Every Friday morning, like clockwork, two or more firefighters descend on Wapanohk Community School ready for battle.
Instead of hoses and fire extinguishers, though, their tools for this battle are toasters, plates, bowls, forks and knives - because what they're battling is hunger and poor dietary skills.
It's the Wapanohk breakfast program, and Thompson Fire and Emergency Services (TFES) are just one of the many groups volunteering to feed up to 100 Wapanohk students per day.
"They come every Friday, they cook breakfast and clean, and they interact with the kids in a positive way," explains Wapanohk principal Bonnie Rempel. "They're building those positive relationships with the kids, instead of coming down on them for starting fires."
"Whatever shift is working, as long as there's not an emergency, they'll come," she continues. "They say they love it - they love getting out of the office, they love playing with the kids. The kids talk to them like they're friends now, so that relationship is going to help the kids - if there is an emergency, or if there is something they need to let the fire department know about, they're going to be so comfortable because these are the people that they know."
Any Wapanohk student is able to attend the breakfast program, and they're treated to a smorgasbord of toast, cereal, fresh-cut fruits, and healthy drinks such as milk and fruit juice.
TFES have been involved with the breakfast program since 2009. "We stepped up to the plate simply because we're looking at it from the perspective of interaction with the kids," notes TFES captain Steve Molloy.
The breakfast program is far from the only involvement TFES has with Wapanohk, or with any of Thompson's other schools. "They're always here, being proactive," says Rempel. "They do lots of talks on fire safety. They're always here doing proactive things and visiting the school, so the kids are building that proactive relationship as opposed to getting in trouble for starting fires."
"Just before Christmas, we had Thompson Fire and Emergency Services bring their big truck, and the captain was here," she adds. "We had a member dressed up as Santa, and we had kids from Wapanohk, Westwood, and Riverside create 20 hampers, and the fire department and RCMP came to help, and each child delivered their own hamper to a different area in Thompson. That was through a partnership with Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, Thompson Fire and Emergency Services, and the RCMP."
"Fire prevention week in October - we don't just hit Wapanohk, we hit all of the schools," says Molloy. "We go through the schools teaching fire prevention to all of the lower levels."
Every year, Wapanohk honours a person or organization for being involved in the school in a way which represents one of the seven virtues the school teaches. This school year, the fire department was honoured for all their involvement with the school, representing the virtue of service.
