Four volunteer firefighters sent to hospital during water rescue training

The Ministry of Labour and the Office of the Fire Marshal are investigating after four volunteer firefighters were transported to hospital during a swift water rescue training course that took place north of Sault Ste. Marie earlier this month. 

No injuries were reported in the Nov. 18 incident, which unfolded while more than a dozen firefighters from volunteer fire departments in Goulais, Searchmont and Aweres were taking part in training exercises in the Goulais River near the intersection of Highway 552 and Witry Road.    

Nicole Rivard, a long-standing member of Searchmont Community Volunteer Fire Department, was one of four firefighters taken to hospital that day.

She told SooToday that employees with Southwest Fire Academy, a company based in Waubaushene, Ont. that delivers training to fire departments, failed to equip participants with wetsuits used specifically for colder water temperatures and also failed to provide firefighters with safety tethering while training in the river. 

Rivard said she was fighting strong currents in the Goulais River that day, and struggled to make it back to shore at a couple points during the training. 

“I did get caught in the current already — a couple times,” she said during a telephone interview Monday. “I know it’s the theory of tough love: just get in the water and do what you need to do.”   

Rivard was later being assisted into a designated warming area, located in the back of a fire truck, when she was told that she “didn’t look good.” 

“That’s all I remember,” she said. “I don’t remember any other part, except being in the hospital.”

Four volunteer firefighters in all were transported by ambulance to Sault Area Hospital as a precaution. Rivard was treated for symptoms of mild to moderate hypothermia and released from hospital about three hours later.  

Kris Rooley, who serves as fire chief for both Goulais Fire and Rescue Volunteers and Searchmont Community Volunteer Fire Department, told SooToday there was a safety plan in place that all participants were made aware of prior to getting in the water, and that a paramedic was on standby during training exercises.  

Rooley said he was the one who made the call to stop training and send the four firefighters to hospital out of “an abundance of caution.”   

“Something unfortunately went wrong — people got cold and people got tired in the water. As soon as they started feeling any of that, I stopped the training and we activated our plan,” he said. “The paramedic started to provide patient care, and then out of precaution we sent four into the hospital to be checked over.”

Rooley declined to discuss further details on the incident, which is now being investigated by the Office of the Fire Marshal.   

“At this time I cannot comment on those investigations because they are ongoing,” he said. 

Rooley emphasized that he has had positive experiences working with Southwest Fire Academy on training exercises in the past. 

“Firefighting and rescue are very dangerous,” said Rooley. “They’re always very dangerous, and we definitely try to take the best precautions we can by ensuring that all of our volunteer firefighters are completely trained and certified to do the task at hand in the event of an emergency situation.” 

Kristen Scriver, director of operations at Southwest Fire Academy, informed SooToday via email Monday that the company is “actively investigating the factors that contributed to and allowed for this outcome.”  

“Though we cannot control all variables involved, we are working diligently to do what we can on our end to prevent reoccurrence,” Scriver said. “Until we have clarification on all contributing factors and solutions for corrective actions, we have suspended technical water rescue training, as safety remains our highest priority.”

Southwest Fire Academy has also informed Rivard of its decision to suspend water rescue training while the company investigates.  

“To me, that’s a win. That’s a win right there,” Rivard said of the company's decision to pull the training courses.

The Ministry of Labour has confirmed with SooToday that an investigator has been assigned to look into the matter.