Simulator will Improve Emergency Preparedness for the North Shore Industrial Waterfront
Regional fire departments will now receive hands-on practice at shipboard firefighting at a new training facility designed to enhance the skills of local firefighters and develop area expertise in marine firefighting and emergency rescue events.
The “Seaspan Responder” is a fire simulator constructed out of shipping containers to resemble a tugboat and is stationed at the Maplewood Fire and Rescue Centre, the new headquarters for the District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (DNVFRS). The structure simulates the confined space and intricate layout of a multi-storey vessel and will allow local firefighters to practice tactics in realistic emergency scenarios involving live fire suppression, smoke and victim rescue in a controlled environment.
The investment for the marine fire simulator is part of Seaspan’s Value Proposition commitments under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).
The three-storey customized fire training structure is approximately 17.1 meters long, 7.3 meters wide and 7.6 meters tall, and incorporates interior burn chambers, including a simulated engine room and kitchen, stairways with hatches and other gas fired props.
DNVFRS is part of a regional fire and emergency services system, working alongside West Vancouver Fire & Rescue and the City of North Vancouver Fire departments under a shared services agreement that eliminates jurisdictional borders for fire and rescue responses across North and West Vancouver.
Seaspan Shipyards has established a cooperative and productive relationship with local first responders to support the company’s efforts in managing fire risk within their shipyards. It is through that relationship that Seaspan has founded a fully functioning and well-equipped Emergency Response Team, while also supporting training in shipboard firefighting for over 120 regional firefighters, including DNVFRS firefighters, and personnel from Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, the West Vancouver Fire Rescue and North Vancouver City Fire Department. These initiatives resulted from Seaspan’s Marine Firefighting Agreement, established between the DNVFRS and Seaspan, and includes quarterly drills involving Seaspan’s Emergency Response Team, the DNVFRS and other response agencies such as Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR).
In keeping with the continued relationship between Seaspan and local emergency services, the new facility will support ongoing training exercises between Seaspan’s Emergency Response Team and local firefighters and provide personnel with an opportunity to work with Justice Institute of BC training specialists and test new technologies in marine fire suppression.
The simulator will be available to all North Shore firefighters, with future opportunities for additional municipalities in the greater Vancouver area to utilize the facility. There is also the potential to offer collaborative training opportunities to educational institutions, marine-specific organizations and other emergency response agencies across North America.
“Seaspan is proud to partner with the District of North Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services to bring the marine fire simulator to the Maplewood Fire and Rescue Centre. Seaspan Shipyards has a long history of supporting emergency services training and engagement initiatives, which is a critical component to improving the safety of marine workers, fire personnel and waterfront businesses. This level of advanced maritime firefighting training will help familiarize responders with commercial vessels and provide the necessary skills and experience to fight fires in multi-storey ships and vessels.”
John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards
“As a result of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the marine industry in Canada is experiencing unprecedented growth. As the sector capitalizes on these new opportunities, we need to also develop new expertise in marine-related emergency response services. The knowledge gained through the training sessions will not only support the ships being developed at Vancouver Shipyards under the NSS, but all vessels transporting through the region, as well as businesses along the industrial waterfront in North Vancouver.”
Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“We are grateful for Seaspan’s contribution of the marine firefighting ship simulator to our new Maplewood Fire and Rescue Centre. The District of North Vancouver is a diverse region that requires our firefighters to be prepared for dynamic challenges on land and at sea. This new simulator will enable District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services to continue to be leaders in the field, and to continue to provide District residents and the region with industry-leading emergency services.”
Mike Little, Mayor of the District of North Vancouver
“The new dedicated training facility at the Maplewood Fire and Rescue Centre helps ensure that District of North Vancouver firefighters and our North Shore partners can receive the best training possible. Fire onboard a ship is an exceptionally dangerous situation that requires a unique set of firefighting techniques. Being able to train inside the confined spaces of a simulated ship will provide advanced training to land-based firefighters that doesn’t currently exist in our community.”
Mike Danks, Fire Chief for the District of North Vancouver
