The fall Fire and Emergency Services Training School originally slated for the end of October throughout the North East Avalon, has been rescheduled. The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for Emergency Preparedness (Acting), announced the temporary delay today, as a result of the impact Hurricane Igor has had on the province. The training initiative will now take place November 20 to 28.

"Our training schools have seen great uptake since they were first introduced in 2008, helping to provide municipal officials and first responders with the tools they need to effectively assist and protect their communities," said Minister Hedderson. "The very people we are looking to support with this learning opportunity are some of those most involved in the unprecedented community response to Hurricane Igor. As a government, we recognize and appreciate the level of commitment they've demonstrated throughout the last few weeks and want to ensure as many personnel as possible are able to take advantage of the training school."

Vince MacKenzie, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services, said today that the association is incredibly proud of the men and women of the fire service.

"Fire departments rallied around their communities, preventing further damages, and loss of life, fulfilling their responsibility to protect residents," said Mr. MacKenzie. "In many cases, fire fighters went above and beyond the call of duty. Not only should they be able to re-certify themselves in the many areas of fire protection and emergency response, but departments and municipal officials from across the province should be provided the opportunity to learn from their recent experiences. The decision to delay this fall's training school will give everyone an opportunity to enhance the safety of their communities through these training initiatives provided by the Provincial Government, now combined with the experiences of Igor."

The training school model is an initiative of Fire and Emergency Services — Newfoundland and Labrador (FES-NL), an agency of the Provincial Government mandated to coordinate emergency response and the agency at the center of the Provincial Government's response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Igor.

"Our government has made great advances since the creation of Fire and Emergency Services — Newfoundland and Labrador in assisting communities to prepare for emergency situations," noted Minister Hedderson. "The distribution of our 12 Steps to Developing an Effective Emergency Management Plan released earlier this year, development of a one-day municipal workshop and continued on-the-ground efforts of regional emergency management and planning officers are helping to ensure every community is prepared should an event affect their region."