Marine

The live fire training students will participate in during both the Basic Safety Training course and the Advanced Fire Fighting course will place certain physical demands on students.  Students need to evaluate whether they are able to take part in the training given any limitations they may presently have.  As a minimum standard, students must provide the staff at the Fire & Safety Training Centre with a copy of their current and valid Seafarers medical.

Seafarers Medical   (Required for MED BST/MED AFFOC courses only)

• Find a recognized doctor in BC near you: Marine Medical Examiners in BC
• Find a recognized doctor in Alberta near you: Marine Medical Examiners in Alberta
• Find a recognized doctor in Saskatchewan near you: Marine Medical Examiners in Saskatchewan

Please be sure to inform the doctor’s office that you are booking for a seafarers medical.  Also find out what fees you will have to pay and if there is anything you are required to fill out in advance.

The seafarer’s medical is a basic requirement for anyone working in the marine industry hold any type of certification or rating.  So as not to increase the expense of attending these courses and understanding students either already have or will require their seafarers medical, it will be used as the minimum requirement for attending the training.

Basic Safety Training / Advance Safety Training
(four day JIBC portion / three day JIBC portion)

We look forward to your attendance at our campus at 13500 256th Street, Maple Ridge.  Please make sure you account for the travel time when coming to this campus as it is a fair distance from the BCIT Marine Campus in North Vancouver.

Being Late

Transport Canada expects that any student that misses more than 1 hour of training during the entire program will not be allowed to finish the training.  If something happens and you are not going to be on time, please call our campus right away at 604-462-1000.

Fitness

Students should take into account that the training they will receive while at the JIBC Fire & Safety Training Centre, involves wearing standard fire fighting personal protective equipment.  This equipment with add in the area of an additional 27 Kg to 32Kg (60 to 70 lbs.) to the wearer. The training will be three or four days (depending on if you are taking the BST or AFFOC) of live fire training or simulated training wearing SCBA’s (air packs) containing aluminum cylinders.  During training you with be dragging charged hose lines and rescuing victims inside structures where vision will be impaired, not to mention fighting live fires inside structures with elevated ambient temperatures exist. 

Please bring water bottles for field training exercises.

Consider taking the program at another time if any current injuries or medical problems will hamper your participation in training.  Participation is essential not only in the learning process but critical in the final evaluation.

Your Seafarer's Medical is considered the basic requirement for training.

Clean-Shaven

It is a Work Safe BC regulation that when wearing an SCBA you must be clean-shaven each day before work or training begins.  The same policy is also found in OSHA & NFPA, in fact if a work shift exceeds 8 hours. The worker may be required to shave twice within the day.  The bottom line is that to participate in training students may not have beards of any kind (mustaches are OK as long as they are not in the seal area of the mask).  Sorry, there will not be any exceptions; this is not something within our control, we are bound to uphold the regulation.

Attire

Classroom is casual or comfortable attire.  However for safety during training, you are required to wear long sleeves and long pants under the fire fighting gear (overalls are fine).  The material is to be of high natural fiber content such as cotton or wool.  Please avoid materials that would melt at low temperatures. 

You may want more than one change per day as there will be training before and after lunch.  Note: there are change rooms, showers and lockers provided on site.  Knee pads - although it is unlikely that in an actual fire emergency you would have time to grab knee pads, by all means feel free to bring them and use them during training.

Food Service

We unfortunately do not have food service on site at this time, so please plan accordingly.  We do offer the use of a refrigerator as well as microwaves in the cafeteria.  You are expected to clean up after yourself.  There is a restaurant within a 5 minute drive from here as well as a corner store.

For any general enquiries about this program or if you have concerns about your level of readiness, please contact the JIBC, Fire & Safety Training Centre at 604.462.1000.

Beards & Facial Hair

Students attending courses at the JIBC that will require the use of SCBA’s (self contained breathing apparatus) are required to be cleaned shaven each morning before the class starts.  The MED A1 & A2 courses do not cover the use of SCBA’s; however students attending the BST or AFFOC course will be required to shave.

The area that is required to be free of facial hair is across the chin area along the lower jaw line and up the sides of the face where the sealing area of the mask contacts the face.  Students who wear mustaches are permitted to keep them provided that they don’t extend down into the sealing area around the chin or lower jaw line.

There is no exception to this requirement as it is a legal requirement and can be found in the Work Safe BC regulations, the CSA standards as well as the Canada Labour Code.  Please see the following links or references:

• Work Safe BC regulation on face seal - http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part8.asp#SectionNumber:8.39
• Canada Labour Code - http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/SOR-86-304/page-6.html#anchorbo-ga:l_XII
• CSA - Canadian Safety Standards - Please see CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4-93
• NFPA – National Fire Protection Association Please see NFPA 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health; Chapter 7 Protective Clothing and Protective Equipment
  • 7.1        General
  • 7.13      Using Respiratory Protection

Registration for all courses is done through the BCIT Marine Campus registration.

BCIT Marine campus registration

The Marine Campus offers a variety of Transport Canada authorized training courses and programs to meet your individual needs. Contact a Registration Officer at the campus for details on current courses and programs offered.

Register by phone

To register by phone, call the Marine Campus Registration Office at 604.453.4111.

Regular Hours
8:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday
8:30 am to 3:30 pm Tuesday to Friday
Closed Saturday and Statutory Holidays

Register by mail or fax

For more information, call the Marine Campus Registration Office at 604.453.4111.

BCIT Marine Campus Registration Office
265 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC, V7M 1A5
Fax: 604.985.2862

Register in person

Marine Campus
265 West Esplanade
North Vancouver

Regular Hours
8:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday
8:30 am to 3:30 pm Tuesday to Friday
Closed Saturday and Statutory Holidays