Municipal Affairs
October 13, 2009Fire and Emergency
Services - Newfoundland and Labrador
to Host Fall Training School in Stephenville
The Provincial Government, through Fire and Emergency
Services - Newfoundland and Labrador (FES-NL), will
partner with the Town of Stephenville and the Marine
Institute�s Safety and Emergency Response Training (SERT)
Centre to host the 2009 fall Fire and Emergency Services
Training School from October 24 through November 1, in
Stephenville.
"Training is an essential part of the fire protection
and emergency services of our province," said the
Honourable Dianne Whalen, Minister of Municipal Affairs
and Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services
- Newfoundland and Labrador. "Fire and Emergency
Services will offer courses that are of particular
interest to local service districts, municipal
councillors, and staff and fire department members."
The Provincial Government has also provided a $30,000
targeted training grant to the Municipal Training
Development Corporation (MTDC) to assist municipalities
with the cost of sending firefighters to the upcoming
Fire and Emergency Services training school. The
targeted funding provides a 50% cost-shared
reimbursement of eligible actual costs within the MTDC
program guidelines.
"As stated in a recent report released by the
Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services
regarding recruitment and retention of volunteer
firefighters, one of the biggest barriers for rural fire
departments attending our training schools is funding,"
said Minister Whalen. "We feel the $30,000 training
grant will encourage more municipalities and their fire
departments to take advantage of these very worthwhile
training opportunities and bring the skills back to
their communities for the safety of their residents."
The training school will run for nine days with a
wide variety of courses ranging from three-hour seminars
to seven-day courses on various topics. Applicants may
attend as many courses as they wish during the tenure of
the training school.
"Fire and Emergency Services - Newfoundland and
Labrador is committed to providing high quality training
that meets the needs of the ever-changing fire and
emergency management services of Newfoundland and
Labrador," said Minister Whalen. "The last training
school in Clarenville during the spring of 2009 was an
enormous success. I encourage all municipalities, local
service districts and fire departments to consider
taking advantage of this opportunity."
The 2009 FES-NL training schedules, an application
and a comprehensive course listing, can be found at:
www.gov.nl.ca/ma/fes/pdf/expanded_schedule_fall_2009.pdf,
or can be obtained by calling 709-729-1608.
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Media contact:
Bradley Power
Public Relations Specialist
Fire and Emergency Services-Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-0857, 697-5216
BradleyPower@gov.nl.ca
2009 10 13 10:35 a.m.