HAMILTON, ON – In its fifteenth year, Fire Service Women Ontario (FSWO) will hold its largest-ever training symposium from November 7-9, 2024, at the Hamilton Multi-Agency Training Centre, hosted by the Hamilton Fire Department. This year’s event will gather over two hundred women from all fire service areas, including fire suppression, communications/dispatch, public education, fire prevention, and training.
The symposium offers hands-on, live fire training and leadership development, providing a unique opportunity for women to participate in fire simulations and instruction led by many fellow women in the fire service. These training experiences are essential as the fire service evolves to include more women in various roles. Women now represent 11 percent of firefighters in Canada, and 18 percent in the U.S., and their presence in leadership continues to grow.
“The FSWO Symposium equips women from all areas of the fire service with the skills to excel in high-pressure emergency situations and positions them to take on leadership roles in the future,” said Pike Krpan, President of FSWO and a firefighter with the Hamilton Fire Department. “Whether in fire suppression, training, or public education, the women participating in this symposium are the leaders who will shape the future of Canada's fire service.”
A highlight of the symposium will be two leadership workshops by Katherine Lamb of Effective Command. These sessions will address the unique challenges faced by women in the male-dominated fire service, including overcoming imposter syndrome, developing resilience, and adopting coping strategies for high-stress situations.
With immersive live fire drills and leadership exercises, the symposium offers an unparalleled opportunity for women to train in one of Canada’s premier fire simulation facilities. Women in all fire service sectors from across North America, including Canada’s Military, will tackle high-intensity first-response scenarios, building critical decision-making and leadership skills under pressure.
“The Hamilton Fire Department is proud to host the FSWO 2024 Symposium,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Cunliffe. “This is an excellent opportunity to support the evolution of the fire service and the professional development of the next generation of fire service leaders in all areas of the fire service.”
The Canadian Fire Service currently includes approximately 14,100 women, with 3,000 full-time and 11,000 volunteer firefighters. The FSWO Symposium underscores the importance of women in leadership across fire service disciplines, with the number of female-led fire departments having grown from 13 to 68 over the past five years.
Media have access to live fire simulation training, including containing battery fires in electric cars, extracting children from bus crashes, drone use in emergencey sitations -- following brief remarks by FSWO President Pike Krpan and Hamilton Fire Department Chief Dave Cunliffe:
10:00 AM November 7, 2024 Hamilton Multi-Agency Training Centre 1227 Stone Church Rd East Hamilton
______________________________
Contact: Kathryn Hendrick, hendrickkathryn@gmail.com, 416-277-6281
https://fswo.ca/symposium/
| ||
22-520 Westney Road South Ajax, Ontario Canada L1S 6W6
For all inquiries, please contact: hendrickkathryn@gmail.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment