Equipping Coaldale’s future firefighters

Sunny South News Photo Submitted. CONGRATULATIONS: Prairie Winds Fire and Emergency Services Academy Class of 2025 joined friends, family and special guests for their graduation ceremony on June 27 at the Coaldale fire hall. This year, 15 students graduated from the program.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

It was a special day for graduates from the Prairie Winds Fire and Emergency Services Academy, as the Class of 2025 celebrated with family, friends and fellow classmates at their graduation ceremony on June 27. 

The ceremony, held at the Coaldale fire hall, saw a total of 15 students graduate from the dual-credit program. Today, there are about eight to 10 fire academies in the province of Alberta that have a partnership between local schools and fire departments.  

“This is our seventh year in the program,” said Clayton Rutberg, director of protective services and fire chief for the Coaldale and District Fire and Emergency Services. “Every year, about 16 students go through the program, where we do medical training and fire training with them.” 

That training included sessions from 1:30-5:30 p.m. at the Coaldale fire hall every Friday during the school year, from September to June. Students learn everything that a firefighter would need to know on the job.

“They get their basic 10-01 training through us so they basically learn how to become a firefighter,” said Rutberg, noting that a large percentage of students from the program have gone on to become firefighters. “Here we have eight members on the department that are graduates of the program. A lot of them go onto paramedic school or nursing school.”  

“It’s a part of their high school curriculum and they get post-secondary credits for it as well through NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology),” he added. “They get some extra credits out of it and really, they get enough training that they could walk into a department and start volunteering pretty much right away if they chose to.”

The graduation ceremony featured messages from Town of Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn and Palliser School Division, graduate recognition, a student tribute to training officers and a video presentation. It also featured Heart and Sweat Awards, presented to three of the hardest-working students, and the Capt. Wilson Memorial Scholarship Award – that was presented to Capt. Charley Indzeoski this year.   

“To the graduates, your accomplishments are a testament to your hard work and dedication. You have embraced a challenging and demanding course of study, and you have excelled,” said Van Rijn. “The skills and knowledge you have acquired through this program will serve you well in your future endeavors, whether you choose to pursue careers in emergency services, firefighting, or any other field that calls for courage, commitment, and excellence.”

The Coaldale and District Fire and Emergency Services is considered a composite department with five full-time staff and 40 volunteers. The fire chief said the program has grown in numbers over the years and is one that can open doors to future possibilities for its graduates.

Rutberg said he’s thrilled to see the success the program has had.   

“It’s a good learning opportunity. It gives them a start in the emergency services (profession) but I think it also gives them good life skills even outside of emergency services as well,” said Rutberg.  “And it’s nice to see as a fire chief, that interest in the program from youth as well.”