador is a beautiful and vibrant Country full of great hardworking people.
We look forward to the time we will spend with our Bombero friends and colleagues…stay tuned for more!
Con sólo unos cortos días para el final, y la mayor parte de la planificación completa, Equipo El Salvador se complace en viajar a San Salvador para trabajar con Cuerpo de Bomberos de El Salvador, una vez más!
Durante la mayor parte de nuestro equipo, El Salvador será un nuevo lugar en el mapa para visitar. Ellos encontrarán, como otros han hecho en el pasado, de que El Salvador es un país hermoso y vibrante lleno de grandes personas trabajadoras.
Esperamos que el tiempo vamos a estar con nuestros Bomberos amigos y colegas … estad atentos para más!
FRITA 2014 Deployments are just about ready to launch! We are pleased to announce the 2014 Team Instructors & One World Scholars who will be off on the adventure of a lifetime! Safe travels, brothers & sisters!
Colombia – Deploys February 14-23, 2014 Brian Hutchinson – Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Bob Allan – West Vancouver Fire Rescue Mike Canaday – Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Patrick Sheeley Surrey Fire Service
El Salvador – Deploys February 14-23, 2014 Norm Macleod – Mission Fire Rescue Jeffrey Moore – Honourary Consul for El Salvador Mark Pfeifer – Delta Fire/Rescue Chad Buch – Coquitlam Fire Rescue Kiko Pilas – Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Jorgen Poinsen – Whitehorse Fire Department (Yukon) Eric Picher – Lions Bay Fire Rescue Doran Boudrot – Nanaimo Fire Rescue
Panama – Deploys February 7-17, 2014 Matthew Witt – Surrey Fire Service Kim Saulnier – Coquitlam Fire/Rescue Jennifer Dawkins – Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services Matthew Leonard – St John’s Regional Fire Department (NFLD) Bill Eggers – Nanaimo Fire/Rescue Michael Crisp – JIBC-One World Scholarship Millan Lavallee – JIBC-One World Scholarship Ryan Millan – JIBC-One World Scholarship Olivier Hovasse – JIBC-One World Scholarship
FRITA members received the Trainer the Trainer course at the JIBC: Justice Institute of British Columbia on December 15th. FRITA is proud to partner with the JIBC to deliver the Basic Fire Fighter Certificate program to our our brothers and sisters in Colombia, El Salvador and Panama in 2014. This is an exciting step forward in providing standardized training to our partners in the Latin American fire service.
Four graduates of JIBC’s Career Fire Fighter Pre-Employment Certificate Program left the Lower Mainland on February 3, 2013 to begin the adventure of a lifetime; combining their passion for firefighting with an opportunity to travel to El Salvador with BC fire fighters through First Responders International Training Academy (FRITA), and assist with efforts to deliver much needed equipment and training to emergency services personnel.
Profile of Brian Hutchinson, Graduate of the UBC Certificate in International Development. Brian discusses why he chose the UBC Continuing Studies program and what it has meant for him in his work with Firefighters Without Borders and First Responders International Training Academy.
UBC Certificate in International Development The certificate meets the growing need for trained professionals with knowledge of international development issues and the skills to work successfully in international environments. The 100% online (with the exception of the field study elective course), part-time certificate is designed for those working or planning to work in the field of international development, individuals interested in global issues and those considering future studies.
For more information view: http://cstudies.ubc.ca/cid
FRITA will hold their first Annual General Meeting, Wednesday, November 20th. 7 pm at Seymours Pub in North Vancouver. There will be a very officious meeting followed much comradery and tale telling. New members are always welcome. $20 membership dues.FRITA & the JIBC: Justice Institute of British Columbia are pleased to be partnering again in 2014 to offer recent JIBC Fire Academy graduates the opportunity to apply for the One World Scholarship program. The OWS provides successful applicants with a 3 week adventure of a life time. The assignment is to train fire fighters in the Central American country, while learning how fire services operate in a developing country. The JIBC grads will receive Spanish lesson, exposure to local and fire culture and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with firefighters abroad.