Abby, Elizabeth, base-camp manager John Huston and webmaster Jim Paulson went for a walk around Iqaluit today. They met Iqaluit firefighters John and Barry who talked to them about rescue, evacuation and medical treatment options on Baffin Island. If any of the expedition team members needed to be evacuated, the Iqaluit Fire Department would be involved with the rescue.

Barry told the team about some of the difficulties of fighting fires in very cold temperatures. He said that the spray from the hoses will coat the firefighters’ clothing and will freeze solid, making moving difficult. Barry said that in the six years he has lived in Iqaluit, however, he has noticed that the winter weather has become less cold.

Abby, our expedition medic, who trained with the Cloquet, Minnesota paramedics, brought a Cloquet Fire Department T-shirt to give to give the local firefighters. In exchange, the Iqaluit firefighters gave the expedition team T-shirts. The firefighters’ friendliness made the team feel very welcome in Iqaluit.