2010-2011

News Release

REF NO.: 0

SUBJECT: Sheshatshiu firefighters to receive MI certificates Tuesday, Nov. 2

DATE: November 1, 2010

The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland invites the media to attend a ceremony for 13 recent graduates of a special firefighting training program in Sheshatshiu, Labrador.
The event is hosted by the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership (LATP) and takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at the Labrador Interpretation Centre in North West River at 2 p.m.
The 13 graduates will have an opportunity to meet the board members of the LATP, and will receive their graduation certificates from Dr. Peter Fisher, head of Academic and Student Affairs at the Marine Institute.
The Marine Institute, through its Safety and Emergency Response Training (SERT) Centre in Stephenville, partnered with the LATP to launch the specialized firefighting training program in Sheshatshiu in June. The objective of the customized, 19-week program was to build upon the firefighting capacity in the town and supply the necessary training to enable members of the Innu Nation to compete for jobs in the firefighting industry.
The majority of the firefighting training was completed in Sheshatshiu, however due to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements and the need for specialized equipment, the live fire portion of the course was delivered at the SERT Centre in Stephenville in the final weeks of the program.
Financial support for the training was provided by the Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership, a non-profit organization formed through the Federal Government’s Aboriginal Skills Employment Partnership (ASEP) funding program. LATP is funded by Labrador's three Aboriginal groups (Innu Nation, Nunatsiavut Government and NunatuKuvut, formerly the Labrador Metis Nation), Nalcor Energy-Lower Churchill Project and the Federal and Provincial Governments.

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