THUNDER BAY -- It’s not everyday that students get to show up for school and end up leaving as a firefighter.
On Wednesday, 700 students at Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary School got that chance thanks to help of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue.
Grade 7 and 8 students were removed from half a day of classes to perform firefighter-related activities.
“We’re basically challenging the kids to a bunch of races, exercises, and helping the school promote health and wellness,” Tanner Henderson said.
Henderson and 21 other firefighters set up 10 stations to give students a taste of the action. Some included relay races, blindfolded baby rescue, and fire-hose
training.
Although students had the chance to leave class and soak in the sun, it wasn’t all fun and games.
“When we went on to put the suits to run the obstacles, it was really hard,” said Trentin Holmquist, a Grade 7 student.
“It’s really heavy, and when you have to put the straps on it’s hard to move around.”
Classmate Quinn Leschuk was also quick to find out how rigorous the activities were.
“It shows how tough the firefighter's job is,” Quinn said. “It’s really entertaining. Learning how to find babies in a smoky environment, and carry unconscious people … It’s surprising how much muscle it takes to be a fireman.”
Quinn said he isn’t exactly sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he isn’t ruling out a firefighter anytime soon.
“Today really helps teach students how to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” said physical education teacher Chelsea Henderson.
“It’s a hands-on, fun learning experience for everyone involved.”
This was the third year firefighters hosted the event at Pope John Paul II, and they hope to continue the success for the foreseeable future.
