Lambton College was fully engulfed in gratitude following the donation of a fire rescue truck Wednesday afternoon.
Shell Canada's Sarnia site donated a used ambulance-style truck to the college's fire school.
Dean of the School of Fire Sciences Spencer Dickson said the walk-around rescue vehicle will help the program continue to grow.
"We couldn't do this on our own. With our industry partners making donations like this, we can give our students that real world experience," said Dickson. "We take approximately 100 students in our pre-service fire program, and we take about 48 students into our fire technology program, which is the only program of its kind in the province."
Dickson said what these students at the fire school do on a regular basis is very impressive.
"To really understand the program, they put me in the bunker-gear and sent me in the hot tower-- it gave me true experience of what these students go through. It's not Chicago Fire by any stretch. It's an assault on the senses, it is hard, hard work, and it gave me an appreciation of what we offer our students. This is no simulation, it's the real deal."
Shell fire chief Justin Hagan said the vehicle is used in a variety of situations.
"If it's a medical call, this is the first truck that shows up. If it's a fire call, a pumper shows up, or an engine shows up, but this follows right behind it because if there's a person that's incapacitated due to smoke, fire or heat, you need the equipment off of this truck to coincide with a fire attack."
Hagan said the truck will really benefit students and industrial clients of the fire school.
"This truck would bring your AED, oxygen, confide space entry equipment, stretchers, that kind of stuff," said Hagan. "You don't always need the big truck for all of your emergencies. For a carbon monoxide call, or medical response, this is the type of truck that responds."
Dickson said the donation is one of many Lambton College's fire school has received over the years, but it's the first walk-around rescue vehicle at the facility.
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