Gabrielle Bilinski of Campbell River spent three days last week learning firefighting and flood control techniques from Canadian Forces Instructors at the Damage Control Training Facility in Esquimalt.
Bilinski is a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Admiral Dewolf and is currently taking her six-week-long Boatswain Mate Course on the HMCS Quadra in Comox. During this course she will spend many of her days aboard a Royal Canadian Navy ORCA Patrol Class Tender Vessel.
“I love sailing here, I can’t believe I get to do all of this for free” says the Grade 11 Timberline Secondary student. “I practiced using a fire hose and fire extinguisher to put out fires. The best was being in the flood simulator and having gallons of water rushing out at me while my partner and I had to plug it!”
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets is a national youth program sponsored by the Department of National Defence and the Navy League of Canada.
The program is offered to all youth in Canada aged 12-18 and is provided at zero cost to families.