Annapolis Valley students and Student Support Workers explore firefighting careers at CFB Halifax
By Kathryn Gatien,
CFB Halifax Public Affairs
On November 7, 2023, the CFB Halifax Fire Department hosted 14 high school students and four Student Support Workers (SSW) from the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education for a career exploration visit.
The primary role of SSWs is to provide support to students of African descent and their families, while the SSW program is meant to – among other objectives – promote cultural diversity and a welcoming school and learning environment for students. Career exploration visits are one of the program’s initiatives designed to help students figure out what they want to pursue after graduating.
Tara Davidson, the SSW who organized the trip, explains that “these trips are valuable because they can open the eyes of students. Career exploratory visits show students what options are out there for them.”
During their visit to the CFB Halifax Fire Department, eight firefighters on shift led a discussion group where they went over the requirements needed to become a firefighter, the physical requirements, pay and benefits. They also had a variety of hands-on sessions including vehicle extrication, confined space, fire extinguisher training, and fire hose handling as well as a station tour.
“The [CFB Halifax] Fire Department does a fantastic job at hosting because they cover everything about the job,” says Davidson. “Students and [Student Support Workers] loved it!”
Randell Davidson, Senior Platoon Chief, states that he “enjoyed spending the day with the kids and showing off [his] career and telling them what is available to them,” noting that they especially enjoyed using the jaws for vehicle extraction and hose handling.
The Fire Department has hosted other events with the SSWs, as well as Take Our Kids to Work Day and High School Navy Outreach program visits. From Platoon Chief Davidson’s perspective, he hopes his team can do even more in the future. “With the blessing of leadership, the Fire Department would definitely host events like this again.”
